From the Government of Canada: “During World War II, millions of Jews perished in the Holocaust. Some, however, were saved by the efforts of courageous groups and individuals, such as Raoul Wallenberg who is credited with saving more than 100,000 Hungarian Jews.” (Read more.) Raoul Wallenberg disappeared on January 17, 1945. In 2001 the Canadian Government designated January 17 to be Raoul Wallenberg Day in Canada.
For more on Wallenberg:
Buddhists of the Mahayana tradition celebrate a New Year’s Festival on the first full moon of January. In 2014 this event takes place January 16. The Mahayana form of Buddhism spread north from India into the countries of East Asia.
Find out more about Buddhism:
On this day in 1974 “Happy Days” debuted on television, unleashing the Fonz on an unsuspecting world.
On this day Sikhs in Canada, India and around the world celebrate Maghi. This is a holy day for Sikhs in honour of the Chali Mukte, the “Forty Liberated Ones,” who died in defence of the 10th Guru of the Sikh Faith, Guru Gobind Singh.
For more information on Sikhism, check out some of the following links:
In the United States, the 3rd Monday in January is a National Holiday in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. While it is not a holiday in Canada, Canadians and people all over the world will take some time today to acknowledge the tremendous legacy of Dr. King as a champion of freedom, equality and peace. 
In the school library we will be taking the opportunity to view footage of Dr. King’s iconic “I Have A Dream” speech from the 1963 March on Washington. Please be sure to join us!
Learn more:
Belgian author Herge first wrote about Tintin in 1929. Originally written in French, The Adventures of Tintin would be published in many languages and feature in books, newspapers, film and more. Check out our display of Tintin books, both in English and French.
The family is where literacy begins. Parents, you can give your children the greatest gift by reading with them regularly. “Taking time every day to read or do a learning activity with children is crucial to a child’s development. Even just 15 minutes a day can improve a child’s literacy skills dramatically, and can help a parent improve their skills as well.” (ABC Life Literacy Canada)
For more information:
Acclaimed historical fiction author Philippa Gregory was born on this day in 1954. Changeling is Book One of a new young adult series, Order of Darkness, that combines historical fiction and fantasy.
Sikhs in Canada and around the world observe the birthday of Guru Gobind Singh who was born on this day in 1666 in Patna, India. He was the 10th and last of the (human) Gurus of Sikhism. He established the Khalsa, the organization of men and women baptized into the Sikh faith. He also established the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhism, as the final Guru for the Sikh people. For more on Guru Gobind Singh and the Sikh faith, check out some of the following links:
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Welcome back for the first school day of 2014. We begin the final month of the first semester– the stretch drive before exams. Be sure to visit the school library, in person or online. We offer all sorts of things to help you, both in and out of the classroom.
Happy New Year 2014!
Today is the first day of the year on the Gregorian Calendar and the first day of 2014 according the Anno Domini reckoning of years.
Of course, a “New Year’s Day” is an arbitrary notion and is celebrated at various times according to the traditions of different religions, cultures and nationalities. January 1st was adopted as the start of the year sometime during the era of the Roman Empire. During the Middle Ages, most European countries celebrated the New Year in the Spring. However, by the time the Gregorian Calendar began to be adopted by most Western nations, January 1st became the standard for celebrating the New Year.
Happy New Year! We hope that 2013 was good and that 2014 will be better!
Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary School Library 