Category: International Holidays
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Celebrating National Rice Month
Celebrating National Rice Month By Sharon Schweitzer The history of National Rice Month which is celebrated in September, started in 1991, when President George H.W. Bush designated the month as such. The president and the United States Rice Federation came to an agreement to celebrate and recognize the usage of the grain in our daily…
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International Sudoku Day
International Sudoku Day By Sharon Schweitzer For all of the Sudoku enthusiasts out there, you will notice the significance behind this holiday’s date. The goal of the Sudoku game is to fill a 9×9 grid so that each column, row, and 3×3 sub-grid contains all the digits from 1 to 9. In 1892, the…
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Celebrating Japan’s Golden Week April 29 – May 5, 2021
Image: stock.adobe.com By Wipark One of Japan’s most cherished celebrations, Golden Week, occurs April 29 – May 5, 2021. This 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 takes a pause to celebrate each of…
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Global Valentine’s Day 2021
Photo Credit: stock.adobe.com By pyty Valentine’s Day may look a little different this year with many couples opting to celebrate their love safely at home in the U.S. and worldwide. For hundreds of years, nations have celebrated Valentine’s Day with beloved traditions. The following countries have unique Valentine’s Day origins and beliefs – some even…
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Colombian Christmas Customs Celebrated by a Colombian Millennial
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…
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Unique Czech Christmas Traditions
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), and Oskar Schindler (Schindler’s List). My maternal grandmother’s homeland…
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Christian Advent Traditions Explained
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 and his birth into the…
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Madres, Mums and Mommies: Your Global Guide to Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is celebrated on different days, and completely different seasons, depending on which part of the globe you call home. Regardless of the country or culture, the love of mothers’ crosses international borders. As Mother’s Day approaches, on May 10, 2020, for the U.S. and a few other countries, remember to share your appreciation…
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8 Ways to Celebrate International World Happiness Day
Happiness is a fabulous state of mind – many of us can remember the days and times that have brought us the happiest memories. Wouldn’t it be amazing to be happy for the majority of your life? Believe it or not, happiness can be influenced by where you live. The World Happiness Report is a…
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10 Traditional Taboos to Avoid During the Lunar New Year
The Chinese Lunar New Year also known as the “Spring festival” (chunjie (春节)) starts the first day of the first month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. In 2019, the Year of the Pig, the New Year begins on February 5th and is celebrated for a full 15 days. Just as in many cultures in Asia…