Worldwide events newspaper; 222 issue; 05 11 apr 2015

Arbor Day South Korea - Apr 05

Arbor Day (from the Latin arbor, meaning tree) is a holiday in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant and care for trees. Today, many countries observe such a holiday. Though usually observed in the spring, the date varies, depending on climate and suitable planting season.

Arbor Day was a public holiday in South Korea on April 5 until 2005.

The day is still celebrated, though. On nonleap years, the day coincides with Hansik.

Qingming Festival China, Taiwan - A p r 0 5

The Qingming Festival (simplified Chinese: 清 明 节 ; traditional Chinese: 清明節; pinyin:Qīngmíng Jié; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Chheng-bêng-cheh or Chhiⁿ-miâ-choeh, Ching Ming Festival in Hong Kong, Vietnamese: Tết Thanh Minh), Pure Brightness Festival or Clear Bright Festival, Ancestors Day or Tomb Sweeping Day is a traditional Chinese festival on the 104th day after the winter solstice (or the 15th day from the Spring Equinox), usually occurring around April 5 of the Gregorian calendar.

Astronomically it is also a solar term. The Qingming festival falls on the first day of the fifth solar term, named Qingming. Its name denotes a time for people to go outside and enjoy the greenery of springtime (踏 青 Tàqīng, "treading on the greenery") and tend to the graves of departed ones.

Qingming has been regularly observed as a statutory public holiday in Taiwan and in the Chinese jurisdictions of Hong Kong and Macau. Its observance was reinstated as a nation wide public holiday in mainland China in 2008, after having been previously suppressed by the ruling Communist Party in 1949.

The transcription of the term Qingming may appear in a number of different forms, some of which are Qingming, Qing Ming, Qing Ming Jie, Ching Ming (official in Hong Kong) and Ching Ming Chieh.

Introduction

The holiday is known by a number of names in the English language: All Souls Day (not to be confused with the Roman Catholic holiday, All Souls Day, of the same name) • Clear Bright Festival • Ancestors Day • Festival for Tending Graves • Grave Sweeping Day • Chinese Memorial Day • Tomb Sweeping Day • Spring Remembrance • Tomb Sweeping Day and Clear Bright Festival are the most common English translations of Qingming Festival.

Tomb Sweeping Day is used in several English language newspapers published in Taiwan.

Origin

Qingming Festival is when Chinese people visit the graves or burial grounds of their ancestors. Traditionally, people brought a whole rooster with them to the graves visited but the occasion has become less formal over time. The festival originated from Hanshi Day (寒食节, literally, Day with cold food only), a memorial day for Jie Zitui (介子推). Jie Zitui died in 636 BC in the Spring and Autumn Period.

He was one of many followers of Duke Wen of Jin before he became a duke.

Once, during Wen's 19 years of exile, they had no food and Jie prepared some meat soup for Wen. Wen enjoyed it a lot and wondered where Jie had obtained the soup. It turned out Jie had cut a piece of meat from his own thigh to make the soup. Wen was so moved he promised to reward him one day. However, Jie was not the type of person who sought rewards. Instead, he just wanted to help Wen to return to Jin to become king.

Once Wen became duke, Jie resigned and stayed away from him. Duke Wen rewarded the people who helped him in the decades, but for some reason he forgot to reward Jie, who by then had moved into the forest with his mother.

Duke Wen went to the forest, but could not find Jie. Heeding suggestions from his officials, Duke Wen ordered men to set the forest on fire to force out Jie. However, Jie died in the fire. Feeling remorseful, Duke Wen ordered three days without fire to honour Jie's memory. The county where Jie died is still called Jiexiu (介休, literally "the place Jie rests forever").

Qingming has a tradition stretching back more than 2,500 years. Its origin is credited to the Tang Emperor Xuanzong in 732. Wealthy citizens in China were reportedly holding too many extravagant and ostentatiously expensive ceremonies in honour of their ancestors. Emperor Xuanzong, seeking to curb this practice, declared that respects could be formally paid at ancestors' graves only on Qingming. The observance of Qingming found a firm place in Chinese culture and continued since Ancient China.

Celebration

The Qingming Festival is an opportunity for celebrants to remember and honour their ancestors at grave sites. Young and old pray before the ancestors, sweep the tombs and offer food, tea, wine, chopsticks, joss paper accessories, and/or libations to the ancestors. The rites have a long tradition in Asia, especially among farmers. Some people carry willow branches with them on Qingming, or put willow branches on their gates and/or front doors. They believe that willow branches help ward off the evil spirit that wanders on Qingming.

On Qingming people go on family outings, start the spring plowing, sing, and dance. Qingming is also the time when young couples start courting. Another popular thing to do is to fly kites in the shapes of animals or characters from Chinese opera. Another common practice is to carry flowers instead of burning paper, incense or firecrackers.

The holiday is often marked by people paying respects to those who died in events considered sensitive in China.

The April Fifth Movement and the Tiananmen Incident were major events on Qingming that took place in the history of the People's Republic of China. When Premier Zhou Enlai died in 1976, thousands visited him during the festival to pay their respects. Many also pay respects to victims of the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 and the graves of Zhao Ziyang and Yang Jia in areas where the right of free expression is generally recognized, as in Hong Kong.

In most areas of China observance of sensitive events are suppressed and all public mention of such events is taboo. In Taiwan this national holiday is observed on April 5 because the ruling Kuomintang moved it to that date in commemoration of the death of Chiang Kai-shek on April 5.

Despite having no holiday status, the overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asian nations, such as those in Singapore and Malaysia, take this festival seriously and observe its traditions faithfully. Some Qingming rituals and ancestral veneration decorum observed by the oversea Chinese in Malaysia and Singapore can be dated back to Ming and Qing dynasties, as the oversea communities were not affected by the Cultural Revolution in Mainland China. Qingming in Malaysia is an elaborate family function or a clan feast (usually organized by the respective clan association) to commemorate and honour recently deceased relatives at their grave sites and distant ancestors from China at home altars, clan temples or makeshift altars in Buddhist or Taoist temples. For the oversea Chinese community, the Qingming festival is very much a family celebration and, at the same time, a family obligation. They see this festival as a time of reflection and to honour and give thanks to their forefathers. Overseas Chinese normally visit the graves of their recently deceased relatives on the nearest weekend to the actual date. According to the ancient custom, grave site veneration is only feasible ten days before and after the Qingming Festival. If the visit is not on the actual date, normally veneration before Qingming is encouraged. The Qingming Festival in Malaysia and Singapore normally starts early in the morning by paying respect to distant ancestors from China at home altars. This is followed by visiting the graves of close relatives in the country. Some follow the concept of filial piety to the extent of visiting the graves of their ancestors in mainland China. Traditionally, the family will burn spirit money and paper replicas of material goods such as cars, homes, phones and paper servants. In Chinese culture, it is believed that people still need all of those things in the afterlife. Then family members start take turns to kowtow three to nine times (depending on the family adherence to traditional values) before the tomb of the ancestors. The Kowtowing ritual in front of the grave is performed in the order of patriarchal seniority within the family. After the ancestor worship at the grave site, the whole family or the whole clan feast on the food and drink they brought for the worship either at the site or in nearby gardens in the memorial park, signifying family reunion with the ancestors.

Hanshi, the day before Qingming, was created by Chong'er, the Duke Wen of the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period. The festival was established after Chong'er accidentally burned to death his friend and servant Jie Zhitui (介之推) (or Jie Zitui) and Jie Zitui's mother. Chong'er ordered the hills in which they were hiding set on fire in the hope that Jie Zitui would return to his service, but the fire killed Jie and his mother. Because of this, people were not allowed to use fires to heat up food and the date became named Hanshi. Eventually, 300 years ago, the Hanshi "celebration" was combined with the Qingming festival and later abandoned by most people.

In Chinese tea culture

The Qingming festival holiday has a significance in the Chinese tea culture since this specific day divides the fresh green teas by their picking dates. Green teas made from leaves picked before this date are given the prestigious 'pre-qingming' (清明前) designation which commands a much higher price tag. These teas are prized for having much lighter and subtler aromas than those picked after the festival.

Memorial Day of Chiang Kai-shek China, Taiwan - A p r 0 5

Chiang Kai-shek (October 31, 1887 – April 5, 1975) was a 20th-century Chinese political and military leader. He is known as Jiang Jieshi (蔣 介 石 ) or Jiang Zhongzheng (蔣中正) in Mandarin Chinese. Chiang was an influential member of the Kuomintang (KMT), or Nationalist Party, and was a close ally of Sun Yat-sen.

He became the Commandant of the Kuomintang's Whampoa Military Academy, and took Sun's place as leader of the KMT when Sun died in 1925. In 1926, Chiang led the Northern Expedition to unify the country, becoming China's nominal leader.

He served as Chairman of the National Military Council of the Nationalist government of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 to 1948. Chiang led China in the Second Sino-Japanese War, during which the Nationalist government's power severely weakened, but his prominence grew. Unlike Sun Yat-sen, Chiang Kai-shek was socially conservative, promoting traditional Chinese culture in the New Life Movement and rejecting western democracy and the nationalist democratic socialism that Sun Yat-sen and some other members of the KMT embraced in favor of a nationalist authoritarian government.

Chiang's predecessor, Sun Yat-sen, was well-liked and respected by the Communists, but after Sun's death Chiang was not able to maintain good relations with the Communist Party of China (CPC). A major split between the Nationalists and Communists occurred in 1927; and, under Chiang's leadership, the Nationalists fought a nation-wide civil war against the Communists. After Japan invaded China in 1937, Chiang agreed to a temporary truce with the CPC. Despite some early cooperative military successes against Japan, by the time that the Japanese surrendered in 1945 neither the CPC nor the KMT trusted each other or were actively cooperating. After American-sponsored attempts to negotiate a coalition government failed in 1946, the Chinese Civil War resumed. The CPC defeated the Nationalists in 1949, forcing Chiang's government to retreat to Taiwan, where Chiang imposed martial law and persecuted people critical of his rule in a period known as the "White Terror". After evacuating to Taiwan, Chiang's government continued to declare its intention to retake mainland China. Chiang ruled the island securely as President of the Republic of China and General of the Kuomintang until his death in 1975. He ruled mainland China for 22 years, and Taiwan for 26 years.

Chakri Day Thailand - A p r 0 6

Thailand celebrates the 6th of April as the foundation day of their royal Chakri Dynasty which is the country’s ruling monarch to date. On this day, they give respect and honor to their kings who led the country since 1782.

History

Before the Chakri Dynasty was founded, Thailand, which was then known as the Kingdom of Siam was experiencing downfall in economy which signaled the Burmese troops to attack the country and take advantage of the land. The people, led by Thong Duang (also known as Rama I or Yodfa Chulaloke) fought back for their rights. However, they were forced to fall back by the Burmese and on the 8th of April, 1767, the Royal capital of Ayutthaya finally fell into the ruling power of Burma. The city was devastated and all its structures and properties were destroyed and taken away by the Burmese troops.

The Burmese never managed to invade Ayutthaya for long since the Siamese were aggressively fighting back as well, so they decided to withdraw after a few days of dominion. Despite the retreat, the war between the two nations never stopped and even lasted for years. And on 1779, Thong Duan was appointed to become Siam’s military commander known as Chakri and led the people to unite and fight against the attacks of the Burmese.

Chakri or King Rama I formally became the head of the Kingdom of Siam on April 6, 1782 and ruled over the nation for almost 28 years. His supremacy over Siam led to the reconstruction and reinforcement of the whole Kingdom and made the people most prepared to any foreign attack of invasion.

During the reconstruction period of the Kingdom, King Rama I proclaimed Bangkok to be the national capital of the Kingdom of Siam which was later on called Thailand.

Celebrations During the celebration of the Chakri Day which happens yearly on April 6, the citizens of the nation actively participate

into government-organized events and ceremonies which include flower offerings and worships to the previous Kings of Thailand.

The people also pay tribute to the statue of King Rama I being the first King of the Chakri Dynasty. This is held at King Rama I’s monument at the Royal Pantheon participated by the members of the government offices, ministers and the Thai people nationwide.

Drop of Water is a Grain of Gold Day Turkmenistan - Apr 06

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov congratulated workers of the water economy of Turkmenistan on the national holiday "A drop of water is a grain of gold" celebrated annually on the first Sunday of April. As the Ashgabat correspondent of Turkmenistan.ru reports, the message by the head of state was published in central mass media outlets yesterday. "The Turkmen people treat water as the priceless gift of nature, as the sacred wealth without which life would be impossible, the address says.

That is why Turkmenistan will continue seeing the development of water economy as one of the most important areas of state policy which will be in the focus of out attention." Water reservoirs named after the 15th anniversary of independence, Hauzhan, Kopetdag, Saryniyaz water reservoirs, "Dostluk" water reservoir built on the border with the Islamic Republic of Iran, dozens of other existing or under-construction hydro-facilities are a striking example of state care of water economy, Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov said. Speaking about the Turkmen lake which is currently being built in the Karakum desert, Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov emphasized the importance of this facility for the country's development. "This facility will provide our descendants with plenty of water. It will quench the Turkmen soil's thirst and enhance its fertility, the message says. Large-scale work is under way to provide population with clean drinking water. Water purification facilities have been built in the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat as well as in Ahal, Balkan, Mary, Lebap and Dashoguz provinces. We will keep paying particular attention to quality of drinking water. Water purification facilities built in every city and village will serve people." The Turkmen leader urged to take care and protect water springs, "consume water with care all along its stream - from river head to fields." "I am sure that all of you, having united and having become a single whole, will aim your concerted efforts, patriotic spirit, forces and abilities at resolving the main task - the fulfillment of your stated commitments - and will stand up to this task with honor," the message says.

Tartan Day International - Apr 06

Tartan Day is a celebration Scottish of heritage on April 6, the date on which the Declaration of Arbroath was signed in 1320. A oneoff event was held in New York City in 1982, but the current format originated in Canada in the mid 1980s.

It spread to other communities of the Scottish diaspora in the 1990s.

In Australasia the similar International Tartan Day is held on July 1, the anniversary of the repeal of the 1747 Act of Proscription that banned the wearing of tartan.

Tartan Days typically have parades of pipe bands, Highland dancing and other Scottish-themed events.

Origins In 1982, under the auspices of the New York Caledonian Club, New York State Governor Hugh Carey, and New

York City Mayor Ed Koch declared July 1, 1982, as Tartan Day, a one-time celebration of the 200th anniversary of the repeal of the Act of Proscription of August 12, 1747, the law forbidding Scots to wear tartan.

On March 9, 1986, a 'Tartan Day' to promote Scottish heritage in Canada, was proposed at a meeting of the Federation of Scottish Clans in Nova Scotia. Jean Watson, President of Clan Lamont, petitioned provincial legislatures to recognize April 6 as Tartan Day. The first such proclamation was by Nova Scotia in April 1987; other provinces followed suit until Quebec was the last to fall in line, in December 2003.

In Australia, wearing tartan on July 1 has been encouraged since 1989. The day has been promoted as International Tartan Day in Australia since 1996 and has been formally recognized by many states, but not at national level. The United States Senate recognized April 6 as Tartan Day in 1998.

Canada Canada estimates 15.1% or 4.7 million Canadians claim Scottish descent. As stated above, Tartan Day in Canada

originated with a proposal from the Federation of Scottish Clans in Nova Scotia and has since been proclaimed by all the provincial legislatures. In 2007 Peter Stoffer introduced a Private member's bill for "An Act respecting a Tartan Day". Progress of the bill was interrupted by the 2008 election, but it has been resubmitted.

An annual 'Gathering of the Clans' will take place each April 6 or on the Sunday nearest to it on Parliament Hill in Ottawa at noon with pipes, drums, and dancing hosted by the Sons of Scotland Pipe Band, Canada's oldest civilian pipe band. The celebrations in 2011 will also mark the first time that Tartan Day has been celebrated with Canada's official tartan having been named- the Maple Leaf.

Australia and New Zealand

Three million Australians are either Scottish or of Scottish descent. International Tartan Day in Australia and New Zealand is celebrated on a local basis in most states on July 1 (or by some community organizations on the nearest Sunday), the anniversary of the Repeal Proclamation of 1782 annulling the Act of Proscription of 1747, which had made wearing tartan an offense punishable with up to seven years' transportation. According to Scottish House secretary Moyna Scotland, the tendency to disguise Scottish associations was mirrored in Australia: 'Scots did what they were told to do when they came to Australia assimilate and integrate and they almost disappeared', and consequently one aim of Tartan Day is to help Australians reconnect with their Scottish ancestry. A tartan revival started in 1822, and Queensland and Australia have their own tartans.

In 1989 the Scottish Australian Heritage Council began to encourage Australians to wear tartan on July 1, when more than half a million Australians gather for a celebration of Scottish heritage, combining nostalgia with Australian citizenship ceremonies, and fund-raising for charitable causes such as drought assistance. Australians without a family tartan are invited to wear the Royal Stewart tartan or the military tartan of the Black Watch. Tartan articles worn on the day include hats, ties and socks. There are many pipe band associations in both Australia and New Zealand, some originating in disbanded Second World War army battalions, and almost 30 heritage events in Australia alone. Some clans, notably the McLeods of South Australia, come together in private events to honor their chief, recite Burns, consume haggis and take part in Highland dancing. A butcher in Maclean, New South Wales, 'the Scottish town in Australia', reportedly celebrates the day by selling haggis burgers.

Since 2001 the Scottish Australian Heritage Council and Australian branch of the Scottish National Party have petitioned Canberra for federal recognition of International Tartan Day to celebrate the Scottish contribution to Australian history, including the influence of Scottish radicalism on the trade union movement and the Labor Party, and Australia's allegedly 'egalitarian and meritocratic' society. In 2008 Linda Fabiani, the then Scottish culture minister, floated a proposal to expand the Australian event into an official Scotland Week as part of the Scottish government's international business strategy.

United States In the United States it is estimated that there are 6 million people who claim Scottish descent. Little was done to

follow up the New York event in 1982. In 1998, a Coalition of Scottish Americans with the Support of Senator Trent Lott, successfully lobbied the Senate for the designation of April 6 as National Tartan Day "to recognize the outstanding achievements and contributions made by Scottish Americans to the United States". Senate Resolution 155, passed on March 20, 1998, referred to the predominance of Scots among the Founding Fathers and claimed that the American Declaration of Independence was "modeled on" the Declaration of Arbroath. While this link is plausible, it has not been definitively proven. This is just one opinion. There is a great bit of proof given in the book entitled "Scottish Invention of America, Democracy and Human Rights" and to some degree in the book entitled " How the Scots Invented the Modern World". Thomas Jefferson's education was heavily influenced by Scottish thought.

In 2004, the National Capital Tartan Day Committee, a coalition of Scottish-American organizations, successfully lobbied the US House of Representatives. On March 9, 2005, the United States House of Representatives unanimously adopted House Resolution 41, which designates April 6 of each year as "National Tartan Day.” H.Res.41 Chief Sponsors were Congressmen Mike McIntyre from North Carolinaand John Duncan from Tennessee.

On April 4, 2008, President George Bush signed a Presidential Proclamation making April 6th National Tartan Day. Here is the content of the Presidential Proclamation: 2008 PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION President George Bush today signed on April 4th 2008 a Presidential Proclamation making April 6th National Tartan Day! Proclamation signed by the President of the United States: Americans of Scottish descent have made enduring contributions to our Nation with their hard work, faith, and values.

On National Tartan Day, we celebrate the spirit and character of Scottish Americans and recognize their many contributions to our culture and our way of life.

Scotland and the United States have long shared ties of family and friendship, and many of our country's most cherished customs and ideals first grew to maturity on Scotland's soil. The Declaration of Arbroath, the Scottish Declaration of Independence signed in 1320, embodied the Scots' strong dedication to liberty, and the Scots brought that tradition of freedom with them to the New World. Sons and daughters of many Scottish clans were among the first immigrants to settle in America, and their determination and optimism helped build our Nation's character. Several of our Founding Fathers were of Scottish descent, as have been many Presidents and Justices of the United States Supreme Court. Many Scottish Americans, such as Andrew Carnegie, were great philanthropists, founding and supporting numerous scientific, educational, and civic institutions. From the evocative sounds of the bagpipes to the great sport of golf, the Scots have also left an indelible mark on American culture.

National Tartan Day is an opportunity to celebrate all Americans who claim Scottish ancestry, and we are especially grateful for the service in our Armed Forces of Scottish Americans who have answered the call to protect our Nation.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 6, 2008, as National Tartan Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day by celebrating the continued friendship between the people of Scotland and the United States and by recognizing the contributions of Scottish Americans to our Nation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.

GEORGE W. BUSH The Tunes of Glory Parade organized by Magnus Orr and Thomas Grotrian in 2002 saw 8,250 pipers and drummers march through the streets of New York led by Sir Sean Connery and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. They were the centerpiece of the event where thousands of Americans celebrated their links to Scotland. One of Scotland's national treasures, William Wallace's sword, left Scotland for the first time in 700 years and was flown to New York for the Tartan Week celebrations of 2005.

Outside New York City, one of the largest Tartan Day celebrations in the United States takes place each year on the weekend closest to April 6 on the banks of the Missouri river in St. Charles, Missouri. The Missouri Tartan Day Festival began in April 2000, after successful lobbying at the State Capital in Jefferson City, members of the St. Andrew and Celtic Societies of St. Louis, Kansas City, Jefferson City and Springfield, Missouri, gathered on the steps of the State Capitol in Jefferson City to receive the first proclamation of Tartan Day in Missouri. This was for the year 2000 only.

In addition to the above celebrations, the Washington, DC, and Baltimore, Maryland, Scottish-American Societies hold Tartan Day Celebrations. These celebrations include a Congressional Reception hosted by Congressman McIntyre and Congressman Duncan and organized by the National Capital Tartan Day Committee, a Tartan Day Festival in Alexandria, Virginia, and various social and educational programs in the first two weeks in April.

Scotland Angus Council, whose region includes Arbroath, established the first Tartan Day festival in Scotland on April 6, 2004, and has since joined other regional councils in attempting to develop its potential as a global celebration. In 2006 events were held in Arbroath, Aberdeen,Montrose, Kilmarnock, Stirling, Perth, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Argentina

Argentina claims around 100,000 people of Scottish descent, the largest such community outside the English-speaking world. The Tartan Day parade of Scottish porteños was inaugurated in Buenos Aires on April 6, 2006. The bearer of the key to Arbroath Abbey attended the march in 2008.

Flower Festival Japan - Apr 08

Hana-Matsuri refers to the memorial service performed at temples throughout Japan to celebrate the birth of Buddha on April 8th. It is formally called Kanbutsue. On this day, small buildings decorated with flowers are made at temples and a tanjobustu (baby Buddha figurine) is placed inside. This figurine is sprinkled by worshippers using a ladle with ama-cha, which is a beverage made by soaking tealeaves in hot water Some people take this ama-cha home and drink it as holy water.

Day of Beauty & Mother's Armenia - A p r 0 7

Mothers’ Day is celebrated all over the world as a mark of respect to all the mothers, recognizing their efforts and significance to each and every family. The Armenians commemorate Mothers’ Day every 7th of April. This is also a Beauty Day dedicated to all women in the country.

History The modern celebration of Mothers’ Day was started

by Anna Jarvis, an American from the town of Grafton in West Virginia who was born on May 1, 1864. She was the 9th child of the couple, Anna Marie and Granville Jarvis.

She spent her childhood in Grafton and attended college at the Augusta Female Academy which is now called Mary Baldwin College. Right after she finished her studies, she pursued her career as a teacher and worked for almost seven years.

The Mothers’ Day inspiration of Anna came from her mother who frequently told Anna about her yearning for a memorial day that will serve as a tribute day to all mothers for their unconditional and matchless service to their families and to the country.

Soon after the death of Anna’s father, she, her sister and their mother moved to their brother who was then living in Philadelphia. From then, Anna continued her life and career. When her mother died on May 9, 1905, she pursued the campaign of establishing a commemoration day to all mothers to fulfill her mother’s long time aspiration.

Before the Civil War, exactly at the first anniversary of her mother’s death, Anna, together with her colleagues established Mothers Day Work Club whose aim was to recognize and award the accomplishments of mothers. Anna took this event seriously and sent several propositions to different offices of the government to pass a national day celebration for mothers. Because of Anna’s remarkable wit and influence, her advocacy gained a lot of supporters and followers which led to the official acknowledgement of the national Memorial Day for mothers.

On the third death anniversary of her mother, a program dedicated for all mothers was organized and funded by Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton and some organizations in Philadelphia.

The newly recognized Memorial Day received a lot of positive reactions and the celebration went over and adopted by the different States and neighboring countries. In fact during the 1909, 45 States of the USA, including Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico acknowledged it as well and started a yearly formal celebration during this special time.

The official proclamation declaring Mothers’ Day as a public holiday was held at West Virginia on April 26, 1910.

And when Jarvis passed away, the celebration was recognized worldwide in more than 40 countries.

Many countries celebrate Mothers’ Day in many different dates but mostly during the second Sunday of May. In Armenia, they commemorate Mothers’ Day every 7th day of April along with the Beauty Day for all women.

Celebrations

Women are the stars of this day as they are pampered with flowers, presents, and sweets like chocolates and are given tributes and programs, too. Also, the president of Armenia and other high offices in the country hold several speeches and messages to pass on good wishes to women all over the country.

The holiday is also a time for families to visit the churches and attend fellowship services.

Genocide Remembrance Day Rwanda - Apr 07

The Rwandan Genocide was a genocidal mass slaughter of Tutsi and moderate Hutu in Rwanda by members of the Hutu majority.

During the approximate 100-day period from April 7, 1994, to mid-July, an estimated 500,000–1,000,000 Rwandans were killed, constituting as much as 20% of the country's total population and 70% of the Tutsi then living in Rwanda. The genocide was planned by members of the core political elite known as the akazu, many of whom occupied positions at top levels of the national government. Perpetrators came from the ranks of the Rwandan army, the National Police (gendarmerie), government-backed militias including the Interahamwe and Impuzamugambi, and the Hutu civilian population.

The genocide took place in the context of the Rwandan Civil War, an ongoing conflict beginning in 1990 between the Hutu-led government and the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), which was largely composed of Tutsi refugees whose families had fled to Uganda following earlier waves of Hutu violence against the Tutsi. International pressure on the Hutu-led government of Juvénal Habyarimana resulted in a cease-fire in 1993 with a roadmap to implement the Arusha Accords that would create a power-sharing government with the RPF. This agreement displeased many conservative Hutu, including members of the Akazu, who viewed it as conceding to enemy demands. Among the broader Hutu populace, the RPF military campaign had also intensified support for the so-called "Hutu Power" ideology, which portrayed the RPF as an alien force intent on reinstating the Tutsi monarchy and enslaving the Hutus, a prospect met with extreme opposition.

On April 6, 1994, an airplane carrying Habyarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira was shot down on its descent into Kigali, killing all on board. Genocidal killings began the following day: soldiers, police and militia quickly executed key Tutsi and moderate Hutu leaders, then erected checkpoints and barricades and used Rwandans' national identity cards to systematically verify their ethnicity and kill Tutsi. These forces recruited or pressured Hutu civilians to arm themselves with machetes, clubs, blunt objects and other weapons to rape, maim and kill their Tutsi neighbors and destroy or steal their property. The breach of the peace agreement led the RPF to restart their offensive and rapidly seize control of the northern part of the country before capturing Kigali in mid-July, bringing an end to the genocide. During these events and in their aftermath, the United Nations (UN) and countries including the United States, Great Britain and Belgium were criticized for their inaction, including failure to strengthen the force and mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) peacekeepers, while observers criticized the government of France for alleged support of the genocidal regime after the genocide had begun.

The genocide had a lasting and profound impact on Rwanda and its neighboring countries. The pervasive use of war rape caused a spike in HIV infection, including babies born of rape to newly infected mothers; many households were headed by orphaned children or widows. The destruction of infrastructure and a severe depopulation of the country crippled the economy, challenging the nascent government to achieve rapid economic growth and stabilization. The RPF military victory and installation of an RPF-dominated government prompted many Hutus to flee to neighboring countries, particularly in the east- Human skulls at the Nyamata Genocide Meern portion of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) where the Hutu genocidaires morial. began to regroup in refugee camps along the border with Rwanda. Declaring a need to avert further genocide, the RPF-led government led military incursions into Zaire, including the First (1996–97) and Second (1998–2003) Congo Wars. Armed struggles between the Rwandan government and their opponents in DRC have continued to play out through proxy militias in the Goma region, including the M23 rebellion (2003–2013). Large Rwandan Hutu and Tutsi populations continue to live as refugees throughout the region. Today, Rwanda has two public holidays commemorating the genocide. The national commemoration period begins with Genocide Memorial Day on April 7 and concludes with Liberation Day on July 4. The week following April 7 is designated an official week of mourning. The Rwandan Genocide served as the impetus for creating the International Criminal Court to eliminate the need for ad hoc tribunals to prosecute those accused in future incidents of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Background

Pre-colonial kingdoms and origins of Hutu, Tutsi and Twa

The earliest inhabitants of what is now Rwanda were the Twa, a group of aboriginal pygmy hunter-gatherers who settled in the area between 8000 BC and 3000 BC and remain in Rwanda today. Between 700 BC and 1500 AD, a number of Bantu groups migrated into Rwanda, and began to clear forest land for agriculture. Historians have several theories regarding the nature of the Bantu migrations: an older theory asserts the first settlers were Hutu, while the Tutsi migrated later and formed a distinct racial group, possibly of Cushitic origin. More recent research suggests the migration was slow and steady from neighboring regions, with incoming groups bearing high genetic similarity to the established ones and integrating into rather than conquering the existing society. Under this theory, the Hutu and Tutsi distinction arose later and was not a racial one, but principally a class or caste distinction in which the Tutsi herded cattle while the Hutu farmed the land. The Hutu, Tutsi and Twa of Rwanda share a common language and are collectively known as the Banyarwanda.

The population coalesced, first into clans (ubwoko), and then, by 1700, into around eight kingdoms. One of the kingdoms, the Kingdom of Rwanda, ruled by the Tutsi Nyiginya clan, became increasingly dominant from the mid-eighteenth century and expanded through a process of conquest and assimilation, achieving its greatest extent under the reign of King Kigeli Rwabugiri from 1853–95. Rwabugiri expanded the kingdom west and north and initiated administrative reforms; these included ubuhake, in which Tutsi patrons ceded cattle, and therefore privileged status, to Hutu or Tutsi clients in exchange for economic and personal service, and uburetwa, a corvée system in which Hutu were forced to work for Tutsi chiefs. Rwabugiri's changes deepened the socio-economic and power divisions between the Hutu and Tutsi populations.

Colonial era

The Berlin Conference of 1884 assigned the territory to Germany and began a policy of ruling through the Rwandan monarchy; this system had the added benefit of enabling colonization with small European troop numbers. European colonists, convinced the Tutsi had migrated to Rwanda from Ethiopia, believed the Tutsi were more Caucasian than the Hutu and were therefore racially superior and better suited to carry out colonial administrative tasks. King Yuhi V Musinga welcomed the Germans, whom he used to strengthen his rule. Belgian forces took control of Rwanda and Burundi during World War I, and the country was formally passed to Belgian control by a League of Nations mandate in 1919.

The Belgians initially continued the German style of governing through the monarchy, but from 1926 began a policy of more direct colonial rule in line with the system already used in the Belgian Congo. They simplified the chieftaincy system, reducing its numbers and concentrating it in the hands of Tutsi, extended the A reconstruction of the King of scale and scope of uburetwa, and oversaw a land reform Rwanda's palace at Nyanza process by the Tutsi chiefs, in which grazing areas traditionally under the control of Hutu collectives were seized and privatised, with minimal compensation. In the 1930s, the Belgians introduced large-scale projects in education, health, public works, and agricultural supervision. The country was thus modernised but Tutsi supremacy remained, leaving the Hutu disenfranchised and subject to large scale forced labour. In 1935, Belgium introduced identity cards labelling each individual as either Tutsi, Hutu, Twa or Naturalised. While it had previously been possible for particularly wealthy Hutu to become honorary Tutsi, the identity cards prevented any further movement between the classes. The Catholic Church became increasingly important in Rwanda, as the Belgian government relied on the clergy's local knowledge; many Rwandans became Catholics as a means of social advancement. In the interwar period, the Catholic Church favored Tutsi enrollment in their mission schools, which taught French and other key skills required for civil service and leadership positions.

Revolution and Hutu-Tutsi relations after independence

After World War II, a Hutu emancipation movement began to grow in Rwanda, fuelled by increasing resentment of the inter-war social reforms, and also an increasing sympathy for the Hutu within the Catholic Church. Catholic missionaries increasingly viewed themselves as responsible for empowering the underprivileged Hutu rather than the Tutsi elite, leading rapidly to the formation of a sizeable Hutu clergy and educated elite that provided a new counterbalance to the established Tutsi political order. The monarchy and prominent Tutsi sensed the growing influence of the Hutu and began to agitate for immediate independence on their own terms. In 1957, a group of Hutu scholars wrote the "Bahutu Manifesto". This was the first document to label the Tutsi and Hutu as separate races, and called for the transfer of power from Tutsi to Hutu based on what it termed "statistical law". On 1 November 1959 a Hutu sub-chief, Dominique Mbonyumutwa, was attacked in Kigali by supporters of the pro-Tutsi party. Mbonyumutwa survived, but rumours began spreading that he had been killed. Hutu activists responded by killing Tutsi, both the elite and ordinary civilians, marking the beginning of the Rwandan Revolution. The Tutsi responded with attacks of their own, but by this stage the Hutu had full backing from the Belgian administration who wanted to overturn the Tutsi domination. In early 1960, the Belgians replaced most Tutsi chiefs with Hutu and organised mid-year commune elections which returned an overwhelming Hutu majority. The king was deposed, a Hutu dominated republic created, and the country became independent in 1962.

As the revolution progressed, Tutsi began leaving the country to escape the Hutu purges, settling in the four neighbouring countries Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania and Zaire. These exiles, unlike the Banyarwanda who migrated during the pre-colonial and colonial era, were regarded as refugees in their host countries, and began almost immediately to agitate for a return to Rwanda. They formed armed groups, known as inyenzi (cockroaches), who launched attacks into Rwanda; these were largely unsuccessful, and led to further reprisal killings of Tutsi and further Tutsi exiles. By 1964, more than 300,000 Tutsi had fled, and were forced to remain in exile for the next three decades. Pro-Hutu discrimination continued in Rwanda itself, although the indiscriminate violence against the Tutsi did reduce somewhat following a coup in 1973, which brought President Juvenal Habyarimana to power.

At 408 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,060/sq mi), Rwanda's population density is amongst the highest in Africa.

Rwanda's population had increased from 1.6 million people in 1934 to 7.1 million in 1989, leading to competition for land. Historians such as Gérard Prunier believe that the 1994 genocide can be partly attributed to the population density.

Rwandan Civil War

In the 1980s, a group of 500 Rwandan refugees in Uganda, led by Fred Rwigyema, fought with the rebel National Resistance Army (NRA) in the Ugandan Bush War, which saw Yoweri Museveni overthrow Milton Obote. These soldiers remained in the Ugandan army following Museveni's inauguration as Ugandan president, but simultaneously began planning an invasion of Rwanda through a covert network within the army's ranks. In October 1990, Rwigyema led a force of over 4,000 rebels from Uganda, advancing 60 km (37 mi) into Rwanda under the banner of the Rwandan Patriotic Front(RPF). Rwigyema was killed on the third day of the attack, and France and Zaire deployed forces in support of the Rwandan army, allowing them to repel the invasion. Rwigyema's deputy, Paul Kagame took command of the RPF forces, organising a tactical retreat through Uganda to the Virunga Mountains, a rugged area of northern Rwanda. From there he rearmed and reorganised the army, and carried out fundraising and recruitment from the Tutsi diaspora.

Kagame restarted the war in January 1991, with a surprise attack on the northern town of Ruhengeri. The RPF captured the town, benefiting from the element of surprise, and held it for one day before retreating back to the forests.

For the next year, the RPF waged a classic hit-and-run style guerrilla war, capturing some border areas but not making significant gains in the war against the Rwandan army. In June 1992, following the formation of a multiparty coalition government in Kigali, the RPF announced a ceasefire and began negotiations with the Rwandan government in Arusha, Tanzania. In early 1993, several extremist Hutu groups formed and began campaigns of large scale violence against the Tutsi. The RPF responded by suspending peace talks and launching a major attack, gaining a large swathe of land across the north of the country. Peace negotiations eventually resumed in Arusha; the resulting set of agreements, known as the Arusha Accords, were signed in August 1993 and gave the RPF positions in a Broad-Based Transitional Government (BBTG) and in the national army. The United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR), a peacekeeping force, arrived in the country and the RPF were given a base in the national parliament building in Kigali, for use during the setting up of the BBTG.

Hutu Power movement

In the early years of Habyarimana's regime, there was greater economic prosperity and a reduced amount of violence against Tutsi. Many hardline anti-Tutsi figures remained, however, including the family of the first lady Agathe Habyarimana, who were known as the akazu or clan de Madame, and the president relied on them to maintain his regime. When the RPF invaded in 1990, Habyarimana and the hardliners exploited the fear of the population to advance an anti-Tutsi agenda which became known as Hutu Power. A group of military officers and government members founded a magazine called Kangura, which became popular throughout the country. This published anti-Tutsi propaganda, including the Hutu Ten Commandments, an explicit set of racist guidelines including labelling Hutu who married Tutsi as "traitors". In 1992, the hardliners created the Coalition for the Defence of the Republic (CDR) party, which was linked to the ruling party but more right wing and promoted an agenda critical of the president's alleged "softness" towards the RPF. Following the 1992 ceasefire agreement between Habyarimana and the RPF, a number of the extremists in the Rwandan government and army began actively plotting against the president, worried about the possibility of Tutsi being included in government. Habyarimana attempted to remove the hardliners from senior army positions, but was only partially successful; akazu affiliates Augustin Ndindiliyimana and Theoneste Bagosora remained in powerful posts, providing the hardline family with a link to power. Throughout 1992, the hardliners carried out campaigns of localised killings of Tutsi, culminating in January 1993, in which extremists and local Hutu murdered around 300 people. When the RPF resumed hostilities in February 1993, it cited these killings as the primary motive, but its effect was to increase support for the extremists amongst the Hutu population.

From mid-1993, the Hutu Power movement represented a third major force in Rwandan politics in addition to Habyarimana's government and the traditional moderate opposition. Apart from the CDR, there was no party that was exclusively part of the Power movement. Instead, almost every party was split into "moderate" and "Power" wings, with the members of each camp both claiming to represent the legitimate leadership of that party. Even the ruling party contained a Power wing, consisting of those who opposed Habyarimana's intention to sign a peace deal with the RPF. Several radical youth militia groups emerged, attached to the Power wings of the parties; these included the Interahamwe, which was attached to the ruling party, and the CDR's Impuzamugambi. The youth militia began actively carrying out massacres across the country. The army trained the militias, sometimes in conjunction with the French, who were unaware of their true purpose.

Toussaint L'Ouverture Day Haiti - Apr 07

François-Dominique Toussaint Louverture also Toussaint Bréda, Toussaint-Louverture (c. 1743 – April 7, 1803) was the leader of the Haitian Revolution. His military genius and political acumen led to the establishment of the independent black state of Haiti, transforming an entire society of slaves into a free, self-governing people. The success of the Haitian Revolution shook the institution of slavery throughout the New World.

Toussaint Louverture began his military career as a leader of the 1791 slave rebellion in the French colony of Saint Domingue. Initially allied with the Spaniards of neighboring Santo Domingo, Toussaint switched allegiance to the French when they abolished slavery. He gradually established control over the whole island, expelled British invaders and used political and military tactics to gain dominance over his rivals. Throughout his years in power, he worked to improve the economy and security of Saint Domingue. He restored the plantation system using free labour, negotiated trade treaties with Britain and the United States and maintained a large and well-disciplined army.

In 1801 he promulgated an autonomist constitution for the colony, with himself as governor for life. In 1802 he was forced to resign by forces sent by Napoleon Bonaparte to restore French authority in the colony. He was deported to France, where he died in 1803. The Haitian Revolution continued under his lieutenant, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, who declared independence in 1804.

Memorials

On August 29, 1954, the Haitian ambassador to France, Léon Thébaud, inaugurated a stone cross memorial for Toussaint Louverture at the foot of the fort. Years afterward, the French government ceremoniously presented a shovelful of soil from the grounds of Fort-de-Joux to the Haitian government as a symbolic transfer of Toussaint Louverture's remains. A plaque in his memory can be found in the Panthéon in Paris, inscribed with the following description: Combattant de la liberté, artisan de l'abolition de l'esclavage, héros haïtien mort déporté au Fort-de-Joux en 1803.

(Combatant for liberty, artisan of the abolition of slavery, Haitian hero died in deportation at Fort-de-Joux in 1803.)

Women's Day Mozambique - A p r 0 7

Aside from the International Women’s Day which is observed worldwide every March 8, Mozambique also has a National yearly celebration for their Women’s Day held each April 7th.

The yearly celebration of National Women’s Day of the Mozambicans was intended to honor one of the most significant women of Mozambique, Josina Machel. It is also a day for the people to pay tribute to the women and their contribution to the country through their campaign for human rights and fair treatment between the men and women.

History

Josina Machel was one the many who played a significant role in the history of Mozambique during the Portuguese regime. Machel was among the volunteers who were designated to serve at the Liberation Front of Mozambique or FRELIMO to fight for the national independence. She worked as an assistant director at the Mozambique Institute in Tanzania. Because of her dedication to serving the country, Machel even refused to accept an outstanding offer to be a scholar at a premier university in Switzerland. Instead, she chose to remain as a volunteer for FRELIMO’s Women’s Branch which aimed to offer military training to women and have them equipped and prepared for a military struggle.

She was among the few chosen women who underwent military training at Nachingweya in Cabo Delgado. And during the peak of 1968, she was assigned as the head of the Women’s Section under the International Relations Department of FRELIMO which was only at her early 20’s by then. Shortly after that, she became the head of the Department of Social Affairs of FRELIMO and held several projects and programs concerning the children and the women.

And on the tragic year of 1970, Josina Machel was diagnosed with liver cancer. She went to Moscow for just a short period of time of treatment and quickly went back to her country to fulfill her obligations in the FRELIMO. She suffered much stress and pain because of her illness and became very weak. On April 7, 1971 while she was at the Muhimbili Hospital, Josina Machel died at the age of 25.

On the anniversary of her death, FRELIMO officially announced that April 7 will be a National Day for Women in Mozambique in special remembrance to Josina Machel. On March 1973, The FRELIMO, which was inspired by Josina Machel and her campaign for human rights, established the National Organization of Mozambican Women which aims to protect the social rights of the Mozambican Women. This inspiration left by Machel later on led to the Mozambican independence on 1975.

Celebrations

Every year on April 7, the Mozambicans gather in many different parts of the country to hold several programs and activities to pay tribute to their national heroine Josina Machel.

The day indication as well for the people to celebrate and rejoice for their country’s achievements and accomplishments. Despite the many catastrophes and disasters that country went through in the past, the people still continue to stay positive and proud for their nationality and for their country.

Health Day Worldwide - Apr 07

World Health Day is celebrated every year on 7 April, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO).

In 1948, the World Health Organization held the First World Health Assembly. The Assembly decided to celebrate 7 April of each year, with effect from 1950, as the World Health Day. The World Health Day is held to mark WHO's founding, and is seen as an opportunity by the organization to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health each year. The WHO organizes international, regional and local events on the Day related to a particular theme. Resources provided continue beyond 7 April, that is, the designated day for celebrating the World Health Day. World Health Day is acknowledged by various governments and non-governmental organizations with interests in public health isssues, who also organize activities and highlight their support in media reports, such as through press releases issued in recent years by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Global Health Council.

World Health Day 2012

The theme of World Health Day 2012, marked on 7 April 2012, is devoted to "Ageing and Health". Life expectancy is going up in most countries, meaning more and more people live longer and enter an age when they may need health care. Meanwhile birth rates are generally falling. Countries and health care systems will need to find innovative and sustainable ways to cope with the demographic shift. As reported by John Beard, director of the WHO Department of Ageing and Life Course, "With the rapid ageing of populations, finding the right model forlong-term care becomes more and more urgent."

Valour Day Philippines - A p r 0 9

Araw ng Kagitingan (English:"Day of Valour") is a national holiday in the Philippines which commemorates the fall of Bataan during World War II. It falls annually on April 9, although in 2009 President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo moved it to April 6 in order to create a long weekend.

History

At dawn, 9 April 1942, against the orders of Generals Douglas MacArthur and Jonathan Wainwright, Major General Edward P. King, Jr., commanding Luzon Force, Bataan, Philippine Islands, surrendered more than 76,000 (67,000 Filipinos, 1,000 Chinese Filipinos, and 11,796 Americans) starving and disease-ridden men.

The majority of the prisoners of war were immediately robbed of their keepsakes and belongings and subsequently forced to endure a 90-mile (140 km) march in deep dust over vehicle-broken macadam roads and crammed into rail cars to captivity at Camp O'Donnell. En route, thousands died from dehydration, heat prostration, untreated wounds, and wanton execution.

Those few who were lucky enough to travel on trucks to San Fernando would still have to endure more than 25 additional miles of marching. Prisoners were beaten randomly and often denied promised food and water. Those who fell behind were usually executed or left to die; the sides of the roads became littered with dead bodies and those moaning for assistance.

On the Bataan Death March, approximately 54,000 of the 72,000 prisoners reached their destination. The death toll of the march is difficult to assess because thousands of captives were able to escape from their guards. All told, approximately 5,000-10,000 Filipino and 600-650 American prisoners of war died before they could reach Camp O'Donnell.

National Sibling Day U.S. - A p r 1 0

National Siblings Day (NSD) is celebrated on April 10 each year in the USA. It is the brainchild of Claudia A. Evart, who created it after the deaths of her brother and sister. She wanted a day for all Americans to think about the importance of the relationships they have with their brothers and sisters. She created a Siblings Day Foundation to establish this special day and has managed to get 40 state governors to declare Siblings Day in their states. More and more people are accepting NSD and it now has a “Special Mark” from the US Patent and Trademark Office. If it keeps growing in popularity, it could be up there on the holiday calendar with Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

Martyr's Day Tunisia - A p r 0 9

Martyrs’ Day is celebrated every April 9 each year to commemorate the lives of people who battled for the country’s inagainst the dependence French rule on 1956.

History

Tunisia was ruled over by the French colonies during the period of 1881 to 1956. Despite this condition, Tunisia still remained as a supreme monarch in which Tunisian ministers were still elected in the higher office. Due to the support of the French, the government of Tunisia became stable and well-established. However, during the World War I, a Destour Constitution Party was established which demanded for the creation of a new constitution that will give the Tunisians equal rights with the Europeans. And on 1934, a NeoDestour was formed under the leadership of a Tunisian lawyer named Habib Bourguiba. This new organization presented its propaganda to the public to further increase its supporters. The French disagreed with the establishment of the Neo-Destour which resulted in to conflicts between the two parties. Several rallies and political divergence sparked because of the Neo-Destour. The French felt threatened about the organization which led to the arrest and deportation of Bourguiba and his followers to France. On April 9, 1938, there was an encounter between the parties involved and at least 22 Tunisians were killed and more than a hundred were wounded. It was only on 1942 that they were released by the Nazis, followed by the German occupation that Hitler started thinking they could convince Bourguiba to participate and support the Axis powers and fight back the Allied invasion of Africa but they failed to convince him. When the Nazi’s advocacy was finally abolished, Bourguiba returned to Tunisia and continued his campaign for Tunisia’s independence and he re-established the Neo-Destour. Along with his group, they planted several attacks on the colonial facilities of the French empire. The French put Bouguiba into prison for almost two years but the Tunisians were never torn apart and still continued their battle for independence. In June of 1954, the French granted the withdrawal of their facilities in Tunisia which was an order from the administration of French president Pierre Medes. And on 1955, shortly after France granted full sovereignty to Morocco, Tunisia also achieved its independence. An on April 1955, an official proclamation was announced regarding the agreement for Tunisia’s full autonomy from the French. In memory of the civilians who died in this battle, the government of Tunisia formally declared the 9th of April as a commemoration day to the Martyrs’ of the country.

Celebrations

Martyrs’ Day celebration in Tunisia involves a solemn gathering to honor and pay tribute to the heroes of the war who sacrificed their lives for the sovereignty of the country.

The celebration of the holiday involves speeches and tributary speeches from government officials and the leaders from civic groups.

Day of National Unity Georgia - A p r 0 9

The April 9 tragedy (also known as Tbilisi Massacre, Tbilisi tragedy) refers to the events in Tbilisi,Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, on April 9, 1989, when an anti-Soviet demonstration was dispersed by the Soviet Army, resulting in 20 deaths and hundreds of injuries. April 9 is now remembered as the Day of National Unity (Georgian: ეროვნული ერთიანობის დღე), an annual public holiday.

Prelude

The anti-Soviet movement became more active in the Georgian SSR in 1988. Several strikes and meetings were organized by anti-Soviet political organizations in Tbilisi. The conflict between the Sovietgovernment and Georgian nationalists deepened after the so-called Lykhny Assembly on March 18, 1989, when several thousand Abkhaz demanded secession from Georgia and restoration of the Union republic status of 1921–1931. In response, the anti-Soviet groups organized a series of unsanctioned meetings across the republic, claiming that the Soviet government was using Abkhaz separatism in order to oppose the pro-independence movement.

The protests reached their peak on April 4, 1989, when tens of thousands of Georgians gathered before the House of Government on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi. The protesters, led by the Independence Committee (Merab Kostava, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Giorgi Chanturia, Irakli Bathiashvili, Irakli Tsereteli and others) organized a peaceful demonstration and hunger strikes, demanding the punishment of Abkhaz secessionists and restoration of Georgian independence.

Local soviet authorities lost control over the situation in the capital and were unable to contain the protests. First Secretary of the Georgian Communist Party Jumber Patiashvili asked USSR leadership to send troops to restore order and impose curfew.

The demonstrations

In the evening of April 8, 1989, Colonel General Igor Rodionov, Commander of the Transcaucasus Military District, ordered his troops to mobilize. Moments before the attack by the Soviet forces, the Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II addressed the demonstrators asking them to leave Rustaveli Avenue and the vicinity of the government building due to the danger which accumulated during the day after appearance of Soviet tanks near the avenue. The demonstrators refused to disband even after the Patriarch's plea. The local Georgian militsiya (police) units were disarmed just before the operation.

On April 9, at 3:45 a.m., Soviet APCs and troops under General Igor Rodionov surrounded the demonstration area.

Later, Rodionov claimed in his interview that groups of Georgian militants attacked unarmed soldiers with stones, metal chains and rods. The Soviet troops received an order from General Rodionov to disband and clear the avenue of demonstrators by any means necessary.

Clash:

The Soviet detachment, armed with military batons and spades (a favorite weapon of Soviet special forces ), advanced on demonstrators moving along the Rustaveli Avenue. During the advance, the soldiers started to attack demonstrators with spades, inflicting injuries both minor and serious to anyone who was struck. One of the victims of the attack was a 16-year-old girl who tried to get away from the advancing soldiers, but was chased down and beaten to death near the steps of the government building, receiving blows to the head and chest.

She was dragged out of the area by her mother who was also attacked and wounded. This particularly violent attack was recorded on video from the balcony of a building located on the other side of the avenue. The video was used in the aftermath as evidence during Sobchak's Parliamentary commission on investigation of events of April 9, 1989.

The stampede following the attack resulted in the death of 19 people, among them 17 women. Autopsies conducted on the victims concluded the direct cause of death of all those who died, with the exception of one case of serious skull and brain injury, was suffocation (asphyxia) caused by both the compression of the body and the inhalation of chemical substances.

Official Soviet reports blamed the demonstrators for causing the clash, saying that the troops were attacked with sticks and knives. According to Tass, the soldiers followed orders not to use their weapons, but that extremists attacked them with pieces of metal, bricks and sticks. Tass described the demonstrators as stirring interethnic strife and calling for the overthrow of the Georgian government. President Gorbachev slammed "actions by irresponsible persons" for loss of life. He said that the disturbances sought to overthrow the Georgian government and stir ethnic tension in Georgia.

Foreign ministry spokesman said that the clashes were sparked by "die-hard nationalists, extremists and political adventurists who are abusing democratization to the detriment of our new policy of openness and of our very society."

CN and CS gas were used against the demonstrators; vomiting, respiratory problems and sudden paralyses of the nervous system were reported.

The disarmed police officers attempted to evacuate the panicked group of demonstrators, however a video taken secretly by opposition journalists showed that soldiers did not allow doctors and emergency workers to help the injured people; in fact, even ambulances were attacked by the advancing soldiers Captured on film, the image of a young man beating a tank with a stick became a symbol of the Georgian anti-Soviet movement.

On April 10, the Soviet government issued a statement blaming the demonstrators for causing unrest and danger for the safety of the public. The next day, the Georgian TV showed the bodies of the 19 women violently killed, demonstrating alleged brutality by the Soviet soldiers, as the faces of the deceased women were hard to identify due to the facial injuries and blows to the head. The Soviet government blamed the demonstrators for the death of the 20 people, claiming that they had trampled each other while panicking and retreating from the advancing Soviet soldiers.

A Parliamentary commission on investigation of events of April 9, 1989 in Tbilisi was launched by Anatoly Sobchak, member of Congress of People's Deputies of Soviet Union. After full investigation and inquiries, the commission confirmed the government's claim that the deaths had resulted from trampling, but another contributing factor had been the chemical substances used against the demonstrators. It condemned the military, which had caused the deaths by trying to disperse demonstrators. The commission's report made it more difficult to use military power against demonstrations of civil unrest in the Soviet Union. Sobchak's report presented a detailed account of the violence which was used against the demonstrators and recommended the full prosecution of military personnel responsible for the April 9 event.

Aftermath

On April 10, in protest against the crackdown, Tbilisi and the rest of Georgia went out on strike and a 40-day period of mourning was declared. People brought massive collections of flowers to the place of the killings. A state of emergency was declared, but demonstrations continued.

The government of the Georgian SSR resigned as a result of the event. Moscow claimed the demonstrators attacked first and the soldiers had to repel them. At the first Congress of People's Deputies (May–June 1989) Mikhail Gorbachev disclaimed all responsibility, shifting blame onto the army. The revelations in the liberal Soviet media, as well as the findings of the "pro-Perestroika" Deputy Anatoly Sobchak's commission of enquiry into the Tbilisi events, reported at the second Congress in December 1989, resulted in embarrassment for the Soviet hardliners and army leadership implicated in the event.

Legacy

The April 9 tragedy radicalised Georgian opposition to Soviet power. A few months later, a session of the Supreme Council of Georgian SSR, held on November 17–18, 1989, officially condemned the occupation and annexation of Democratic Republic of Georgia by Soviet Russia in 1921.

On March 31, 1991, Georgians voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence from the Soviet Union in a referendum.

With a 90.5% turnout, approximately 99% voted in favor of independence. On April 9, the second anniversary of the tragedy, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia proclaimed Georgian sovereignty and independence from the Soviet Union.

A memorial to the victims of the tragedy was opened at the location of the crackdown on Rustaveli Avenue on November 23, 2004.

Finnish Language Day Finland - A p r 0 9

Mikael Agricola (c. 1510 – 9 April 1557) was a clergyman who became the de facto founder of written Finnish and a prominent proponent of the Protestant Reformation in Sweden (including Finland). He is often called the "father of the Finnish written language". Agricola was consecrated as the bishop of Turku (Åbo) in 1554, without papal approval. As a result, he began a reform of the Finnish church (then a part of the Church of Sweden) along Lutheran lines. He translated the New Testament into Finnish and also produced the prayer book and hymns used in Finland's new, Lutheran Church.

This work set the rules of orthography that are the basis of modern Finnish spelling. His thoroughgoing work is particularly remarkable in that he accomplished it in only three years.

He died suddenly while returning from a trip during which he negotiated a treaty with the Russians.

Biography Early life:

Michael Olaui or Mikkel Olofsson (Finnish: Mikael Olavinpoika) was born in Uusimaa (Nyland) in the village of Torsby in Pernå, Finland, around the year 1510. He was named after the patron saint of Pernå's church. The exact date of his birth, like most details of his life, is unknown. His family was a quite wealthy peasant family according to the local bailiff's accounting. He had three sisters, but their names are not known. His teachers apparently recognized his aptitude for languages and his rector Bartholomeus sent him to Viborg(Viipuri) for Latin school and some priestly training, where he attended the school of Erasmus. It is not known whether his first language was Swedish or Finnish - the first alternative is supported by the fact that Pernå was mostly a Swedish-speaking district. However, he mastered both languages like a native speaker and was possibly a bilingual child.

Agricola as a student:

When he studied in Viborg (Viipuri) he assumed the surname Agricola ("farmer" gv. "agriculture"); surnames based on one's father’s status and occupation were common for firstgeneration scholars at the time. It was probably in Viipuri where he first came in touch with the Reformation and Humanism. The Viipuri castle was ruled by a German count, Johann, who had served the king of Sweden, Gustav Vasa.

The count was a supporter of the Reformation, and they already held Lutheran services.

In 1528 he followed his teacher to Turku (Åbo), the center of the Finnish side of the Swedish realm and the capital of the bishopric, where he became a scribe in bishop Martinus Skytte's office. While in Turku he met Martin Luther's first Finnish student Petrus Särkilahti, who eagerly spread the idea of the Reformation. Särkilahti died in 1529, and it was up to Agricola to continue his work. He was ordained for priesthood circa 1531.

In 1536 the bishop of Turku sent him to study in Wittenberg in Germany. He concentrated on the lectures of Philipp Melanchthon, who was an expert in Greek, the original language of the New Testament. In Wittenberg he studied under Luther. He got recommendations to Gustav Vasa from both of the reformists. He sent two letters to Gustav, asking for a confirmation for a stipend. When the confirmation came, he bought books (for example, the complete works of Aristotle). In 1537 he started translating the New Testament into Finnish.

Agricola as a rector and an ordinarius:

In 1539 Agricola returned to Turku and ended up as the rector of Turku (Cathedral) School. He did not like his job, calling his students "untamed animals". At the time Gustav Vasa had confiscated the property of the church when he was consolidating his power but also drove the Reformation. In 1544 Agricola received an order from the crown to send several talented young men to Stockholm's taxing offices. For some reason, Agricola did not obey until the order was sent again the next year, with a more menacing tone. This episode probably affected their relations negatively.

In 1546 Agricola lost his home and school in the Fire of Turku. On 22 February 1548 Gustav Vasa ordered Agricola to retire from his position as a rector. At this time he was already married, but history knows his wife only by her name: Pirjo Olavintytär (Bridget, "daughter of Olavi"; Birgitta Olafsdotter, Brigida Olaui). His only son, Christian Agricola (Christianus Michaelis Agricola), was born 11 December 1550, and became the bishop of Tallinn in 1584.

When an old bishop died in 1554, Gustav Vasa had Agricola consecrated as the ordinarius of Turku parish – for all practical purposes Bishop of Turku and by extension the first Lutheran bishop for all Finland. He was not particularly virulent in reform, although he did remove the Canon of the Mass.

In 1557 he joined the delegation that was going to Russia and was in Moscow from 21 February to 24 March negotiating a peace treaty, the Treaty of Novgorod (1557). On 9 April he fell ill and died in the Uusikirkko (now Polyane) village, part of the Kyrönniemi parish on the Karelian Isthmus.This day is also Elias Lönnrot's birthday and it is celebrated in Finland as the day of the Finnish language. He was buried inside Viipuri's church, but the exact location of the grave is not known.

He is commemorated as a bishop by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on 10 April.

Literary achievements Abckiria:

Agricola had thought about translating the New Testament Monument on the place of Mikael Agricola's in his early years of study. At the time, however, there was death near Primorsk no standard written form of Finnish. He started developing it. His first book, "Abckiria", which is nowadays known as the "ABC-kirja" or ABC-book, was a primer for reading and a catechism. It was first printed in 1543. The catechism was included because only a very few people could afford the whole Bible at the time. The first printing contained 16 pages. A second printing was released in 1551 with 24 pages.

Rucouskiria:

Agricola's Rucouskiria (Rukouskirja-prayer book) was printed in March 1544. At the beginning of the book, Agricola wrote about many topics concerning all-round education and the Reformation's effects in Finland. The book includes four prefaces and about 700 prayers on many topics; it even has twelve different prayers instead of the usual two or three. It is the most independent work by Agricola and contains approximately 900 pages. His sources include the works of Luther, Melanchthon, and Erasmus.

Se Wsi Testamenti (the New Testament- Uusi testamentti):

Agricola's most prominent book is Se Wsi Testamenti, the first Finnish-language translation of theNew Testament. The manuscript was completed in 1548. It contains 718 pages and many illustrations.

Three Liturgical books:

While Agricola was in Wittenberg, he translated three smaller liturgical books into Finnish. These books were printed in 1549.

Käsikirja Castesta ia muista Christikunnan Menoista includes forms for christening, marriage and burial, as well as speeches for the sick, mourning and dying. It is translated from Olaus Petri's corresponding work except for the christening and marriage portions, which are from Luther. It also contains minor elements translated from Caspar Huberinus' works.

Messu eli Herran echtolinen includes the form for a service. It is also based on Olaus Petri's work and a few Finnish manuscripts. In this book Agricola revealed his next mission: the translation of the Old Testament.

Se meiden Herran Jesusen Christusen Pina, ylesnousemus ia tauiaisen Astumus, niste Neliest Euangelisterist coghottuon tells about Jesus Christ's suffering. It is collected from all four gospels. This book was influenced heavily by Johannes Bugenhagen, a teacher in Wittenberg. It was mainly translated from the German version, but some parts are influenced by the Swedish version and Agricola's own translation of theNew Testament.

Commemorations of Agricola:

Mikael Agricola was recently selected as the main motif for a commemorative coin, the €10 Mikael Agricola and Finnish language commemorative coin, minted in 2007. This collector coin was issued to honor Mikael Agricola's lifework as a contributor to Protestant reformation in Finland and as the father of the Finnish written language. The reverse of the coin shows a quill referencing the writer; while the obverse side contains an artistic interpretation of a human figure.

ASPCA Day U.S. - A p r 1 0

On April 10, 1866, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is founded in New York City by philanthropist and diplomat Henry Bergh, 54.

In 1863, Bergh had been appointed by President Abraham Lincoln to a diplomatic post at the Russian court of Czar Alexander II. It was there that he was horrified to witness work horses beaten by their peasant drivers. En route back to America, a June 1865 visit to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in London awakened his determination to secure a charter not only to incorporate the ASPCA but to exercise the power to arrest and prosecute violators of the law.

Back in New York, Bergh pleaded on behalf of “these mute servants of mankind” at a February 8, 1866, meeting at Clinton Hall. He argued that protecting animals was an issue that crossed party lines and class boundaries. “This is a matter purely of conscience; it has no perplexing side issues,” he said. “It is a moral question in all its aspects.” The speech prompted a number of dignitaries to sign his “Declaration of the Rights of Animals.”

Bergh’s impassioned accounts of the horrors inflicted on animals convinced the New York State legislature to pass the charter incorporating the ASPCA on April 10, 1866. Nine days later, the first effective anti-cruelty law in the United States was passed, allowing the ASPCA to investigate complaints of animal cruelty and to make arrests.

Bergh was a hands-on reformer, becoming a familiar sight on the streets and in the courtrooms of New York. He regularly inspected slaughter houses, worked with police to close down dog- and rat-fighting pits and lectured in schools and to adult societies. In 1867, the ASPCA established and operated the nation’s first ambulance for horses.

As the pioneer and innovator of the humane movement, the ASPCA quickly became the model for more than 25 other humane organizations in the United States and Canada. And by the time Bergh died in 1888, 37 of the 38 states in the Union had passed anti-cruelty laws.

Bergh’s dramatic street rescues of mistreated horses and livestock served as a model for those trying to protect abused children. After Mary Ellen McCormack, 9, was found tied to a bed and brutally beaten by her foster parents in 1874, activists founded the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Bergh served as one of the group’s first vice presidents.

Battle of Rivas / Heroes Day Costa Rica - A p r 1 1

Battle of Rivas sometimes known as the Second Battle of Rivas occurred on 11 April 1856 between Costa Rican militia under General Mora and the Nicaraguan forces of William Walker. The lesser known First Battle of Rivas took place on 29 June 1855 between Walker's forces and the forces of the Chamorro government of Nicaragua.

Background

At the time, a major trade route between New York City and San Francisco ran through southern Nicaragua.

Ships from New York would enter the San Juan River from the Atlanticand sail across Lake Nicaragua. People and goods would then be transported by stagecoach over a narrow strip of land near the city of Rivas, before reaching the Pacific and being shipped to San Francisco. The commercial exploitation of this route had been attained from a previous Nicaraguan administration to Wall Street tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt's Accessory Transit Company. Garrison and Morgan had wrested control of the company from Vanderbilt and then supported Walker's expedition. Vanderbilt spread rumors that the company was issuing stock illegally in order to depress its value, allowing him to regain controlling interest. In July 1856, Walker set himself up as president of Nicaragua, after conducting a farcical election. As ruler of Nicaragua, Walker then revoked the Transit Company's charter, claiming that it had violated the agreement, and granted use of the route back to Garrison and Morgan. Outraged, Vanderbilt successfully pressured the U.S. government to withdraw its recognition of Walker's regime. Walker had also scared his neighbors and American and European investors with talk of further military conquests in Central America. Vanderbilt finance and train a military coalition of these states, led by Costa Rica, and worked to prevent men and supplies from reaching Walker. He also provided defectors from Walker's army with payments and free passage back to the U.S. Realizing that his position was becoming precarious, he sought support from the Southerners in the U.S. by recasting his campaign as a fight to spread the institution of black slavery, which many American Southern businessmen saw as the basis of their agrarian economy. With this in mind, Walker revoked Nicaragua's emancipation edict of 1824. This move did increase Walker's popularity in the South and attracted the attention of Pierre Soulé, an influential New Orleans politician, who campaigned to raise support for Walker's war. Nevertheless, Walker's army, thinned by an epidemic of cholera and massive defections, was no match for the Central American coalition and Vanderbilt's agents.