Minoru Yamasaki (1912–1986) : Japanese American.  Architect. A highly successful designer of public buildings, Yamasaki is best known for his designs for the Wayne State University campus in Detroit and the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City.

 Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 : United States.  This law substantially revised the system of immigration quotas that had been in effect since 1924. The former system, which had set specific ceilings on the number of immigrants who could enter the United States from a particular country, was replaced by limits of 170,000 for immigrants from outside the Western (with a maximum of 20,000 for any one country) and of 120,000 for the Western Hemisphere, with no limitations on any one country. U.S. citizens and political refugees were exempted from the quotas. The act greatly expanded immigration opportunities for non-Europeans.

 Independence Day : Portugal.  This commemorates the restoration of Portugal's independence in 1640 after a 60-year period of union with Spain.

 Rosa Parks Day : African American.  On this day in 1955 Rosa Parks, a Montgomery, Alabama, seamstress and member of the local chapter of the NAACP, refused to surrender her seat to a white man, defying the established practice of racial segregation in public transportation. After her arrest, the Blacks of the city organized to boycott the buses, causing the bus company's profits to drop by 65 percent. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. first came to national prominence as a leader of the boycott. After a Supreme Court decision in November 1956, the boycott was ended and integrated service began.

 Youth Day : Portugal.  Public holiday.

 World AIDS Day : International.  Also known as United Nations World AIDS Day. This has been declared by the World Health Organization as a time to increase education and awareness of AIDS.

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 Independence Day : Laos.  Public holiday.

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 Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski) (1857–1924) : Polish British.  Writer. After spending his youth as a merchant seaman on French and British ships, Conrad settled in England and began a career as a novelist and short story writer. His works, many of them set on the high seas, are absorbing stories that raise profound questions about the nature of fate and individual responsibility.

 Giuseppe Maria Francisco Vigo (1747–1836) : Italian.  Trader and supporter of the American Revolution. After amassing a fortune in the fur trade in the Northwest Territory, Vigo supplied arms and supplies to the colonial forces led by his friend George Rogers Clark. During a brief period of captivity at the British-held fort at Vincennes, Vigo provided Clark with information that led to Clark's capture of the fort in 1779, a key victory in the securing of the Northwest.

 Advent begins : Christian.  Advent, which means “coming” or “arrival,” marks the beginning of the Western Christian ecclesiastical year. It begins on the Sunday nearest to the Feast of St. Andrew on November 30, and continues through Christmas Eve, encompassing four Sundays. Originally observed with fasting and penitence as a period during which converts to Christianity prepared themselves for baptism, Advent became during the Middle Ages a time to prepare for the Second Coming of Christ. Advent is now a solemn yet joyful season of prayer, reflection, and preparation for celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ in his First Advent, as well as a time to ready oneself in anticipation of Christ’s Second Coming. The Orthodox Christian churches do not have an Advent season, but rather have Winter Lent, a 40-day Lenten season of fasting, prayer, and reflection ending on Christmas Eve.

Recognizing the Festival/Holiday: The main symbol of this season is the Advent wreath, which had its origins in the folk practices of the pre-Christian Germanic people. The wreath has three purple candles, which symbolize hope (or prophecy), peace, and love, and one rose candle, symbolizing joy. The candles are set in a circle of evergreen, which represents eternal life. On each Sunday in Advent, the candles are lit progressively as follows, with Scripture reading preceding the lighting of the candles: On the first Sunday of Advent, a purple candle is lit; on the second Sunday, two purple candles are lit; on the third Sunday, two purple candles and the rose candle are lit; and on the fourth Sunday, all four candles are lit. The lighting of the rose candle originally signified the breaking of the Advent fast. Often a fifth white candle will be placed in the center of the wreath. Known as the “Christ Candle,” this candle symbolizes Christ’s birth and is lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Another custom during Advent is to sing carols, a favorite being “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” which anticipates the coming of the Messiah. (m)

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 Josef Pilsudski (1867–1935) : Polish.  Political and military leader. Born to a Polish family when the territory of historic Poland was divided and ruled by Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia, Pilsudski devoted his energies to the cause of restoring his nation's independence, beginning as a youthful revolutionary and evolving into a statesman who became the chief of state when Poland was reestablished as a nation in 1918. He served until 1922, leading Polish forces in their successful war against Russia in 1919–1920. He seized power again in 1926 and dominated the government until his death.

 Phillis Wheatley (1753–1784) : African American.  Poet. This is the anniversary of the death of the first distinguished African American poet, who was brought to America as a slave at about eight years of age. Educated in Latin and English by her master and mistress, Wheatley became famous for her learned and elegant poetry.

 Discovery Day : Haiti.  This day commemorates the discovery by Christopher Columbus of Haiti in 1492.

 National Day (King's Birthday) : Thailand.  On this holiday the people of Thailand renew their commitment to democracy while celebrating the birthday of the king with religious ceremonies in the temples.

 Saint Nicholas Day : Netherlands.  This begins the Christmas season in the Netherlands. On this day Saint Nicholas, "Sinterklaas," arrives. Cities have parades where he comes riding on a white horse or in a barge or even on a motorcycle wearing a bishop's hat and a red cape. That evening, adults have parties and exchange gifts, while children set out shoes filled with carrots and hay for Saint Nicholas' horse. In the morning, they find the shoes filled with gifts.

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 Ira Gershwin (1896–1983) : Jewish American.  Lyricist and playwright. Ira Gershwin collaborated with his brother, the composer George Gershwin, to write many of the classics of American popular song, most of them scores of musical comedies for the stage and movies. The Gershwins' shows include Funny Face, Lady Be Good, and the Black "folk opera" Porgy and Bess.

 Constitution Day : Spain.  After the death of Spain's dictator, Francisco Franco, in 1975, Spain became a democracy and on this day in 1978 a new constitution was adopted by referendum.

 Farmers' Day : Ghana.  Public holiday.

 Independence Day : Finland.  This day celebrates Finland's gaining of independence from Russia in 1917.

 Independence of Quito : Ecuador.  Public holiday.

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 Diego Rivera (1886–1957) : Mexican.  Painter. With David Siqueiros and José Clemente Orozco, Rivera led the mural painting movement that flourished in newly independent Mexico. His vision of an art created for the people found its most memorable expression in monumental wall paintings depicting the ideals of the Mexican revolution and his own vision of the nobility of the common people. (See entry for November 23.)

 Mother's Day : Panama.  Public holiday.

 Bodhi Day (Buddha's Enlightenment) : Buddhist.  Among Mahãyãna Buddhists, this holiday celebrates Buddha's attaining understanding of the truth of existence, freeing himself from all human suffering, and finding perfect happiness. The date is based on the Japanese Buddhist calendar.

 Feast of the Immaculate Conception : Roman Catholic.  This celebrates the Roman Catholic belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was conceived free from original sin.

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 Battle of Ayucucho : Peru.  This date commemorates the fulfillment of Peru’s quest for independence through the final defeat of Spanish forces by Antonio José de Sucre in 1824. (See entry for July 28.)

 Independence Day : Tanzania.  On this date in 1961, the East African nation Tanganyika gained independence from Great Britain. In 1964, Tanganyika united with several islands in the Indian Ocean, including Zanzibar and Pemba, to form the United Republic of Tanzania.

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 T[homas] H[opkins] Gallaudet (1787–1851) : French, People with Disabilities.  Educator. An American teacher, Gallaudet established the first school for the hearing impaired in the United States in 1817.

 Constitution Day : Thailand.  Public holiday.

 Human Rights Day : United Nations.  On this day in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the first such statement of principle by an international body. The document, conceived as "a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations," sets forth the basic civil, economic, political, and social rights that should be guaranteed to every person.

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 Fiorello LaGuardia (1882–1947) : Italian American.  Political leader. Energetic, colorful, and incorruptible, LaGuardia was the first Italian American political figure of national importance. During his three terms as mayor of New York City (1934–1945), LaGuardia instituted political reforms and public works projects and achieved the adoption of a new city charter.

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 Frank Sinatra (1915–1998) : Italian American.  Singer, actor, entertainer. Frank Sinatra became the first modern popular superstar with a singing and acting career that spanned more than 50 years. Although probably best known for his singing career, Sinatra made over 58 films and received an Academy nomination for best actor for "The Man with the Golden Arm" and won an Academy Award for best supporting actor for "From Here to Eternity." He invented the solo singing style that has become the model for most other singers since the 1940s. His single recordings and albums have become American musical classics. Sinatra was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, the only child of Sicilian immigrant Martin Sinatra and his wife Natalie Garavante.

 Composition of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" (1900) : African American.  On this date the brothers James Weldon Johnson and James Rosamond Johnson completed the words and music to the hymn of pride and hope that became known as the "Negro National Anthem."

 Constitution Day (observed) : Russia.  The new Russian Constitution was adopted on this day in 1993 by referendum. The constitution grants sweeping powers to the president, making him the person to name the government while the parliament is restricted to participating in setting the national agenda and, most importantly, passing the yearly budget. (m)

 Fiesta de Guadalupe (fe-esta-guahd-ah-loopa) : Mexico.  This is the feast day of the patron saint of Mexico. The shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is Mexico’s most sacred religious site. December 12 is the anniversary of the day on which Juan Diego, an Aztec peasant, is said to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary, who ordered him to go and tell the Bishop of Mexico to build a church on that spot.

Recognizing the Festival/Holiday: In both Puerto Rican and Mexican communities, this is a day when people go to church for prayers honoring the Virgin. Often a procession is formed to the church and a fiesta is held in the evening, sometimes involving scenes created to depict el milagro (the miracle).

 Independence Day : Kenya.  Kenya, the last of Great Britain's dependencies in East Africa, became a sovereign republic in 1963.

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 Younghill Kang (1903–1972) : Korean American.  Writer. Kang came to the United States in 1921, three years before the passage of the law that would bar Koreans and Japanese for 28 years from settling in the United States. He attended university classes and read widely in American literature, beginning to write in English in 1928. He published translations of Korean works, book reviews, a memoir, and two novels recounting the experiences of Korean immigrants, The Grass Roof and East Goes West. Though he achieved only modest recognition during his lifetime, he is now acknowledged as an important figure, perhaps the first writer to express the claim of Asian immigrants to be full participants in American society.

 Santa Lucia : Sweden.  This holiday, also celebrated in states such as Minnesota where there are many Scandinavian communities, honors an Italian martyr named Saint Lucia. Like many winter festivals, its central feature is lights. In Sweden, a young girl wearing a white robe and a crown of seven lighted candles serves special buns and coffee.

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 Tatanka-Yatanka (Sitting Bull) (1830s–1890) : American Indian (Sioux).  Spiritual and military leader. Sitting Bull fought and negotiated throughout his life to maintain his people's way of life and their right to their lands in the Black Hills. Leader of the army of Sioux and Cheyenne warriors who annihilated General George Custer's command at Little Bighorn in 1876, Sitting Bull continued to lead the resistance to displacement and assimilation even after most of his followers had capitulated. He was killed on this date while under arrest, in a confrontation between his followers and federal police officers. (See entry for June 25.)

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 Reconciliation Day : South Africa.  Public holiday.

 Victory Day : Bangladesh.  This marks the day in 1971 that Bangladesh won independence from Pakistan.

 Hanukkah (hah-noo-kah) (12/16-12/23) : Jewish.  This holiday, often misunderstood as the “Jewish Christmas” since it occurs in December, commemorates the victory of the Jewish people, led by the Maccabee family, over the Syrian Greeks in 165 B.C.E. This victory marked the end of a three-year period of religious persecution, restored Jewish independence, and ensured the survival of monotheism (belief in one God). According to legend, when the Jews returned to cleanse their Temple, which had been defiled by pagan worship, they discovered only enough consecrated oil to keep the holy lamp burning for one day. However, the oil miraculously lasted eight days, the time needed to secure a new supply. Hanukkah is celebrated by lighting a candle on each of the eight days of celebration. On the first night, one candle is lit in a branched candlestick called a menorah, and an additional candle is lit each night until the eighth night. This ceremony has given the holiday the additional name of “Festival of Lights.” Hanukkah is joyfully celebrated. Special Hebrew hymns, including “Rock of Ages,” are sung, family members exchange gifts, and children play with a dreidel, a four-sided top inscribed with the Hebrew letters for “a great miracle happened there.” Potato pancakes, or latkes, are a traditional food treat, with the oil used for cooking recalling the oil in the sacred lamp. The holiday ends at sundown on January 2.

Recognizing the Festival/Holiday: A four-sided top for spinning, called a dreidel, is popular for playing various Hanukkah games. Potato pancakes, called latkes, are a very popular food that can be found in many supermarkets or delicatessens. (m)

 Las Posadas (los-pos ahdâs) (12/16-12/24) : Mexico.  Las Posadas, celebrated from December 16 to December 24, commemorates Mary and Joseph's effort to find an inn and the events associated with the birth of Jesus. The holiday takes its name from the Spanish word posadas, meaning "a dwelling." A candlelight procession represents the star in heaven that guided the three wise men on their way. After a religious ceremony on December 24, there is a traditional celebration centering on the piñata, a decorated clay container filled with toys and candy. A child is blindfolded, turned around a few times, and given a wooden stick and three chances to break the piñata. When the piñata is broken, the children scramble for the candy. (m)

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 Repeal of Chinese Exclusion Acts (1943) : United States.  On this date, as the United States fought side by side with China in World War II, Congress repealed the laws that had excluded Chinese from immigration to the United States since 1882. The new law also permitted Chinese immigrants to become naturalized citizens. The yearly quota was set at only 105 immigrants, however, and applicants for citizenship were required to document their legal entry into the United States and pass tests in English language, American history, and knowledge of the Constitution. (See entry for May 6.)

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 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (1971) : United States.  This act gave Inuit, Indian, and Aleut people title to 40 million acres of U.S. federal land that native people claimed had been taken from them by provisions in the Alaska Statehood Act. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act also provided close to $1 billion to native villages and regional corporations.

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 Carter G. Woodson (1875–1950) : African American.  Historian. Dr. Woodson, for many years the lone voice in American Negro historiography, organized Associated Publishers in 1921 in order to produce textbooks and other material on African Americans. A year later, he retired from academic life in order to devote his full time to research as director of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History and as editor of the Journal of Negro History. It was through Dr. Woodson's efforts that Negro History Week was established in 1926. It is now celebrated as African American or Black History Month.

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 Sacagawea (?–1812) : American Indian (Shoshone).  Guide and explorer. This day marks the anniversary of the death of the young Shoshone woman who joined the Lewis and Clark expedition at Fort Mandan (near present-day Bismarck, North Dakota) and accompanied the explorers on their journey through the newly purchased Louisiana Territory to the Pacific Coast. Sacagawea was the expedition's chief interpreter. The journey reunited her with her tribe, from whom she had been abducted several years earlier.

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 Maria Cadilla de Martinez (1886–1951) : Puerto Rican.  Educator, folklorist, writer, and activist. Maria Cadilla de Martinez made outstanding contributions to every field in which she worked. As a professor at the University of Puerto Rico, she inspired generations of students to study and preserve their cultural heritage. Her own research into Puerto Rican folklore and customs helped ensure the preservation of important aspects of the island's culture. Her writings included collections of folktales, retold in contemporary language, and volumes of her own poetry, as well as scholarly books and articles. She was also a pioneering feminist who worked ardently for women's causes, including the campaign for the right to vote

 Henrietta Szold (1860–1945) : Jewish American.  Activist. Szold was the founder and first president of Hadassah, the women's Zionist organization that had been responsible for fostering improved health care in Palestine. She also cofounded the Jewish Publication Society of America.

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 Tomás Rivera (1935–1984) : Mexican American.  Writer and educator. The son of migrant farm workers, Rivera devoted most of his life to education, which he saw as the key to bettering the lives of Mexican Americans. He became a university teacher and then an administrator, holding a succession of posts at public universities in Texas and then at the University of California, Riverside, where he served as chancellor for the last five years of his life. He is best known, however, for his novel . . . y no se tragó la tierra (. . . and the Earth Did Not Part), based on his own youthful experience. Published in 1971, it won widespread acclaim, signaling the emergence of Latino writers as a vital force in the literature of the United States.

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 Joseph Smith (1805–1844) : Mormon.  Joseph Smith was the founder and first president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). In 1830 he published the Book of Mormon, considered by members of the Church to be divine revelation.

 Sarah Breedlove Walker (1867–1919) : African American.  Businesswoman and philanthropist. Madame C. J. Walker, as she preferred to be known, was an entrepreneurial genius whose business, the manufacture and distribution of a line of hair products for African American women, became the largest enterprise owned by an African American in the United States and an important source of opportunity for African American women. Having invented the formula in 1905, she began by selling her products door-to-door. Her company eventually had 3,000 employees, many of them women who were licensed to sell her products through home visits to clients. Madame Walker used her personal wealth to support African American causes, funding scholarships for young women and giving generously to the anti-lynching campaign of the NAACP.

 Emperor's Birthday : Japan.  This is a day of national festivities to honor the birthday of the current emperor. The emperor gives speeches throughout the day, and houses and buildings are decorated with the national flag.

 Victory Day : Egypt.  Public holiday.

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 Eduardo “Lalo” Guerrero (1916–2005) : Mexican American.  Songwriter. Known as the “Father of Chicano Music,” Eduardo Guerrero created songs in both Spanish and English portraying the Mexican-American experience. Born in the Barrio Viejo of Tucson, Arizona, Guerrero learned to play the guitar from his mother, who was his only teacher. His versatile style of composition included boleros, rancheras, mambos, cha-cha, salsa, tejano, comic parodies, and children’s recordings. Guerrero wrote corridos (folk ballads) that told the story of Mexican-American heroes such as César Chávez and Ruben Salazar, and songs of social protest such as the humorous “No Chicanos on TV.” During his lifetime Guerrero wrote more than 700 songs, including Canción Mexicana, considered the unofficial Mexican national anthem. He was named a National Folk Treasure by the Smithsonian Institution in 1980 and received the Presidential Medal of the Arts in 1997.

 Scott Joplin (1868–1917) : African American.  Composer. Joplin was the leading composer of ragtime music. He is best known for his short "rags," but he also composed a ragtime symphony, Treemonisha, and was working on a ragtime opera at the time of his death.

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 Wendell Chino (1923–1998) : American Indian (Mescalero Apache).  Indian spokesman and activist. Chino, who was president of his tribe for 34 years, was a key figure in the movement to demand that the federal government honor its treaties with Indian nations regarding the use of land and other natural resources. He was hailed by Roy Bernal, chairman of the All Indian Pueblo Council, as "the Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcolm X of Indian Country." When the Bureau of Indian Affairs' contracts for such activities as mining, lumber production, and water use began to expire in the 1960s, Chino refused to renew the contracts. Instead he formed companies to manage these resources that would be controlled by the Mescalero Apaches living in southern New Mexico. They built the Inn of the Mountain Gods, Casino Apache, a timber mill, Indian schools, a hospital, and a health center. Promoting "red capitalism," or Indian control of Indian land, Chino traveled widely as a spokesman for Indian issues and served as president of the National Congress of American Indians.

 Philip Vera Cruz (1904–1994) : Filipino American.  Labor leader and activist. Born in Illocus Sur in the Philippines and immigrating to the United States to work in the agricultural fields of California, Cruz served as vice president of the United Farm Workers union, working with its president, Cesar Chavez, to gain recognition of the union as the representative of the grape workers in California. With Chavez, he helped initiate the Delano Grape Strike that led to the formation of the union. In 1965, he joined the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee of the AFL-CIO and led the successful Filipino farm workers' strikes in Coachella and Delano. Later that year, he allied his movement with that of Chavez to form the United Farm Workers Union.

 Filippo Mazzei (1730–1810) : Italian.  Adventurer and writer. An importer of Italian products, Mazzei came to America from London in 1773 at the invitation of Thomas Jefferson to set up an experimental farm where he planned to raise olives, grapes, and citrus fruit. He became a supporter of the cause of American independence and in 1779 was sent to Europe to borrow money for the revolutionary armies. He remained in Europe until the end of the Revolution, working in support of the American cause.

 Qaid-i-Azam (1876–1948) : Pakistan.  Political leader. Qaid-I-Azam Muhammed Ali Jinnah was a leader of the movement for India's independence from Great Britain and founded the independent state of Pakistan. His birthday is celebrated as a national holiday on July 27.

 Christmas : Christian.  Most Christians observe Christmas to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Christmas has been celebrated on this day since the Roman Catholic Church established it in the fourth century as the official day for celebration. Some Eastern Orthodox Christians who follow the Orthodox New Calendar, such as the Greek and Cypriot Orthodox Churches, observe Christmas on this date. However, other Eastern Orthodox Christians and Coptic Orthodox Christians follow the Orthodox Old Calendar, or Julian calendar, and celebrate Christmas on January 7. The Armenian Apostolic Church observes Christmas on January 6. Christmas is a family-oriented holiday with special foods, colorful decorations, and exchanging of gifts. Families often have their own traditions, especially concerning when gifts are exchanged and what foods are served. Jehovah’s Witnesses and members of the Church of Christ are among those who do not celebrate this holiday.

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 Boxing Day : Bahamas, Canada, Great Britain, N. Australia.  Britain and many British Commonwealth countries including Canada and Australia observe the second day of Christmas as Boxing Day. When it falls on the weekend, the following Monday is a public holiday. The name comes from the old tradition, no longer observed, of keeping Christmas Day as a religious day, and giving Christmas boxes - presents - on the following day. (m)

 Day of Goodwill : South Africa.  Public holiday. (m)

 Kwanzaa (quanza) (rhymes with wanza) : African American.  First celebrated on December 26, 1966, the festival of Kwanzaa was created in the United States by scholar and cultural activist Dr. Maulana Karenga. Patterned after harvest festivals in Africa, Kwanzaa derives its name from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning “first fruits.” Symbols of Kwanzaa are set upon a low table laden with tropical fruits and vegetables. A seven-branched candelabrum called a kinara, reflecting the Nguzo Saba, or the seven principles of Kwanzaa, is used for lighting one candle for each day of the holiday. Kwanzaa decorations traditionally use a color scheme of red, black, and green: black to represent the faces of Black people and their collective beauty, red to represent the struggle and the blood of ancestors, and green to signify youth and renewed life. The Kwanzaa observance includes storytelling about the seven principles of Kwanzaa: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani(Faith). A Pan-African holiday, Kwanzaa is also celebrated in Africa, the Caribbean, South America, and in African communities in the United Kingdom and other European countries.

Recognizing the Festival/Holiday: Black, red, and green streamers, balloons, and flowers are used to decorate during Kwanzaa, along with African sculptures and artwork. Families exchange handmade gifts that demonstrate kuumba (creativity). The Kwanzaa feast, or karamu, traditionally celebrated on the evening of December 31, is a communal event often held in a church or community center. A joyful expression of African American culture, the karamu features music, dancing, poetry recitation, talks by guest lecturers, and a feast with dishes such as peanut soup, okra gumbo, black-eyed peas and rice, jambalaya, jerk chicken, barbequed ribs, and sweet potato pie. The Kwanzaa greeting is Kwanzaa yenu iwe na heri! or “Happy Kwanzaa!”

 St. Stephen's Day : Roman Catholic.  Public holiday.

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 Holy Innocents' Day : Mexico, Morocco.  In an attempt to find the infant Jesus and kill him, King Herod ordered the killing of children in Bethlehem. Current research indicates that between 6 and 20 children were killed.

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 Wounded Knee Massacre (1890) : American Indian.  This date is the anniversary of the massacre of some 150 Sioux men, women, and children by soldiers of the United States Seventh Cavalry at Wounded Knee, where the Indians had made camp after surrendering. The event marked the end of the Indian Wars on the Great Plains.

 The Hajj (hâj) (rhymes with mahje) (12/29-1/2).  The hajj is the annual pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. All Muslims who are able are required to make the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime. The hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, begins on the eighth day of the last month of the Islamic lunar year. The hajj is a time for reflection and celebration, when more than two million Muslims from around the world gather together to celebrate their faith. At Mecca, the pilgrims perform many rituals, including walking seven times around the sacred shrine of Kaaba. The culmination of the hajj is the three-day festival of Eid al-Adha (The Feast of Sacrifice), the most important feast of the Muslim calendar. (See entry for Eid al-Adha.)

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 Rizal (reezahl-day) Day : Philippines.  This public holiday celebrated on the anniversary of his birth honors José Rizal, the son of a wealthy Chinese-Filipino sugar planter, who studied medicine and liberal arts at the University of Madrid, becoming a leader of a small group of Filipino students studying in Spain. While in Spain, he wrote novels promoting social and religious reform in the Philippines and protesting the strong influence of the Franciscan, Augustinian, and Dominican Catholic orders over the Filipino people, as well as that of the Spanish government and Spanish culture. Returning to the Philippines in 1892, he founded the nonviolent reform society La Liga Filipina, but was deported to an island south of the Philippines. He was arrested in 1896 by the military on the charge of leading a revolt against Spain, tried for sedition, and publicly executed by a firing squad. On the eve of his execution, he wrote Mi Ultimo Adios (My Last Farewell), a masterpiece of 19th-century Spanish verse. He is considered by many as the first Asian nationalist. This is the day of his death.

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 Revolution Day : Ghana.  Public holiday.

 Eid al-Adha (eyed-al-ahdha) (The Feast of Sacrifice) (12/31-1/2).  This three-day festival comes at the culmination of the hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, which is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. All Muslims who can are required to make this pilgrimage once in their lifetime. Mecca and Medina, both in Saudi Arabia, are Islam’s two holiest sites. This religious observance commemorates the story of Abraham and Ishmail as told in the Qur’an. God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his only son as a proof of his faith. Before Abraham completed the sacrifice, God stopped him and provided a ram for sacrifice in place of Ishmail. The Eid al-Adha celebration commences with a congregational prayer and sermon, or khutba, at the mosque. This is followed by visiting friends and relatives, feasting, and other festive activities.

Recognizing the Festival/Holiday: Gift-giving is common during this three-day festival, as is the sharing of sweets and desserts. Muslims do not drink alcoholic beverages. Eid Mubarak and “Happy Eid” are common greetings.

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