May Day
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Wednesday may 1, 2024
Secular holiday : Chicago, Saturday May 1st, 1886: 350,000 workers go on strike to call for an 8-hour working day. Industries are paralyzed nationwide. On Monday, as demonstrations go on, the police open fire. On Tuesday, Chicago is again on strike. Following a bomb launched against them, the police shoot again. 12 dead, of which 7 policemen. 8 anarchists will be condemned and executed. In 1889, the Socialist International Movement met in Paris and declared this day international workers' day . The Soviets will follow suit, just as the Nazis. In France, under the Vichy regime (1940-1944), the celebration is renamed Labour Day .
Mothers' Day
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Sunday may 12, 2024
cards/flowers : Mothers day has evolved in many countries in different ways. This is because mothers day has different origins in different countries and therefore occurs on different days in the year.
One school of thought claims that this day emerged from the custom of mother worship in ancient Greece. Mother worship which kept a festival to Cybele, a great mother of gods, and Rhea, the wife of Cronus, was held on March 15 to March 18 around Asia Minor. They insist that this custom spread around the world.
Mothering Sunday is the celebration of motherhood in the United Kingdom. It is also known as Mid-lent Sunday, Rose Sunday and Laetare Sunday. It originally comes from the Victorian practice of allowing servants to return home to visit their mothers on this day.
In the United States, Julia Ward Howe (May 27, 1819 - October 17, 1910) was a prominent American abolitionist, social activist, and poet. Howes Battle Hymn of the Republic was first published in the Atlantic Monthly in 1862 and quickly became one of the most popular songs for the Union during the American Civil War. After the war she focused her activities on the causes of Pacifism and womens suffrage. In 1870 she was the first to proclaim Mothers Day, with her Mothers Day Proclamation. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson approved Mothers Day in 1914
Vesak - Buddha Purnima - Visakha Bucha
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Thursday may 23, 2024
Buddhism (Theravada) : Magha Puja or Sangha celebration. This day falls on the full moon of the third month. It commemorates the main event in Buddha's life, after His first retreated from the rain (Vassa). The anniversary of Buddah's birthday in the Mahayana tradition; the commemoration of Buddah's birth, enlightenment, and death, celebrated on the day of the full moon of the 6th month in the Theravada tradition.
Day following Vesak
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Friday may 24, 2024
Banks only :
Mid-term holiday (beginning)
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Friday may 31, 2024
School holidays :
Mid-term holiday (end)
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Monday june 3, 2024
School holidays :
Fathers' Day
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Sunday june 16, 2024
cards/flowers :
Eid-ul-Adha - Feast of the Sacrifice (may be changed to the nearest day)
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Monday june 17, 2024
Muslim, Sufi :
Mid-term holiday (beginning) - Muslim schools
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Thursday june 20, 2024
School holidays :
Poson Poya
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Friday june 21, 2024
Buddhism (Theravada) : Commemorates the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka by Arahat Maha Mahinda (son of King Asoka of India) at Mihintale in the third century B.C. Ven Mahinda established the Dispensation of The Buddha (Buddhasasana) in Sri Lanka.
Esala Perahera
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Saturday july 20, 2024
Buddhism (Vajrayana) : On the Esala full moon, the Kandy Esala Perahera takes place. The most important and spectacular festival in SL, it is the climax of 10 days and nights of increasing frenetic activity in Kandy. Thousands of dancers, drummers, and temple chieftains take part in the parade that also features 50 or more magnificently decorated elephants honouring the Sacred Tooth relic of the Golden Temple. Smaller peraheras are held at this time at other locations in the island.
Summer holiday (beginning)
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Friday august 16, 2024
School holidays : Tamil & Sinhala schools
Raksha Bandhan / Nikini Poya (Janai Purnima)
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Monday august 19, 2024
Hinduism : The annual festival of Raksha Bandhan, which is meant to commemorate the abiding ties between siblings of opposite sex, usually takes place in late August, and is marked by a very simple ceremony in which a woman ties a rakhi which may be a colorful thread, a simple bracelet, or a decorative string around the wrist of her brother(s). The word raksha signifies protection, and bandhan is an association signifying an enduring sort of bond; and so, when a woman ties a rakhi around the waist of her brother, she signifies her loving attachment to him. He, likewise, recognizes the special bonds between them, and by extending his wrist forward, he in fact extends the hand of his protection over her.
Summer holiday (end)
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Monday august 26, 2024
School holidays :
Mid-term holiday (beginning) - Muslim schools
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Friday september 13, 2024
School holidays :
Prophet's Anniversary - Eid-Milad Nnabi (may be changed to the nearest day)
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Monday september 16, 2024
Muslim, Sufi :
Binara Full Moon Poya Day
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Tuesday september 17, 2024
Buddhism (Theravada) : Even before the birth of Buddhism, Asian ascetics in the ancient times when there were no calendars, made it a practice on full moon days to cease worldly pursuits and engage themselves in religious activities.
The Buddha adopted this practice and from this developed the preaching of the Buddhist texts and commentaries (bana) in monasteries and temples on full moon Poya days. And when the Venerable Arahat Mahinda Thero introduced Buddhism to this country in 247 BC he also introduced the Poya tradition.
Mid-term holiday (end) - Muslim schools
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Thursday september 19, 2024
School holidays :
Arbor Day
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Tuesday october 15, 2024
cards/flowers :
Vap Full Moon Poya Day
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Thursday october 17, 2024
Buddhism (Theravada) : Celebrates the obtaining of Vivarana (the assurance of becoming a Buddha) by the Bodhisatta Maitriya and the commissioning of 60 disciples by The Buddha to disperse his teachings. http://www.mysrilanka.com/travel/lanka/festivals/POSON.HTM
Deepavali/Dipabali
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Thursday october 31, 2024
Hinduism :
Il Full Moon Poya Day
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Friday november 15, 2024
Buddhism (Theravada) : Marks the end of the Rainy Retreat period (Vassana-Samaya). The Bhikkus stay indoors in the temples and observe the Bhavana meditation and other religious activities. This is the end and climax of the rainy season.