Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico’s Independence Day (actually celebrated on September 16). In fact, in Mexico itself Cinco de Mayo is a minor holiday outside of the state of Puebla. However, this holiday is observed in a big way in the United States, particularly in states with high Mexican-American populations, such as California, Arizona and Texas. More and more Canadians are celebrating Cinco de Mayo as well, including those with Mexican roots and those without. Just as you don’t have to have Irish heritage to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, you don’t have to have Mexican heritage to join in on the fun of Cinco de Mayo!
Category: Holidays & Observances
World Press Freedom Day
Every year, 3 May is a date which celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom; to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.
The international day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the 26th Session of UNESCO’s General Conference in 1991. This in turn was a response to a call by African journalists who in 1991 produced the landmark Windhoek Declaration on media pluralism and independence. (unesco)
For more information:
Holocaust Memorial Day
![By joe goldberg from Seattle, WA, USA (Half Mast) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Yom_HaShoah_Flags_halfmast.jpg)
More than 6 million Jews perished in the Holocaust.
For more information:
Earth Day
Today is Earth Day, a day to celebrate our planet and to raise awareness about the need to protect it for our future and for future generations.
For more on Earth Day in Canada, check out earthday.ca
Jackie Robinson Day
On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson played his first game for the Brooklyn Dodgers. In doing so, he became the first African-American to play in the major leagues of baseball, breaking the racist colour barriers that shamefully tarnish the history of the great game of baseball. Jackie Robinson was a wonderfully talented player who earned the praise of fans for his play on the field. He also earned praise for his courage and determination in the face of a racist society that continued to resist the equal participation of non-whites in the game and in the everyday life of the nation. Robinson faced racial taunting and violence on the field, and untold indignities and threats away from the ballpark. Thankfully his determination led the way for more black players to follow and helped our society move along the long slow path towards changing attitudes, promoting acceptance and tolerance, and the goal of eliminating racism. Today in all MLB parks, players will wear #42 in honour of Jackie Robinson.
Vimy Ridge
April 9 is Vimy Ridge Day in Canada. Parliament established this day as an opportunity to remember and honour the men who fought in this historic battle, especially those men who lost their lives. The Battle of Vimy Ridge is considered by many historians to be a key moment in the history of Canada, particularly Canada’s development as an independent nation.
To learn more about Vimy Ridge, check out the following:
World Health Day
From the World Health Organization:
New data on the harm caused by foodborne illnesses underscore the global threats posed by unsafe foods, and the need for coordinated, cross-border action across the entire food supply chain, according to WHO, which next week is dedicating its annual World Health Day to the issue of food safety.
World Health Day will be celebrated on 7 April, with WHO highlighting the challenges and opportunities associated with food safety under the slogan “From farm to plate, make food safe.”
“Food production has been industrialized and its trade and distribution have been globalized,” says WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan. “These changes introduce multiple new opportunities for food to become contaminated with harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemicals.”
Read more about World Health Day
Easter Sunday
The mourning of Good Friday turns to joy and praise on Sunday as Christians celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus. Having died on the cross, Christ was buried in a tomb. But Christians believe that he rose again, having conquered death.
Passover
From sundown on April 3 until sundown on April 11, Jews in Canada and around the world will celebrate Passover, or “Pesach”, one of the most important parts oft the Hebrew Calendar. Passover is a celebration of freedom, as Jews remember God’s delivery of the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt.
Good Friday
Christians in Canada and around the world observe this Holy Day in remembrance of the Crucifixion of Jesus. Christians believe that in the person of Jesus, God became one of us, and chose to die for us, as an act of atonement for our sins, and as an act of love for humanity. “…but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Book of Romans, Chapter 5).
International Women’s Day
March 8 is International Women’s Day. Women continue to struggle for equality in Canada and around the world. In Canada over the past century we have made significant progress towards improving the status of women, particularly in terms of the law and government. However, Canadian women still struggle for equality of pay and opportunity. Canadian women still face discrimination and sexism. Worse, Canadian women are still subject to high levels of violence– worse still, violence carried out by men they know and perhaps even love.
Around the world, the situation is even worse. In many societies women face worse levels of sexism and violence, often with no protection of any sort from the law. In fact, in some places the government endorses, or even carries out the oppression of women.
This is unacceptable. International Women’s Day is not just for women. It is for all of us. Together, men and women must continue to fight for human rights to be guaranteed to all people.
For more on International Women’s Day
Freedom to Read Week
This inspiring Freedom to Read Week video was made by Julia and Danika from the Calgary Science School, who won the Calgary Public Library Teen Freedom to Read Week Video contest. (source: freedomtoread.ca)
Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary School Library 