Cuti Bersama (Indonesia)
Cuti bersama, also the “joint holiday”, is a public holiday in Indonesia. Cuti bersama was introduced by the Indonesian government as a means of stimulating tourism within the country and increasing the efficiency of public servants. The holiday is counted in public servants' overall leave. Most private companies and businesses follow this concept by adjusting employees' annual leave in line with government policy.
IWF World Championships USA (Nov 20-29)
The World Weightlifting Championships is an event organised by International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), a permanent non-profit organization composed of 188 affiliated National Federations worldwide, from all five Continents
End of Buddhist Lent (Thailand)
This ceremony marks the end of Buddhist lent, which falls on the full-moon day of the eleventh lunar moon and is known in most parts of Thailand as Awk Phansa, although there are some regional variations. According to Buddhist belief, the day commemorates when Buddha descended back to earth after spending three months in heaven where he had visited his mother. His return was greeted by his followers with gifts of food and today Thai Buddhists mark the event by visiting the wat and making merit. Different regions have their own way of marking the occasion, but it’s common at this time of the year to see organised long-boat races.
Muharram: Islamic New Year (Indonesia)
The Islamic New Year is a cultural event which Muslims observe on the first day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar. Indonesian Muslims throughout the country usually help parades, festivals, dhikrs, joint prayers and other rituals to welcome this day.
Vegetarian Festival (Thailand) Oct 13-21
It was about 150 years ago when a group of Chinese opera performers headed south and eventually found themselves in Thailand. Upon performing their art on the island of Phuket, an epidemic stream of illness swept across the group. They eventually came to the realization that they had become sick because they had not worshipped or shown respect to the nine emperor gods from the Chinese Daoist belief. In order to make up for their blunder, they decided to not only eat vegetarian, but to attempt to remain pure for the first nine days of the ninth lunar month. They vowed to not kill anything, not hurt anyone, refrain from lying or cheating, and eat strictly vegetarian food. To this day, after the water throwing Songkran festival, the vegetarian festival in Thailand which is known as Tesagan Gin Jay (or just the Jay Festival) is one of Thailand’s largest events. The most concentrated festival takes place in Phuket where there is a high concentration of Chinese, though there are also plenty of other celebrations throughout the country. In Bangkok, the vegetarian festival can be experienced and observed throughout the city, but the main events take place in Yaowarat (Chinatown). Not everyone participates in a vow to remain pure for the nine days, but quite a few Thais make the decision to eat vegetarian for the duration of the festival.
Labour Day (Australia)
Labour Day is an annual holiday celebrated in Australia resulting from efforts of the labour union movement, to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. In Australia, the Labour Day public holiday is fixed by the various state and territory governments, and so varies considerably. It is the first Monday in October in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia. In both Victoria and Tasmania, it is the second Monday in March (though the latter calls it Eight Hours Day). In Western Australia, Labour Day is the first Monday in March. In the Northern Territory it is the first Monday in May.
AFL Grand Final (Australia)
The AFL Grand Final is an annual Australian rules football match, traditionally held on the final Saturday in September or the first Saturday in October at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia to determine the Australian Football League (AFL) premiership champions for that year. The game has become significant to Australian culture, spawning a number of traditions and surrounding activities which have grown in popularity since the interstate expansion of the VFL in the 1980s and the subsequent creation of the national AFL competition in the 1990s. The 2006 Sweeney Sports Report concluded that the AFL Grand Final has become Australia's most important sporting event, with the largest attendance, metropolitan television audience and overall interest of any annual Australian sporting event.
6th CISM Summer Military World Games, South Korea (Oct 2-11)
Organised by the International Military Sports Council (CISM), the Military World Games is a multi-sport event, with the first one hosted in 1995 in Rome, Italy. The Military World Games is a multi-sport competition held every four years like the Olympics and sometimes unofficially referred to as the "Military Olympics". In 2015, Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province, Republic of Korea will be the host site of the 6th Military World Games for the current 135 member-nations of CISM.
Armed Forces Day (Korea)
Armed Forces Day is the day to recognize and honor the military forces of South Korea. It is the anniversary of the day in 1950 when South Korean forces broke through the 38th parallel during the Korean War.
Mid-Autumn Festival (in lieu Hong Kong)
The Mid-Autumn festival starts on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, which translates to September or October in the Gregorian solar calendar. Its origins are cloaked in layers of myth and legend, with some dating back at least 4,000 years. Most variations of a very convoluted tale involve the Jade Emperor, three legged birds, a moon rabbit and the immortal goddess Chang’e who still lives on the moon to this day. Throughout continental Asia, Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for families to reunite and spend time together and the days leading up to Mid-Autumn week brings a little chaos to the roads and industry dramatically grinds to a halt. Celebrations kick off with a special meal at home, akin to a western Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner before everyone steps out together, often in traditional dress, to enjoy local festivities such as dancing, music and bright lantern displays. Each nation and to some extent, region has its own peculiar customs for moon worship with many quaint customs still going strong.
Mid-Autumn Festival (in lieu Taiwan)
The Mid-Autumn festival starts on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, which translates to September or October in the Gregorian solar calendar. Its origins are cloaked in layers of myth and legend, with some dating back at least 4,000 years. Most variations of a very convoluted tale involve the Jade Emperor, three legged birds, a moon rabbit and the immortal goddess Chang’e who still lives on the moon to this day. Throughout continental Asia, Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for families to reunite and spend time together and the days leading up to Mid-Autumn week brings a little chaos to the roads and industry dramatically grinds to a halt. Celebrations kick off with a special meal at home, akin to a western Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner before everyone steps out together, often in traditional dress, to enjoy local festivities such as dancing, music and bright lantern displays. Each nation and to some extent, region has its own peculiar customs for moon worship with many quaint customs still going strong.
Mid-Autumn Festival (Hong Kong)
The Mid-Autumn festival starts on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. In Hong Kong, people enjoy gathering up under the moonlight with their family members, enjoying watching the dragon dance, eating moon cakes, and displaying lanterns. Moon cakes are pastries filled with gooey sesame, red bean, and walnut meats. In Taiwan, due in part to the creeping westernization of Taiwanese society, there is a modern trend of spending Mid-Autumn Festival with a barbecue and a few beers under the light of the full moon. It is usually a small family affair but some towns and villages do organize large scale versions where the whole community gets together under twinkling lanterns to eat mountains of sizzling meat and moon cakes.
Public Holiday (Japan)
This day is a public holiday because Japanese law stipulates that if there is only one non-holiday in between two public holidays, that day should become an additional holiday, known as a Kokumin no kyūjitsu.
Emmy Awards, USA
The Emmy Awards recognize excellence within various areas of television and emerging media. The Primetime Emmy Award is a symbol of peer recognition from over 18,000 Television Academy members. Each member casts a ballot for the category of competition in their field of expertise.
Japanese Grand Prix (Japan)
The Japanese Grand Prix is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. Historically, Japan has been one of the last races of the season, and as such the Japanese Grand Prix has been the venue for many title-deciding races, with 13 World Champions being crowned over the 30 World Championship Japanese Grands Prix that have been hosted.
Road World Championships USA (Sept 19-27)
The UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organised by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The 2015 UCI Road World Championships will take place from 19 to 27 September 2015 in Richmond, Virginia, in the United States.
Rugby World Cup, UK (Sept 18-Oct31)
The Rugby World Cup is a men's rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams. The tournament was first held in 1987, when the tournament was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia.
70th Anniversary of Japan's Surrender (HK)
This is a new holiday approved by the Hong Kong legislators to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the Chinese people's war of resistance against Japanese aggression.
Tennis US Open, USA (Aug 31-Sept 13)
The US Open is held annually in late August and early September over a two-week period. The main tournament consists of five event championships: men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, and mixed doubles, with additional tournaments for senior, junior, and wheelchair players. Since 1978, the tournament has been played on acrylic hard courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City. The US Open is owned and organized by the United States Tennis Association (USTA), a not-for-profit organization. Net proceeds from ticket sales are used to promote the development of tennis in the United States.
Athletics World Championships, China (Aug 22-30)
The World Championships in Athletics is a sporting event organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). Beijing, China will host the 15th World Championships in Athletics at the Beijing National Stadium in China.