Category: Today’s Holiday

According to legend, St. Vitus was raised as a Christian by his nurse and his foster father. All three suffered persecution and were eventually put to death for their beliefs around 303 CE, when Vitus was still a young boy. A chapel was later built in his honor at Ulm, Germany, and it was believed that anyone who danced before his shrine there on June 15, St. Vitus’s Day, would be assured of good health in the coming year. St. Vitus is the patron saint of those suffering from epilepsy and other disorders of the nervous system, as well as actors and dancers. Discuss

Uganda National Heroes Day honors all those who sacrificed themselves to better the lives of the Ugandan people. Unfortunately, the holiday is one of the most divisive days in the Ugandan year. What constitutes a hero, and who specifically should be honored, are matters of debate in the country. Many of the heroes officially recognized by the government are fallen soldiers who died during Uganda’s civil war in the 1980s. Some citizens have argued for remembering less controversial heroes, such as the Ugandan doctor who detected a deadly Ebola outbreak before it spread. Discuss

This day marks the start of the Allied invasion of occupied France in 1944, which led to the final defeat of Hitler’s Germany the following May. About 3,000 ships transported 130,000 British, Canadian, and American troops across the English Channel to land on the beaches of Normandy. Airborne troops began parachuting into Normandy at 15 minutes past midnight on June 6, and Landing Craft Transports plowed through the surf to spill troops onto the beaches. About 10,000 troops were killed or wounded that day. Each year, simple ceremonies at the Normandy cemeteries commemorate the men who fell. Discuss

The United Nations General Assembly designated June 5 as World Environment Day in 1972. The date was chosen because it marked the opening day of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, which led to the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme. The General Assembly urges countries and organizations to mark this day with activities that educate people about threats to the environment and encourage them to strike a balance between development and concern for Earth’s future. Discuss

Malaysia practices a system of government based on a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The head of state is the king, also known as Seri Paduka Baginda (SPB) Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Although the term king is used, this is not a hereditary position—the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is elected to a five-year term. Every year, the first Saturday in June is set aside as a national holiday in Malaysia to celebrate the birthday of the current and past SPB Yang di-Pertuan Agongs. Discuss

Often referred to as “the American Moses,” Brigham Young led thousands of his religious followers across 1,000 miles of wilderness from their Illinois settlement to find refuge in what is now Salt Lake City, Utah. He became the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, whose members are also known as Mormons. The anniversary of Young’s birth on June 1, 1801, is observed by Mormon churches worldwide, as is July 24, the date on which he arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. Discuss

On this day, Christian churches in the West commemorate the Virgin Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth. After learning that she was to be the mother of Jesus, Mary went into the mountains of Judea to see her cousin, the wife of Zechariah, who had conceived a son to be known as John the Baptist. According to the Gospel of Luke, Elizabeth’s baby “leaped in her womb” (1:41) at the sound of Mary’s voice. It was at this moment, according to the belief of some Roman Catholics, that John the Baptist was cleansed from original sin and filled with heavenly grace. Discuss

The second patron saint of France and one of the best known of all the saints, Joan of Arc was a young, pious peasant girl from the village of Domrémy. In 1428, she heard voices she identified as St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret telling her to help the dauphin, Charles VII, recover his kingdom from the British. Her mission was accomplished within 15 months, but Joan was captured by the king’s enemies, tried for witchcraft and heresy, and burned at the stake in Rouen on May 30, 1431. Discuss

When news of the British Boston Port Act reached Chestertown, Maryland, a group of local residents boarded the brigantine Geddes and dumped the tea in the Chester River. Every year during the Chestertown Tea Party Festival, the rebellion is reenacted. The crowd winds its way down High Street to the river, where the “colonists” board a ship and throw its cargo of tea into the river. Other festival events include a colonial parade, exhibits and demonstrations of 18th-century American crafts, clog dancing, horse-and-carriage rides, and tall ship cruises. Discuss

The idea of packing up one’s belongings and changing residences on a particular day has been a tradition in many countries. In Scotland, it was called Flitting Day and took place on May 25. The decision of whether to “sit or flit” was up to the tenant, but “flitting” seemed to be more common. On Flitting Day, they had to vacate their houses by noon, which often meant a great upheaval for the family during the preceding day or two. Apparently, the novelty value of flitting outweighed the boredom of sitting. Discuss