Category: Holidays & Observances

Holidays and Holy Days

American Thanksgiving marks the unofficial start to the “Holiday Season” in the United States and in Canada. As the days become shorter and weather gets worse, we prepare for many weeks of festivals, parties and celebrations.  Some of these are religious in nature while many are secular.  It is a month of Holidays and Holy Days.

Come down to the school library to join us as we celebrate this wonderful time of the year. Check out our displays related to Christmas and the many other holidays of the winter including Kwanzaa, Yule, Hanukkah, New Year and more. And come back here to see more online as we celebrate “Holidays and Holy Days.”

Louis Riel Day

Today the people of British Columbia observe Louis Riel Day.  The government of BC and the Métis people of the province have expressed a “commitment to work together for the betterment of Métis people throughout British Columbia.” (source.)  As a symbol of this, the province has declared November 16 to be Louis Riel Day, in honour of the historical hero of the Métis people.

Louis Riel led the Métis in the Red River Rebellion and the North-West Rebellion of the late 19th Century. Riel was captured, tried and found guilty of treason, and was executed by the Canadian government on November 16, 1885.  Even then his death was extremely divisive. Not only did the Métis express outrage at the execution of their leader, so too did many French Canadians who saw Riel as a champion of the rights of French speakers in Canada.  In the years since his death many have come to see Riel as a hero, a symbol of resistance against the oppression of the indigenous people of this land, and as the champion of the Métis.

Find out more:

Remembrance Day

source: wikimedia commons / Creative Commons

At Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary today we have our annual assemblies to observe Remembrance Day. We honour the memory of those Canadians who have fallen in war.  We do not celebrate or glorify war, but we pay respect to those that have paid the terrible costs of war.

This coming weekend will be a long weekend for students, a chance for rest and recreation. However, it is important to remember that Remembrance Day is not one of the those holidays that is just an excuse for a long weekend. Please take some time over these next few days to reflect on what Remembrance Day is all about. And on the 11th, plan to take some time to honour those that have died and those that have served. Whether you attend a ceremony in person, or check out the television coverage of the ceremony in Ottawa, take some time for Remembrance.

School Library Day

Today is the most important day of the year.
Today is School Library Day.
October is International School Library Month and Canada Library Month. Very cool.
But today is the Day.
THE DAY.
Celebrate the “Most Awesome Place on Earth.”
Come down to your School Library and enjoy the awesomeness.
What is so awesome about the School Library?

Other words or phrases to add to this word cloud? Please submit a comment below.

Diwali

Source: SikhWiki

Diwali is celebrated by millions of people in India, Canada and around the world. Hundreds of millions of Hindus celebrate “the Festival of Lights.” People of other faiths, including Sikhism, also celebrate. For Sikhs the festival has added significance as it generally coincides with a Sikh celebration known as Bandi Chhor Divas. For more on Diwali check out:

source: province.com

Persons Day

“The  historic decision to include women in the legal definition of “persons” was handed  down by Canada’s highest court of appeal – the Judicial Committee of the Privy  Council of Great Britain – on October 18, 1929. This gave women the right to be  appointed to the Senate of Canada and paved the way for women’s increased  participation in public and political life.” (From Status of Women Canada: Persons Day.)

source: famous5ottawa.ca

It may seem incomprehensible to us that women were not considered to be “persons”, at least under a strict definition of Canadian law prior to 1929.  The “Famous Five” led the fight all the way to the highest courts of the land to include women in the legal definition of “persons.”

“The exclusion of women from all public offices is a relic of days more barbarous than ours. And to those who would ask why the word  “person” should include females, the obvious answer is, why should it  not?”

–Lord Sankey of the Privy Council, 1929 (source)

Today we can celebrate that victory, and the slow but steady change in Canadian society towards equality for women.  We still have a long way to go, and sadly, in much the world, women are still denied equality, a “relic of days  more barbarous than ours.” Persons Day is a chance to celebrate how far we have come, and to reflect on how far we still need to go.

International Day of the Girl

October 11th is International Day of the Girl.  From the United Nations:

There are 1.1 billion girls in the world, and every one of them deserves equal opportunities for a better future. They are a source of energy, power and creativity. They can drive change and help build a better future for all. Yet, most girls face disadvantage and discrimination on a daily basis, and those living through crises are suffering even more. (UN, 2017)

For more:

United Nations

Government of Canada

UNICEF

WHO

World Mental Health Day

From the World Health Organziation:

Depression and anxiety disorders are common mental disorders that have an impact on our ability to work, and to work productively. Globally, more than 300 million people suffer from depression, the leading cause of disability. More than 260 million are living with anxiety disorders. Many of these people live with both. A recent WHO-led study estimates that depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy US$ 1 trillion each year in lost productivity.

Mental health in the workplace is the theme of World Mental Health Day 2017. World Mental Health Day is observed on 10 October every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues and mobilizing efforts in support of better mental health. (WHO, 2017)

For more on World Mental Health Day:

Mental Health Commission of Canada

Government of Canada

World Federation for Mental Health

 

Banned Books Week

In the United States the American Library Association presents Banned Books Week, September 24 to 30. 

From the ALA: Banned Books Week, the annual celebration of the freedom to read, will be held the week of September 24th in 2017. For this year’s celebration, the coalition of organizations that sponsors Banned Books Week will emphasize the importance of the First Amendment, which guarantees our inherent right to read.

People in Canada and around the world stand with Americans who are celebrating and standing up for their right to read. As Canadians we can also celebrate our rights, and learn more about what we need to do to protect those rights.