365 Days in a Year

There are 365 unique days in a year... a daily visual tour!

[oz-diver]

December 31st is Saint Silvester's Day!

In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve (also Old Year's Day or Saint Silvester's Day in many countries), the last day of the year, is on December 31. In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated at evening social gatherings, where many people dance, eat, drink alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the New Year. Some people attend a watchnight service.  The celebrations generally go on past midnight into January 1 (New Year's Day).

Wikipedia => http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year%27s_Eve

Happy New Years', everyone!!!

... and, with that, time for some New Years resolutions... mine are:

... guess that means I stop making a list of what I special about each day!  Time to find a new angle... any suggestions from the peanut gallery?

[oz-diver]

December 30th marks the anniversary of when Canaries became unemployed!

On December 30th, 1986, more than 200 canary birds were phased out of Britain's mining pits and replaced by hand-held gas detectors.  For more, please see => http://goo.gl/lS6VW2

Poor, unemployed canaries... what are they to do!  Good thing they can fall back on their singing careers ... :)

[oz-diver]

December 29th is the Golden Rings day!

December 29th is the fifth day of Christmas, and as the old song goes, "on the 5th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 5 golden rings"!

You can check out ALL the days of Christmas here => http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Days_of_Christmas

[oz-diver]

December 28th is the first Test Tube Baby's birthday!

On Dec. 28, 1981, Elizabeth Jordan Carr, the first American test-tube baby, was born in Norfolk, Va.  For more, please see => http://goo.gl/gdwijY

Happy Birthday, Elizabeth!

[oz-diver]

December 27th is the anniversary of the Voyage of the Beagle!

On December 27th, 1831, British naturalist Charles Darwin set out on a voyage to the Pacific Ocean aboard the HMS Beagle. Darwin's discoveries during the nearly five-year journey helped form the basis of his theories on evolution.

If it were not for that voyage, we might never have discovered... the Darwin Awards!  (http://www.darwinawards.com/)  :)

Enjoy!

[oz-diver]

December 26th is the start of Kwanzaa!

Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration held in the United States and also celebrated in the Western African Diaspora in other nations of the Americas. The celebration honors African heritage in African-American culture, and is observed from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a feast and gift-giving.  For more, please see => http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwanzaa

[oz-diver]

December 25th is... Christmas!

OK, deduct a point for lack of originality, but if you've grown up anywhere with a large Christian population, you'd be hard pressed not to realize December 25th is special!

Christmas (Old English: Crīstesmæsse, meaning "Christ's Mass") is an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ and a widely observed holiday, celebrated generally on December 25 by millions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christianliturgical year, it closes the Advent season and initiates the twelve days of Christmastide, which ends after the twelfth night. Christmas is a civil holiday in many of the world's nations, is celebrated by an increasing number of non-Christians, and is an integral part of the Christmas and holiday season.

Wikipedia => http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas

So, Merry Christmas to you all!

[oz-diver]

December 24th is Aðfangadagskvöld in Iceland!

Not what you were expecting, I bet!  :)

Aðfangadagskvöld is the day when the 13th and the last Yule Lad arrives in town.  The Yule Lads, or Yulemen, (Icelandic: jólasveinarnir or jólasveinar) are figures from Icelandic folklore who in modern times have become the Icelandic version of Santa Claus. Their number has varied throughout the ages, but currently they are considered to be thirteen. They put rewards or punishments into shoes placed by children in window sills during the last thirteen nights before Christmas Eve. Every night, one Yuletide lad visits each child, leaving gifts or rotting potatoes, depending on the child’s behavior throughout the year.

Sounds like a fun way to build up the excitement for December 25th, which is... wait for it...

[oz-diver]

December 23rd is Festivus!

"A Festivus for the rest of us!"

Festivus, a well-celebrated parody, has become a secular holiday celebrated on December 23 which serves as an alternative to participating in the pressures and commercialism of the Christmas and holiday season

For more, see Wikipedia => http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festivus

Time to celebrate!

[oz-diver]

December 22nd is the Dongzhi Festival in China!

The Dōngzhì Festival or Winter Solstice Festival (Chinese: 冬至; pinyin: Dōngzhì; literally "the Arrival of Winter") is one of the most important festivals celebrated by the Chinese and other East Asians during the Dongzhi solar term (winter solstice) on or around December 22 when sunshine is weakest and daylight shortest.

Wikipedia => http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dongzhi_Festival

Traditionally, the Dongzhi Festival is also a time for the family to get together. One activity that occurs during these get togethers (especially in the southern parts of China and in Chinese communities overseas) is the making and eating of tangyuan (湯圓) or balls of glutinuous rice, which symbolize reunion. Tangyuan are made of glutinuous rice flour and sometimes brightly coloured. Each family member receives at least one large tangyuan in addition to several small ones. The flour balls may be plain or stuffed. They are cooked in a sweet soup or savoury broth with both the ball and the soup/broth served in one bowl. It is also often served with a mildly alcoholic unfiltered rice wine containing whole grains of glutinous rice (and often also Sweet Osmanthus flowers), called jiuniang.

It looks delicious... I think I might try my hand at this recipe!  http://goo.gl/Og0YYD

[oz-diver]

December 21st is Pancha Ganapati in India!

Pancha Ganapati is a modern five-day Hindu festival celebrated from December 21 through 25 in honor of Lord Ganesha, Patron of Arts and Guardian of Culture.

During each of the five days of Pancha Ganapati, a special sadhana, spiritual discipline, is focused upon by the entire family. Because of the festival’s importance as a new beginning and mending of all past mistakes, a shrine is created in the main living room of the home and decorated in the spirit of this festive occasion. At the center is placed a large wooden or bronze five-faced statue of Lord Pancha Ganapati. If this is not available, any large picture or statue of Lord Ganesha will do. Lord Ganesha is often depicted as coming from the forest; therefore, pine boughs (or banana leaves) may be used. Flashing lights, tinsel and colorful hanging ornaments may also be added. Each morning the children dress or decorate Ganesha in a different color: golden yellow on December 21, then royal blue, ruby red, emerald green and finally brilliant orange. These are the colors of His five powers, or shaktis.

Wikipedia => http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancha_Ganapati

Seems I'm going to be very busy travelling the world, as this is yet another festival for the bucket list!

[oz-diver]

December 20th is Macau Special Administrative Region Establishment Day!

Macau (/məˈkaʊ/; traditional Chinese: 澳門; simplified Chinese: 澳门; pinyin: Àomén), also spelled Macao, is one of the two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China, the other being Hong Kong. Macau lies on the western side of the Pearl River Delta across from Hong Kong to the east, bordered by Guangdong Province to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east and south.[9] The territory's economy is heavily dependent on gambling and tourism, but also includes manufacturing.

Wikipedia => http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macau

Yet another destination for the bucket list!

[oz-diver]

December 19th is the anniversary of the Hong Kong accord!

On Dec. 19, 1984, Britain and China signed an accord returning Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty on July 1, 1997.

To see how the BBC reported the news, check this out=> http://goo.gl/6uqAat

[oz-diver]

December 18th is the anniversary of the first civilian nuclear power plant in the US!

On Dec. 18, 1957, the Shippingport Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania, the first civilian nuclear facility to generate electricity in the United States, went online.

For a perspective from the time, check out this article=> http://goo.gl/ukDs3v

[oz-diver]

December 17th is the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers!

International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers is observed annually on 17 December by Sex workers, their advocates, friends, families and allies.

First celebrated in 2003, the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers is the brainchild of Dr. Annie Sprinkle and the Sex Workers Outreach Project USA (SWOP-USA), an American Sex Worker's Rights organization.

Originally conceived as a memorial and vigil for the victims of the Green River Killer in Seattle Washington, it has evolved into an annual international event.

The day calls attention to hate crimes committed against sex workers all over the globe as well as the need to remove the stigma and discrimination that is perpetuated by custom and prohibitionist laws that has made violence against sex-workers acceptable.

The red umbrella has become an important symbol for Sex Workers Rights and it is increasingly being used on December 17: "First adopted by Venetian sex workers for an anti-violence march in 2002, red umbrellas have come to symbolize resistance against discrimination for sex workers worldwide”

[oz-diver]

December 16th is the anniversary of the Tea Party!

... no, not THIS kind of tea party!

On December 16th, 1773, The Boston Tea Party took place as American colonists boarded a British ship and dumped more than 300 chests of tea overboard to protest tea taxes.

So, it was a bit more like this...

[oz-diver]

December 15th is Zamenhof Day!

Zamenhof Day (Zamenhofa Tago in Esperanto), also called Esperanto Day, is celebrated on 15 December, the birthday of Esperanto creator L. L. Zamenhof. It is the most widely celebrated day in Esperanto culture... or, as it would be said in Esperanto:

"Zamenhof Day (Zamenhofa Tago en Esperanto), ankaŭ nomita Esperanto Tago, okazigas la 15 de decembro, la naskiĝtago de Esperanto kreinto LL Zamenhof. Ĝi estas la plej vaste festis tagon en Esperanto-kulturo"

Mi esperas, vi havas grandan tagon! (http://translate.google.ca/)