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POPSMarch 19: St Joseph's Day (Christian) ...celebrated throughout most of Italy and by the Italian communities in North America. He was the foster father of Jesus and is the universal patron of the Catholic Church. According to legend, when a severe drought struck western Sicily in the Middle Ages, the people of that area prayed to St. Joseph asking him to intercede for them and send rain. Their prayer was granted and since then they honor St. Joseph by helping the needy in their community.
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POPSMar 13: It's Friday the 13th! The second Friday the 13th in 2009. Don't walk under any ladders... or let any black cats cross your path... or step on any cracks in the sidewalk... or break a mirror!
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POPSMarch: Women's History Month http://snurl.com/cv7ts National Women’s History Month began as a single week and as a local event. In 1978, Sonoma County, California, sponsored a women’s history week to promote the teaching of women’s history. The week of March 8th was selected to include ’International Women’s Day.’ This day is rooted in such ideas and events as a woman’s right to vote and a woman’s right to work, women’s strikes for bread, women’s strikes for peace at the end of World War I, and the U.N. Charter declaration of gender equality at the end of World War II. This day is an occasion to review how far women have come in their struggle for equality, peace and development. In 1981, Congress passed a resolution making the week a national celebration, and in 1987 expanded it to the full month of March. In Canada, Women’s History month is celebrated in October.
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POPSMarch 1: Baba Marta (Bulgarian)
An interesting tradition! On the first day of March and few days afterwards, Bulgarians exchange and wear white and red tassels or small dolls called "Пижо и Пенда" (Pizho and Penda). In Bulgarian folklore the name Baba Marta (in Bulgarian баба Марта meaning Grandma March) is related to a grumpy old lady whose mood swings change very rapidly. This is an old pagan tradition and remains almost unchanged today. The common belief is that by wearing the red and white colours of the martenitsa people ask Baba Marta for mercy. They hope that it will make winter pass faster and bring spring. Many people wear more than one martenitsa. They receive them as presents from relatives, close friends and colleagues. Martenitsa is usually worn pinned on the clothes, near the collar, or tied around the wrist. The tradition calls for wearing the martenitsa until the person sees a stork or a blooming tree. The stork is considered a harbinger of spring and as evidence that Baba Marta is in a good moo
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POPSFeb 25: Ash Wednesday - Lent begins (Christian) In 2009, Lent is 46 days, ending on the Saturday before Easter, April 11th. This day marks the beginning of Lent. Ash symbolizes sorrow for wrong doings and foreheads of churchgoers are marked with the shape of the cross with ashes as a sign of penitence.
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POPSFeb 22: Abu Simbel Festival (Egypt) Built by Ramses II, his temple is angled so that the inner sanctum lights up twice a year on the: once on the anniversary of his rise to the throne and, once on his birthday. Crowds pack in the temple before sunrise to watch the shafts of light illuminate the statues of Ramses, Ra and Amon. The other date for this event is Oct. 22.
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POPSFebruary 14: St. Valentine's Day 2009 What do you know about SAINT Valentine's Day? Red, roses, love, chocolate.... That's about it! It's another one of those events that passes sort of subliminally in and out of our consciousness? Here today... gone tomorrow. But there is, of course, a basis for the day. It didn't just start up by itself. Check it out here!
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POPSFeb 9: Tu B'Shevat - Jewish ARBOR DAY This day celebrates Judaism's roots in the Natural world. It is a holiday and known as the New Year for Trees. Special meals include eating the seven fruits of the land - wheat, barley, figs, grapes, pomegranates, olives and dates. Trees are also planted.
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POPSJan 26: New Year - 2009 Year of the Earth Ox The year of the Ox. This is the year 4707 in the Chinese Lunar calendar and the most important holiday. It is a three-day holiday in China and Hong Kong. The Chinese clean and decorate their homes with the 5 lucky signs of happiness; new clothes are worn and even the poorest buy new shoes, for it is considered bad luck to step down on the ground into old shoes. Vietnamese call it the 'Tet' Festival.
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POPSJan 19: Kitchen God Celebration (China) The custom is based on the traditional farewell ceremony for T'sao Wang, Prince of the Oven, before he leaves for his annual trip to heaven to report on families' good behavior during the year.
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POPSJan 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day A "schedule alert" day in the USA ========================== Some people may wish or just take time off work on this day. Some employees have a statutory holiday on this day. This day commemorates the leader of the "Civil Rights" movement in USA. People of all races and religions have benefited from the sacrifices and accomplishments made by this great man. He was a Nobel Prize winner (Peace Prize 1964) and a prominent advocate of nonviolent protest. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
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POPSJan 11: Full Moon Full Moon occurs at 0348 EST. https://media5.magma.ca/www.diversitynet.org/secureorder.htm
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POPSJan 2: Berchtold's Day (Switzerland) This day honours Duke Berchtold V, who founded Bern, the capital of Switzerland. He promised to name the city after the first animal he killed on a hunt. The bear (bern in German) then provided the city's name.
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POPSDec 31: Hogmanay (Scotland) The Scottish New Year, Hogmanay is derived from the French phrase meaning 'Lead to the mistletoe'. Fire ceremonies, banging of pots and pans at midnight and bringing bread, salt and coal to their hosts to symbolize life, hospitality and warmth mark this exuberant occasion.
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POPSDec 31: Omisoka (Japan) Omisoka To usher in the new year, families clean their homes, eat toshi-koshi buckwheat noodles in the hope that one's life will be stretched out as long as these noodles. As midnight approaches, Buddhist temples around the country begin ringing out the old year, sounding the temple bell 108 times because according to them, human beings have 108 worldly desires which are removed by striking the bell.
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POPSDec 26 to Jan 1: Kwanza (African-American/Canadian) A professor who wanted to encourage blacks to celebrate their heritage started Kwanzaa's in California in 1966. Kwanzaa means first fruit in Swahili and is a harvest festival. Families exchange gifts and have African-style feasts. Seven-pronged candleholders are lit on each consecutive night for the seven principles: unity, self-determination, working together, sharing, purpose, creativity and faith. The celebration continues till January 1.