Independence Day (Kazakhstan)
A national public holiday in Kazakhstan, this day marks the 1991 declaration of independence of Kazakhstan from the former Soviet Union.
Cultural & Ethnic
December 2024
Posadas Navidenas – Christian
Posadas Navideñas is a cherished Christmas tradition observed in many Latin American countries, symbolizing the journey of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter before the birth of Jesus. Typically held during the nine days leading up to Christmas Eve, communities gather for nightly processions, prayers, and reenactments of the biblical story. Participants, often divided into two groups representing the innkeepers and ...
National Day (Qatar)
Also called ‘Founder’s Day’, Qatar’s National Day public holiday was established in 2007 and commemorates national unification in 1878.
Christmas Eve
The day or evening before Christmas Day, this occasion is widely observed around the world as a full or partial holiday, in anticipation and preparation for Christmas day. Many varying Christian and secular cultural traditions are associated with Christmas Eve, which in some countries is traditionally the occasion for the main Christmas family meal and gift exchange.
Independence Day (Libya)
A public holiday in Libya, this day is Libya’s most important national holiday. It marks the anniversary of Libya’s declaration of complete independence from Italy and European rule in 1951, following Italian colonisation (1912–1943) and Allied (French/British) occupation (1943–1951).
Hanukkah begins
Also called ‘Chanukah’, ‘Festival of Lights’, ‘Feast of Dedication’, ‘Feast of the Maccabees’, marks the beginning of the 8-day Jewish festival commemorating recapture of the Holy Temple in the 2nd century BCE by a small, determined band of Jewish people from the Syrian-Greek army, one of the mightiest armies on earth at the time. On each evening of the festival, ...
Christmas Day
A popular festival day and a public holiday in many nations, this day is widely celebrated across the world as a secular family holiday. It is a religious holy day for observant Christians to celebrate the birth of Christ as the son of God and for a small number of Muslims to celebrate the birth of Christ as an important ...
Kwanzaa begins (USA)
Created in 1966 by California State University professor and chairman of Black Studies Dr Maulana Karenga, Kwaanza is an African American and pan-African 7-day annual celebration of family, community and culture. The festival is inclusive of everyone, not limited to those with African American heritage. It is a holiday rich in symbolism that affirms communitarian values. The primary focus of ...
Independence Day (Mongolia)
Mongolia Independence Day stands as a testament to the nation’s liberation from Chinese rule in 1911. This significant event marked the end of the Qing Dynasty’s dominance over Mongolia, allowing the country to chart its own course and shape its destiny. Every year, Mongolians commemorate this historic occasion with pride and reverence, reflecting on the struggles endured and the triumph ...
New Year’s Eve
One of the largest global celebrations, this day marks the last day of the year in the Gregorian calendar and is ritualised by a countdown to midnight, ushering in the New Year. It is not a public holiday.
January 2025
Gantan-sai / Ganjitsu
A popular and important three-day Japanese holiday, Ganjitsu has been the Shinto celebration of New Year’s Day since 1873. The first of January is a public holiday in Japan and many businesses shut for the entire three days, from 1 January to 3 January, with families and friends gathering to enjoy the season together, exchanging New Year’s Day cards and ...
Independence Day (Haiti)
A public holiday in Haiti, this is Haiti’s National Day and also celebrated as New Year’s Day. The day celebrates Haiti’s 1804 independence from the French after a 13-year-long revolution. Haiti became the first nation in the world to abolish the slave trade and slavery in one of its first acts of independence.
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