Category: China

  • International Sculpture Day

    International Sculpture Day

    International Sculpture Day   By Sharon Schweitzer   Sculpture has personal significance for me and my Czech – Slovak family. This beautiful mother with children piece was created by my great-uncle Franta Uprka in the Moravian region of the Czech Republic near the Slovak border. I discovered this piece 10 years ago when I was…

  • South Korea Hangul Day

    South Korea Hangul Day

    South Korea Hangul Day   By Sharon Schweitzer   South Korea Hangul Day, also known as Korean Alphabet Day, is observed annually on October 9th. It’s a national holiday to commemorate the invention and proclamation of the Korean alphabet, known as Hangul (or Hangeul). It’s also celebrated in North Korea on January 15th as ‘Chosun-gul’…

  • National Body Language Day

    National Body Language Day

    National Body Language Day   By Sharon Schweitzer   Body language is a form of communication in which physical behaviors instead of words, are used to express information. This includes facial expressions, postures, gestures, eye movements, touch, and the use of space. Body language is all about nonverbal communication, which is far more effective than…

  • World Sake Day

    World Sake Day

    World Sake Day   By Sharon Schweitzer   World Sake Day, or Nihonshu no Hi, started in 1978 when Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association (J.S.S.) designated October 1st as a day of sake celebration. The day is also to salute the people involved in sake production — the rice farmers and brewery workers. The…

  • International Translation Day

    International Translation Day

    International Translation Day   By Sharon Schweitzer   The role of a translator is indispensable in maintaining productive, positive, and clear interpersonal communication in international circles. From translating sensitive documents to the lyrics of your favorite K-Pop song, translators are the foundation of international peace deals and global media consumption. International Translation Day honors the…

  • National Coffee Day

    National Coffee Day

    National Coffee Day   By Sharon Schweitzer   People from around the world love their coffee. But the U.S. drinks more coffee than any nation. The typical American adult drinks 2.7 cups of coffee a day. One hundred-fifty million Americans drink 400 million cups of coffee per day and that amounts to 140 billion cups…

  • World Tourism Day

    World Tourism Day

    World Tourism Day   By Sharon Schweitzer   Tourism has been a part of the human experience as long as there have been distant places to go and experience. It was originally the province of the wealthy, with travel being difficult and expensive, but it afforded opportunities to learn new languages, experience different cuisines, and…

  • International Day of Sign Languages

    International Day of Sign Languages

    International Day of Sign Languages   By Sharon Schweitzer   The International Day of Sign Languages is celebrated on September 23rd by the United Nations. It is commemorated on this day since the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) was founded on this day in 1951, as a result of efforts by the WFD in…

  • National Chai Day

    National Chai Day

    National Chai Day   By Sharon Schweitzer   National Chai Day is celebrated in India on September 21st each year to celebrate the unique flavors of chai, also known as masala chai. Chai, which means “tea” in many languages, has its roots in South Asia, particularly in countries such as India, Pakistan, and Nepal. It…

  • Mid-Autumn Moon Festival

    Mid-Autumn Moon Festival

    Mid-Autumn Moon Festival   By Sharon Schweitzer   What has three names and celebrates the moon? Mid-Autumn Festival, Zhongqiu Jie (中秋节) in Chinese, is also called the Mooncake Festival or the Moon Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar — or on September 17th this year.  Since…