华族节庆 Chinese Festivals

节庆	农历	备注
腊八节	腊月初八	原是祭祀祖先和神靈，祈求豐收、吉祥和避邪。是新年即将到来的信号。有喝臘八粥的習俗。
小年节	腊月廿三	送灶君上天，向玉皇稟告世人的善惡曲直。祭灶时把关东糖（糖瓜）、米糕、湯圓、年糕等甜食用火融化，抹在在灶神画像的嘴上，使其「嘴甜」。也开始大扫除。
除夕	腊月廿九 / 大年三十	全家欢聚一堂，吃罢团年饭，长辈给孩子们分发压岁钱，一家人团坐守岁。元日子时交年时刻，鞭炮齐响，辞旧岁、迎新年。
春节            ( 农历新年 )	腊月廿三 - 正月十五	春节的习俗多种多样。相傳年獸怕紅色，怕火光和怕響聲，所以人們便有貼春聯、放鞭炮、敲鑼打鼓等習俗。不同时期、不同地区、不同民族的习俗都不相同：年画、拜年、发红包、踩高跷、舞龙舞狮等。春节期间要说吉祥话，忌说不吉利的话，遇到坏事也要说吉祥话化解。一些传统不动刀、不洗澡、不打扫等。
元旦	正月初一	新年的高潮。各家焚香致礼，敬天地、祭列祖，然后依次给尊长拜年，继而同族亲友互致祝贺。
元宵节	正月十五	元宵節是农历新年的第一個月圓之夜，象徵著春天的到來，人們吃元宵、賞花燈、猜燈謎，以示祝賀。
清明节	清明	最重要的祭祀节日，是祭祖和扫墓的日子。據傳始於古代帝王將相「墓祭」之禮，後來民間亦相倣傚，於此日祭祖掃墓，歷代沿襲而成為中華民族一種固定的風俗。
端午节	五月初五	本來是夏季的一個驅除瘟疫的節日，后来变成纪念屈原的节日。有吃粽子，赛龙舟，挂菖蒲、蒿草、艾叶，薰苍术、白芷，喝雄黄酒的习俗。
七夕节        ( 乞巧节 )	七月初七	源自于牛郎與織女的传说。妇女们穿针乞巧，祈祷福禄寿活动，礼拜七姐，仪式虔诚而隆重，陈列花果、女红。
中元节  (道教)  孟兰节  (佛教)  鬼节	七月十五	相傳地獄大門打開，陰間的鬼魂會放禁出來。有子孫、後人祭祀的鬼魂回家去接受香火供養；無主孤魂就到處遊蕩，徘徊於任何人跡可至的地方找東西吃。所以人們紛紛舉行設食祭祀、誦經作法等普渡活動，以普遍超度孤魂野鬼，防止它們為禍人間，又或祈求鬼魂幫助去除疫病和保佑家宅平安。
中秋节	八月十五	中秋节的起源，大致有三种：起源于古代对月的崇拜、月下歌舞觅偶的习俗，古代秋报拜土地神的遗俗。中秋节的习俗有：祭月，赏月，吃月饼、菱角，提灯笼等。
重阳节	九月初九	重阳的源自古代农作物丰收之时祭飨天帝、祭祖，以谢天帝、祖先恩德。民间有登高的风俗。
冬至节	冬至	冬至是北半球全年中白天最短、夜晚最长的一天。中国北方吃饺子、南方吃汤圆。

Teacher's Day

Teacher’s Days are celebrated worldwide, yet almost all countries celebrate it on different dates. 

However, World Teachers’ Day is celebrated on 5^th October since 1994, to celebrate the essential role of teachers in providing quality education at all levels, besides commemorate the anniversary of the 1966 signature of the UNESCO/ILO Recommendation Concerning the Status of Teachers.

Teacher’s Days in different countries are not linked to World Teachers’ Day, rather they took ground indepently, mostly to commemorate local educator, or important milestone in education.

January, 15^th – Venezuela

January, 16^th – Thailand

January, 29^th – Spain

January, 30^th – Greece ( to commemorate the Three Holy Hierarchs and Ecumenical Teachers )

February, first weekend – Mongolia

February, 28^th – Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, UAE, and Yemen,

 

March, 1^st – Iran

March, 7^th – Albania

March, 9^th – Lebanon

March, 15^th – South Korea

March, 18^th – Syria

March, 28^th – Czech, Slovakia

April, 13^th – Ecuador ( to commemorate the birth date of Juan Montalvo )

April, 30^th – Paraguay

May, first Tuesday – USA

May, 2^nd – Bhutan ( to commemorate the birth date of 3^rd king of Buthan, Jigme Dorgi Wangchuck, who introduced modern education )

May, 6^th – Jamaica

May, 15^th – Mexico, Columbia ( to commemorate the appointment of San Juan Baustista de la Salle as the patron of teachers in 1950)

May, 16^th – Malaysia ( to commemorate the Razak Report )

June, first Sunday – Hungary

June, 6^th – Bolivia, Peru ( to commemorate the fouding of Normal School for Men )

June, 22^nd – El Salvador

June, 25^th – Guatemala

September, first Friday – Singapore

September, 5^th – India ( to commemorate the birth date of 2^nd President of India, academic philosopher Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan )

September, 10^th – China, Hongkong

September, 11^th – Argentina

September, 23^rd – Brunei ( to commemorate the birth date of the 28^th ruler of Brunei, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin III, “Archtect of Modern Brunei”, who introduced free education polity )

Septmeber, 28^th – Taiwan

October, first Sunday – Armenia, Belarus, Ukraine

October, 1^st – Uzbekistan

October, 4^th – Bangladesh

October, 5^th – Afghanistan, Azerbajian, Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, Moldova, Netherlands, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Mauritius

October, 6^th – Sri Lanka

October, 7^th – Laos

October, 14^th – Poland

October, 15^th – Brazil ( to commemorate the regulation of elementary schools )

October, 16^th – Chile ( to commemorate the founding of Teachers’ Association of Chile )

October, 29^th – New Zealand

October, last Friday – Australia

November. 20^th – Vietnam

November, 24^th – Turkey

November, 25^th – Indonesia ( to commemorate the fouding of Indonesian Teachers’ Association )

December, 1^st – Panama ( to commemorate the birth date of Manuel José Hurtado, father of Panamaian education )

Mother's Day

Mother’s Day is a celebration that honours mothers and motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society.    It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, many of these trace back to ancient festivals, like the Greek cult to Cybele, the Roman festival of Hilaria, or the Christian Mothering Sunday celebration. 

However, the modern celebration is an American invention, and not directly descended from ancient celebrations. 

Julia Ward

Modern Mother’s Day is first inspired by Julia Ward Howe.   Born in New York, on 27^th May, 1819, to Samuel Ward and Julia Rush Cutler, Julia Ward lived through the American Civil War ( 1861 – 1865 ).  After the war, Julia Ward focused her activities on the causes of pacifism and women’s suffrage. 

In 1870 she wrote her Mother’s Day Proclamation, asking women from the world to join for world’s peace.

Arise, then, women of this day!

Arise, all women who have hearts, Whether our baptism be of water or of tears!

Say firmly: "We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies, Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. We, the women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."

From the bosom of the devastated Earth a voice goes up with our own. It says: "Disarm! Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice." Blood does not wipe out dishonor, nor violence indicate possession. As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war,

Let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel.

Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead. Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means Whereby the great human family can live in peace, Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, But of God.

In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask That a general congress of women without limit of nationality May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient And at the earliest period consistent with its objects, To promote the alliance of the different nationalities, The amicable settlement of international questions,

The great and general interests of peace.

On 2^nd June, 1872, Julia lead a celebration in New York City.  The observation continued in Boston for about 10 years, but then died out.  

She died of pneumonia on 17^th October 1910 in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

Anna Marie Jarvis

Anna Marie Jarvis was born in Webster, West Virginia on 1^st May, 1864.  She  graduated from Augusta Female Seminary ( now Mary Baldwin College ) in 1883.

Anna’s mother Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis founded Mother’s Day Work Clubs in Webster, Philippi, Pruntytown, Fetterman and Grafton to improve sanitary and health conditions.  MDWC also treated wounds, fed, and clothed both Union and Confederate soldiers with neutrality during the Civil War.

Ann Jarvis died on 9^th May, 1905.  On Sunday 12^th May, 1907, 2 years after her mother’s death, Anna held a memorial to her mother in the Andrew’s Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia.   On Sunday 10^th May, 1908, a larger service was held in the Wanamaker Auditorium, Philadephia.  In 1909, a larger celebration was held in New York.

In 1910, Mother’s Day declared holiday in the state of West Virginia.

On 8^th May, 1914, the Congress passed a law designating the 2^nd Sunday in May as Mother’s day.  The Andrew’s Methodist Episcopal Church became The International Mother’s Day Shrine on 15^th May, 1962, also a National Historic Landmark. 

Anna never married, and had no children.  She died in West Chester Pennsylvania on 24^th November 1948.  She is recognized as the founder of the modern Mother’s Day in the USA.

In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved a stamp commemorating the holiday.

Carnations were Ann Maria Jarvis’ favourite flower.  It became a custom of wearing a carnation on Mother’s Day, a red one if one’s mother is still living, and a white one if she was dead.