All Saints’ Day: November 1

All Saints’ Day is a public holiday in:
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Cote d‘Ivoire, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Germany, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Nicaragua, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Reunion Island, Rwanda, San Marino, Senegal, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tahiti, Togo, Venezuela.

All Saints’ Day is a celebration of all Christian saints, known and unknown, and especially for those saints who have no special feast days of their own. It is observed worldwide by Roman Catholics, Anglicans and Protestant churches. In Portugal it is annually held on November 1, as with many western countries and in many eastern churches it is celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost.

History of All Saints’ Day

Some sources say that the idea behind All Saints’ Day dates back to the Greece. Christians in Greece during the fourth century would celebrate a festival, in late May or early June, in honor of all saints and martyrs. Other sources state that a celebration known as “All Martyrs” began as early as the third century. Anyway, the idea behind it was that there were so many martyrs and saints within the Christian faith that it was hard to keep a day for each, therefore this day would celebrate all those that were left out of the official Church calendar. Known is that Pope Gregory IV made All Saints’ Day an official holiday of the Catholic Church in the year 837. Pope Gregory IV chose the date, November 1, as an attempt to Christianize several pagan festivities known as the Festival of the Dead, or Feast of Saman, lord of Death, mainly a Celtic festivity. Later, in the year of 993, the monastery of Cluny, in France, began the celebration of All Souls’ Day on November 2, which quickly spread among Christian Communities.

All Saints Day Traditions, Customs and Activities

In the Catholic Church, All Saints Day is a Holy Day of Obligation which means that the faithful are required to attend Mass (unless sick or elderly).

• In Spain, the play Don Juan Tenorio, is performed.
• In Mexico, All Saints Day coincides with the celebration of “Dia de los Inocentes”.
• In Europe, people bring flowers to the graves of dead relatives and light candles.
• In English speaking countries, the day is traditionally celebrated with the hymn “For All Saints” by William Walsham How.

Antigua & Barbuda Independence Day: November 1

Independence Day is a Public Holiday in Antigua & Barbuda.

Antique and Barbuda Independence Day is celebrated in November 1st every year. This commemorates Antique and Barbuda’s independence from the British in 1981.

Antigua & Barbuda Independence Day History

Celebrating a county’s independence is one of the best celebrations a country can experience. There have been a series of ups and downs in the country’s history – 1981 independence, among other festivals, thriving tourism, damage from Hurricane Luis 1995, 2009 allegations that American Financier Allen Stanford had been running a Ponzi scheme had a major effect o n the country. Antigua and Barbuda is a small island country in the Northern Leeward Islands of the Caribbean Sea. The country consists of three islands -Antigua, Barbuda and Redonda with a rough estimate population of around 80,000 inhabitants. The majority of the population are descendants of African slaves who were brought to grow sugarcane and tobacco the island in the colonial era – such as the British in the 17th century.  A & B main source of financial stability is tourism, natives are known for their arts & craft making skills.

In 1493, it is said the island of Antigua was sighted by Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus and named after a Spanish church in Seville. It wasn’t until 1632 when the British colonized Antigua – Barbuda was colonized 29 years later. In 1967 the three islands of Antigua, Barbuda, and Redonda became dependencies, as associated States of the Commonwealth they achieved full independence within the Commonwealth in 1981. After A & B gained its independence in 1981 the country was led by the Bird family. Vere Bird was the country’s first Prime Minister and was succeeded by his son Lester Bird in 1994. Today, many inhabitants of Barbuda, culturally and politically feel they should be independent from Antiguans, only time will tell if this happens.

Antigua & Barbuda Independence Day Customs and Activities

The celebration of Independence Day in Antigua and Barbuda is a festive one – there is an abundance of food fairs, parades, competitions and expos that extend for one week. These celebrations are for all those who happen to be in the area – natives and tourists. Two weeks before Independence Day takes place, local schools, businesses and government buildings are decorated in traditional yellow and red check of National Dress used for clothing. Natives love to celebrate when they can and show their enthusiasm for their small island country proudly.

Bulgaria Revival Day: November 1

Revival Day is a public holiday in Bulgaria.

November 1, 2009 Bulgarian or National Revival day rakes place on November annually and honours the cultural and spiritual leaders – enlighten men & women, fighters, and book men – who contributed to Bulgarian liberation and strove form a independent nation church, culture, and language. The first National Revival Day was marked in 1909. Bulgaria is a country of southeast Europe on the Black Sea with a current population estimate of over seven-million.

Bulgaria is a very resourceful country that produces wheat, tobacco, barley, wine, brandy, vegetables, sugar beet and sunflower seeds. Industrialization is also very important in Bulgaria since the 1940′s – coal, lignite, iron, copper, lead, and natural gas are produced. About 85% of the country is made up of Bulgarians with the rest being 10% Turks and 5% Gypsies.

History of Bulgarian Revival Day

Bulgaria was settled by Slavs in the 6th century and was subjected to the Ottoman Empire from the late 14th century until 1908. November 1 1923 King Boris III proclaims the day a national celebration. The history of Bulgaria’s Revival Day almost didn’t exist at one point in 1945 the celebration is banned. The Soviet Union invaded in 1944 and established the People’s Republic of Bulgaria in 1947. Communist rule ended with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989 and 1992 Bulgaria Revival Day date was restored and the celebrations continued – in a sense, Bulgaria revived the revival.

While the 1990′s gave Bulgaria the opportunity to create their own government, it was more difficult than initially anticipated. No centralized government could stabilize in Bulgaria. In 2009, elections gave the anti-corruption Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, led by Sofia Mayor Boiko Borisov, a near majority of the seats in the parliament and some 40% of the vote.

Bulgarian Revival Day Festivals, Customs and Activities

On Bulgarian Revival Day the tradition of raising the national flag is done before the Presidency. Bulgarian Revival day is not one of the more festive days in Bulgarian history – it does not include magnificent firework displays or parades. More important than parades and fireworks, Bulgarian Revival gave the Bulgarians gave hope to the locals that they can be equal – politically and socially – from other politically independent and socially organized and culturally emancipated nations. With a stable government in place Bulgaria has the potential for a brighter future and rise to a new level Bulgarians hoped for.

All Saints’ Day: November 1

All Saints’ Day is a public holiday in Portugal.

All Saints’ Day is a celebration of all Christian saints, known and unknown, and especially for those saints who have no special feast days of their own. It is observed worldwide by Roman Catholics, Anglicans and Protestant churches. In Portugal it is annually held on November 1, as with many western countries and in many eastern churches it is celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost.

History of All Saints’ Day

Some sources say that the idea behind All Saints’ Day dates back to the Greece. Christians in Greece during the fourth century would celebrate a festival, in late May or early June, in honor of all saints and martyrs. Other sources state that a celebration known as “All Martyrs” began as early as the third century. Anyway, the idea behind it was that there were so many martyrs and saints within the Christian faith that it was hard to keep a day for each, therefore this day would celebrate all those that were left out of the official Church calendar. Known is that Pope Gregory IV made All Saints’ Day an official holiday of the Catholic Church in the year 837. Pope Gregory IV chose the date, November 1, as an attempt to Christianize several pagan festivities known as the Festival of the Dead, or Feast of Saman, lord of Death, mainly a Celtic festivity. Later, in the year of 993, the monastery of Cluny, in France, began the celebration of All Souls’ Day on November 2, which quickly spread among Christian Communities.

All Saints’ Day Traditions, Customs and Activities

All Saints’ Day is observed by Christians around the world. In Portugal, churches ceremonies are held in memory of the patron’s saints of chapels, churches and parishes. Later on the day, people will bring flower arrangements to the graves of dead relatives and light candles as a symbol to enlighten their way into Heaven. All Saints’ Day is closely related and celebrated in the same date, even though All Souls’ Day is on the next day. It is common to buy on this day a very typical Portuguese cake called Velhote, or Old Man in English.

Memorial Day: November 1

Memorial Day is a public holiday in Poland.

Zadutszki, or Memorial Day, is one of Poland’s most important holidays and falls on the same day as All Saints’ Day, November 1. Besides the remembrance of lost loved ones, Poland remembers all those fellow compatriots who died during World War II.

History of Memorial Day

Poland was invaded by German troops on September 1939, triggering World War II. Landlocked between Germany and the former Soviet Union, Poland found themselves without defense against the bulk of German forces at their borders on September 1, 1939. Stalin had an agreement with Hitler to stand off from the invasion and left the Pole people in the hands of the German. On September 17, Russians armies invaded Poland from the West, and by the end of the September Campaign, the Poles were subject to German and Russian occupation. Between 1939 and 1945, it was the most devastating period in Poland’s history, 6 million people died, most of whom in concentration camps setup by the Germans with the objective to exterminate Jewish Poles. Poland was left in ruins and the people until today bear the invisible scars of the German and Russian occupation in their memory. The most notorious incident remembered by Poles was the 1940 murder of thousands of Polish military officers. 4,000 bodies were discovered in a mass grave in the Katyn forests near Smolensk in 1943. Soviet authorities refused to admit responsibility until the end of the Soviet Union in 1991. Polish opinion regards the Katyn Massacre as the perfect symbol of Soviet cruelty during the occupation.

Memorial Day Traditions, Customs and Activities

Memorial Day blends with All Saints’ Day in Poland. For Memorial Day, celebrations follow the same as per All Saints’ Day celebrations. Poles on this day honor their fallen compatriots during World War II occupation by Germans and Russians, by visiting their graves and taking flowers, candles and votive lights. Even forgotten graven are enlightened by visiting Poles that leave there extra flowers or candles. It is a day of prayer and church services. Polish soldiers and boy scouts wear their uniforms on this day. School children in the days before November 1, gather candles in their schools to send to cemeteries across the border with Ukraine, where Polish graves were left after the country’s borders moved West after World War II and Poles had to leave their homes.

Revolution Day: November 1

Revolution Day is a public holiday in Algeria.

November 1, in Algeria commemorates the first successfully coordinated attacks on 1954, by the National Liberation Front, against French military installations, public utilities, and communications facilities. The fights continued until March 18, 1962, when an agreement was reached between French and the National Liberation Front at Evian, France.

History of Revolution Day

Algeria was colonized by the French in 1983, who created the borders of what is today Algeria. The country was controlled by the French, and Algeria had representatives in the French National Assembly, but far from the developed and modernized zones in Northern Algeria, the traditional Muslim populations in rural areas still kept themselves apart from the French. On November 1, 1954 the National Liberation Front was built up from merging other small groups that had been fighting to obtain independence for Algeria from France. The first attacks were successful and the National Liberation Front gained momentum against the French. The guerrilla war that ensued took the lives of many from both sides, as civilian targets were taken down without regard for human lives. Finally on March 18, 1962, in Evian, France, both parties at war reached an agreement by signing the Evian Accords, a cease fire was proclaimed from that day onwards, and France agreed to the self determination of Algeria and continued economical support to Algeria. Algeria obtained full independence by referendum on July 1, 1962, the vote was nearly unanimous for independence.

Revolution Day Traditions, Customs and Activities

Revolution Day is mostly celebrated at a political level, with speeches and official gatherings. Most of Algerian families prepare Algerian traditional dishes, such as couscous with the meat of rooster, freshly slaughtered in the house. Events and seminars are organized in the capital, Algiers, music concerts featuring Algerian artists. Since it is a non working holiday, Algerians enjoy going to the beach and playing, or watching soccer games, which is the most popular sport in Algeria.

Birth of King Sihanouk: October 31-November 2

Birth of King Sihanouk is a Public Holiday in Cambodia.

The birth of King Norodom Sihanouk took place on Oct. 31st 1922 in Cambodia at the capital of Phnom Penh. King Norodom Sihanouk was a direct descendant of the 19th century King Norodom. King Sihanouk was ruler of Cambodia on two separate occasions, 1941-1955 and again from1993-2004. As a nationalist leader, King Sihanouk secured Cambodia’s independence from French colonial rule and protected his beloved country from the most powerful rivalries.

Cambodia Birth of King Sihanouk History

King Sihanouk was the first of four children from parents Norodom Suramarit and Princess Monivong Kossamak. It is said he parents were musically talented and raised him in a humble manner. King Sihanouk was selected as king in 1941 when he was just 18 years old. In March of 1945, he proclaimed Cambodia independence and came quickly came to terms with the returning French after the war. Both in 1947 and 1951, King Sihanouk opposed demands by legislatures for a re-declaration of independence from France.

In 1953 and effectively completed in 1954, King Sihanouk went into exile in Thailand successfully regaining Cambodia independence from France easily. In 1955, King Sihanouk stepped down as monarch in favour of his father who only served as King for 5 years afterward. During this period the former King Sihanouk served his country under many titles and continued playing a prominent role in Cambodian politics. King Sihanouk regained his crown 52 years later in 1993 when a United Nations sponsored election royalist party was elected to power and approved a new constitution that re-established monarchical rule.

Cambodia Birth of King Sihanouk Customs and Activities

Birth of King Sihanouk Festivals, Customs and Activities Many of the countries people will return to the capital city of Phnom Penh – birthplace of King Sihanouk – for celebration. Many years the popular Cambodian Water Festival and the King’s birthday will coincide with each other which creates a gigantic celebration along the riverfront of the Royal palace. This is typically a 3-day festival with an amazing fireworks display after sunset in front of the Royal Palace. For those who don’t necessarily visit the capital city of Phnom Penh, this is a great excuse to join in the festivities. With the combination of the Water Festival and King’s Sihanouk birthday celebration, the locals are in for quite a spectacular event. Tourists who happen to be in the area are in for a great treat as well.