Europe Day - May 9

Europe Day is the day in which most European countries celebrate the unification of the continent, announced by Robert Schumann, French Foreign Minister in 1950.

Europeans began celebrating this day in 1985, when they set the EU flag.

EU flag

In honor of Europe Day, get some fascinating and interesting facts about the continent:

Europe - Technically, Europe is not a continent because it is not separated from Asia. Greece is the one that decided that Europe would be a continent in itself.

France - The most popular place in Europe is Disneyland (Eurodisney), Paris.

England - Only 1% of the items preserved in the British Museum are actually on display.

Italy - Italians do not drink cappuccino after 11 am.

Germany / Turkey - There are more shawarma restaurants in Berlin than in Istanbul.

Spain - The Church of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, has been under construction for over 130 years and construction is expected to be completed by 2026.

France / Italy - The tallest toilet in Europe is located on Mount Mont Blanc, at an altitude of more than 4,200 meters (13780 Feet)!

Belgium has the most crowded railway network in the world (113.8 km / 1,000 km2).

Bosnia and Herzegovina has one of the last rainforests in Europe. His name is Perućica.

Bulgaria is the oldest country in Europe and it has not changed its name since 681 AD.

Greece - 40% of the population of Greece is in its capital city Athens.

There are no mosquitoes in Iceland at all. Not even one.

Russia has more than 13,000 uninhabited villages and they occupy 40% of the continent of Europe.

Italy - The Tower of Pisa took 200 years to build because of its inclination. He still continues to tilt himself.

Austria / France - The truth is that the croissant was invented in Austria, not France.

Greenland is the largest island in the world.

England - The escalators on the London Underground surround the circumference of the earth twice a week throughout their journey.

Belgium - The place where the most chocolate is sold in the world is the airport in Brussels.

Sweden - Sweden has the largest number of McDonald's branches relative to the number of people.

Scotland - Thanks to the Loch Ness monster, Scotland brings in 7 million euros a year from tourism.

Spain - Half an hour is the time it takes to get from Spain to Africa by ferry.

United Kingdom - The name of the longest city in Europe is Lanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch and it is located in Wales.

Liechtenstein is such a small country in Europe. In her last military involvement in 1866 she sent 80 soldiers who returned with 81. Apparently they had attached a friend to Italy.

The medieval period in Europe lasted twice as long as the United States existed.

May 9 is also Remembrance Day for the Lost Socks

Liberation Day in the Netherlands- May 5

Every year on May 5, the Netherlands celebrates its liberation from Nazi occupation during World War II (Dutch: Bevrijdingsdag).

The Dutch people were largely liberated by the First Canadian Army, aided by British troops, a Polish Armored Corps, and American, Belgian, Dutch, and Czech troops. Other parts of the country, especially in the southeast, were liberated by the Second British Army, which included American, Polish and French air forces.

On May 5, 1945, Canadian commander Lieutenant-General Charles Foulkes and Oberbefehlshaber Niederlande commander-in-chief Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz reached an agreement on the surrender of German forces in the Netherlands  at Hotel de Wereld in Wageningen. One day later, the surrender document was signed in the auditorium of Wageningen University, located nearby.

 Hotel de Wereld, Wageningen

After the liberation in 1945, the day of liberation was commemorated every five years. In 1990, May 5 was declared a national holiday, the holiday of liberation that is celebrated every year.

On May 4, the Dutch hold the "Dodenherdenking", a day of remembrance for people who fought and died during World War II and the Dutch wars in general.

The Dutch gather near monuments all over the country and hold memorial ceremonies. One of the most famous memorial ceremonies is held near the National Monument in Dam Square in Amsterdam and at the Waalsdorpervlakte in the dunes near The Hague, where more than 250 Dutch opponents were murdered by the Nazis.

At eight o'clock in the evening there are two minutes of silence.

The next day, May 5, the liberation celebrations begin. All over the Netherlands there are music festivals, parades of war veterans, fireworks and big celebrations. 

In honor of the day the Netherlands was liberated from the Nazis, here are some interesting facts about the Netherlands:

During World War II, the percentage of Jews deported or murdered in the Netherlands was the highest among European countries. Investigations conducted after the war revealed that many of the civilians collaborated with the Nazis. In the Netherlands, however, there were the most Righteous Among the Nations who assisted the Jews.

The Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, used to get to work by bike! Even when he is hosted in other countries, he always prefers to get from place to place by bicycle.

More than a quarter of the Netherlands is below sea level. Half of the Netherlands is less than one meter above sea level. Schiphol Airport is 4.5 meters below sea level.

The Dutch are the highest people in the world. The average height of Dutch men is 1.84 meters and that of Dutch women is 1.70. Scientists say this is due to a combination of genes, nutrition and well-being. Others say it is because of the milk they consume in abundance.

The Netherlands is a very flat country. Its highest point is the Vaalserberg Hill, which is only 322.7 meters high, and is located at the eastern end of the country in the province of Limburg. You could say that Holland is as flat as pannenkoek (pancakes in Dutch).

Because Amsterdam soil is a thick layer of sludge and clay, all buildings are built on wooden pillars mounted on an average 11-foot-high sandy layer. The Royal Palace in Dam Square is built on no less than 13,659 wooden pillars.

The Netherlands is known for the extensive tulip fields of its tulips. Many tulip flowers and tubers come from the Netherlands. However, the origin of the tulips is not from the Netherlands. The first tulip tubers were brought to the Netherlands from Turkey, when it was discovered that the Dutch soil was very good for growing them.

The Netherlands leads in the number of home births. In many countries it is customary to give birth in a hospital. Not in the Netherlands: About 30% of all Dutch births take place at home.

The Dutch love coffee. After the Scandinavians, the Dutch are the biggest coffee drinkers in the world. They drink no less than 140 liters of coffee a year on average. 3.2 glasses a day!

86% of Dutch people speak English as a second language. All Dutch children learn English in school. If you visit Amsterdam, you will find that you can speak to almost everyone in fluent English.

The Netherlands is the largest exporter of beer in the world. In 2001, Dutch breweries exported 1.3 billion liters of beer abroad. Half of them were shipped to the United States.

Flag of the Netherland

May 5 is also International Midwives' Day

Mauritius Independence Day - March 12

On March 12, Mauritius, an island nation in the southwestern Indian Ocean belonging to African countries, celebrates its independence from Britain in 1968.

Mauritius flag

Here are some interesting fun facts about Mauritius:

Mauritius is home to about 1.2 million people and its capital city is Port Louis, home to about 150,000 residents.

Mauritius is a country with a democratic regime and its official language is English. Other languages ​​spoken by the residents: French and Creole.

Mauritius today is a stable and prosperous country in terms of tourism.

The national animal: legendary extinct Dodo.

The area of ​​Mauritius is 2,040 square kilometers, and it has a coastline about 150 km long, all of which are stunning white sandy beaches.

Mauritius has picturesque towns and villages, ancient military ruins and spectacular waterfalls.

The island of Mauritius is a volcanic island. It was formed by volcanic activity more than 8 million years ago.

The highest mountain on the island is the "peak of the Little Black River", the piton de la petite riviere noire, and is 828 meters high.

Mauritius is the most densely populated country on the African continent and also one of the most prosperous and rich countries on the continent.

Things to do in Mauritius 

Visit the Caudan Waterfront, the main shopping and entertainment center in Port Louis (link).

Visit the Post Museum, where you can see the famous "Blue Mauritius" stamp, which is the first stamp printed in Mauritius in 1847. The stamp shows Queen Victoria on a blue background.

Visit the "Seven Coloured Earths" in the village of Chamarel, a place where there are sand dunes in seven different colors: red, brown, purple, green, blue and yellow. It is an attraction that attracts many tourists, located in the Chamarel Plain, River Noir district, southwest of Mauritius.

(Link)

Visit the La Moran Peninsula southwest of Mauritius and watch the breathtaking scenery. Climb the basalt cliff Le Morne Brabant. The cliff rises to a height of 556 meters. Between the 17th and early 19th centuries there were escaped slaves found on the island and on a hiding cliff on the caves in the secluded and inaccessible mountain.

Go to the Pamplemousses Botanical Garden: Explore the tropical gardens, see the giant water lilies and pet the giant turtles.

Swim with dolphins in Tamarin Bay.

Visit the fishing village of Cap Malheureux in the north of the island.

Visit Hindu temples: Hinduism is the main religion on the island with almost half of the population of Mauritius belonging to this religion.

And sleep in a stunning turquoise seafront hotel (Link)

March 12 is also Plant a Flower Day

Mardi Gras - Fat Tuesday - Pancake Day

Happy Mardi Gras! The holiday also called Shrove Tuesday and Fat Tuesday is a Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday (known as Shrove Tuesday). Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday", reflecting the practice of the last night of eating rich, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season.

In the photo: a poster inviting to the Mardi Gras celebrations from 1914

Mardi Gras is the last day before the "fast" of the Christians, a 40-day period of the Christians before Easter in which they do not consume animal products. The first day of Lent is called "Ash Wednesday" and it falls 46 days before Easter, always on Wednesday. The fasting period is 40 days, when on Sundays it does not take place.

The Tuesday before Lent is a day dedicated to celebrations in the Christian world. In many localities processions and parades are held, and in many homes large and solemn meals are held. Because on Tuesday it eats a lot of desserts and fattening things without making an account, it is called Fat Tuesday. Mardi Gras always falls between February 4th and March 10th.

One of the traditional customs at Mardi Gras is to eat pancakes so Mardi Gras is also Pancake Day.

The pancakes are made from flour, eggs, milk, sugar, baking powder, oil or butter.

Animal Pancake Pan Amazon

Pancakes are a dish that is eaten around the world, in different variations. In France the pancake is thin (what we know as crepe). In Germany it is eaten with powdered sugar, jam and lemons. In the Netherlands the rolled pancakes are eaten with savory and sweet toppings. In Russia, Belini is eaten. In Greece it is prepared with yogurt and eaten with honey. In Malaysia and Singapore it is sometimes prepared with soybeans instead of flour and stuffed with cheese, jam, nuts and peanuts. In China, the pancakes are thinly prepared with buckwheat and green onions and are part of the Peking-style duck dish. In India, pancakes are called Uttapam and are made from rice and vegetables. In Japan, they make a fluffy pancake cake called Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き o-konomi-yaki).

When will Mardi Gras be in the coming years?

2022- 1 March

2023 - 21 February

2024- 13 February

2025- March 4th

2026 - 17 February

Pig Day - March 1

Pig Day is a national event celebrated in the United States in honor of the pig.

The holiday began in 1972 and was founded by sisters Alan Stanley, a teacher from Texas and Mary Lynn Rave from North Carolina. Their goal was to recognize pigs as animals domesticated by human who deserve to be treated fairly and not legally cruel.

National Pig Day events include parades, celebrations at zoos, schools, nursing homes and special sporting events dedicated to pigs across the United States.

Unfortunately there are places where "pig parties" are held where pork dishes such as bacon and pork ribs are served as refreshments and pink ribbons are tied on the trees as a sign of respect for the pigs (the obvious question is if on pork day they do not deserve not to eat them for a change?)

In honor of Pig Day, we'll be happy if you think of pigs positively, and find that they are animals, that can suffer, enjoy, love, play and rejoice, like all animals on earth. Even if they look greasy and dirty, that does not mean they are not charming.

Fun facts about pigs:

The pig is a very intelligent, sensitive and sociable animal.

There are quite a few people who raise a pig as a pet. One of the famous pigs adopted is Esther the Wonder Pig. Esther was adopted in 2012 by a couple who love animals from the US. When they adopted her she was a dwarf pig thrown from the commercial farm where she grew up, probably because of some deformity. And half almost follow.

Esther the Wonder Pig 

Like humans, pigs eat everything, meaning both plants and other animals.

The pig's nose is an important tool for finding food in the soil and for feeling the world around it.

Pigs have an excellent sense of smell and humans take advantage of this feature to detect explosives and truffles.

The kosher and Halal laws of Judaism and Islam forbid eating pork. In Judaism, the pig is not kosher because it is a horseshoe, but it does not breed. In Judaism and Islam the pig is a symbol of impurity

Pigs coloring pages

There are about 2 billion pigs in the world.

Humans raise pigs on the farm for their meat.

Some people like to raise pigs as pets.

Wild boars are often hunted in the wild.

In some parts of the world, wild boars are the main source of food for tigers.

Pigs can transmit a variety of diseases to humans.

Relative to their body size, pigs have small lungs.

Pigs are known for their gluttonous nature hence the phrase "eat like a pig".

March 1 is also Compliment Day,  Women of Color Day and March 1 movement in South Korea Day

Satisfied Staying Single Day - 11 February

It's Fun to be single day is a day of hitting before getting hit by Valentine's Day, which comes three days later, on February 14. 

Unlike Valentine's Day, which is a commercial and sticky holiday, full of Teddy bears and chocolates in the shape of a heart, the fun to be single day is a calm day, the day where you can do whatever you want, enjoy the things you love to do alone and not to get stressed out because you have no spouse. It's a day to go out without looking around you and observe if the other potential half of yours is there, just relax and enjoy being alone with yourself!

You are just fine the way you are, even if you do not have a partner to confirm that you are worth it.

The Satisfied Staying Single Day was created by Thomas and Ruth Roy from wellcat.com. However, there is no mention of the year they started celebrating this day. The creator of the fun day to be single came up with the idea because of the upcoming Valentine's Day, and so singles want to let the rest of the world know that being single is okay and it's okay to save money and not spend it on flowers and sweets unless they are for yourself. You can be happy alone, dance without a partner, go out alone and not spend too much of your money for your partner and more. When there is such a day, those same bachelors are no longer seen by others as pathetic or embarrassing.

Weatherman's Day - 5 February

We'll see you get along one day without the weather forecast. How will you know what to wear? Where can I go? What to take with you on the trip?

We may not be aware of it, but forecasters have a huge impact on our lives. Thanks to them we know when to go on trips and when not. Farmers know how to care for their crops. It is possible to plan cruises and flights. Know whether to wear long or short clothes and whether to take an umbrella and a coat. Without them it is simply impossible.

It is true that sometimes there are mistakes, but most of the time they are right and we depend on them and the origin of their mouths to get along.

Weatherman's Day was created to honor the meteorological workers and say thank you to them.

Man did not always know how to predict the weather as accurately as he does today.

Ancient cultures would have predicted the weather through signs in nature.

The spiders were the first to herald the coming of winter, as they weave their webs in front of the wind, in anticipation of insects being flown towards them.

The swallows announce that the rain is near and it is time to plant and sow when they fly higher than usual in the sky.

The Luo people in Nyanza County, Kenya, knew the rain was coming a week after the emeralds (roses) bloomed. White flowers marked a very rainy season and orange flowers marked a poor rainy season.

The Abasaba fishermen in Kenya saw swirls over the lake as a sign of rain.

Today there are more reliable ways to gather information about the expected weather. There is a cloud radar, climograph and synoptic map.

February 5 is also Nutella Day and Chocolate Fondue Day

World Braille Day - January 4

The world celebrates Braille Day on January 4, the birthday of Louis Braille, the inventor of Braille.

The Braille script is a script used by the blind to read by touching up-highlighted dots on the page.

Louis Braille was born on January 4, 1809 in a small village near Paris, France. His father was a tanner (leather processor), and one day, when he was 3, Louis was playing with his amulet and was injured in the eyes. He lost his sight but his parents sent him to study in the company of sighted children. At the age of 12 he was sent to study at a school for the blind. At the school, founded by Valentin Howie, the children learned to read with the help of embossed letters they touched. Braille learned this way, but encountered difficulties because the letters were very large and so the books were very heavy and large.

The books were also very expensive, as they were printed using a special printing press with barbed wire. The letters were also too close to each other and made it difficult to read. The school where he studied at Braille had only fourteen books, and despite the difficulty of reading them, he read them all.

Braille was looking for a simpler method that would allow the blind to read. In 1821 a soldier named Charles Barbia appeared at the school, telling of a method he had invented that allowed soldiers on the battlefield, who were inside canals, to correspond with each other without revealing their place. He called the method "night writing" and it was based on the use of matrices of twelve prominent points. Barbia's method was cumbersome and rejected by the military, but Braille decided there was potential in the idea of ​​using highlighted points, and developed a method based on six-point matrices.

In 1852 Braille died of tuberculosis. Two years after his death, the Braille letter was accepted as standard.

Pictured: Doodle (Google Scribble) made by Google in honor of Louis Braille's 107th birthday, in 2006. (link)

Nowadays, the computer has taken the place of heavy braille books. There are special Braille keyboards and computer monitors that highlight the Braille so that a blind person can read them.

Braille Day is an opportunity to raise awareness for the blind and visually impaired, and that they need help and consideration. This is also a great opportunity to remember that limitations can be overcome, and that if you want, you can always find alternative methods to do things that seem obvious to people without disabilities.

Pictured: Braille 'n Speak PDA that works with Braille technology and provides voice output.  link

 Hungarian tactile cube suitable for the blind and visually impaired (link)

January 4 is also Trivia Day and Hypnosis Day

World Vegan Day- 1 November

World Vegan Day is an event celebrated every year on November 1 by vegans around the world. The day was created in 1994 by Louise Ellis, then President and Chairman of the Vegan Society of Britain, to celebrate 50 years of existence, and also 70 years for the existence of the term "veganism".

Every day, more and more people around the world become vegans for reasons of morality, environment, health or all the reasons together.

On this day there are festivals and exhibitions around the world organized by vegans. There are also events such as vegan food stands, lectures and demonstrations.

Veganism is a term coined by Donald Watson in 1951. The reason for choosing naturalism is the ideology of protecting the rights of animals to live a good life without suffering and preserving the environment.

Veganism is a lifestyle of avoiding consumption of products that come from animals:

Avoiding food from the animal world: meat, eggs, milk and bees honey. 

Avoiding the use of products made of animal skins (including fur, wool and feathers) for clothing, footwear, textiles and furniture. Avoiding the use of products whose manufacturing process caused animal suffering like silk threads. Many of the vegans also object to the exploitation of animals for other purposes (such as transportation, circus entertainment) that directly or indirectly cause damage and even suffering to live and use products that have been tested on animals and caused them great harm. Unfortunately, there is almost no product category in the world whose manufacturing process has not caused animal suffering, and it is difficult to find products that will be clean from it. 

How to celebrate World Vegan Day?

Open your ears and heart and listen, learn about the subject without fear.

Listen to one of the most famouse lecture in the world: Best Speech You Will Ever Hear - Gary Yourofsky:

  

Go to a vegan restaurant.

Go to a vegan event

Make a clean day, a day when you will not eat animals: no meat, no milk, no fish and no eggs.

Wear a Go Vegan shirt.

Go Vegan.

 November 1 is also Day of the Dead and Go Cook For Your Pets Day

Techies Day - October 3rd

Today is a day of appreciation for all the people who work and engage in advanced technology - high tech, who lead the world to progress and turn it into a global village where everyone can communicate with everyone, no matter how far apart they are, and everyone can know everything about everyone.

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This day was founded in 1999 by the Techis.com website with the support of the CNET network who wanted to express appreciation to all students and workers in the technology and high-tech professions and encourage high school students to choose technology studies.

Things that used to be so hard and slow, like sending messages to each other, or taking pictures, or watching movies and reading books, are now fast and easy thanks to high tech.

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High-tech also supports the military, both in terms of weapons and defense and also in terms of intelligence.

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There are those who envy high-tech people who have high salaries and good conditions, and seemingly just sit all day in the office and make no effort, but people who work in high tech need to mobilize all their thinking and concentration, and work hard for long hours to achieve results that allow us an easy and comfortable life. More.

To celebrate High Tech Day, you can simply send an email of thanks and appreciation to someone in high tech, reminding him that without people like him, the world would go back, to the days of letters getting lost in the mail, to the paper map days you had to read yourself, to the days of manual camera photos Send for development in the store and takes a few days to develop, for days without internet and more ...

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DNA Day - April 25

April 25 is DNA Day, celebrated on this day because of the anniversary of two important discoveries:

Publication of an article by Francis Crick and James Watson on April 25, 1953, in which they proposed that DNA molecules have a double helix structure, in the scientific journal Nature.

Completion of the Human Genome Project on April 25, 2003, two and a half years ahead of schedule.

DNA Day can be celebrated with DNA studies, lectures, films and quizzes. More details on the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) website, Celebrate DNA Day.

  April 25 is also East meets West Day and World Malaria Day

Sweetest Day- The third Saturday in October

The sweetest day is a day celebrated in the U.S. every year on the third Saturday in October.

This day was founded by confectioners from Cleveland who came together to mark people's love for sweets and for each other.

The first time the holiday was celebrated, on October 8, 1921, they distributed 20,000 boxes of candy throughout the city, to all passers-by, newspaper boys, the elderly, the poor and orphans, all to ensure they had a "sweet day."

From there the idea spread to big cities like New York and Detroit, where sweet day activities began every year. Many charities have embraced this day, such as the Association for the Prevention of Child Cruelty, which began adopting the sweetest day on October 17, 1940.

How do you celebrate the sweetest day?

It's very simple. You can buy yourself a favorite candy and eat it with pleasure or surprise someone else, like a co-worker or good friend, spouse or relatives, in a pampering candy like heart-shaped chocolate.

You can also buy a packet of candies and distribute to passers-by, children in the class or friends at work. If you work at a service provider, such as a bank or a branch of a communications company, you can sweeten the time of those waiting in line for candy or just put an open and inviting candy box on your desk so that anyone who passes by can take it.

Have a very sweet day!

Sweets and candies coloring pages