Global Events for May 2009

INDEPENDENCE DAYS

4. LATVIA
Independence from Soviet Union in 1990.

5. NETHERLANDS
Liberation from Nazi-Germany in 1945.

15. PARAGUAY
Independence from Spain in 1811..

17. NORWAY
The signing of the Norwegian Constitution in Eidsvoll, May 17, 1814.

20. EAST TIMOR
Independence from Serbia in 2008.

25. JORDAN
Independence from the United Kingdom in 1946.

REGIONAL AND CULTURAL HOLIDAYS

1. Beltane CELTIC
Also known as May Eve, May Day, and Walpurgis Night, happens at the beginning of May. It celebrates the height of Spring and the flowering of life. The Goddess manifests as the May Queen and Flora. The God emerges as the May King and Jack in the Green. The danced Maypole represents Their unity, with the pole itself being the God and the ribbons that encompass it, the Goddess. Colors are the Rainbow spectrum. Beltane is a festival of flowers, fertility, sensuality, and delight.

3. Tartan Day UNITED STATES
On National Tartan Day, we celebrate the spirit and character of Scottish Americans and recognize their many contributions to our culture and our way of life.

5. Cinco de Mayo MEXICO
Primarily celebrated in the state of Puebla, with some limited recognition in other parts of Mexico. The holiday commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely defeat of French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín.

19. Malcolm X Birthday UNITED STATES
one of the most outspoken and popular leaders of the black nationalist movement in the 1960s. a fervent supporter of black separatism and spoke eloquently and bitterly against white people. A trip to Mecca in 1964 caused him to modify these views and he announced that he now embraced world unity. On February 21, 1965, he was assassinated at the Audobon Ballroom in Harlem by members of a rival organization.

21. Holocaust Memorial Day (Yom HaShoah) ISRAEL
a observed as a day of commemoration for the approximately six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust, as a result of the actions carried out by Nazi Germany and its accessories, and for the Jewish resistance in that period. In Israel, it is a national memorial day and public holiday. In other countries there are different commemorative days.
29. Ascension of Baha'u'llah BAHA'I
marks the anniversary of the Ascension of Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i Faith. The day is one of nine holy days on which Baha'is suspend work and school.

RELIGIOUS DAYS

1. May Day SECULAR
Palm Sunday occurs on the Sunday before Easter Sunday in the Western Christian liturgical calendar. It signals the upcoming end of Lent and the beginning of Holy Week. The day commemorates the spreading of palms and clothing in Jesus' path as He entered Jerusalem prior to His crucifixion.

9. Vesakha (Visakha) Puja BUDDHISTS
It occurs near or on the day of the full moon in May. For Western Buddhists this is a three fold celebration. It represents the day on which the Buddha was born, achieved enlightenment and attained 'nirvana'. The festival is a celebration of much colour. Homes are decorated with flowers and incense. Buddhists visit their local temples for service and teachings, and give offerings to monks.

12. Lag B'Omer JEWISH
The Omer period of 49 days, lasting from Pesach to Shavout, is a time of sadness, relieved on this, the 33rd day, in memory of the end of a plague in Roman times. It is often celebrated by out of door activities. A large number of weddings take place, since they are not permitted during the other days of the Omer.   17. Rogation Sunday CHRISTIAN
This is the fifth Sunday after Easter, and the name comes from the gospel for the day which includes the words "Whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give to you." Rogation comes from the latin word for 'ask'. It became the custom for a procession to walk round the boundaries of the parish on Rogation Sunday, and for the Priest to bless the crops and animals.

29. Shavuot JEWISH
The giving of the Torah. Shavuot marks the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai. The Ten Commandments are read in synagogues just as they were in the desert on Mt. Sinai over 3,300 years ago. It is also called the Festival of Weeks becasue it occurs seven weeks after Pesach.

31. Pentecost CHRISTIAN
Celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit in the form of flames to the followers of Jesus, as recorded in the New Testament. Jesus had told them to wait until the Spirit came to them. Ten days after ascension, 50 days after the resurrection, the Spirit came.