Observances

Worldwide Cultural Celebrations

December 2011

December 1, Thursday
Minoru Yamasaki (1912-1986): Japanese American.
Rosa Parks Day: African American.
World AIDS Day: International.
Independence Day: Portugal.

December 2, Friday
Farmers' Day: Ghana.
Independence Day: Laos.

December 3, Saturday
Joseph Conrad (born Jozef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski) (1857-1924): Polish British. Writer.

December 4, Sunday
Ashura begins at sundown: Islamic.

December 5, Monday
Josef Pilsudski (1867-1935): Polish. Political and military leader.
Ashura: Islamic.
Discovery Day: Haiti.
National Day (King's Birthday): Thailand.

December 6, Tuesday
Constitution Day: Spain.
Independence Day: Finland.
Independence of Quito: Ecuador.

December 7, Wednesday
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day: United States.

December 8, Thursday
Diego Rivera (1886-1957): Mexican. Painter.
Bodhi Day (Buddha's Enlightenment): Buddhist.
Feast of the Immaculate Conception: Roman Catholic.
Mother's Day: Panama.

December 9, Friday
Battle of Ayacucho: Peru.
Independence Day: Tanzania. .
December 10, Saturday
T[homas] H[opkins] Gallaudet (1787-1851): French, People with Disabilities. Educator.
Human Rights Day: United Nations.

December 11, Sunday
Fiorello LaGuardia (1882-1947): Italian American. Political leader.
Naguib Mahfouz (1911-2006): Egyptian. Novelist, playwright, screenwriter.

December 12, Monday
Frank Sinatra (1915-1998): Italian American. Singer, actor, entertainer.
Constitution Day: Russia.
Fiesta de Guadalupe (fee-esta-guahd-ah-loohpa): Mexico.
Constitution Day observed: Thailand.
Independence Day: Kenya.

December 13, Tuesday
Younghill Kang (1903-1972): Korean American. Writer.
Santa Lucia: Sweden.

December 15, Thursday
Tatanka-Yatanka (Sitting Bull) (1830s-1890): American Indian (Sioux). Spiritual and military leader.

December 16, Friday
Las Posadas (12/16-12/24): Mexico.
Independence Day: Kazakhstan.
Reconciliation Day: South Africa.
Victory Day: Bangladesh.

December 19, Monday
Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950): African American. Historian.

December 20, Tuesday
J. M. Haggar Sr. (1892-1987): Lebanese American. Entrepreneur and businessman.
Sacagawea (?-1812): American Indian (Shoshone). Guide and explorer.

December 21, Wednesday
Henrietta Szold (1860-1945): Jewish American. Activist.
Hanukkah (12/21-12/28): Jewish.

December 22, Thursday
Tomas Rivera (1935-1984): Mexican American. Writer and educator.
Yule (Winter Solstice): Pagan and Wiccan.
Winter Solstice: General.

December 23, Friday
Joseph Smith (1805-1844): The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Religious leader.
Sarah Breedlove Walker (1867-1919): African American. Businesswoman and philanthropist.
Emperor's Birthday (Tenno Tanjo Bi): Japan.
Victory Day: Egypt.

December 24, Saturday
Eduardo "Lalo" Guerrero (1916-2005): Mexican American. Songwriter.
Scott Joplin (1868-1917): African American. Composer.

December 25, Sunday
Wendell Chino (1923-1998): American Indian (Mescalero Apache). Indian spokesman and activist.
Philip Vera Cruz (1904-1994): Filipino American. Labor leader and activist.
Filippo Mazzei (1730-1810): Italian. Adventurer and writer.
Christmas: Christian.
Qaid-i-Azam's Birthday: Pakistan.

December 26, Monday
Kwanzaa (quanza) (rhymes with wanza): African American.
St. Stephen's Day: Roman Catholic. Public holiday.
Boxing Day: United Kingdom.
Day of Goodwill: South Africa.

December 28, Wednesday
Holy Innocents' Day: Mexico, Morocco.

December 30, Friday
Rizal Day (reezahl-day): Philippines.