Celebrating Cultures across the University of Birmingham
Martin Luther King Jr Day is a holiday held on the third Monday of January in the US, celebrating. the life and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill to create Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and the first year it was observed was in 1986. It took … Continue reading “Martin Luther King Jr. Day 16 January”
Hanukkah (18-26 December) celebrates the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century BC. After outlawing the Jewish religion and Jewish practices, King Antiochus IV decreed that Jews must worship Greek gods in the Temple. The word ‘Hanukkah’ means dedication and commemorates the triumph of a band of rebel Jews known as the … Continue reading “Hanukkah Sameach!”
World AIDS Day takes place on 1 December each year. It’s an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day. … Continue reading “World AIDS Day 1 December”
Rosa Parks was a civil rights activist who refused to surrender her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955. Her defiance sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott; its success launched nationwide efforts to end racial segregation of public facilities. On December 1, 1955, Parks was arrested for refusing a … Continue reading “Rosa Parks Day 1 December”
Andrew, also called Saint Andrew the Apostle, (died 60/70 ce, Patras, Achaia [Greece]) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and the brother of St. Peter. He is the patron saint of Scotland and of Russia, as well as other countries including Greece, Barbados and Romania. The celebration of Saint Andrew as a national festival is thought to originate … Continue reading “St Andrew’s Day (30 Nov)”
Charles Monroe ‘Sparky’ Schulz (1922-2000) was an American cartoonist and creator of the comic strip ‘Peanuts’ which gave us Snoopy, Charlie Brown and others. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential cartoonists of the modern era. Schulz loved drawing and sometimes drew his family dog, Spike, who ate unusual things, such as … Continue reading “Charles M Schulz 100th anniversary”
Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance that honours the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) was started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honour the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who … Continue reading “Transgender Day of Remembrance (20 Nov)”
November 18 marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Marcel Proust, French novelist, essayist and critic. Born in 1871 in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War, Proust was a sickly child who grappled with illnesses which beset him from the age of nine until the end of his life. Despite having his education disrupted … Continue reading “A la recherche du temps perdu”
The theme for this year’s UK Disability History Month (UKDHM) is: Health and Wellbeing The pandemic across the UK and around the world has shown just how fragile are the rights disabled people have secured for themselves, with young people with learning difficulties being at the sharp end with up to 20x the death rate … Continue reading “Disability History Month UK 16 Nov-16 Dec”
Remembrance Day is an annual event, where we remember all the people who have lost their lives while serving in the armed forces. It’s also called Armistice Day or Poppy Day. It is commemorated on this day because the First World War ended “at the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month”. … Continue reading “Remembrance Day (11 Nov)”
