FEBRUARY 2023 MORE INFORMATION
February is Black History Month in the United States and Canada. Carter G. Woodson started the tradition with the creation of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. In 1926, Negro History Week was established. Since 1976, the month has been federally designated to remember the contributions of people of the African diaspora. National Freedom Day, honoring the signing by Abraham Lincoln of a resolution that later became the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that abolished slavery. St. Brigid of Kildare, celebrated by some Christian denominations, is the feast day for St. Brigid. Candlemas is a Christian holiday that celebrates three occasions, including the presentation of the child Jesus, Jesus’ first entry into the temple, and the Virgin Mary’s purification. Vasant Panchami is the Hindu festival that highlights the coming of spring. On this day, Hindus worship Saraswati Devi, the goddess of wisdom, knowledge, music, art, and culture. Maghi-Purnima, a Hindu festival celebrated on the last day of Magha, a month focused on charity work, when devotees often take holy baths and do charity. St. Valentine’s Day is a Western Christian feast day honoring one or two early saints named Valentinus. This holiday is typically associated with romantic love and is celebrated by people expressing their love with gifts. Parinirvana Day, or Nirvana Day, is the commemoration of Buddha’s death at the age of 80 when he reached the zenith of Nirvana; February 8th is an alternative date of observance . Lailat al Miraj, a Muslim holiday commemorating Muhammad's journey from Mecca to the Farthest Mosque in Jerusalem and beginning the night before at sundown. Maha Shivaratri, a Hindu festival celebrated to honor Lord Shiva and the arrival of spring. Presidents Day is a federally recognized celebration in the United States that honors the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, as well as those of every US president.
Mardi Gras, the last day for Catholics to indulge before Ash Wednesday, starts the sober weeks of fasting that accompany Lent. The term “Mardi Gras” is particularly associated with the carnival celebrations in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent on the Christian calendar. Its name is derived from the symbolic use of ashes to signify penitence. It happens immediately after the excesses of the two days of Carnival that take place in Northern Europe and parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. Intercalary Days, or Ayyám-i-Há, is celebrated by people of the Bahá’í faith. During this time, days are added to the Bahá’í calendar to maintain their solar calendar. Intercalary days are observed with gift-giving, special acts of charity, and preparation for the fasting that precedes the New Year. Meatfare Sunday, or The Sunday of the Last Judgment, is traditionally the last day of eating meat before Easter for Orthodox Christians. Clean Monday is the beginning of Great Lent in the Orthodox Christian faith.
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