His Majesty the Late King's Birthday (Thailand)
His Majesty the Late King’s Birthday falls on 5 December. Citizens get a holiday to pay respects to and honour the Late King, His Majesty King Bhumipol Adulyadej.
International Volunteer Day
International Volunteer Day is a chance for individual volunteers, communities and organizations to promote their contributions to development at the local, national and international levels. By combining UN support with a grassroots mandate, International Volunteer Day is a unique opportunity for people and volunteer-involving organizations to work with government agencies, non-profit institutions, community groups, academia and the private sector. The International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution A/RES/40/212 on 17 December 1985. Since then, governments, the UN system and civil society organizations have successfully joined volunteers around the world to celebrate the Day on 5 December.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
The annual observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons was proclaimed in 1992, by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3. The observance of the Day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.
World Aids Day
World AIDS Day is held on December 1 each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day and the first one was held in 1988.
Bonifacio Day (Philippines)
Bonifacio Day (“Kaarawan ni Bonifacio” in Tagalog) is a national public holiday in the Philippines that celebrates the birthday of one of the Philippines’ greatest heroes, Andrés Bonifacio.Born in 30 November 1863, Bonifacio is considered as the Father of the Philippine Revolution against Spanish colonisation. He, along with some others, started a movement known as the ‘Katipunan’ in 1892. The Katipunan was a secret revolutionary society that instigated military revolts against the Spanish colonisers.Bonifacio Day is held on 30 November, or the Monday nearest this day to create a long weekend. Unlike the main national hero, José Rizal, Bonifacio Day is celebrated on his day of birth, rather than his day of death. This is because Bonifacio was killed by his fellow countrymen, rather than at the hands of foreign colonisers.
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
By resolution 54/134 of 17 December 1999, the United Nations General Assembly designated 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and invited governments, international organizations and NGOs to organize activities designed to raise public awareness of the problem on that day. Women's activists have marked 25 November as a day against violence since 1981. This date came from the brutal assassination in 1960, of the three Mirabal sisters, political activists in the Dominican Republic, on orders of Dominican ruler Rafael Trujillo (1930-1961). From 25 November through 10 December, Human Rights Day, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence aim to raise public awareness and mobilizing people everywhere to bring about change.
Labour Thanksgiving Day (Japan)
Taking place annually on November 23, Labor Thanksgiving Day in Japan is celebrated as an occasion for commemorating labor and production and giving one another thanks. In ancient times this festival was celebrated as the Rice Harvest Festival or popularly known in local language as Niiname-sai. The ancient festival’s origination dates back hundreds of years. It is believed that the festival was celebrated as early as November of 678. Tradition has it that the emperor would dedicate the season’s fresh harvest to the gods and taste the rice himself for the first time. It was during the Meiji Era (1868-1912) that the date for this festival was set on November 23rd, and it has been maintained ever since. The modern version of this festival was started after World War II in the year 1948, but the ancient tradition is still continued behind closed doors by the imperial family while the Labor Thanksgiving Day is celebrated by the public as a national holiday. All government offices and schools remain closed for the holiday. This holiday encourages people to think about the environment, peace, and human rights. School children in Japan create drawings for the holiday and present them as gifts to the local police stations.
Loy Krathong (Thailand)
Loy Krathong, “Festival of Light”, is an annual festival held throughout Thailand. It is held in the 12th month of the Thai Lunar Calendar, which usually occurs in November. On the night of the festival, Thai people celebrate Loy Krathong by floating small vessels decorated with flowers, incense sticks and candles in river, canal or a pond to pay respects and ask for forgiveness from the goddess of water.
Guru Nanak Birthday (Vietnam)
Guru Nanak Gurpurab, also known as Guru Nanak's Prakash Utsav and Guru Nanak Jayanti, celebrates the birth of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak. This is one of the most sacred festivals in Sikhism. The festivities in the Sikh religion revolve around the anniversaries of the 10 Sikh Gurus. These Gurus were responsible for shaping the beliefs of the Sikhs. Their birthdays, known as Gurpurab (or Gurpurb), are occasions for celebration and prayer among the Sikhs.
Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States and on the second Monday of October in Canada. Several other places around the world observe similar celebrations. Thanksgiving has its historical roots in religious and cultural traditions and has long been celebrated in a secular manner as well. Thanksgiving is not widely celebrated in Australia, however, on the Australian external territory of Norfolk Island, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the last Wednesday of November, similar to the pre-World War II American observance on the last Thursday of the month. This means the Norfolk Island observance is the day before or six days after the United States' observance. The holiday was brought to the island by visiting American whaling ships.
World Television Day
In 1996, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed November 21 as World Television Day, “in recognition of the increasing impact television has on decision-making by alerting world attention to conflicts and threats to peace and security and its potential role in sharpening the focus on other major issues, including economic and social issues.”
Universal Children’s Day
United Nations Universal Children’s Day was established in 1954 and is celebrated on November 20th each year to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children's welfare.
Prophet Muhammad's Birthday (Malaysia & Indonesia)
One of the largest celebrations in Indonesia is the birthday celebration of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. While this joyous Islamic holiday is known throughout the world as Mawlid, the Indonesian people call it Maulid Nabi. The date of Maulid Nabi is based on the Islamic lunar calendar. In Indonesia, Muslims celebrate Maulid Nabi on the 12th day of the third Islamic month of Rabi’ al-awwal. This month marks the beginning of spring It is a time of happiness and reverence. Prophet Muhammad’s birthday is also called Maulud Nabi in Malaysia, and is commonly marked by religious lectures and readings of the Quran.
World Toilet Day
World Toilet Day is a day to raise awareness and inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis – a topic often neglected and shrouded in taboos. Today, 2.4 billion people are struggling to stay well, keep their children alive and work their way to a better future – all for the want of a toilet.
International Men's Day
Objectives of International Men's Day include a focus on men's and boy's health, improving gender relations, promoting gender equality, and highlighting positive male role models. It is an occasion for men to celebrate their achievements and contributions, in particular their contributions to community, family, marriage, and child care while highlighting the discrimination against them. The November IMD is a significant date as it interfaces the popular 'Movember' charity event and also with Universal Children's Day on Nov 20 with which IMD forms a 48 hour celebration of men and children respectively, and of the special relationships they share.
International Students' Day
The 17th of November is the International Students’ Day, an international observance of student activism. The date commemorates the anniversary of the 1939 Nazi storming of the University of Prague after demonstrations against the killing of Jan Opletal and the occupation of Czechoslovakia, and the execution of nine student leaders, over 1200 students sent to concentration camps, and the closing of all Czech universities and colleges.
International Day for Tolerance
The International Day for Tolerance is an annual observance declared by UNESCO in 1995 to generate public awareness of the dangers of intolerance. It is observed on 16 November.
World Diabetes Day
World Diabetes Day (WDD) is celebrated annually on November 14. Led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), World Diabetes Day was created in 1991 by IDF and the World Health Organization in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat posed by diabetes. World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations Day in 2006 with the passage of United Nation Resolution 61/225.
World Diabetes Day
World Diabetes Day is the primary global awareness campaign of the diabetes world and is held on November 14 each year. It was introduced in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in response to the alarming rise of diabetes around the world.
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen's Birthday (Taiwan)
Sun Yat-Sen was a major politician and a Chinese revolutionary who co founded the Kuomintang and served as its first leader. Known as the Father of Modern China, Sun Yat-Sen played a key role in abolishing the Qing Dynasty in China and was the first provisional president of the Republic of China when it was first set up in 1912. The leader, who spent much of his time in exile, holds a distinctive place in the chaotic and convoluted history of China, though none of his cherished dreams came true in his life time; unification of China is one of such dreams. His ideology, famous known as "The Three Principles of the People", the political philosophy of nationalism, democracy and socialism is one of his legacies to the people of China and Taiwan where he is venerated for his revolutionary efforts.