SUNDAY, MAY 14: Happy Mother's Day! Express gratitude to Mom, Grandma or any maternal figure in your life on this, the second Sunday of May—celebrated in many of the world's countries as Mother's Day. Did you know? Mother’s Day yields the highest U.S. church attendance after Christmas Eve and Easter. Most churches honor their congregation’s mothers in some way—with a special prayer, perhaps, or (in many congregations) with a flower. MOTHER'S DAY: ANNA JARVIS Although motherhood has … [Read more...]
Valentine’s Day: Celebrate love with a variety of global traditions
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14: Declare love for someone special in your life today without the limits of chocolates and roses—Valentine’s Day has a rich and varied history that includes friendship, sacred marriages and even courtly love! From Finland, where friendship is celebrated, to the religious devotion of three early Christian saints named Valentine, one message is clear: Today is the day to express boundless love, however and to whomever you see fit. NEWS 2023: A recent survey released by the … [Read more...]
Candlemas, Groundhog Day and Imbolc: A time of renewal and traditions
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 and THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2: Whether you celebrate Candlemas, Groundhog Day or Imbolc—or even more than one of these—do so with the unifying themes for this time in February: renewal and hope. The first days of February bring new beginnings, as the Gaelic festival of Imbolc marks the start of spring and Groundhog Day begins with hope for an early spring season. For Christians, Candlemas brings the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple and an early recognition of Jesus as the … [Read more...]
How are you marking the 2023 Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.?
“Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. MONDAY, JANUARY 16—Serve in your community—even if virtually, or by delivering something on the doorstep of a neighbor in need—and learn more about civil rights, as the nation collectively remembers the legendary life of Dr. Martin … [Read more...]
Thanksgiving: Americans gather ’round the table for food and gratitude
I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States … to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. Abraham Lincoln, October 1863, Proclamation for Thanksgiving THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24: Express gratitude and savor the smells and tastes of the season, for the holiday of (American) Thanksgiving. Many foods common on the Thanksgiving table are native to North America … [Read more...]
Veterans Day: Thank a vet and lend a hand
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11: Thank a veteran down your street, give gratitude at work or even post a message on social media—the options are endless today, on Veterans Day! Honoring men and women who have served our country, in the shared hope that we might actually end wars someday, is a noble idea that dates to the origins of this Nov. 11 observance at the close of World War I. The world’s “Great War” officially ceased on June 28, 1919, but the fighting had actually stopped seven months earlier, … [Read more...]
Allhallowtide, Samhain and Dia de los Muertos: A trio of ‘Halloween’
MONDAY, OCTOBER 31-WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2: Deeply rooted in a centuries-old Gaelic and Irish seasonal festival known as Samhain, today’s Halloween is considered by many to be the only time of year that spirits can roam the earth. From Samhain to Mexico’s Day of the Dead, world cultures celebrate the belief that at this time of year, the veil between this world and the next is particularly thin and ancestors are held close. Don’t worry, it’s not all solemn and bone-chilling, though—today’s secular … [Read more...]