International Day for Tolerance (United Nations)

The United Nations voted in the Day of Tolerance in 1993 to demonstrate its commitment to strengthening tolerance through mutual understanding among cultures and peoples. Learn more about the International Day of Tolerance on the United Nations website.

New Year’s Day

In many countries the New Year begins on January 1. However, this wasn’t always the case. In fact, for centuries, other dates marked the start of the calendar, including March 25 and […]

Epiphany | Theophany

Epiphany, (from Greek epiphaneia, “manifestation”), Christian holiday commemorating the first manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, represented by the Magi, and the manifestation of his divinity, as it occurred at his baptism in the Jordan River and at his first miracle, at Cana […]

Chinese New Year / Lunar New Year / Spring Festival

Chinese New Year, annual 15-day festival in China and Chinese communities around the world that begins with the new moon that occurs sometime between January 21 and February 20 according to Western calendars. Festivities last until the following full moon. The holiday is sometimes called the Lunar New Year because the dates of celebration follow the phases of the moon. Since the mid-1990s people in China have been given seven consecutive […]

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

On November 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill into law, designating the third Monday in January a federal holiday in observance of civil rights leader Dr. […]

Makar Sankranti

In January, Hindus celebrate Makara Sankranti - a 4-day festival celebrating Surya, the Sun god. This festival occurs at the same time every year, somewhat unusual for Hindu festivals which […]

Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s Birthday

Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th guru of Sikhs, was born on December 22, 1666 in Patna, Bihar, according to the Julian calendar. As this calendar is obsolete in the present day, his 356th birth anniversary will be celebrated on December 29 this year. Every year on this day, gurudwaras are decorated and people visit to […]

International Day of Education

Education is a human right, a public good and a public responsibility. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 24 January as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for peace and development. Without inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all, countries will not succeed in achieving gender equality and […]

Mahayana New Year

Mahayana Buddhists celebrate the new year by honoring and praying for Buddha and other deities. Every Buddhist is expected to visit a nearby temple to light candles which are believed […]

International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust

The "Holocaust Remembrance" resolution also designates 27 January as an annual International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust – observed with ceremonies and activities at United Nations Headquarters in New York and at UN offices around the world. The 2006 ceremony in the General Assembly Hall drew over 2200 people, […]