There is always something to celebrate! These are the major political, historical, religious and plain fun holidays and festivals around the world for August 2006.
ALMANAC: from Late Greek (Coptic) (?) almenichiakon, meaning "calendar"
Legend:
- (C) Christian (Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist)
- (B) Buddhist
- (F) Fun (fun, local, historical)
- (H) Hindu
- (J) Jewish
- (P) Pagan (Celtic, Nordic, Neopagan)
- (M) Muslim
- (N) National
- (W) World (International)
- 1: (C) Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (memorial)/ (N) Switzerland Founding of the Swiss Confederation (1291, Alliance against the Holy Roman Empire) / (P) Lughnasadh, also Lammas (Celtic harvest festival, first day of autumn)
- 2: (C) Saint Eusebius of Vercelli (optional memorial) / (C) Saint Peter Julian Eymard (optional memorial)
- 3: (N) Niger Independence Day (1960, from France) / (J) Tisha B'Av (commemorates distruction of First and Second Temples and other tragedies)
- 4: (C) Saint Jean Vianney, the Curé of Ars (memorial)
- 5: (C) Dedication of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore (optional memorial) / (C) Blessed Virgin Mary (optional memorial) / (N) Croatia Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day (1991, from Serbia) / (N) Burkina Faso Independence Day (1960, from France)
- 6: (C) Transfiguration of the Lord (feast)/ (N) Bolivia Independence Day (1825, from Spain) / (N) Jamaica Independence Day (1962, from UK)
- 7: (C) Saint Sixtus II and companion martyrs (optional memorial) / (C) Saint Cajetan (optional memorial) / (N) Cote d'Ivoire Independence Day (1960, from France) / (N) Cook Islands Independence Day (1965, from Britain to New Zealand
- 8: (C) Saint Dominic (memorial)
- 9: (C) Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross or Edith Stein (optional memorial) / (N) Singapore Independence Day (1965, exit and separation from Malaysia) / (H) Rakhi or Raksha Bandhan (sister's appreciation of her brother Day)
- 10: (C) Saint Lawrence (feast)
- 11: (C) Saint Clare (memorial) / (N) Chad Independence Day (1960, from France)
- 12: (C) Saint Jane Frances de Chantal (optional memorial) / (C) Blessed Virgin Mary (optional memorial)
- 13: (C) Saints Pontian and Hippolytus (optional memorial)
- 14: (C) Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe (memorial) / (N) Pakistan Independence Day (Yaum e Azadi, 1947, Independence from UK and Separation from India)
- 15: (N) India Independence Day (from United Kingdom) (C) Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (a Solemnity or a Holy Day of Obligation) / (H) Janmashtami (birth anniversary of Lord Krishna) (N) Republic of Congo Independence Day (1960, from Belgium) / (N) South Korea Liberation Day (1945, from Japan) / (N) Bahrain Independence Day (1971, from UK)
- 16: (C) Saint Stephen of Hungary (optional memorial)
- 17: (N) Indonesia Independence Day (1945, from Japan)
- 18: (C) Saint Jane Frances de Chantal (optional memorial)
- 19: (C) Saint John Eudes (optional memorial) / (C) Blessed Virgin Mary (optional memorial) / (N) Independence Day Afghanistan (1919, from UK)
- 20: (C) Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (memorial) / (N) Hungary (celebration of Stephen I and establishment of the Hungarian Kingdom in 1000 AD)
- 21: (C) Saint Pius X (memorial)
- 22: (C) Queenship of Blessed Virgin Mary (memorial) / (M) Lailat al Miraj (Prophet Muhammad's heavenly journey from Mecca to Jerusalem)
- 23: (C) Saint Rose of Lima (optional memorial)
- 24: (C) Saint Bartholomew the Apostle (feast) / (N) Ukraine Independence Day (1991, from Soviet Union)
- 25: (C) Saint Louis (optional memorial) / (C) Saint Joseph of Calasanz (optional memorial) / (N) Uruguay Independence Day (1825, from Brazil)
- 26: (C) Blessed Virgin Mary (optional memorial)
- 27: (C) Saint Monica (memorial) / (N) Moldova Independence Day (1991, from USSR) / (H) Ganesh Chaturathi (Birthday of Ganesha)
- 28: (C) Saint Augustine of Hippo (memorial)
- 29: (C) The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist (memorial)
- 30: (F) Tomatina in Italy / (N) Tartarstan Independence Day (1990)
- 31: (N) Kyrgyzstan Independence Day (1991) / (N) Independence Day/Malaysia Day (1957, from UK) / (N) Trinidad and Tobago Independence Day (1962)
Copyright Katrien Vander Straeten. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
Katrien Vander Straeten - Who am I? I am a Belgian living in Boston. I hold an MA in Communication Sciences, an MA in Philosophy, and a Ph.D. in Philosophy. ...
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