United Arab Emirates Day - December 2

The United Arab Emirates National Day on December 2 is one of the biggest celebrations in Dubai and the rest of the country. This year, in 2021, the country will celebrate its golden anniversary - the 50th anniversary.

The United Arab Emirates is located in the northeastern Arabian Peninsula (southwest Asia) in the Persian Gulf. Its capital city is Abu Dhabi.

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Some history of The United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates has not always been the strongest nation it is today. In fact, the country was divided into rival tribal groups, which occupied different areas. In 1820, Britain came into the picture and offered protection to the tribes in exchange for some control over the land. Desperate for peace, the many tribes accepted this offer and let Britain be responsible for resolving the disputes between them. In 1968, Britain removed itself from the picture after beginning to experience financial losses.

After Britain's exit from the picture, the rulers of Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain decided. unite. On December 2, 1971, the Emirates declared their independence from Britain and became the United Arab Emirates. Later, Ras Al Khaimah- the seventh emirate - also joined this union. All the processes of merging and freedom from colonial rule were achieved without any violence!

To mark the unity of the seven emirates and the announcement of the United Arab Emirates, the flag of the United Arab Emirates as we know it today was raised, and the first president of the UAE was elected - Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Sheikh Zayed was the emir of Abu Dhabi and was the richest of the seven emirates. Today, the UAE is recognized as an intermediate power and an influential country with a thriving economy, oil reserves, abundant tourists and some of the tallest buildings in the world, such as the Burj al-Arab Hotel and Burj Khalifa.

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Four Seasons Hotel in Dubai Link

Fun facts about the United Arab Emirates

UAE is a desert country. The country has no rivers, streams or lakes.

The UAE has over 40 million dates.

The UAE has the sixth largest oil reservoir in the world. The country has not always been as rich as it is today. Until the 1960s, it was considered a backward economy, lacking resources and was based mainly on marine activities - fishing, pearl mining, boat building and maritime trade. However, since the discovery of oil in its field in the early 1960s, there has been an economic revolution, which has since enabled one of the highest standards of living in the world. 

Most of the UAE's major oil reserves are located in Abu Dhabi.

The UAE is a global village - around 200 existing nations in the UAE. Only 1.4 million of its 9.9 million residents are citizens of the state, with the rest mostly foreign workers.

Most people in the union are literate - the literacy rate is 93%.

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The rule in the UAE is a constitutional monarchy and not a democracy. This means that citizens cannot change government or form political parties. The government restricts freedom of expression and freedom of the press, and there is censorship of the local media in order to prevent criticism of the government, government officials or royal families.

In November 2020, regulations were enacted that reduce the restrictions on alcohol consumption and cohabitation without marriage, and increased the punishment in murder cases for desecrating the family.

December 2 is also International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

Unity Day in Russia - November 4

Unity Day (also called National Unity Day or National Unity Day, Russian: День народного единства, Den 'narodnogo yedinstva) is a national holiday in Russia celebrated on November 4th.

This day is in memory of the popular uprising that expelled the Polish occupation forces from Moscow in November 1612, and more generally the end of the Time of troubles and the turning point in the Polish-Moscow war (1605-1618).

The name of the day alludes to the idea that all strata of Russian society united to preserve the Russian state, when there were no tsars or fathers to guide them.

In 1613 Emperor Mikhail Romanov instituted a holiday called "Moscow Liberation Day Polish Invaders". It was celebrated in the Russian Empire until 1917, when it was replaced in the wake of the Russian Revolution.Unity Day was returned by the Russian Federation in 2005, and has since been celebrated on November 4th. It is also the holiday of the Russian Orthodox emblem of "Our Lady of Kazan", a sacred symbol of the upper class of the Russian Orthodox Church.

November 4 is also Use Your Common Sense day & National Unity & Armed Forces Day in Italy

Alaska Day - October 18th

Alaska is the northernmost and largest state in the United States. Its size is 1,717,855 square kilometers - more than double the area of the state of Texas. It is located at the northwestern tip of the American continent, northwest of Canada.

On October 18, Alaska celebrates "Alaska Day." This is an official holiday marking the anniversary of the formal transfer of Alaska territory from Russia to the United States, which took place on Friday, October 18, 1867.

On January 3, 1959, Alaska joined the United States and became its 49th state.

Alaska's capital city is Juneau and its largest city is Anchorage.

Although Alaska is the largest state in the United States, it has very few people relative to the area. About 740,000 people live in the country at a density of 0.4 people per square kilometer.

Life in Alaska is not easy, but never boring. The temperature in Alaska drops to minus 30 degrees Celsius in winter and the maximum that can be reached in summer is around 20. There are also a lot of earthquakes in Alaska and also some active volcanoes.

Juneau Alaska

Some more interesting facts about Alaska:

The United States purchased Alaska from Russia for only $ 7.2 million in 1867.

The mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska for 20 years, from 1997 to 2017 was a cat. He was called Stubbs and he was elected mayor because the residents were not happy with any of the human candidates. His office was housed in a box at a local store. In 2013 he was attacked by a dog and managed to survive the attack. He even had his own Twitter account where he occasionally tweeted to residents. He died in good health at the age of 20 and three months.

Photo of the mayor of Talkeetna (source: Facebook)

In 1964, one of the largest earthquakes in North America occurred in Alaska. The quake was followed by a 67-meter-high tsunami that destroyed a small town called Valdez. 131 people were killed in this incident.

Every Alaska resident receives an "oil royalties" check once a year, a payment for his share of the state's oil revenues. In 2008, the amount was $ 2,069.

Since 1975, personal use of marijuana has been legal in Alaska.

The highest mountain in North America, Mount Denali  (also known as Mount McKinley, its former official name), is in Alaska. It is 20,156 feet (6,144 meters) above sea level.

The baked Alaska dessert is made from ice cream served cold in a dough or cake shell. The ice cream is coated in meringue that prevents heat from penetrating into it. In 1876, baked Alaska got its name when at Delmonico's Restaurant in New York it was prepared in honor of the new area purchased by the United States: Alaska.

Alaska flag

October 18th is also Chocolate Cupcake Day

Giving Tuesday- Tuesday after Thanksgiving

International Giving Tuesday, known in English as Giving Tuesday, falls on the Tuesday following American Thanksgiving. This day is meant to remind people that the holidays mean more than shopping, and that after the big shopping days (Chinese Singles Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday), it's time to give back.

Giving Tuesday was created by two organizations: "92nd Street Y" and "The United Nations Foundation" in 2012, a month before Thanksgiving that year. Their intention was to dedicate a day to philanthropic deeds, and to celebrate the generosity that is a blessed American tradition.

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They started the celebrations on social media, and were immediately joined by many partners, companies, organizations and associations such as the United Nations, Cisco, Mashabel, Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans (IAVA), Sony, Aldo, Gropon, UNICEF, Google, Skype, Microsoft and Unilever.

The first announcement about the founding of the day of giving was made through the Mashable website, a technology website. This day is extensively reviewed by the Washington Post, The Huffington Post, ABC News, Deseret News, and the official White House blog. Thus this day gained immense popularity in a short time.

In 2013 more organizations like ebay (which gives one percent of its total revenue from sales this week to today's goals) joined fashion designer Kevin Cole, who also designed bracelets to promote this day and donated 100% of his revenue to Giving Tuesday.

On International Giving Day, it is the practice of individuals, schools, families, businesses and other organizations to give and help as much as possible to others.

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Black Day - April 14

Black Day is an informal holiday celebrated in South Korea by and in honor of singles.

This day is a continuation of the Valentine's Day that took place on February 14 and the White Day that took place just after it, on March 14. Black Day falls a month later and in which people who did not receive gifts on previous Valentine’s Day gather and eat soup together.

In South Korea, Valentine’s Day and White Day are celebrated by couples giving gifts to each other. Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14, when women buy gifts for men (usually chocolate). White Day is celebrated on March 14, when men return gifts to women, usually white gifts like chocolate or lingerie.

The two holidays that follow Holidays Day are holidays created by the South Korean government. The invention of the holidays is also attributed to marketers.

Black Day customs

On Black Day, all the bachelors who did not receive gifts on the previous two Love Days gather together dressed in black and eat black food, especially Jajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce). During the meal they complain about the lack of intimate relationships and chocolate gifts.

Celebrating Black Day in South Korea (Link)

While this day sounds depressing, it is greatly promoted by businesses that give it special discounts on all sorts of items. This is a day where special events are held for singles, such as speed dating, various competitions and all sorts of fun things designed for singles.

April 14 is also Dolphin Day

Liechtenstein Foundation Day- January 23

Today, exactly 302 years ago (in 1719), the Principality of Liechtenstein, a tiny country in Europe, was founded, measuring only 160 square kilometers.

Liechtenstein borders Switzerland and Austria, its capital is Vaduz and its official language is German.

The founding of the state of Liechtenstein took place on this date in 1719 when Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, ruled that Vaduz and Schlenberg would be united and the territory would belong to the Principality of Liechtenstein, in honor of his faithful and true servant Anton Florian of the House of Liechtenstein. Thus Liechtenstein became a sovereign state in the Holy Roman Empire. Despite the purchase, the Princes of Liechtenstein continued to live in Vienna, Austria and did not set foot in their country for 100 years.

Today, Liechtenstein has about 38,000 residents, most of whom are Christians.

Some interesting facts about Liechtenstein:

Liechtenstein has no airport. To get there you have to fly to Switzerland, to Zurich Kluten Airport, St. Gallen, or Friedrichshafen.

Liechtenstein in the army. It was abolished in the Austro-Prussian War in 1866.

Liechtenstein's economy is booming. Its inhabitants live among the highest standard of living in the world and its unemployment rate is among the lowest in European countries.

Vaduz Castle that towers over the city of Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein's culture abounds in fairy tales and witches and to this day, if you visit there, you will meet not only princesses but also witches. 

Between 1648 and 1679, three witch trials took place in Liechtenstein. The witch trials in Liechtenstein led to disputes among the families of the accused and the accusers and affected the society in Liechtenstein for a long time even after. 200 people, of both sexes, were executed for guilt in witchcraft. The reason for the executions is probably the large debts accumulated by the country’s ruler Ferdinand Karl von Hohenmes, who wanted to confiscate the property of the sorcerers and witches’ families (source).

The Principality of Liechtenstein is located in the Rhine Valley in the Alps and the national sport of Liechtenstein is alpine skiing.

Its most popular sport is football. Its football teams play in the Swiss football league and the most senior team is Vaduz. The Liechtenstein football team has never qualified for a significant tournament and is considered one of the weakest in the UEFA.

Liechtenstein's national holiday falls on August 15.

Liechtenstein is home to only a few dozen Jews, who make up 0.1% of the population. There are no Jewish schools or synagogues in the country. The largest minority religion is Islam (5.4% of the total population).

January 23 is also Handwriting Day and Pie Day