International Day of Peace By Sharon Schweitzer The International Day of Peace, September 21st, was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and [...]
Hispanic Heritage Month By Sharon Schweitzer Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval [...]
Remember that international negotiations are a marathon, not a sprint.
The star indicates the christmas of Jesus Christ. Credit: stock.adobe.com By Christian Horz As we close out 2020, we look toward 2021 as a new year with hope for health and prosperity. While many of us cannot travel, we can experience the customs of other countries vicariously by reading about their traditions. Today, we update [...]
Credit: Stock.adobe.com By vovan Global winter holidays are celebrated based on various belief systems, traditions, religions, philosophies, and the solstice. We have explored a number of Christmas customs in blogs discussing the Czech Republic and Colombia. We also answered reader’s questions about Advent and Hanukkah. We will be sharing blogs about German customs, and Kwanzaa soon. [...]
Handmade Hammocks from Villa de Leyva, Colombia Photo by Sophie Echeverry Today we are delighted to feature Sophie Echeverry, a guest blogger studying and living in Geneva, Switzerland. Sophie was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia. “Day of the Little Candles”: Translated to el dia de las velitas and celebrated on December 7, this day brings the formal start [...]
Joza Upraka Exhibit at National Gallery 2011 The Czech Republic is recognized worldwide as Europe’s most castle-rich country, for its beautiful medieval landscapes, and also for its highest consumption of beer per capita. In addition, notable Czech-born people include Martina Navratilova and Ivan Lendl (tennis pros), Milos Forman (film director), Sigmund Freud (psychologist), [...]
By Jonathan Schops Advent, in the Christian church calendar, is the preparation period for two things: the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas, and the second coming of Christ. Christian Advent: Advent translates to ‘coming’ in Latin. It is a Christian countdown to the days until Christmas to symbolically honor the coming of Jesus Christ [...]
Abu Dhabi Arches by Pexels Approximate 2019 U.S. Ramadan dates: the evening of May 5 to the evening of June 4 This May, Muslims worldwide share in fasting, festive dinners, and faith. Ramadan is crucial to Islam, so we share key information that will be helpful when conducting business with Muslim counterparts [...]
Fushimi Inari Shrine, Japan by Pexels One of Japan’s most cherished celebrations, Golden Week spans April 29 - May 5th. This week is a special time when the entire country celebrates cultural traditions by observing four historical holidays. Companies close their doors and employees enjoy a week of paid vacation. Global business [...]
