Category: Annual Monthly or Day Observance

  • National Culture Consciousness Week

    National Culture Consciousness Week

    National Culture Consciousness Week By Sharon Schweitzer   “Culture is one of the two or three most complicated words in the English language,” (Raymond Williams, 1976, pg. 87).  Culture does not consist of just one set description or definition. It is a concept that varies from one person to the next. Culture can be as…

  • International Day of Parliamentarism

    International Day of Parliamentarism

    International Day of Parliamentarism   By Sharon Schweitzer   Parliamentary diplomacy is a way to build relationships and promote cooperation between national parliaments. Many parliaments encourage their members to participate in inter-parliamentary organizations, bilateral exchanges, and other parliamentary diplomacy initiatives. In this way Parliamentarians can represent their countries’ interests, foster dialogue and cooperation with counterparts…

  • Anthony Bourdain Day

    Anthony Bourdain Day

    Anthony Bourdain Day   By Sharon Schweitzer   “Southeast Asia has a real grip on me. From the very first time I went there, it was a fulfillment of my childhood fantasies of the way travel should be.” -Anthony Bourdain   Anthony Bourdain-chef and writer, traveled the world with humility, humanity, curiosity, humor, and with…

  • International Olympic Day

    International Olympic Day

    International Olympic Day   By Sharon Schweitzer   In 1947, a member of the International Olympics Committee in Czechoslovakia, Dr. Josef Gruss, presented a report about World Olympic Day in Stockholm. Later in the 42nd I.O.C. Session at St Moritz in January 1948, the idea for Olympic Day was adopted. With mutual consultation, June 23rd…

  • World Day of Music

    World Day of Music

    World Day of Music   By Sharon Schweitzer   From the oldest musical instrument in the world — the Neanderthal flute, made by Neanderthals 60,000 years ago — to present-day electronic instruments, music has become a significant part of our daily lives. Other than being pleasant to listen to, music is a form of expression…

  • International Sushi Day

    International Sushi Day

    International Sushi Day   By  Sharon Schweitzer   To find the origins of sushi we must look at a dish called narezushi. Narezushi is salted fish stored in fermented rice for months at a time. Southeast Asia and Japan both had their own version of the dish, the rice was discarded and the fish was…

  • Father’s Day

    Father’s Day

    Father’s Day   By Sharon Schweitzer   We hold an incredibly special place in our hearts for our fabulous fathers and we observe with intrigue as cultures worldwide celebrate father figures. U.S. Americans prepare to honor fathers, father-figures, and male role-models on Sunday, June 16th, 2024, and we share the unique traditions of ten countries…

  • Honoring Old Glory: Flag Protocol on National Flag Day

    Honoring Old Glory: Flag Protocol on National Flag Day

    Honoring Old Glory: Flag Protocol on National Flag Day   By Sharon Schweitzer   Annually, on June 14, the United States celebrates the Star Spangled Banner on National Flag Day. Celebrated on the anniversary of the Flag Resolution, signed by the Second Continental Congress in 1777, US citizens are called to hoist the stars and…

  • Dragon Boat Festival

    Dragon Boat Festival

    Dragon Boat Festival   By Sharon Schweitzer The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Double Fifth Festival, is a traditional Chinese holiday with more than two thousand years of history. It begins on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Because the fifth month is considered an unlucky time of year, many traditions…

  • International Clothesline Week

    International Clothesline Week

    International Clothesline Week   By Sharon Schweitzer   International Clothesline Week was first started in  2006, and is celebrated from the first Saturday of June to the next, all around the world. This year it takes place from June 1st-8th. It is a week-long celebration initially created to enlighten people about more sustainable living. Do…