Confucius' Birthday

Confucius Birthday
The birthday of Confucius is celebrated with a dawn ceremony at temples around the world. His birthday, in 551 BCE, is celebrated as Teacher's Day in Taiwan.

Columbus Day - USA

Columbus Day (Obsvd)
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This day commemorates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World.

Columbus Day in the United States
Columbus Day is celebrated on the 2nd Monday in October. The first recorded celebration of Columbus Day in the USA was held by the Tammany Society, also known as the Colombian Order, in New York on October 12th 1792, marking the 300th anniversary of Columbus's landing in the Bahamas.

Many Italian-Americans observe Columbus Day as a celebration of Italian-American heritage. Columbus Day was first celebrated by Italians in San Francisco in 1869, following on the heels of 1866 Italian celebrations in New York City. The first state celebration was in Colorado in 1905, and in 1937, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt set aside Columbus Day as a holiday in the United States. Since 1971, the holiday has been commemorated in the U.S. on the second Monday in October, the same day as Thanksgiving in neighboring Canada.

Banks are almost always closed on this day, as are government offices. Public schools however are not usually closed on Columbus Day; nor is it recognized by most American employers as a day off from work.

Thanksgiving - Canada

A schedule alert in Canada
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Oct 10 - Thanksgiving
Early Canadian settlers gave thanks for good harvests by decorating their churches with fruits and vegetables and celebrated dinner with venison and waterfowl.

A Canadian Thanksgiving

The Canadian Thanksgiving makes an interesting counterpoint to the holiday celebrated by its southern neighbor. As mentioned earlier, the first North American thanksgiving event occurred in Newfoundland in 1578. In the 1600s, Samuel de Champlain and the French Settlers who came with him established an "Order of Good Cheer." This group would hold huge celebrations marking the harvests and other events, sharing their food with Native American neighbours.

The First Canadian Thanksgiving
The first Canadian Thanksgiving was celebrated on April 15, 1872 in thanks for the recovery of the future King Edward VII from a serious illness. The next Thanksgiving didn't occur until 1879 when it was celebrated on a Thursday in November.

Setting a Date
Much like the United States, Canada seemed to have a difficult time deciding when a day of Thanksgiving should occur. From 1879 to 1898 it was celebrated on a Thursday in November; from 1899 to 1907 on a Thursday in October (except in 1901 and 1904 when it was celebrated on a Thursday in November); from 1908 to 1921 on a Monday in October; and between 1922 and 1930 the Armistice Day Act declared that Thanksgiving would be celebrated on Armistice Day, the Monday of November 11. In 1931 the Act was amended and the old practice of Parliament declaring a day of Thanksgiving each year was resumed.

On January 31, 1957 Parliament issued a proclamation to fix permanently the second Monday in October as "a day of general Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed."

Much like the United States' Thanksgiving Day, the Canadian celebration includes parades and festive meals, often including turkey and all the "fixins." Yet, again, at the heart of the celebration is the idea of giving thanks for the goodness of the season past.

12th Annual Ethnic & Multicultural Marketing - Oct 17th

Ethnic/Multicultural marketing is big business. At this annual conference, major organizations, like Nike, McDonalds, Avon, Lufthansa, share their experiences and approaches.

Ramadan - October 5th to November 4th

Islam

This is the holiest period in the Islamic Year and begins at the sighting of the new moon. It commemorates the period during which Prophet Mohammad received divine revelations. Observing Muslims fast between the hours of sunrise and sunset during the entire month, read the Qu'ran and worship in the mosque or at home.

Ramadan is a special month of the year for over one billion Muslims throughout the world. It is a time for inner reflection, devotion to God, and self-control. Muslims think of it as a kind of tune-up for their spiritual lives. There are as many meanings of Ramadan as there are Muslims.

The third "pillar" or religious obligation of Islam, fasting has many special benefits. Among these, the most important is that it is a means of learning self-control. Due to the lack of preoccupation with the satisfaction of bodily appetites during the daylight hours of fasting, a measure of ascendancy is given to one's spiritual nature, which becomes a means of coming closer to God. Ramadan is also a time of intensive worship, reading of the Qur'an, giving charity, purifying one's behavior, and doing good deeds.

As a secondary goal, fasting is a way of experiencing hunger and developing sympathy for the less fortunate, and learning to thankfulness and appreciation for all of God's bounties. Fasting is also beneficial to the health and provides a break in the cycle of rigid habits or overindulgence.

Rosh Hashanah / New Year

Jewish

Rosh Hashanah/New Year - thru Oct 5
The Jewish New Year which 'ushers in the Days of Judgment for all mankind' and the anniversary of the creation of the world.

The Jewish High Holy Days are observed during the 10 day period between the first day (Rosh Hashanah) and the 10th day (Yom Kippur) of Tishri, the seventh month of the Jewish calendar.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the most important of all Jewish Holidays and the only holidays that are purely religious, as they are not related to any historical or natural event.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is celebrated the first and second days of Tishri. It is a time of family gatherings, special meals and sweet tasting foods.

October 2005 - Schedule alerts

*** OCTOBER SCHEDULE ALERTS

October 4, 2005
ROSH HASHANAH / NEW YEAR (Jewish) - thru Oct 5
The Jewish New Year which ushers in the Days of Judgement
for all mankind and the anniversary of the creation of
the world.

October 10, 2005
COLUMBUS DAY (Observed) - USA
Commemorates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus'
discovery of the New World.

THANKSGIVING - Canada
Early Canadian settlers gave thans for good harvests by
decorating their churches with fruits and vegetables and
celebrated dinner with venison and waterfowl.

October 13, 2005
YOM KIPPUR - Jewish
The Day of Atonement is the holiest and most solemn of all
days in the Jewish year. They believe that once you atone
for your mistakes, you can be 'at one' with God. Jews do
not work, and fast from sunset to sunset.


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October, 2005

October - National Disability Employment Awareness Month
National Disability Employment Awareness Month began with the
Presidential Proclamation in 1988. This law replaced "National
Employ the Handicapped Week" which had occurred annually since
1945 during the first week of October. The new law also
recognized a change in terminology and replaced the term
"handicap" with "disability".
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OCTOBER IS:
Adopt-A-Pet Month
Campaign for Healthier Babies Month
Hunger Awareness Month
Awareness Month
Gourmet Adventures Month
International Doll Collectors Month
International Marine Travel Month
Museum Month
National Disability Awareness Month
International Book Fair Month
Polish Heritage Month
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