Festivals of the World (and special days to Celebrate)

The global village should be celebrated in the home! There's always a reason to celebrate and what better way to do it than with your family while learning about a variety of cultures? With ideas and activities for celebrating the various holidays "Earthy Family" style, you'll find this a fabulous resource when planning birthdays, parties, and family nights. We live in a time of diversity - celebrate with us

 

Children’s Day in Uruguay

January 6th

Uruguay celebrates Children’s Day on January 6th. Before going to bed on the evening of the 5th, children leave their shoes by the Christmas tree along with food and water for the 3 Wise Men and their camels. When they wake on the 6th, the shoes are filled with gifts from the Magi, who visited the baby Jesus, and the food and water are gone. The custom relates to Epiphany celebrations around the world.

Arbor Day

Jan 15th

The country of Jordan celebrates Arbor Day on January 15th each year. Thousands of trees are planted on this day each year throughout the country. There is a great deal of attention paid to the connection of the needs of the environment and the health of the people and country at Arbor Day celebrations. As Jordan is a country with few freshwater supplies, trees are chosen for their drought resistance and environmental contributions.

Ideas for celebrating:
Plant a tree (or an indoor plant – see Odds n Sods for more information on indoor plants
If it’s too cold to plant outside where you are right now, talk about trees and the need for native species plants. January is a great time to start planning for summer gardening and researching plant species native to your local area now will provide you with all the information you’ll need when it comes time to plant in spring.

Chinese New Year

January 23nd (2012)

The Chinese calendar is based on solar and lunar cycles and thus the new year falls on a different day of the Western solar calendar each year. Each year is designated by one of 12 animals in the Chinese calendar. This year is the Year of the Monkey (which means much mischief will be afoot this year). Find out what Animal sign you were born under. 2012 is the Year of the Dragon, learn more about this year.

The days before Chinese New Year’s are spent thoroughly cleaning and decorating the home (often with red banners, as red is considered especially auspicious), preparing special foods, getting a haircut and mending old clothes. Everything is meant to look fresh and new to set the tone of the coming year.

Hongbao, or red packets (red envelopes with money in them) are given to younger generations to symbolize luck and wealth. Foods of the holiday are also very symbolic and dumplings are served to represent wealth, and jiu (a hard liquor) is served to symbolize longevity.

Red is said to be the luckiest colour and most celebrants decorate their homes with red banners and dress in red for the celebrations.

Ideas for celebrating:
Host a Chinese potluck and invite your friends and family over to celebrate the Chinese New Year with you. Be sure to decorate your home with red!

If there is a large Chinese community in your town or city, check to see what will be going on. Often dragon dances, parades and other festivities are scheduled and open to the public. Check your local listings or contact the local Chinese cultural centre or cultural association. The bright and open celebrations are not to be missed!

Fresh Flowers in the home on Chinese New Years signifies new growth and prosperity.

 

Groundhog Day

February 2nd

Groundhog Day, celebrated on February 2nd, foretells the end of winter. It is said that if the groundhog sees his shadow, 6 more weeks of winter will follow. If he doesn’t see his shadow, spring is just around the corner. In our modern world it is Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania that delivers this weather forecast, but the tradition is an old one that dates back hundreds of years to the festival of Imbolc.

Traditionally, Imbolc is the day to make candles as it is at this time that we can see the light through the day is growing longer.

For more information on the history of Groundhog Day, check out StormFax.com

Ideas for Celebrating:
Check for your own shadows. Set aside a specific time that you will check, then all head outside to see if your shadow has come with you. Remember – no shadow means spring is just around the corner!

Make candles to celebrate the return of the sun.

International Friendship Month

February is International Friendship Month! What a great time to learn about families in other parts of the world, make friends internationally and celebrate our global diversity!

Ideas for Celebrating:

Check the Planet Friendship site for ways to get involved in internationally friendly initiatives.

Check Kids’ Space Connection for penpals from around the world and ideas on projects to increase your international understanding.

Learn about other cultures in our Cultures of the World Section.

Valentine’s Day

February 14th

Valentine’s Day, celebrated on February 14th, is a special day to celebrate love and friendship. There are many different ways to celebrate this day, and while many traditions have been passed down through the years, others are created as couples and families celebrate each year. At Earthy Family we invite you to celebrate Valentine’s Day in a way that is special to each member of your family, celebrating all the different types of love in your lives.

For more information on Valentine’s Day, check out our special Valentine’s section.

Valentine's Day is a big day for sending and receiving flowers. Valentine's Flowers

Losar, the Tibetan New Year (Tibet)

Tibetan New Year falls on February 22nd in 2012. Losar as it is known, is the most important festival in Tibet and celebrations start on the 29th day of the 12th month of the Tibetan calendar. New Year’s Eve is called Lu Yugpa and on this day Tibetans clean their houses and neighbourhoods. Offerings are made at monasteries and decorations are put up. Unfinished business and unhappy memories are dealt with, and rituals are performed to chase away evil spirits so the New Year can start off on a positive note.

A fun custom of the day is the making and sharing of dough balls with different fillings in them. Sometimes they are added to a soup and sometimes they are made with barley crumbs. They may contain chilies, salt, wool, rice or coal and the filling is supposed to be a humorous observation about the finders’ disposition, or indication of the year ahead.:

Chilies mean the person is talkative or will have an angry, argumentative year,
white ingredients are considered good luck,
coal indicates a black heart
salt is a sign of a virtuous year ahead
wool means a lazy year is about to start
butter indicates an easy year.

Other festive foods include sweet rice, tea, butter, fried biscuits, fruit, and sweets. These are placed on family altars and shared with friends and family, as Losar is a time of feasting and food is important symbolically.

On the first day of the New Year, the woman of each house collects the first bucket of water of the year from the well at sunrise, burning incense and giving the first portion of the festival foods as an offering to the nagas (serpents and spirits of the underworld).

Families wear new clothes and perform a formal ceremony at their family altar. After this special Buddhist rite, families visit with neighbours and wish each other “Tashe Delek!” (Good Fortune).

Tibetan prayer:
At this very moment for the peoples and nations of the earth, May not even the names of disease, famine, war, and suffering be heard, But rather may pure conduct, merit, wealth and prosperity increase, And may supreme good fortune and well being always arise.

Ideas for celebrating:
Make dough balls filled with the traditional ingredients listed above to share with your family over dinner. A great time for a talk about the plight of the Tibetan people!

To learn more about the issues surrounding Tibet, check the following sites:

Tibet Online
International Campaign for Tibet

Leap Year

February 29th

Every four years an extra day is added to the calendar to keep it synchronized with the seasons. The day is always added on to February. While a non-leap year has only 28 days in February, a leap year (which this one is) has 29. In essence, you are getting a whole extra day this year. If you can, take this day to do only fun things, since an extra day in the year should be spent in a very enjoyable way. 2012 is a leap year.

Ideas for spending your “extra day”

Go to the zoo
Go to a petting farm
Spend the day in pajamas – spend the day reading
Have a family spa day – have bubble baths, give each other pedicures and lounge in your bathrobes
Go swimming
Play leap frog in honour of the leap year

 

Hola Mohalla

March 7th

Hola Mohalla is an sacred festival of the Nihangs community and is held at Anandpur Sahib in Punjab every year. It started as a gathering of Sikhs for military exercises following the festival of Holi. Today it is held to remind the people of valour and defence preparedness, pay homage to the cty where the foundation of the Khalsa was laid and allows each member of the Nihang community to display his/her skills in Gatkha (much like European fencing), horse riding and taming. The 3-day festival also includes music and poetry competitions as well as mock battles. People from all over the world travel to Anandpur Sahib to participate in the festival.

Ideas for celebrating:

This is a great time to learn more about the Sikh community and their history. Check out the following sites for more information:
Budhadal.com
Indian Hospitality

Hold your own poetry or music competitions. Give everyone 10 minutes after dinner to compose a song or poem, then share with the rest of the family.

Make a Punjabi feast for dinner. The cuisine of Northern India is delightful. Check for recipes at:
Punjab Online
India Server

International Women’s Day

March 8th

According to the UN, “Women continue to be among the poorest: the majority of the world’s absolute poor are women. Three quarters of the women over the age of 25, in much of Asia and Africa are illiterate. On the average, women receive between 30 to 40 cents less than males for the same work. Everywhere women continue to be victims of violence, with rape and domestic violence listed as significant causes of disability and death among women of reproductive age.”

March 8th is International Women’s Day. It is celebrated in many countries and promoted by the United Nations. It is a day to “reflect on the progress made to advance women’s equality, to assess the challenges facing women in contemporary society, to consider future steps to enhance the status.”
http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/

Ideas for celebrating:

Check your local community listings for events and activities

Research local women heroes.

Share a meal with the female heroes in your life.

Check out some of the interesting women’s history sites and share some of the interesting stories you’ll find at dinner throughout this week. Internet Women’s History Sourcebook

 

St. Patrick’s Day

March 17th

St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland which celebrates the patron saint of the country, St. Patrick. Held on March 17th every year, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated all over the world by those of Irish descent (and those who are “Irish for a day”).

A parade is held in many of the Irish cities, towns and villages and a special mass is attended by many of the Irish Catholics. St. Patrick’s Day is considered a Catholic holy day in Ireland, though in recent years it has evolved into a more secular holiday.

The traditional emblem of St. Patrick’s Day is the green shamrock. St. Patrick was known for using the 3-leafed shamrock to explain the concept of the Christian Holy Trinity, and many of his followers wore the shamrock on his feast day after his death. Today the shamrock has become of symbol of Ireland itself and St. Patrick’s Day in particular. For more information on St. Patrick’s Day, complete with fun activities to do, check out the our culture section.

Many countries now celebrate St. Patrick's Day with parades and festivals. Some even send St. Patrick's Day Bouquets to celebrate this day.

This is a great day to learn about Ireland and serve some good Irish food. And of course don't forget to wear green and decorate the house in green.

Norwruz - Iranian New Year's Festival

March 21

Norwruz, meaning 'new day' is celebrated each year in Iran and by Iranian people throughout the world. This day marks the first day of Spring and is the beginning of the year in the Iranina calendar.

Noruz has been celebrated for at least 3,000 years. Nowruz ceremonies are symbolic representations of 2 ancient concepts - the End and the Rebirth

A few weeks before Norwruz , Iranians spend cleaning their homes, preparing new clothes and baking. Norwruz is a time for music, dance, wonderful food and for visiting family members.

When celebrating the beginning of Spring also celebrate the Iranian New Years and learn to good some great Persian foods.

Evangelismou (Greece)

March 25th

Evangelismou is a Greek festival that celebrates three important events: Greek National Independence Day, the Annunciation (Christian holiday) and the spring equinox. Festivities are marked with speeches and folk dancing and many Greeks wear traditional clothing on this day.

Sham al-Naseem - (Egypt)

March 25

On March 25 In Egypt, people greet each other kindly, saying "al Salamu Alaycum", which means "Peace be with you." Sham al-Naseem is festival that celebrates the first day of Spring

 

April Fool’s Day

April 1st

April Fool’s Day, celebrated on April 1st each year, is a time for playful pranks and practical jokes. The celebration dates back to Roman times when a king and slave would trade places for a day, fulfilling each other’s roles amongst much merry-making.

While playing your jokes, keep in mind that it’s a day of fun, so keep your sensitivy and make jokes that everyone will laugh about (the person you trick included).

Baisakhi

April 13th

Baisakhi is a Sikh festival celebrated on April 13th. It is Punjab New Year’s and the birthday of the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh (who founded the Khalsa – the Sikh brotherhood) in 1699. Baisakhi is celebrated with joyful religious music and dancing, visits to the temples and a community lunch.

 

International Easter

Traditions from around the world

Many countries throughout the world celebrate the Christian holiday Easter. The roots of Easter stretch back to ancient celebrations of spring and the return of the sun. Today it is celebrated by Christians who believe that Jesus was resurrected from the dead (returning the son to God).

Easter Celebrations Around the World:
Germany: Many German families decorate tree branches in vases with real eggs and brightly coloured ornaments. These “Easter trees” are usually put up about 2 weeks before Easter.

Ukraine: Pysanky is an elaborate Ukrainian method of decorating Easter eggs using dyes and beeswax to make elaborate designs on the eggs. The design traditions are handed down from generation to generation and are extremely delicate and beautiful.

Greece: Greek celebrants bake a traditional bread called Tsoureki. This braided loaf of bread has a red egg baked into it to symbolize the blood of Christ. It is a sweet bread only baked on Good Friday.
Check out the Razzle Dazzle Recipes for a Tsoureki recipe

Mexico: In Mexico entire communities get together to reenact the last days of Jesus, including his death and resurrection. Processions with drums and candlelight wind through the towns and sad songs are sung on Good Friday, as Jesus’ death is remembered.

Earth Day

April 22nd

April 22nd is Earth Day! Earth Day was first celebrated in the USA in 1970. It was started as a grassroots movement to bring recognition to the ecological problems occurring throughout the world. In the years since, it has spread around the world and has indeed brought greater attention to our growing environmental issues.

This is a great day to celebrate all the Earth provides to us, and to show appreciation of our home by living in harmony with all that share it. Get involved in your community this Earth Day to promote environmental awareness and celebrate our planet.

Check out Go Green! for a list of 51 ways to live in harmony with the environment.

 

Youth Day, China

May 4th

May 4th is China’s traditional Youth Day. College students often celebrate the day with fun outdoor activities and May 4th medals are awarded for outstanding academic performance. The Youth Day celebration commemorates the day of the first mass student movement in China which occurred in 1919. The Beijing student demonstration was against the warlord government's imminent signing of an international agreement, ceding a Chinese province to the Japanese; it ignited a number of further demonstrations across the country and sparked the promotion of democracy and scientific enquiry.

 

Mental Health Month

May is Mental Health Month. This awareness month focuses on concentrating people’s focus on the importance of mental health in all areas of life as well as bringing awareness to mental illness.

This is a great time to find a bit of time for each family member to find and engage in an activity that brings them joy and peace. Perhaps it’s a family activity, or perhaps it’s an individual activity. Share your needs with each other and support one another as you take time to re-energize and recharge. Because mental health affects all areas of health and life, it’s important to take care of yours.

 

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is a celebration of Mothers, and this is the day we honor our mothers. Mother's Day is celebrated throughout the world on different dates.

Mother's Day is celebrated in Canada and the U.S. the second Sunday of May. In 2012 Mother's Day will be held on Sunday, May 13. There are many other countries that celebrate Mother's Day on this date. It is the most common date for Mother's Day celebrations.

In the UK Mother's Day or Mothering Sunday is held on the 4th day of Lent. In 2012 it will be held on March 18.

In Mexico Mother's Day is celebrated on May 10 of each year.

Visit our Mother's Day page for Mother's Love Stories, poems and quotes.

Visit Mother's Day Flowers to learn the history of Mother' Day

 

International Day of Families

May 15

May 15th is International Day of Families.

What a great time to celebrate living in a family environment! Talk with your family about what a family is (there are as many definitions as there are families), and what is truly great about a family like yours. Cook a special meal and linger at the dinner table, or spend some family time together doing a favoured activity and celebrating each other and your wonderful bond, you may want to celebrate with your extended family and learn some family history from the seniors in your family.

 

Vegetarian Week

Vegetarian Week is from Monday 21 May - Sunday 27 May 2012. Whether you’re a dedicated vegetarian, a veggie dabbler, or a committed omnivore, there is no denying the health benefits of vegetarian meals. Eating less meat than the standard North American does is beneficial to health as well as the environment (it takes much more energy to raise a cow than grow a field of veggies).

So celebrate Vegetarian Week by sharing a vegetarian meal with your family sometime over the next seven days. Check out our Kitchen Creations or Nava Atlas' Vegetarian Kitchen for some delicious recipes to try. If your family regularly eats vegetarian meals, maybe you want to celebrate by hosting a vegetarian potluck for friends.

 

Memorial to Broken Dolls Day (Japan)

June 3rd

June 3rd is Memorial to Broken Dolls Day in Japan. On this day each year, children bring their broken dolls to Buddhist shrines for funeral rituals. After the ceremony, the dolls are buried and enshrined. If there are any broken dolls (or other special toys) in your home that can’t be healed, fixed, or mended, consider holding a funeral or a letting go ceremony for your family. What a great way to acknowledge the real bonds that children form to their playthings.To Learn More about Japan

Inti Raymi Festival (Peru)

June 24th

The Peruvian Winter Solstice, called Inti Raymi (literally translated as the festival of the Sun God), is held on June 24th each year. An ancient festival harking back to the days of the Inca Empire, it is a ceremony of thanksgiving and spiritual preparation for the coming year. Present-day celebrations include re-enactments of the Inca ceremony outside the city of Cusco . It is celebrated for several days with parades, traditional music and dancing. For more information on Inti Raymi.

Canada Day

July 1st

July 1 st is Canada Day! A patriotic day celebrated by Canadians with fireworks and outdoor concerts and events throughout the nation. Originally known as “Dominion Day”, Canada Day was established in 1868.

Fun Canadian Facts:

Canada is named for the Iroquois word for village, “ Kanata ”
The official animal of Canada is the Beaver

The national sport is Lacrosse, which was played in Canada before Europeans arrived

Basketball was invented in Canada and was first played using empty peach baskets for nets

Hockey, while not the national sport, is considered by many to be the national pastime

Winnie the Pooh is named for a real bear named Winnipeg , the capital city of Manitoba and hometown of “Winnie’s” owner.

Official Lyrics of the National Anthem, O Canada !

English:

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

French:

O Canada ! Terre de nos aïeux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!

Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix!

Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.

Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.

Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.

Independence Day - USA

July 4th

Americans celebrate July 4 as Independence Day. It was on July 4, 1776, that members of the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia and adopted the final draft of the Declaration of Independence. For additional information on the Declaration of Independence visit: www.factmonster.com/spot/independenceday1.html

Celebrations and Fireworks are held all over the United States as the whole nation celebrates this day.

General Information on the United States:

  • The US is located on both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico
  • The US has approximatley 19,924 km of coastline
  • The US is the World's fourth largest country
  • The climate is mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest;

 

Ramadan

Ramadan in 2012 will start on July 20th and will continue for 30 days until Saturday August 18

This festival is an Islamic religious festival to honour the time when the Qu’ran was revealed to the prophet Mohammed. Followers of the Islamic faith fast for the entire month, and there is no eating, drinking, or smoking from sunrise until sunset. The fast is broken each night with the meal referred to as “Iftar”. Iftar is often taken with friends and family and the mood is festive. Traditional music and entertainment is enjoyed throughout the night, and many stay awake until dawn. To find out more about Ramadan and other festivals in Egypt visit our Egypt Festivals page.

 

Raksha Bandhan

In 2012 is on Thursday, the 2nd of August.

Raksha Bandhan is a Hindu festival that commemorates the love between sisters and brothers. Read More about Raksah Bandhan on our India Festivals page

 

Independence Day - Mexico

September 15
Click Here to learn about Independence Day(s) in Mexico

Day of the Dead - Mexico

November 2

One of the most famous celebrations in Mexico, El Día de Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) is a unique mixture of Catholic and pre-Hispanic traditions...Click Here to learn more.

On virtually every day of the year, there is a festival going on somewhere in Mexico. Visit our Mexico Festivals page for more detail on some of the festivals in Mexico.

 

Diwali

Diwali in 2012 will start on Tuesday, the 13th of November and will continue for 5 days until Saturday, the 17th of November.

Diwali is known as the Hindu Festival of Lights and is one of the most important and beautiful festivals in the India calendar. It is celebrated on the 15th day of Ashwin (usually in October or November) Read More about Diwali

 

 

Balloon Bouquets for celebrating festivals, parties and special events