Each year on May 22 we observe National Buy a Musical Instrument Day. The day is all about playing music. If you are a musician, it might be time for a new instrument. Maybe you can learn to play a second or third one. If you have never played an instrument before, National Buy A Musical Instrument Day might be the motivation you need to start.
You can also start with our magical music apps for kids 123 Kids Fun Music Box or 123 Kids Fun Baby Tunes!
The International Day of Families, annually held on May 15, celebrates the importance of families and the work started during the International Year of Families.
A wide range of events are organized at local, national and international levels. These include: workshops, seminars and policy meeting for public officials; exhibitions and organized discussions to raise awareness of the annual theme; educational sessions for children and young people; and the launch of campaigns for public policies to strengthen and support family units. In some countries, tool kits are created to help people organize celebrations aimed at a particular section of the population, such as school children or young adults.
The origin of why Friday the 13th is considered such an unlucky day goes back hundreds of years and is shrouded in mystery.
1. For a start there is October 13, 1307, the date from where the modern basis for the Friday the 13th superstition is most likely to come from.
It was on this day that the Pope of the Roman Catholic church, in combination with the King of France, sentenced a monastic military order known as the Knights Templar to death and ordered the torture and crucifixion of their leader.
2. The sixth day of the week, Friday, and the number 13 are each considered to be unlucky in their own right, and when combined they are doubly bad.
The reason why Friday is considered such an unlucky day could date as far back as biblical times. Many negative biblical events took place on a Friday, including the ejection of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, the start of the Great Flood, and the crucifixion of Jesus.
3. Friday’s position as the unlucky day may have been strengthened by it being the day of execution of criminals for many years, commonly called Hangman’s Day.
The number 13 has also been associated with bad luck for hundreds of years.
4. Scandinavians believed 13 signified bad luck because their 13th mythological demigod Loki was an evil one who brought great misfortune upon humans.
5. Christians look to the Last Supper for their suspicion of the number 13. Thirteen was the number of guests at the table, the 13th person being Judas the traitor.
6. Meanwhile, some say the number 13 was purposely vilified by the priests of patriarchal religions because it represented femininity. Thirteen corresponded to the number of lunar (menstrual) cycles in a year, and the number was revered in prehistoric goddess-worshipping cultures.
7. Hindus believed that it was unlucky for 13 people to gather in one place.
Of course, all these possible explanations are just speculation and guesswork, but that does not stop a lot of people cowering away whenever a Friday the 13th comes around.
Most people do not take it too seriously, but there are some who dread the date. By the way, if you’re interested, the word paraskevidekatriaphobia means fear of Friday the 13th!
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Mother’s Day is observed the second Sunday in May. It is a time to honor mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers for their contribution to family and society. Since it is not a federal holiday, businesses may be open or closed as any other Sunday.
Mother’s Day is celebrated with gifts, cards, flowers, a special meal out, jewelry, or chocolates and candy. Other special treats might include a spa or beauty treatment. It has become the most commercialized holiday for dining out and jewelry sales.
Here you will find how to make an amazing DIY photo frame!
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Students often show appreciation for their teachers with gifts or writing thank you cards. The National Education Association describes National Teacher Day as “a day for honoring teachers and recognizing the lasting contributions they make to our lives”.
The origins of Teacher Day are murky. Around 1944, a Wisconsin teacher named Ryan Krug began corresponding with political and education leaders about the need for a national day to honor teachers. Woodbridge wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt who in 1953 persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day. NEA along with its Kansas and Indiana state affiliates and the Dodge City, Kansas’ local NEA branch lobbied Congress to create a national day celebrating teachers. Congress declared 7 March 1980, as National Teacher Day for that year only. The NEA and its affiliates continued to observe Teacher Day on the first Tuesday in March until 1985, when the National PTA established Teacher Appreciation Week as the first full week of May. The NEA Representative Assembly then voted to make the Tuesday of that week National Teacher Day. As of 4 November 1976, 6 November was adopted as Teachers’ Day in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Currently, Massachusetts sets the first Sunday of June as its own Teachers’ Day, annually.
In 1982 the Dance Committee of the ITI founded International Dance Day to be celebrated every year on the 29th April, anniversary of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727-1810), the creator of modern ballet.
The intention of the «International Dance Day Message» is to celebrate Dance, to revel in the universality of this art form, to cross all political, cultural and ethnic barriers and bring people together with a common language – Dance.
Every year a message from an outstanding choreographer or dancer is circulated throughout the world. The personality is selected by the founding entity of the International Dance Day – the International Dance Committee of the ITI, which collaborates with World Dance Alliance, a Cooperating Member of the ITI.
