Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday that is observed on the final Monday of May (observed this year on 2007-05-28). It was formerly known as Decoration Day. This holiday commemorates U.S. men and women who have died in military service to their country. It began first to honor Union soldiers who died during […]

Mother’s Day is a holiday honoring mothers, celebrated (on various days) in many places around the world. Mothers often receive gifts on this day. People in different countries celebrate Mother’s Day on different days of the year because the day has a number of different origins. One school of thought claims this day […]

Groundhog Day or Groundhog’s Day is a traditional festival celebrated in the United States and Canada on February 2. It is a cross-quarter day, midway between the Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox. In traditional weather lore, if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day and fails to see its shadow because the […]

Australia Day is Australia’s official national day, 26 January. It commemorates the landing of the First Fleet in Sydney Cove on that day in 1788. 26 January 1788 was the date on which the First Fleet, under Captain Arthur Phillip arrived at Sydney Cove and set up the Colony of New South Wales. By 1808 […]

New Year’s Day is the first day of the year, in the Gregorian calendar, falling exactly one week after Christmas Day of the previous year. In modern times, it is January 1. In most countries, it is a holiday. It is a holy day to many of those who still use the Julian calendar, which […]