Seasonal religious and secular events:

Events: January, February & March 2009

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Events during 2009-January:

	JAN-01: This is New Years Day, a secular holiday, in those areas that use the Gregorian calendar.
	JAN-04: This is World Hypnotism Day. There are about two dozen participating groups and organizations. Most are involved in the use of hypnotism for weight loss, smoking cessation, insomnia prevention, etc.
	JAN-06: Christians in the west celebrate Epiphany. This is variously recognized as a celebration of the divinity of Yeshua of Nazareth (Jesus Christ), the visit of the Maji to Yeshua, or the baptism of Yeshua by John. Orthodox Christians celebrate the Feast of the Theophany, recognizing Yeshua's baptism. Armenian Orthodox celebrate Christmas on this day.
	JAN-07: Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate the Feast of the Nativity -- Christmas. They use the Julian Calendar which lacks accuracy and is gradually falling behind the Gregorian Calendar. Rastafarians also celebrate Christmas on this day. Muslims celebrate Ashura. (a.k.a. 'Āshūrā', Ashura, Ashoura, etc). To Shi'a Muslims, it is a day of mourning for Husayn ibn Ali, Muhammad's grandson, who was martyred on that day along with about 70 martyrs who refused to submit to the Caliph. To Sunni Muslims, it recalls Moses fast in gratitude to God for the Exodus from Egypt. In some countries, this celebration may be delayed until the crescent moon is visible to the naked eye.
	JAN-14: The Hindu celebration, Makar Sankranti, represents the arrival of spring. It is celebrated on JAN-15 in some areas of the world. Lord Surya is worshiped.
	JAN-15: This is Adults' Day in the Shinto religion. In Japan, a person becomes an adult on their 20th birthday. Followers of Shinto who become an adult during the previous year go to a shrine to give thanks.
	JAN-18: This is the start of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. It recollects a prayer attributed to Jesus: "...that they all may be one," from John 17:21. It began 100 years ago as the Church Unity Octave in 1908-JAN. Baha'is celebrate World Religion Day on the third Sunday in January. Interfaith discussions, conferences, and other events fostering religious understanding are held. 4
	JAN-19: Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday is celebrated in the U.S. on the third Monday in January.
	JAN-22: This is the 36 anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision of the U.S. Supreme Court that made abortions freely available to women during the first trimester.
	JAN-26: This is the lunar new year's day celebrated as a major festival in China, and in many other countries and immigrant communities throughout the world. It falls on dates between JAN-21 and FEB-20.. 2009 is the year of the ox -- or buffalo in some countries -- according to the 12 animal Asian Zodiac. " 'Ox people are said to be stable, persevering, hard working, tolerant, ethical, fearless, and of strong character. They include everyone born in 2009, 1997, 1985, 1973, 1961, 1949, 1937, 1925, and every twelfth year before 1925. Included are many famous people: Margaret Thatcher, Boxer Oscar De La Hoya, Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai, and soccer star Wayne Rooney. Sport star Catherine Freeman, Hollywood star Heather Locklear, Jane Fonda, Jack Nicholson, Juliette Lewis, Meg Ryan, Meryl Streep, Vivien Leigh, George Clooney, and Princess Diana.
	JAN-27: This is National Holocaust Memorial Day in the UK. It is held on the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945.
	JAN-28: In Canada, this is the 20th anniversary of women's free access to abortion. The existing law was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Canada. Members of Parliament tried to craft bills to replace the law, but gave up in frustration. Canada remains without an abortion law -- perhaps the only country in the world to not have one.
	JAN-30: In India, the 60th anniversary of the assassination of Gandhi (a.k.a. Mahatma or Great Soul) was observed. He was killed by a Hindu extremist.

Events during 2009-FEB:

	All month: Black History Month originated in 1926 as "Negro History Week." In the UK, it is celebrated during October. American Heart Month.
	FEB-02: Wiccans and many other Neopagans celebrate one of their four major Sabbats on this day, called Imbolc, (a.k.a. Lughanssad & Candlemas) in the Northern hemisphere. They welcome the end of winter and the return of the season of warmth. Wiccans in the southern hemisphere celebrate Lughnassad. The Catholic Church adopted this date as the Feast of St. Brigid. She was the most important female saint in Ireland until the Church determined that she never lived -- at least as a human. She was really once a Pagan Goddess. This Groundhog Day, when the movements of specially selected male groundhogs in various areas of North America are supposed to predict the future weather. Last year, five groundhogs -- Woody from Howell, MI; General Beauregard Lee in GA, Shubenacadie Sam from NS, Balzac Billy in AB and Wiarton Willie in ON agreed that spring will return early in 2008. Punxsutawney Phil from PA was the lone dissenter.
	FEB-08: Freedom to Marry Week begins on this date. It promotes the belief that all loving, committed couples should be free to marry, whether they be of the same-sex or opposite-sex. 8 This is the 41st anniversary of the Orangeburg Massacre, one of the earliest martyrdoms of students active in the civil rights movement. Picketing black students were trying to integrate a local bowling alley. On 1968-FEB-08, Police tracked them back to South Carolina State University, and killed three students. At least 28 were injured. 5
	FEB-09: Tu Bishvat, a Jewish celebration, will be celebrated on this day, starting at sunset on the previous day. It is the new-year celebration for the trees. It is celebrated mainly in Israel, where school children are taken on tree-planting expeditions.
	FEB-12: Darwin Day: the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his book "On the Origin of Species." Darwin Day as an annual observance was founded by Humanists Robert Stephens and Arthur Jackson in 1995. It has since evolved into "an International Celebration of Science and Humanity as well as a year-round educational website. Promoters hope that there will be global celebrations of Darwin's legacy this year, while "promoting understanding of science and critical inquiry within our global community." 7
	FEB-14: Valentine's day is observed: a day devoted to love, affection, and the exchange of cards.
	FEB-15: Buddhists celebrate Nirvana Day in memory of the death of the Buddha. Some Buddhists celebrate it on FEB-08.
	FEB-18: Presidents' Day is observed in the U.S.
	FEB-22: Start of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (NEDA).
	FEB-24: Mardi Gras (a.k.a. Shrove Tuesday. Pancake Day, Pancake Tuesday, Paczki Day, Fasnacht Day) is the day before Lent. It is now a largely secular, hedonistic festival.
	FEB-25: Ash Wednesday begins the 40 day season of Lent. Believers are marked with ashes on their forehead.
	FEB-27: GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, is sponsoring TransAction! This is a one-day effort to raise awareness about gender identity/expression and transgender students and to help generate a safe and welcoming environment for all students, regardless of gender identity/expression. 9

Events during 2008-MAR:

	All month: Women's History Project, originated in 1980 "to recognize and celebrate the diverse and historic accomplishments of women by providing information and educational materials and programs."
	MAR-06: This is the Women's World Day of Prayer, and has been held on the first Friday of March since 1887.
	MAR-08: This is International Women's Day. Their centenary will be celebrated in 2011 Daylight Savings begins in the U.S. and Canada, except for Arizona, Hawaii (a.k.a. Paradise), Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa. Clocks are moved one hour forward at 02:00 hrs.
	MAR-09: The Jewish festival of Purim begins at sunset. It recalls the deliverance of the Jewish people from genocide in the ancient Persian Empire as recorded in the book of Esther in the Bible. Sunni Muslims celebrate Mawlid al-Nabi as the birthday of the prophet Muhammad. It is celebrated in some areas, and forbidden in others.
	MAR-11: Hindu's celebrate Holi, a colorful and exuberant spring festival dedicated to welcoming Spring and seek the support of the Gods for good harvests.
	MAR-13: Scientologists observe the birthday of their founder, L. Ron Hubbard.
	MAR-16: This is the first day of Brain Awareness Week (BAW).
	MAR-17: St Patrick's Day honors the patron saint of Ireland.
	MAR-20: The Vernal or Spring Equinox -- the start of Spring when the daytime and nighttime are balanced. This year, it happens at MAR-20 @ 11:44 GMT; subtract 4 hours for EDST. Wiccans in the Northern hemisphere observe the equinox as a minor Sabbat, called Ostara. Those in the Southern hemisphere celebrate Mabon.
	MAR-21: It is Naw Ruz, when Baha'is celebrate the New Year. It is Norouz, the Persian/Zoroastrian/Farsi New Year Followers of the Shinto religion in Japan celebrate Equinox Day
	MAR-25: The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, recalls the announcement by the angel Gabriel of Mary's pregnancy. The date is being promoted by some in the pro-life movement as the "day of the unborn child." It is falls roughly on a date nine months before Christmas. 6
	MAR-28: The first Earth Hour was observed in Sydney, Australia, during the evening of 2007-MAR-31 when 2.2 million people and 2,100 businesses turned off their lights. Energy consumption in the city was reduced by 10.2% for that hour. During Earth Hour in 2008, 50 million people in 370 cities and towns participated. They hope to reach one billion people this year in 1,000 town and cities. On Saturday, 2009-MAR-28 citizens are urged to turn off their lights between 8 and 9 PM local time. Brisbane, Chicago, Copenhagen, Manila, Melborne, Sydney, Toronto, Tel Aviv and other cities are participating. More info.

Notes:

	These dates are approximate. If you need to know the precise date for planning purposes, we suggest that you confirm the date with other information sources.
	Muslim observances are based on a lunar calendar. They are dated about 11 days earlier each year.

References used:

The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.

1. "When-is" at: http://www.when-is.com/
2. "Interfaith Calendar: Primary sacred times for world religions," at: http://www.interfaithcalendar.org/
3. Holy days and festivals calendar," BBC, at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/
4. "World Religion Day," at: http://www.worldreligionday.org/
5. "40 years on, civil-rights killings still fuel activist," Toronto Star, 2008-FEB-08.
6. "Celebrate the 'Day of the Unborn Child," at: http://dayoftheunbornchild.com/
7.  Edna Devore, "Darwin Day: A Dialog between Science and Religion," at: http://www.space.com/
8. "Freedom to Marry" is a "gay and non-gay partnership working to win marriage equality nationwide." See: http://www.freedomtomarry.org/
9. "Students Celebrate Transgender Day of Remembrance Nationwide," GLSEN, 2008-NOV-20, at: http://www.glsen.org/

Originally written: 2008-JAN-21
Latest update: 2009-JAN-04
Author: B.A. Robinson

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