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.
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 December 25. So how did January 1 become New Year’s Day? We can partly thank the Roman king Numa Pompilius. According to tradition, during his reign […]
The story of Black History Month begins in Chicago during the summer of 1915. An alumnus of the University of Chicago with many friends in the city, Carter G. Woodson traveled from Washington, D.C. to participate in a national celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of emancipation sponsored by the state of Illinois. Thousands of African […]
The Persian phrase “Ayyam-i-Ha” – which simply means “the days of Ha” – describes the four or five intercalary days in the annual Baha’i calendar when Baha’is rejoice, do charitable work and prepare for the nineteen-day Baha’i fast that always follows Ayyam-i-Ha. In the Arabic alphabet, the letter “Ha” has several spiritual meanings, and one […]
On Zero Discrimination Day, 1 March, we celebrate the right of everyone to live a full and productive life—and live it with dignity. Zero Discrimination Day highlights how people can become informed about and promote inclusion, compassion, peace and, above all, a movement for change. Zero Discrimination Day is helping to create a global movement […]
Bahá’u’lláh designated a nineteen-day fast period each year during which adult Bahá’ís fast from sunrise to sunset each day. This period coincides with the Bahá’í month of Alá—meaning Loftiness—from 2 to 20 March, which immediately precedes the Bahá’í new year. It is a time of prayer, meditation, and spiritual rejuvenation. Sourced from https://www.bahai.org/beliefs/life-spirit/devotion/fasting
Every year, March is designated Women’s History Month by presidential proclamation. The month is set aside to honor women’s contributions in American history. Did You Know? Women’s History Month started as Women’s History Week . . . Women’s History Month began as a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California. The Education Task Force of the […]
Maha-shivaratri, (Sanskrit: “Great Night of Shiva”) the most important sectarian festival of the year for devotees of the Hindu god Shiva. The 14th day of the dark half of each lunar month is specially sacred to Shiva, but when it occurs in the month of Magha (January–February) and, to a lesser extent, in the month of Phalguna (February–March), […]
International Women's Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women's achievements or rally for women's equality. Marked annually on March 8th, IWD is one of […]
Ramadan, Arabic Ramaḍān, in Islam, the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and the holy month of fasting. It begins and ends with the appearance of the crescent moon. Because the Muslim calendar year is shorter than the Gregorian calendar year, Ramadan begins 10–12 days earlier each year, allowing it to fall in every season throughout a 33-year cycle. Islamic tradition states that it was during Ramadan, on the “Night […]
St. Patrick’s Day, feast day (March 17) of St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland. Born in Roman Britain in the late 4th century, he was kidnapped at the age of 16 and taken to Ireland as a slave. He escaped but returned about 432 CE to convert the Irish to Christianity. By the time of his death on March 17, 461, he had established monasteries, churches, […]
Vernal equinox, two moments in the year when the Sun is exactly above the Equator and day and night are of equal length; also, either of the two points in the sky where the ecliptic (the Sun’s annual pathway) and the celestial equator intersect. In the Northern Hemisphere the vernal equinox falls about March 20 or 21, as the Sun crosses the celestial equator going […]
The word Nowruz (Novruz, Navruz, Nooruz, Nevruz, Nauryz), means new day; its spelling and pronunciation may vary by country. Nowruz marks the first day of spring and is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, which usually occurs on 21 March. It is celebrated as the beginning of the new year by more […]
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on the day the police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid "pass laws" in 1960. In 1979, the General Assembly adopted a programme of activities to be undertaken during the second half of […]
In December 2011, the General Assembly of the United Nations declared 21 March as World Down Syndrome Day (A/RES/66/149). The General Assembly decided, with effect from 2012, to observe World Down Syndrome Day on 21 March each year. In order to raise public awareness of Down syndrome, the General Assembly invites all Member States, relevant […]
Purim, which literally means “lots” and is sometimes known as the Feast of Lots, is the Jewish holiday in which Jews commemorate being saved from persecution in the ancient Persian Empire. According to the Book of Esther in the Torah, the Jewish people of the city of Shushan were threatened by the villain Haman, a […]
Palm Sunday, also called Passion Sunday, in the Christian tradition, the first day of Holy Week and the Sunday before Easter, commemorating Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It is associated in many churches with the blessing and procession of palms (leaves of the date palm or twigs from locally available trees). These special ceremonies were taking place toward the end of the 4th century in Jerusalem and are […]
This Memorial is also known as the Lord’s Supper, the Last Supper or the Lord’s Evening Meal. Jehovah’s Witnesses consider themselves to be Christian and as such recognize that Jesus Christ is the son of God and commemorate the Memorial of Jesus’ death. The purposes of the Memorial evening meal are to remember Jesus and […]
Every year on 25 March, the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade offers the opportunity to honor and remember those who suffered and died at the hands of the brutal slavery system. The International Day also aims to raise awareness about the dangers of racism and prejudice […]
Holi has been celebrated in the Indian subcontinent for centuries, with poems documenting celebrations dating back to the 4th century CE. It marks the beginning of spring after a long winter, symbolic of the triumph of good over evil. It is celebrated in March, corresponding to the Hindu calendar month of Phalguna. There are varying accounts of […]
Khordad Sal is the birthday of Zoroaster (Zarathustra), the prophet and founder of Zoroastrianism. The holiday usually falls sometime after Nowruz and is often called “Greater Nowruz.” Celebrants pray, hang fresh flowers in their home, and make vibrant drawings (rangoli) on the floor. Sourced from https://www.vanderbilt.edu/isss/khordad-sal
Hola Mohalla is a Sikh festival that takes place on the first of the lunar month of Chet, which usually falls in March. This, by a tradition established by Guru Gobind Singh, follows the Hindu festival of Holi by one day; Hola is the masculine form of the feminine sounding Holi. The word “Mohalla” is derived from […]
Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter, observed in commemoration of Jesus Christ’s institution of the Eucharist during the Last Supper. The name is thought to be a Middle English derivation taken from a Latin anthem sung in Roman Catholic churches on that day: “Mandatum novum do vobis” (“a new commandment I give to you”; John 13:34). In most European countries, Maundy Thursday is known as Holy Thursday; other […]
Good Friday, Friday before Easter, commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus. As early as the 2nd century it was kept by Christians as a day of penance and fasting. The Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches have special liturgies for the day, which include readings and prayers commemorating Christ’s sufferings on the cross. Protestant churches also […]
March 29 is designated as National Vietnam War Veterans Day. This is a time to pay special tribute to the 9 million Americans who served during the Vietnam War era, to the 58,000 names memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., and to those who never received the recognition they deserved when they […]
Easter is one of the principal holidays, or feasts, of Christianity. It marks the Resurrection of Jesus three days after his death by crucifixion. For many Christian churches, Easter is the joyful end to the Lenten season of fasting and penitence. The earliest recorded observance of Easter comes from the 2nd century, though it is likely that even the earliest Christians […]
The International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) is an annual day of recognition, celebrated around the world on March 31st, which is dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments and victories of transgender and gender-expansive people, while simultaneously raising awareness of the work that is still needed to combat discrimination and violence. TDOV was founded in 2009 […]
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