January 1
Multinational – New Year’s Day
New Year’s Day, January 1 on the Gregorian calendar, is commonly known as “New Year’s Day” in most countries around the world.
Britain: The day before New Year’s Day, every household must have wine in the bottle and meat in the cupboard.
Belgium: the morning of New Year’s Day, the first thing in the countryside is to pay respect to the animals.
Germany: during New Year’s Day, every household should put up a fir tree and horizontal tree, tied between the leaves of the tree full of silk flowers, indicating the prosperity of flowers, spring.
France: The New Year is celebrated with wine, and people start to drink from New Year’s Eve until January 3.
Italy: Families pack up old things, some breakable things in the house, smash them to pieces, old pots, bottles and jars are all thrown out of the door, indicating the removal of bad luck and troubles, this is their traditional way of resigning from the old year to welcome the New Year.
Switzerland: The Swiss have the habit of working out on New Year’s Day, and they welcome the new year by working out.
Greece: On New Year’s Day, every family makes a big cake with a silver coin inside. Whoever eats the cake with the silver coin becomes the luckiest person in the New Year, and everyone congratulates him.
Spain: When the clock starts ringing at twelve, everyone will compete to eat the grapes. If you can eat 12 of them according to the bell, it symbolizes that everything goes well in each month of the New Year.
January 6
Christianity – Epiphany
An important Catholic and Christian holiday commemorating and celebrating the first appearance of Jesus to the Gentiles (referring to the Three Wise Men of the East) after his birth as a man.
Orthodox Church – Christmas Eve
According to the Julian calendar, Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas Eve on January 6, when the church celebrates Mass.
Countries where Orthodox Christianity is the dominant faith include: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Macedonia, Georgia, and Montenegro.
January 7
Orthodox Church – Christmas
The vacation begins on New Year’s Day, January 1, and continues until Christmas Day, January 7, during which the holiday is called Bridge Holiday.
January 9
Japan – Adult Day
Since 2000, the Japanese government has declared the second Monday of January as Adult’s Day. The festival is celebrated by young people who enter their twenties in that year. It is one of the very important traditional festivals in Japan.
In March 2018, the Cabinet meeting of the Japanese government passed an amendment to the Civil Code to lower the legal age of majority from 20 to 18 years old.
Activities: On this day, they usually wear traditional costumes and visit shrines to thank the spirits and ancestors for their blessings and ask for continued “care.
January 16
America – Martin Luther King Day
On January 20, 1986, people across the country celebrated the first official Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the only federal holiday honoring black Americans. The U.S. government has designated the third week of January each year as Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Remembrance.
Activities: On Martin Luther King Day, also known as MLK Day, students who are off from school are organized by the school to go outside of school to participate in charity activities. For example, they go to serve meals to the poor, do a cleanup at a black elementary school, etc.
January 22nd
China – Chinese New Year
Spring Festival, the Chinese Lunar New Year, is commonly known as New Year, New Year, New Year’s Day, etc. It is also known orally as New Year’s Day and New Year’s Day. Spring Festival has a long history, evolving from the ancient times when the first year of the year was prayed for and sacrificed.
Influenced by Chinese culture, some countries and regions in the world also have the custom of celebrating Chinese New Year. According to incomplete statistics, nearly 20 countries and regions have designated Chinese New Year as a legal holiday for the whole or some cities under their jurisdiction.
In Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and other countries that have been influenced by Chinese culture, Chinese New Year is an official holiday. However, Koreans call it Seollal and Vietnamese call it Tet Festival.
January 26th
Australia – National Day
On January 18, 1788, Arthur Phillip led 11 small ships of the First Fleet to anchor in Port Jackson, Sydney. The ships carried 780 marooned prisoners, the navy and their families, about 1,200 people.
Eight days later, on January 26, they officially established the first British colony in Port Jackson, Australia, and Philip became the first governor. Since then, January 26 has become the anniversary of Australia’s founding and is known as Australia Day.
Events: This day is celebrated in all major Australian cities with a variety of large events. One of these is a naturalization ceremony: the swearing in of thousands of new citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia.
India – Republic Day
India has three national holidays. 26 January is called “Republic Day” to commemorate the establishment of the Republic of India on 26 January 1950, when the Constitution came into force. 15 August is called “Independence Day” to commemorate India’s independence from British colonial rule on 15 August 1947. October 2 is also one of India’s national days, which commemorates the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Indian nation.
Activities: The Republic Day event consists of a military parade, which showcases India’s military might, and a parade of floats, which showcases India’s diversity as a united nation.
Edited by Shijiazhuang Wangjie
Post time: Jan-03-2023