Singles' Day (China)
Singles' Day or Guanggun Jie is an entertaining festival widespread among young Chinese people, to celebrate the fact that they are proud of being single. The date, November 11th (11/11), is chosen because the number "1" resembles an individual that is alone. This festival has gradually become one of the largest online shopping days in the world, with sales in Alibaba's sites Tmall and Taobao at US$5.8 billion in 2013, US$9.3 billion in 2014, and over US$14.3 billion in 2015.
China Journalists' Day
China Journalists’ Day recognizes the work of China’s journalists. It’s a holiday that annually draws attention to the contrast between Chinese and Western notions of journalism’s role in society.
Deepavali (Singapore & Malaysia)
Deepavali, or Diwali, is a festival celebrated by all Hindus to commemorate Lord Rama and his wife, Sita’s return to Ayodhya after his 14-year exile. It was a dark night when they first returned hence his people lit their houses with little lamps (diyas) so that Rama and Sita could find their way. For some Hindus, Deepavali is also celebrated in honour of the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. The lighting of these diyas would then make it easy for Lakshmi to find her way to houses. Thus, this festival is known as the Festival of Lights. The Festival of Lights is to signify the victory of good over evil; however, it does not just mean the physical lighting of these diyas but refers to an Inner Light, which, according to Hindu philosophy, is called the Atman. In Singapore, thousands of Hindu families turn their homes into enclaves of warm golden light even as they offer prayers, exchange gifts and share sweetmeats with each other. In Malaysia, Hindus would invite friends of different races and religions for an ‘open house’. This is a unique practice; it definitely builds stronger ties among Malaysians and promotes unity in this multi-racial country. On this occasion, children would be the happiest as they collect purple or sometimes yellow packets containing money.
Horse Racing Melbourne Cup (Australia)
The Melbourne Cup Day or just "Cup Day" is a local holiday in the state of Victoria and in the Australian Capital Territory that is celebrated each year on the first Tuesday of November. The occasion for the holiday is Australia's major thoroughbred horse race: the Melbourne Cup. According to the organising Victoria Racing Club it is "the race that stops a nation". The event was organised for the first time in 1861 and has become the richest "two mile" (the actual length of the race course is 3200 meters, a little less than 2 miles) handicap in the world. The race is full of tradition and has produced many legends. Fatal accidents, interstate rivalry, heroic victories, gambling, race day fashion, conspiracy and many other factors have made Melbourne Cup Day one of Australia’s most important and legendary sports events.
World Tsunami Awareness Day
In December 2015, the UN General Assembly designated 5 November as World Tsunami Awareness Day. The Assembly called on all countries, international bodies and civil society to observe the day, in order to raise tsunami awareness and share innovative approaches to risk reduction. The debut World Tsunami Awareness Day focuses on education and evacuation drills. The date for the annual celebration was chosen in honour of the Japanese story of “Inamura-no-hi”, meaning the “burning of the rice sheaves”. During a 1854 earthquake, a farmer saw the tide receding, a sign of a looming tsunami. He set fire to his entire harvest to warn villagers, who fled to high ground. Afterwards, he built an embankment and planted trees as a buffer against future waves.
Culture Day (Japan)
Culture Day, which is called bunka-no-hi in Japanese, is always held the third of November. The purpose of this national holiday is to celebrate traditional Japanese culture and promote the love of freedom and peace. The cool thing about this holiday is that there is a ceremony called the Order of Culture or the bunka kunshō, which awards those who have made contributions to Japanese culture and art. The Emperor himself distributes the badge to the recipients, which happen to take place at the imperial place.
International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists
Over the past decade, more than 800 journalists have been killed for bringing news and information to the public. Worryingly, only one in ten cases committed against media workers over the past decade has led to a conviction. This impunity emboldens the perpetrators of the crimes and at the same time has a chilling effect on society including journalists themselves. Impunity breeds impunity and feeds into a vicious cycle. The United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution A/RES/68/163 at its 68th session in 2013 which proclaimed 2 November as the ‘International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists’. The Resolution urged Member States to implement definite measures countering the present culture of impunity. The date was chosen in commemoration of the assassination of two French journalists in Mali on 2 November 2013. This landmark resolution condemns all attacks and violence against journalists and media workers. It also urges Member States to do their utmost to prevent violence against journalists and media workers, to ensure accountability, bring to justice perpetrators of crimes against journalists and media workers, and ensure that victims have access to appropriate remedies. It further calls upon States to promote a safe and enabling environment for journalists to perform their work independently and without undue interference.
All Saints Day (Philippines)
All Saints' Day is a celebration of all Christian saints, particularly those who have no special feast days of their own, in many Roman Catholic, Anglican and Protestant churches. In many western churches it is annually held November 1 and in many eastern churches it is celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost. It is also known as All Hallows Tide, All-Hallomas, or All Hallows' Day.
Halloween
Halloween is one of the oldest occasions celebrated by many. In most western countries like US and Canada, people do festive Halloween activities such as trick-or-treating, costumes, pumpkins-carving, decorating, visiting haunted houses and watching horror films. However, some Asian countries may celebrate Halloween in a slightly different way: • China Chinese have their own way of celebrating the Halloween or Teng Chieh in their local dialect. People offer water and food, and light lanterns to guide the spirits of their deceased loved ones as they traverse the land of the living on Halloween night. Moreover, pilgrims visiting Buddhist temples make paper boats that symbolize the spirits of the dead. The purpose of this custom is twofold: as a remembrance of the spirits of the dead and in order to free the spirits of the restless souls so that they may go peacefully to heaven. These restless souls or pretas are spirits and reincarnated scary creatures of those who died tragically, which are believed to cause trouble among the living. Having these scary creatures around is considered bad luck by Chinese people. This is why monks are called to chant verses and incantations to free these souls from bondage. • Hong Kong In the same manner, people from Hong Kong also celebrate the Halloween festival to guide the spirits back to their world. In their culture, spirits are believed to roam the earth on the day before November 1. They burn pictures of fruits or money believing that these images would reach the spirit world and bring comfort to the ghosts. Yue Lan or Festival of the Hungry Ghosts is a time for people to honor the spirit of the dead. • Japan Japanese celebrate their own version of Halloween which they call Obon Festival. During this time of the year, special dishes are prepared, bright red lanterns are hung in every house and lanterns are placed afloat on rivers and boats. Lights are lit to show the spirits where their families might be found. Japanese families clean memorial stones for they believe that their deceased ancestors will go back to their birthplaces. Unlike in other countries, the Obon Festival/Halloween is celebrated during July or August. • Korea Koreans commemorate the Halloween or Chusok during the month of August. Families visit the tombs and mausoleums and offer food, drink and flowers to show respect to their dead ancestors.
Anniversary of Press Release
This year will mark the 111st anniversary of the first press release. According to public relations lore, the press release was born following a train wreck on October 28, 1906, in Atlantic City, N.J., that left more than 50 people dead. The train was owned by Pennsylvania Railroad, one of Ivy Lee’s clients. In response to the disaster, he convinced the railroad to issue a statement about what had transpired. In doing so, he set in motion a practice for companies to address issues important to them, or, in the case of the railroad, to offer an explanation of what had happened. The New York Times was said to have been so impressed by Lee’s release that the newspaper printed it exactly as Lee had written it. Although it’s rare for media outlets to use press releases verbatim these days, they still often act as a starting point for a journalist to create a story."
Taiwan Restoration Day (Taiwan)
It is celebrated on October 25th each year to commemorate the independence of Taiwan from Japanese colonial rule
United Nations Day
24 October has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948. UN Day marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. With the ratification of this founding document by the majority of its signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council, the United Nations officially came into being.
World Development Information Day
The General Assembly in 1972 instituted World Development Information Day to draw the attention of world public opinion to development problems and the need to strengthen international cooperation to solve them (resolution 3038 (XXVII)). The Assembly decided that the date for the Day should coincide in principle with United Nations Day, 24 October, which was also the date of the adoption, in 1970, of the International Development Strategy for the Second United Nations Development Decade. The Assembly felt that improving the dissemination of information and the mobilization of public opinion, particularly among young people, would lead to greater awareness of the problems of development, thus, promoting efforts in the sphere of international cooperation for development.
Chulalongkorn Day (Thailand)
October 23 is a national holiday in Thailand to mark Chulalongkorn Day. The public holiday commemorates one of Thailand’s most revered kings, King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), who passed away on October 23, 1910, at the age of 57. He had ruled what was then Siam, for 42 years. Born in 1853, Chulalongkorn came to the throne when he was just 16 years old. His long reign proved to be one of foresight and modernisation. At a time when colonial powers such as Britain, France and Portugal were extending their influence in Asia, King Chulalongkorn managed to keep Thailand independent with a clever mixture of diplomacy and leadership.
Labour Day (New Zealand)
In New Zealand, Labour Day is a public holiday held on the fourth Monday in October. Its origins are traced back to the eight-hour working day movement that arose in the newly founded Wellington colony in 1840, primarily because of carpenter Samuel Parnell's refusal to work more than eight hours a day.
WTA Finals (Singapore)
The BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global is the crown jewel of the WTA (Women's Tennis Association) season. Singapore has been given the baton to host the event for five years, and 2018 will be the fifth year the WTA Finals is held in this city-state. It will be held at the state-of-the-art SG$1.3 billion Singapore Sports Hub.
Chung Yeung Festival (Hong Kong)
The Chung Yeung Festival falls on the 9th day of the 9th lunar month. Similar to the Ching Ming Festival, the Chung Yeung Festival is when entire families congregate at cemeteries to engage in age-old practices of ancestor worship. It is also popular to hike to the city’s high points on this day, as it’s believed this will bring good luck. This custom is rooted in a Han dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD) legend in which a soothsayer advised a man to take his family to high ground for the 9th day of the 9th moon. The man complied and the next day discovered that all the inhabitants of his village had been slaughtered, while he and his family had been spared by leaving for the hills.
World Food Day
World Food Day is a day of action against hunger. On October 16, people around the world come together to declare their commitment to eradicate hunger in our lifetime. Because when it comes to hunger, the only acceptable number in the world is zero.
Anniversary of the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Death and funeral of Bhumibol Adulyadej. King Bhumibol Adulyadejof Thailand died at the age of 88, on 13 October 2016, after a long illness.
World Standards Day
Each year on 14 October, the members of the IEC, ISO and ITU celebrate World Standards Day, which is a means of paying tribute to the collaborative efforts of the thousands of experts worldwide who develop the voluntary technical agreements that are published as international standards.