Diversity Calendar - August, 2009

August 2009

August 1, Saturday

Lughnasadh (loo-nus-uh) : Pagan and Wiccan. The first of the three harvest Sabbats (Mabon and Samhain are the others), Lughnasadh celebrates the ripening of grains and corn. It is sometimes known as the festival of the first fruits, since corn, wheat, and barley are ready to be picked by August in the Northern Hemisphere. (See entry for Imbolc.)

National Day : Switzerland. This holiday commemorates the founding in 1291 of the Swiss Confederation.

August 2, Sunday

James Baldwin (1924–1987) : African American. Writer. In his novels and plays and especially in his essays, Baldwin bore powerful witness to the harsh realities of racial injustice in the United States. Although he made his permanent home in France beginning in 1948, he returned to the United States periodically in the decades thereafter and was an active participant in the civil rights movement as well as its most prominent literary voice. In addition to such works as Notes of a Native Son, Baldwin explored issues of his self-identity as an American, Black man, and gay man in works such as Giovanni’s Room and Another Country.

Our Lady of the Angels : Costa Rica. Public holiday.

August 3, Monday

Civic and Provincial Holidays : Canada. The provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Saskatchewan, and Nunavut and the Northwest Territories all have civic holidays on the first Monday in August. In Alberta the holiday is called Heritage Day, in British Columbia it’s called B.C. Day, in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island it’s known as Natal Day, while in Ontario each city has its own name for the holiday, for example, Simcoe Day in Toronto and Colonel By Day in Ottawa. The third Monday in February is celebrated as Louis Riel Day in Manitoba and as Family Day in Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. Other provincial holidays celebrated throughout the year include St. Jean-Baptiste Day in Quebec, Discovery Day and Regatta Day in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut Day in Nunavut, National Aboriginal Day in the Northwest Territories, and Discovery Day and Heritage Day in Yukon Territory. (See entry for St. Jean-Baptiste Day.) (m)

Emancipation Day : Bahamas. This day commemorates the emancipation of British slaves in 1834. (m)

August 4, Tuesday

Louis Armstrong (1900–1971) : African American. Musician and orchestra leader. Affectionately known as "Satchmo," Armstrong was one of the leading figures in the history of jazz. He was given his first instrument and taught to play by the New Orleans jazz cornetist Joe "King" Oliver. After taking Oliver's place in Kid Ory's jazz band, Armstrong played with a number of groups in Chicago and New York, then founded his own big band in 1929. Later he played with smaller groups, notably the Louis Armstrong All-Stars, a sextet. Armstrong's virtuosity and musicianship—he expanded his instrument's range to three octaves without losing any of his fluency and fullness of tone—brought him worldwide acclaim.

We are trav'ling in the footsteps
Of those who've gone before
And we'll all be reunited,
On a new and sunlit shore,

Oh, when the saints go marching in,
Oh, when the saints go marching in
Lord how I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

And when the sun begins to shine
And when the sun begins to shine
Lord, how I want to be in that number
When the sun begins to shine

—When the Saints Go Marching In

National Day : Burkina Faso. On this day in 1984, the Republic of Upper Volta was renamed Burkina Faso in a symbolic rejection of the nation’s colonial past. The country formerly commemorated its attainment of autonomy on December 11, 1958 as Republic Day. In 1960, the Republic of Upper Volta, already a self-governing state within the French community, gained complete independence. The name Burkina Faso means “the land of honest men” or “country of the incorruptibles.”

August 5, Wednesday

Raksha Bandhan : Hindu. (m)

August 6, Thursday

Independence Day : Bolivia. Conquered for Spain in the sixteenth century by Gonzalo and Hernando Pizarro, Bolivia became part of the general war for independence from Spain led by Simón Bolívar. Bolívar, along with José de San Martín and Antonio José de Sucre, defeated the Spanish armies and declared independence on this day in 1825. This day is celebrated as a national holiday.

Independence Day : Jamaica. After centuries of British rule, Jamaica achieved its independence on this day in 1962.

August 7, Friday

Ralph Bunche (1904–1971) : African American. Diplomat, political scientist, and United Nations official. For his work in negotiating an agreement between Israel and Arab nations in 1949, Bunche was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Battle of Boyacá : Colombia. This holiday commemorates the decisive battle of 1819 led by Simón Bolívar in Colombia's war of independence from Spain.

August 8, Saturday

Emiliano Zapata (c. 1877–1919) : Mexican. Revolutionary leader. A poor farmer in the southern state of Morelos, Zapata became a local leader and spokesman for the rights of villagers. After the outbreak of revolution in 1910, he led the insurgent forces in the South. Incorruptible and unswervingly devoted to democratic ideals and economic justice for the poor, Zapata proposed the Plan of Ayala, a blueprint for redistributing land to Indians and peasants. His conflict with the leadership of the revolutionary government led to his entrapment and murder by government soldiers on this date in 1919.

August 9, Sunday

National Day : Singapore. Populated by Indians, Chinese, and Malays, Singapore became independent from Malaysia in 1965.

August 10, Monday

Pueblo Revolt (1680) : American Indian. On this date the Pueblo peoples of the colony of New Mexico rose in revolt against the Spanish friars, soldiers, and colonists who had seized their lands, enslaved them, and forced them to renounce their ancestral gods. Inspired by a medicine man named Popé, Pueblo leaders planned a coordinated uprising, which began on this day with simultaneous attacks on many Spanish settlements and came to an end on August 21, when the governor and his remaining forces abandoned Santa Fe and began a retreat south. The victorious Indians restored their shrines and resumed practicing their religion. In the next decade drought, hunger, and disease brought renewed hardships and fueled factional disputes among the Pueblos, and the Spanish reconquered the territory by 1692.

Independence Day : Ecuador. On August 10, 1809, the first proclamation of independence from Spain was heard in Quito. The movement was defeated the following year when Spanish forces came from Lima, Peru and executed the leaders of the uprising. On May 24, 1822 at the Battle of Pichincha, General Antonio José de Sucre, under the command of Simón Bolívar, secured the independence of Quito and the surrounding area. It was annexed to the Republic of Gran Colombia from 1822 until 1830, when Gran Colombia dissolved and the nation took the name Republic of Ecuador. (See entry for Battle of Pichincha.)

Women's Day observed : South Africa. This marks the day of the 1956 march of women in Pretoria to protest the system of passes needed to travel from one part of the country to another.

August 12, Wednesday

Metacomet (Philip) (c. 1639–1676) : American Indian (Wampanoag). Political and military leader. Metacomet became leader of his people in 1662. The expansion of European settlements into Indian lands and the persistent efforts of the settlers to subjugate the Indians led to increasing tensions. After fighting broke out in June of 1675, the conflict spread to most of New England. Metacomet led his own people, allied with the neighboring Narragansetts and Nipmucks, in the 14 months of bloody conflict that have come to be known as "King Philip's War." More than 1,000 colonists were killed, crops and settlements were destroyed on both sides, and uncounted Indians were killed or sold into slavery. Betrayed by an informer, his wife and child captured and enslaved, Metacomet was hunted down and killed on this date in 1676.

Birthday of Queen Sirikit : Thailand. This holiday celebrates the Queen’s birthday and is also recognized as National Mother's Day.

August 13, Thursday

Janmashtami (Birth of Lord Krishna) : Hindu.

This is one of the great Hindu night festivals. Worshippers fast and go to temples to see dance dramas enacting scenes from the life of Lord Krishna, one of the incarnations of Vishnu and one of the most popular deities in Hinduism.

Recognizing the Festival/Holiday: Keep in mind that Hindus neither eat meat nor drink alcoholic beverages. “God bless you with prosperity and happiness” or “I wish you happiness and prosperity” are appropriate greetings for all Hindu holidays. (m)

Women's Day : Tunisia. Public holiday.

August 14, Friday

Ernest Everett Just (1883–1941) : African American. Scientist. Born in Charleston, South Carolina, and a graduate of Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, Just became a zoologist with an international reputation for his research in marine biology. He was a Professor of Zoology at Howard University from 1912 to 1929 and directed the physiology department at its medical school. He wrote Biology of the Cell Surface and founded Omega Psi Phi, one of the country's largest Black fraternities. In February 1996, he was honored with a United States Postal Service commemorative stamp as part of the Black Heritage Stamp series.

Independence Day : Pakistan. After a 60-year formal and generally unarmed struggle for independence from the British Empire, Pakistan came into existence at the stroke of midnight on August 14–15, 1947. On that date, in accordance with Britain’s Indian Independence Act of July 1947, the British partitioned the British Indian Empire into the two sovereign states of India and Pakistan. The central part of the empire, with a Hindu majority, would become India, while the Muslim majority areas in the northwest (West Punjab, Baluchistan, and Sindh provinces) and northeast (East Bengal) would become the state of Pakistan. Pakistan’s independence day is observed on August 14, while India celebrates its independence on August 15.

Reunification Day : Morocco. Reunification Day celebrates Morocco’s declaration of unity with the Western Sahara in 1979.

August 15, Saturday

Feast of the Assumption : Roman Catholic. This celebrates the belief by Roman Catholics in Mary's assumption to heaven.

Independence Day : India. This marks the day in 1947 that India became a self-governing country within the British Commonwealth. This was one of the critical steps that led to full independence in 1950. (See entry for Independence Day : Pakistan.)

Liberation Day : North Korea. This commemorates the surrender of Japan in 1945, ending World War II and the Japanese occupation of Korea.

Liberation Day : South Korea. This day marks both the Japanese surrender in 1945 ending the Japanese occupation and the creation in 1948 of an independent South Korean government.

National Acadian Day : Canada. Celebrated since 1881 and officially recognized by an act of Parliament in 2003, this day celebrates the Acadians and their descendants, whose culture, language, and traditions have shaped and enriched Canadian culture for over four hundred years. The Acadian culture is especially strong in New Brunswick, the only officially bilingual province in Canada. The Acadians were French colonists who built the first European settlement in North America in 1604. The settlement of Acadia included the present-day provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, as well as parts of Quebec and the state of Maine. Following Queen Anne’s War, the colony of Acadia was ceded to England in the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. During the French and Indian War of 1755, Acadians were forced to swear loyalty to the British crown. However, doubtful of their loyalty, England deported or imprisoned both those Acadians who swore allegiance and those who refused—some were exiled to France or England, some fled to colonies farther south, later returning to Acadia and settling in southeastern New Brunswick, while others were expelled to the American colonies. Several thousand Acadians went to Louisiana, a former French colony in what is now the United States. Their descendants are known as Cajuns, from the French word for Acadian, acadien. The state of Louisiana celebrates its own Acadian Day every year on the day after Thanksgiving. (See entry for Bastille Day.)

National Mourning Day : Bangladesh. This day commemorates the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1920–1975) by a military coup on August 15, 1975. As leader of the Bengali Awami League, Rahman had led the successful fight for the independence of East Pakistan and was elected first prime minister of the new parliamentary democracy of Bangladesh.

Anniversary of the Founding of Panama City : Panama. The anniversary of the opening of the Panama Canal to inter-oceanic traffic on August 15, 1914 is also the anniversary of the founding of Old Panama, on August 15, 1519, by Charles V of Spain, as the site of the Spanish government in the province of Panama.

August 16, Sunday

Restoration Day : Dominican Republic. This commemorates the proclamation of the liberation of the Dominican Republic from Spain on this day in 1863, marking the beginning of the national war of restoration. This led to the formation of a provisional government in Santiago on September 14, 1863, which was finally recognized by Spain on July 11, 1865.

August 17, Monday

Marcus Garvey (1887–1940) : Jamaican. Political activist. Born in Jamaica, Garvey was a Black nationalist leader who founded a movement advocating self-help, racial separation, and the liberation of Africa from White colonial rule. His Universal Negro Improvement Association, established in 1914, moved in 1916 from Jamaica to New York City, where he began publishing a weekly paper, Negro World. His movement at its height claimed nearly a million followers, but its numbers declined after 1923, when Garvey was convicted on charges of mail fraud stemming from his methods of selling stock in the steamship line he had founded to link Black communities throughout the world. (See Birthday of Haile Selassie on July 23.)

Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin (1936–2006) : Ethiopian. Poet, playwright, essayist, and philosopher. A prolific poet and playwright and the father of modern Ethiopian theater, Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin became Poet Laureate of Ethiopia in 1966 when he was awarded the Emperor Haile Selassie I International Prize for Amharic Literature when he was only twenty-nine years old. He studied experimental drama in London and Paris, then became artistic director of the Ethiopian National Theater, and later founded the department of Theatrical Arts at Addis Ababa University. Having grown up in the aftermath of the Italian Fascist occupation of Ethiopia, Tsegaye wrote plays celebrating Ethiopian heroes who fought against the country’s occupation, whether by British colonialists or Fascist dictators. In 1976, Tsegaye’s plays were banned and he was imprisoned without formal charges by the Derg military junta. Tsegaye supported the anticolonialist Négritude movement, which celebrated a common Black identity for all members of the African diaspora. His majestic poem Nile begins: “I am the first Earth Mother of all fertility / I am the Source I am the Nile I am the African I am the beginning . . . O World, how could you so conveniently have forgotten / That I, your first fountain, I your ever Ethiopia / I your first life still survive for you?” Tsegaye is buried in the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa where the body of Emperor Haile Selassie lies.

Independence Day : Indonesia. Nationalists declared Indonesia an independent nation after the withdrawal of the Japanese in 1949. The Netherlands, which had ruled Indonesia, ceded sovereignty to an independent government on this day. Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous country and has the world's largest Muslim population.

Death of General José de San Martín observed : Argentina. Public holiday. (See entry for February 25.) (m)

August 19, Wednesday

Manuel Quezon (1876–1944) : Filipino. Political leader. An attorney who became majority leader of the first Philippine Assembly under U.S. rule in 1907, Quezon later served as resident commissioner in Washington, D.C. In this capacity, he advocated independence for his country. As president of the Philippine Senate from 1916 to 1935, he helped to craft the 1934 laws that granted commonwealth status to the Philippines and promised full political independence in ten years. In 1935 he was elected president of the commonwealth.

Independence Day : Afghanistan.

August 20, Thursday

Rose Hum Lee (1904–1964) : Chinese American. Educator and writer. Rose Hum Lee was a sociologist who produced pioneering studies of Chinese-American communities in the United States, including the 1960 book The Chinese in the United States of America. She taught at several institutions, including Roosevelt University and Phoenix College, and was active during World War II in relief organizations that sent aid to people in China.

Constitution Day : Hungary. This day commemorates the adoption of the first Hungarian constitution in 1920.

Independence Day : Senegal. This day marks Senegal’s achieving complete independence after the dissolution of its federation with Mali in 1960.

Restoration of Independence : Estonia.

Revolution Day : Morocco. This day commemorates the beginning of the 1953 “Revolution of the King and the People” against the French occupation, when King Muhammad V was exiled to Corsica with his family for advocating a revolutionary struggle for Moroccan independence. King Muhammad returned from exile in 1955 and successfully negotiated with France for the independence of Morocco. In 1956 Morocco became an independent kingdom.

August 21, Friday

King Muhammad’s Birthday : Morocco. The birthday of King Muhammad VI is a public holiday in Morocco.

August 22, Saturday

Ramadan (The Month of Fasting, first day of month-long fasting) : Islamic.

This begins the first day of the Islamic month of Ramadan, the holiest month of the Muslim year. The fast of Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, and mandatory for every Muslim who has reached puberty except those who are ill, pregnant, or on a journey. During this month, no water or food may be taken from sunrise to sunset. Worshippers eat a light meal, called suhoor, early in the morning prior to daybreak. After sunset, Muslims break the fast with the evening meal called the iftar. Those who miss days of fasting in Ramadan due to exempted conditions must make up the missed fasting days prior to the next Ramadan. The festival of Laylat al-Qadr occurs during Ramadan and commemorates the beginning of the revelation of the Qur'an (the holy book of scriptures) to the Prophet Muhammad. Observant Muslims pray, read the Qur'an, and worship at home or at a mosque. The feast of Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan. (See discussion under Days of Religious Observance.)

Recognizing the Festival/Holiday: During this month, Muslims who have reached puberty may take no food or drink from sunrise to sunset. Observant Muslims pray and read the Qur’an, and are encouraged to give generously to charity during the month of Ramadan. After sunset, Muslims break the fast with the evening meal called the iftar. Before inviting someone to lunch or hosting a meal, check to see whether invitee is observing the fast for this period. Common greetings include Ramadan Mubarak, “Wishing you the blessings of Ramadan,” and “Congratulations on the arrival of Ramadan.” (m)

August 23, Sunday

Siddha Vinayak Chaturathi : Hindu. (m)

August 24, Monday

Independence Day : Ukraine. This day commemorates the Ukraine's gaining independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991.

August 25, Tuesday

Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990) : Jewish American. Conductor, pianist, composer, and teacher. A legendary figure in American classical music, Leonard Bernstein traveled the world as a conductor, performing in London, Prague, and Tel Aviv, and was the first American to conduct opera at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. He introduced classical elements into popular music through his scores for such Broadway musicals as On the Town (1944) and West Side Story (1957), one of the greatest musicals of all time. In 1958 he began his historic tenure as music director of the New York Philharmonic, and his televised Young People’s Concerts popularized classical music as never before. Born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Bernstein graduated from Harvard in 1939 and attended the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia where he studied piano, conducting, and orchestration. A prolific composer whose works include symphonies, operas, ballets, movie scores, and choral works, as well as pieces for solo instruments, Bernstein was influenced by musicians as diverse as Dmitri Mitropoulos, Aaron Copland, Serge Koussevitzky, and George Gershwin. In December 1989, he conducted the historic “Ode to Freedom” Berlin Celebration Concert of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, conducting on both sides of the Berlin Wall to celebrate its fall.

Restoration of Independence : Belarus.

August 26, Wednesday

Seventh Night (Ch'i-hsi) : China.

Seventh Night (Ch'i-hsi), or Weaving Maid and Herd Boy Festival, is a romantic festival based on a tale of a couple who disobeyed the chief deity and are, therefore, held in the sky as stars on either side of the Milky Way. On this night, magpies fly up from earth and join their wings to form a bridge over the Milky Way so that the lovers can meet. (m)

Women's Equality Day : United States. A law passed by Congress in 1974 sets this day aside to mark the certification in 1920 of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution prohibiting discrimination in voting based on sex.

August 27, Thursday

Independence Day : Moldova.

August 28, Friday

James Wong Howe (1898–1976) : Chinese American. Cinematographer. During his 53-year career in films, James Wong Howe became known as one of the most innovative and skillful cinematographers in the industry. In pursuit of realistic and vivid images, he experimented with using a hand-held camera, rather than a camera mounted on a wheeled stand, and even filmed with the camera underwater. He won Academy Awards for his work in the films The Rose Tattoo (1955) and Hud (1962).

August 30, Sunday

St. Rosa of Lima : Peru. Public holiday.

National Heroes Day : Philippines. This national holiday honors all of the heroes of the Philippines, from famous heroes such as José Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, and Emilio Aguinaldo to those heroes whose names are forever lost to history. The commemoration usually includes a cultural program and flower offering at the foot of the Unknown Soldier Monument. (See entries for Rizal Day and Bonifacio Day.) (m)

Victory Day : Turkey. This holiday commemorates the end of the war of independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1922.

August 31, Monday

Independence Day : Kyrgyzstan.

National Day : Malaysia. This marks the day Malaysia achieved independence from Great Britain in 1957.