"Peace cannot be kep by force. It an only be achieved by understanding."
If you’re a true humanitarian, you can celebrate a new event almost every day, for your fellow humans are forever acknowledging something that’s worth a day or two off work. Check out the extensive list below (some with links to the event) of what we celebrate each year on Earth. 
Yet what is it we truly are celebrating?
Just as ceremony serves to focus our attention, what is it that attracts us to celebration? Like our spectacular planet-wide block party to mark the new millennium, what does the urge to celebrate say about our shared humanity?
How can we best remember – during those days when we most need it, not just when history invites us to salute something – that common core of community that unites us as the human family?
And all the while we remain resplendent in our diversity, as these extraordinary and colorful events below so well remind us!
| Jan 01 | Independence Day in Haiti (from France 1804), in the Sudan (from the UK and Egypt 1956), and in Slovakia (from the Czech Republic 1993) |
| Jan 04 | Independence Day in Burma (from the UK 1948); Black & White Days in Colombia |
| Jan 07 | Christmas in Russia and Ethiopia; 7 Herbs Festival in Japan |
| Jan 08 | Marco Polo Day |
| Jan 09 | Martyrs’ Day in Panama |
| Jan 10 | League of Nations Day |
| Jan 11 | National Unity Day in Nepal; Hostos Day in Puerto Rico |
| Jan 12 | Zanzibar Revolution Day in Tanzania (1964) |
| Jan 13 | Liberation Day in Togo (from France 1960); St Knut’s Day in Sweden and Norway |
| Jan 15 | Coming of Age Day in Japan |
| Jan 16 | Religious Freedom Day in USA; John Chilembwe Day in Malawi |
| Jan 17 | Skanderberg Day, Albania |
| Jan 18 | Camel Wrestling Day, Turkey |
| Jan 20 | Heroes’ Day, Cape Verde; Grandmother’s Day, Bulgaria |
| Jan 21 | Errol Barrow Day, Barbados |
| Jan 22 | Discovery Day, St. Vincent |
| Jan 25 | Burns Night, Scotland; St Lazarus Day, Brazil |
| Jan 26 | Republic Day, India (1950) |
| Jan 28 | New Year in China, South Korea, Vietnam |
| Jan 29 | Common Sense (!) Day, USA; Martyrs’ Day, Nepal |
| Feb 02 | Iemanja Day, Brazil |
| Feb 03 | Heroes’ Day, Mozambique |
| Feb 04 | Pagerwesi, Bali (to sustain the universe!) |
| Feb 05 | Unity Day, Burundi |
| Feb 26 | People Power Day, Philippines |
| Feb 27 | Tibetan New Year; Independence Day in Western Sahara, Dominican Republic |
| Feb 28 | Kalevala Day, Finland |
| Mar 04 | Hai-Ba-Trung Day (Patriotic women day) in Vietnam |
| Mar 08 | International Women’s Day; Phujllay Festival in Bolivia |
| Mar 21 | International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination |
| Mar 22 | WORLD WATER DAY |
| Mar 27 | Resistance Day, Burma |
| Mar 28 | Lac Long Quan Festival, Vietnam |
| Apr 03 | Kite flying Day in Nagasaki, Japan |
| Apr 07 | World Health Day |
| Apr 13 | Songkran (Old Thai New Year), Thailand |
| Apr 14 | Indian New Year (Baisakhi), India |
| Apr 15 | Galungan (visit of the gods) Bali, Indonesia |
| Apr 20 | Sham an-Nessim, Egypt; The Blajini, Romania |
| Apr 22 | EARTH DAY (yay!) |
| Apr 25 | Anzac Day in Australia and New Zealand |
| Liberty Day (Dia da Liberdade), Portugal | |
| Apr 26 | Landsgemeinden, Switzerland |
| Apr 28 | Islamic New Year (1419) |
| May 1-3 | Okoakyere Festival, Ghana |
| May 02 | Alacitas begins, Peru |
| May 09 | Rocket Festival, Thailand |
| May 10 | Vaisakha Puja, South East Asia |
| May 11 | Wesak, Buddha’s birth, death, enlightenment |
| May 15 | International Day of Families |
| May 21 | World Day for Cultural Development; Wedding with the Sea, Venice, Italy |
| May 25 | Lala Sukuna Day, Fiji |
| May 30 | Dragon Boat Festival, China; Tano, South Korea |
| Jun 05 | World Environment Day |
| Jun 16 | Day of the African Child |
| Jul 11 | World Population Day |
| Jul 13 | Start of the Naadam Games, Mongolia. This is the largest event in central Asia, where wrestlers, archers, and horse riders vie to be overall champion. It is also the one occasion for all tribes to come together from all over Mongolia to catch up on gossip, eat, drink, and get married. Let’s all go! |
| Aug 09 | International Day of Indigenous Peoples |
| Aug 15 | Treading the Grapes, Freyburg, Germany. A medieval festival at Neuenburg Castle. Ancient arts and crafts; meals prepared in medieval fashion; a “royal” banquet; tests of strength and skill with Benedictine monks, maids and servants. |
| Aug 16 | In Kyoto, Japan, bonfires are lighted on five mountains to send the souls of ancestors on their way after a trip to this world. (August is such a fun month!) |
| Sep 05 | Moon Cake Day in China |
| Sep 08 | International Literacy Day |
| Sep 15 | INTERNATIONAL PEACE DAY |
| Oct 05 | World Habitat Day and International Teachers’ Day |
| Oct 16 | WORLD FOOD DAY |
| Oct 17 | International Day for the Eradication of Poverty |
| Oct 31 | Samhain |
| Nov 19 | Fête National, Monaco |
| Dec 01 | World AIDS Day |
| Dec 03 | International Day for Disabled Persons |
| Dec 10 | HUMAN RIGHTS DAY |
| Dec 29 | International Day for Biological Diversity |
Please send us your recommended additions to this list: worldview@humanity.org.