Constitution Day Micronesia - M a y 1 0
The Federated State of Micronesia, or simply, Micronesia, celebrates the founding of its constitution on May 10, 1979 on the same date every year. The celebration, called Constitution Day, is considered as a national holiday in Micronesia and used to commemorate the founding of the country’s first constitution and effort of the people who allotted their time and energy in the development of the supreme law of the land. The Federated States of Micronesia is an island nation comprising four administrative divisions: Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap. Military defense is provided by the United States.
History Micronesia march to independ-
ence started when people from Kusaie, Yap, Ponape, and Truk (Micronesia’s four states), adopted a constitution in 1979. The Micronesian Constitutional Convention made the draft of the constitution in 1975 only to be adopted four years later. In 1986, independence was finally achieved although people voted for a free association with the United States surrounded by the terms and conditions as listed in the Compact of Free Association as agreed by the two states.
Celebrations
The president of Micronesia delivers his message to his people as the country marks the celebration of the founding of its constitution. As always, the president will call for national unity and solidarity among people from the many islands that constitute the Federated State of Micronesia and the great strides Micronesians have made in society. There is no significant celebration in the street during this day but families consider this day as a rest day where they could take their children to nearby parks or shopping malls to relax or unwind.
Mother's Day Mexico, Canada - M a y 1 0
In Mexico, the government of Álvaro Obregón imported the Mother's Day holiday from the US in 1922, and the newspaper Excélsior held a massive promotional campaign for the holiday that year. The conservative government tried to use the holiday to promote a more conservative role for mothers in families, but that perspective was criticized by the socialists as promoting an unrealistic image of a woman who was not good for much more than breeding. In the mid-1930s the leftist government of Lázaro Cárdenas promoted the holiday as a "patriotic festival". The Cárdenas government tried to use the holiday as a vehicle for various efforts: to stress the importance of families as the basis for national development; to benefit from the loyalty that Mexicans felt towards their mothers; to introduce new morals to Mexican women; and to reduce the influence that the church and the Catholic right exerted over women. The government sponsored the holiday in the schools. However, ignoring the strict guidelines from the government, theatre plays were filled with religious icons and themes. Consequently, the "national celebrations" became "religious fiestas" despite the efforts of the government. Soledad Orozco García, the wife of President Manuel Ávila Camacho, promoted the holiday during the 1940s, resulting in an important state-sponsored celebration. The 1942 celebration lasted a full week and included an announcement that all women could reclaim their pawned sewing machines from the Monte de Piedad at no cost. Due to Orozco's promotion, the catholic National Synarchist Union (UNS) took heed of the holiday around 1941. Shop-owner members of the Party of the Mexican Revolution (now the Institutional Revolutionary Party) observed a custom allowing women from humble classes to pick a free Mother's Day gift from a shop to bring home to their families. The Synarchists worried that this promoted both materialism and the idleness of lower classes, and in turn, reinforced the systemic social problems of the country. Currently this holiday practice is viewed as very conservative, but the 1940s' UNS saw Mother's Day as part of the larger debate on the modernization that was happening at the time. This economic modernization was inspired by US models and was sponsored by the state. The fact that the holiday was originally imported from the US was seen as evidence of an attempt at imposing capitalism and materialism in Mexican society. The UNS and the clergy of the city of León interpreted the government's actions as an effort to secularize the holiday and to promote a more active role for women in society. They concluded that the government's long term goal was to cause women to abandon their traditional roles at home in order to spiritually weaken men. They also saw the holiday as an attempt to secularize the cult to the Virgin Mary, inside a larger effort to dechristianize several holidays. The government sought to counter these claims by organizing widespread masses and asking religious women to assist with the state-sponsored events in order to "depaganize" them. The clergy preferred to promote 2 July celebration of the Santísima Virgen de la Luz, the patron of León, Guanajuato, in replacement of Mother's Day. In 1942, at the same time as Soledad's greatest celebration of Mother's Day, the clergy organized the 210th celebration of the Virgin Mary with a large parade in León. There is a consensus among scholars that the Mexican government abandoned its revolutionary initiatives during the 1940s, including its efforts to influence Mother's Day. Today the "Día de las Madres" is an unofficial holiday in Mexico held each year on 10 May, because it's the date when it was first celebrated in Mexico.
Canada
Mother's Day in Canada is celebrated on the second Sunday in May (it is not a public holiday or bank holiday), and typically involves small celebrations and gift-giving to one's mother, grandmother, or other important female figures in one's family. Celebratory practices are very similar to those of other western nations, such as Australia, the United Kingdom the United States of America and Ireland. Many people in Canada express their gratitude towards mothers and mother figures on Mother's Day. A Québécois tradition is for Québécois men to offer roses or other flowers to the women.
Lupus Day Worldwide - M a y 1 0
Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body (skin, joints, and/or organs inside the body). Chronic means that the signs and symptoms tend to last longer than six weeks and often for many years. In lupus, something goes wrong with your immune system, which is the part of the body that fights off viruses, bacteria, and germs ("foreign invaders," like the flu). Normally our immune system produces proteins called antibodies that protect the body from these invaders. Autoimmune means your immune system cannot tell the difference between these foreign invaders and your body’s healthy tissues ("auto" means "self") and creates auto antibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue. These autoantibodies cause inflammation, pain, and damage in various parts of the body. Every day, more than 5 million people worldwide struggle with the often debilitating health consequences of lupus, a potentially fatal autoimmune disease capable of damaging virtually any part of the body, including the skin, heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain.
History World Lupus Day began with a Proclamation 8
years ago by an international steering committee representing lupus organizations from 13 different nations when they met in Eaton, United Kingdom to organize the first observance of World Lupus Day. The Proclamation is a call to action for governments around the world to increase their financial support for lupus research, awareness and patient services. The Proclamation reflects the emerging issues that people with lupus around the world must face every day. The Proclamation serves to give a single voice to all individuals affected by this devastating and debilitating chronic disease.
Nurses Day Worldwide - May 12
International Nurses week (IND) is celebrated around the world every 6–12 May, to mark the contributions nurses make to society.
Background The International Council of
Nurses (ICN) has celebrated this day since 1965. In 1953 Dorothy Sutherland, an official with the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, had proposed that President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaim a "Nurses Day," but he did not approve it. In January 1974, the decision was made to celebrate the day on 12 May as it is the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, who is widely considered the founder of modern nursing. Each year, ICN prepares and distributes the International Nurses' Day Kit. The kit contains educational and public information materials, for use by nurses everywhere. In 1999 the British public sector union UNISON voted to ask the ICN to transfer this day to another date, saying Nightingale did not represent modern nursing. As of 1998, 8 May was designated as annual National Student Nurses Day. As of 2003, the Wednesday within National Nurses Week, between 6 and 12 May, is National School Nurse Day.
Themes 1988 - Safe Motherhood •
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
1989 - School Health 1990 - Nurses and Environment 1991 - Mental Health - Nurses in Action 1992 - Healthy Aging 1993 - Quality, costs and Nursing 1994 - Healthy Families for Healthy Nation 1995 - Women's Health: Nurses Pave the Way 1996 - Better Health through Nursing Research 1997 - Healthy Young People = A Brighter Future 1998 - Partnership for Community Health 1999 - Celebrating Nursing's Past, claiming the future 2000 - Nurses - Always there for you 2001 - Nurses, Always There for You: United Against Violence 2002 - Nurses Always There for You: Caring for Families 2003 - Nurses: Fighting AIDS stigma, working for all 2004 - Nurses: Working with the Poor; Against Poverty 2005 - Nurses for Patients Safety: Targeting counterfeit medicines and substandard medication 2006 - Safe staffing saves lives 2007 - Positive practice environments: Quality workplaces = quality patient care 2008 - Delivering Quality, Serving Communities: Nurses Leading Primary Health Care 2009 - Delivering Quality, Serving Communities: Nurses Leading Care Innovations 2010 - Delivering Quality, Serving Communities: Nurses Leading Chronic Care. 2011 - Closing The Gap: Increasing Access and Equity. 2012 - Closing The Gap: From Evidence to Action.
week Nursing The U.S. and Canada celebrate their National Nursing Week each year from 9 to 15 May each year. It was estab-
lished in the U.S. by President Richard Nixon in 1974. The Canadian Minister of Health instituted National Nursing Week in Canada in 1985.
IEEE Global Engineering the Future Day Worldwide - M a y 1 3
Engineering the Future Day, which takes place on IEEE’s “official” anniversary date, recognizes the contributions and impact that IEEE, its members and engineering and technology professionals have made for the benefit of humanity. Designed to raise public awareness of the diverse opportunities in different technology fields, Engineering the Future Day is part of a series of celebrations in major world cities throughout the year in an effort to increase awareness of technology advancements around the world. IEEE groups from Belgium to India, to Australia and Panama and around the U.S. have local celebrations planned for 13 May, and additional celebrations are planned for throughout the year.
National Receptionist Day U.S. - M a y 1 3
National Receptionists’ Day was first launched in 1991 in the US to celebrate the role of professional receptionists and is a special day to recognise and appreciate all the things that receptionists do for an organisation. The purpose of National Receptionists’ Day is to: Foster a recognition of the importance of the receptionists role. They are usually the first person a customer or client meets when they visit a company. Promote pride and professionalism amongst receptionists for the important role they play within an organisation. Give receptionists an opportunity to share stories and link up with other colleagues. Each year National Receptionists’ Day grows bigger and is now celebrated on the second Wednesday in May by companies across the globe including the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. In 2015 the date is Wednesday 13th May.
Unification & Integration Day Liberia - May 14
Liberia’s Unification and Integration began with President Daniel B. Warner, followed by President David Coleman, who because of his ‘Interior Policy’ was criticized and pressured into resigning the presidency of Liberia. President Coleman was succeeded during his second term in office by his Secretary of State, Garrison W. Gibson who at age 70 tried to mend the political divide of the day, but his age could not permit him to do so with vigor and enthusiasm.In 1904 President Arthur Barclay also pleaded for better relations between the colonists and the tribal population; however, this was to no avail. President William V. S. Tubman then took the challenge headon, especially on the line of political accommodation between the indigenous and settler populations. President Tubman then made national unification and integration the political banner and central platform of his presidency. In 1945 President Tubman arguably forced the national Legislature into amending the Liberian Constitution in order to make indigenous people eligible to serve in the National Legislature and again in 1946 successfully presented legislation that granted women the right to vote for the first time in our history. Realizing the benefits to achieving national Unification and Integration, the National Legislature of the Republic of Liberia passed at its 1959/1960 Sessions an Act to promote unity, brotherhood and sisterhood amongst all Liberians. May 14 is therefore celebrated each year as a public holiday to commemorate a process completed by President Tubman and intended for unity and integration of the Liberian populist where the then commonwealth of Liberia (Montserrado, Grand Bassa, Sinoe, Maryland and Grand Cape Mount Counties), formally joined with four indigenous territories or provinces or hinterland of ethnic Africans to organized what is today known as Liberia. The Tubman Unification and Integration policy was intended to bridge the social, political, cultural and economic differences, which many Liberians thought was insurmountable. Liberia was founded as a place to send free blacks by the American Colonization Society under the authority of a United States Congressional charter in 1816. Ironically, for a nation settled by freed slaves which forbids slavery, the government denied and deprived many of its indigenous population of their fundamental rights and privileges under the law as they themselves once were in the United States of America. This author holds the view that the very behaviors and norms that the settlers condemned and rebelled against in the United States, were the very ones they employed in their relationship with indigenous African populations that they met in what is today Liberia. To this author, because the settlers did not enjoy full rights, duties and privileges of citizenship in America, many did not recognize the indigenous population as citizens of Liberia until the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. This author believes that this break by President Tubman was significant for it began the first true spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood by both indigenous and settlers Liberians even though the reader would agree that the relationship between the settlers and indigenous peoples was one-sided always in favor of the settlers. In spite of this, the author would state emphatically that for the first time in our history a national policy opened the corridor of political amalgamation for many ordinary Liberians both indigenous and settlers. Political inclusion held the key to resolving the challenges of unification and integration. This author believes that this was the renaissance for change in Liberian, a platform to root significant social transformation, which was seized effectively by President Tubman to change the direction of the country. Changes in Liberian attitude, especially amongst the upwardly mobile social and economic classes toward the disadvantage, poor and indigenous populations will always remain a pre-condition for development, prosperity and modernization. Sentiments of brother and sisterhood including genuine mutual respect for one another do not exist today, and is the reason for Liberia’s continued sociopolitical suffocation and lack of significant economic development and stifling growth. This author is of the view that since independence in 1847, Liberia has genuinely failed in realizing true unification and integration of its entire people. To a large extent, Liberians are primarily divided and segregated by class, ethnicity and religion. This is usually hidden under the “country - conga” dived, which has become very dangerous for our country to move forward. With this as a backdrop, in 1956, President Tubman, to his genius initiated this process in the hopes of bringing all Liberians together; Notwithstanding, President Tubman’s efforts were strictly political in his desire to turn Liberia into a giant patronage plantation state to promote himself as the imperial leader like other settler leaders before him. The creation of the Liberian state in 1847 as the first independent republic in Africa did not address the most pertinent national issue of building a harmonious society. Integration, unification and harmony of all our people in post independent Liberia was especially difficult because of the perception and negative views of many settlers about their native brothers and sisters, which was exacerbated by the 1847 constitution and motto of the new Republic that read ‘the love of liberty brought us here’. The creation of the new counties (Nimba, Bong, Lofa, Grand Gedeh), allowed President Tubman to hold many town meetings throughout the country explaining the new policy to all the people regardless of ethnicity, religion or status. This was an impressive Public Relations accomplishment. The aim of the Tubman policy was to unite Liberians, identify development programs, tackle social needs and goals, as well as initiate avenues to bridge the communication divide between the settlers and indigenous peoples on the one hand, and the urban – rural divide. For instance, the unification and integration policy of the 1950s and 1960s opened the Nimba and Bomi mountains, and began the construction of schools and clinics in rural Liberia. It also began the building of farm-to-market roads, which this author would describe as economic trade routes linking rural and urban Liberia for greater prosperity. The Unification and Integration Act further buttressed the government’s policy on national social, economic and political unity. This period began Liberia’s first structural poverty reduction agenda. The Tubman Unification and Integration Policy were to ensure that indigenous and settler children view each other as brothers and sisters, and peacefully co-exist in one Liberia by sharing common interest, values and engaging in close social undertakings to promote one Liberia. Was this Policy a complete success? Although indigenous and settler children serve in the national legislature, and have actively participated in successive administration and management of political parties and government bureaucracies, Liberia remains stalled blinded by poverty, disease, illiteracy, corruption, misery and mismanagement without an achievable roadmap for modernization and economic prosperity since its independence in 1847. President Sirleaf reinvigorated National Unification and Integration Day in 2007, calling on Liberians to work together to heal the wounds of a decade and a half of civil war. In this author’s opinion, it should be Unification marked each year by vast celebrations in every part of the country, including military parades, through every community and neighborhood celebrated with fireworks and traditional celebratory mark of Unification Day. Unification Day should continue to commemorate by Liberians of all walks of life because it says something about our collective effort to stay unified. It also says something about President Tubman's effort to bring the native into the body politic; reaching out to the interior of the country and getting to make the people know and feel they were part of the nation. I just don't think we should continue to use Unification Day as a no-work holiday. We should instead be at work and at school celebrating the union we call Liberia -- on this special day. Over the past 30 years, Liberia has become divided more than ever. Consequently, unless and until Liberians come to the realization that their unification and integration as a people is beyond speeches, then we shall remain fractured and divided as a collective. As a nation recovering from years of civil strife and its harmful impact on the people, one can only hope that Liberians will rededicate themselves to the principles of justice, equality, fair-play and equal opportunities for all, regardless of each other’s creed, ethnicity, or status. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report is an excellent place to begin to heal our country and address long lasting challenges to the formation of the republic. This author would agree with others who have suggested in the past that the report could form the basis for promoting peace, unity and reconciliation in Liberia. But, the report may also hold the key to real unification and integration of all Liberians. This author believes that Liberia will only develop and be united as a consolidated whole when each of us truly hold our brother and sister accountable, and in true reconciliation, remembering that united we stand, divided we fall. The Sirleaf administration must now move the Liberian people to action and assign unto itself the arduous task of awakening the consciousness of the nation to the menace of unemployment, disease, illiteracy, poverty and social injustice, which continues to trap and suffocate our people, while keeping the republic in bondage.
Independence Day Paraguay - M a y 1 5
Paraguay officially the Republic of Paraguay (Spanish: República del Paraguay, Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the country from north to south. Due to its central location in South America, it is sometimes referred to as Corazón de América, or the Heart of America. The Guaraní have been living in Paraguay since prior to the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century, when Paraguay became part of the Spanish colonial empire. Following independence from Spain in 1811 Paraguay was ruled by a series of dictators who followed isolationist and protectionist policies. This development was truncated by the disastrous Paraguayan War(1864–1870) in which the country lost 60% to 70% of its population. During a large part of the 20th century the country was ruled by Alfredo Stroessner as one of the longest lived South American military dictatorships. In 1989 Stroessner was toppled and free elections celebrated in 1993. In 1994 Paraguay joined Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay to found Mercosur. As of 2009 the population was estimated at 6.3 million. The capital and largest city isAsunción. The official languages are Spanish and Guaraní, both being widely spoken in the country, with around 92% of the general population speaking Spanish and 98% speaking Guaraní. Most of the population are mestizos. In 2010, Paraguay's economy grew by 14.5%, the largest economic expansion in Latin America and the third fastest in the world, only after Qatar and Singapore. By 2011, economic growth slowed but remained healthy, at 6.4%.
Etymology
The name of the river, Paraguay, is thought to come from Guaraní para, "of many varieties", andgua, "riverine". There is no conclusive explanation for the origin of the name Paraguay, however. The most common interpretations that have been suggested include: 1. "River which originates a sea" 2. The Spanish officer and scientist Félix de Azara suggests two versions: water from the Payaguas (Payaguá-and Payagua-i), referring to natural Payaguas living on the coasts of the river, and the other was due to the name of a great chief called "Paraguaio." 3. The French-Argentine historian and writer Paul Groussac argued that it meant "river that flows through the sea (Pantanal)." 4. The ex-president and Paraguayan politician, Juan Natalicio Gonzalez said it meant "river of the habitants of the sea." 5. fray Antonio Ruiz de Montoya said that it meant "river crowned."
History Pre-Columbian society in the wooded, fertile region which is now Paraguay consisted of seminomadic tribes, who
were recognized for their fierce warrior traditions. These indigenous tribes were members of five distinct language families, and 17 separate ethnolinguistic groups remain today. Europeans first arrived in the area in the early sixteenth century, and the settlement of Asunción was founded on 15 August 1537, by the Spanish explorer Juan de Salazar de Espinosa. The city eventually became the center of a Spanish colonial province, as well as the primary site of the Jesuit missions and settlements in South America in the eighteenth century. Jesuit Reductions were founded, and flourished in eastern Paraguay for about 150 years, until the expulsion of the Jesuits by the Spanish crown in 1767. Paraguay overthrew the local Spanish administration on 15 May 1811. Paraguay's first ruler was the dictator Jose Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia. He ruled Paraguay from 1814, until his death in 1840, with very little outside contact or influence, creating a utopian society based on Rousseau's Social Contract. After his death, Paraguay went through the very brief ownership of various military officers under a new junta, until the secretary Carlos Antonio Lopez, Francia's nephew, declared himself dictator. Lopez modernized Paraguay, and opened it up to foreign commerce. The relationship with Buenos Aires was limited to a non-aggression pact; Paraguayan independence from Argentina was declared in 1842. After Lopez's death, power was transferred to his eldest son, Francisco Solano López in 1862. Lopez's expansionist aims lead to the Paraguayan War in 1864. Paraguay fought against Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, and was defeated in 1870 after five years of the bloodiest war in South America. According to William D. Rubinstein, "The normal estimate is that of a Paraguayan population of somewhere between 450,000 and 900,000, only 220,000 survived the war, of whom only 28,000 were adult males." Paraguay also suffered extensive territorial losses to Brazil and Argentina. The Chaco War was fought with Bolivia in the 1930s, and Bolivia was defeated. Paraguay re-established sovereignty over the region called the Chaco, but forfeited additional territorial gains as a price of peace. The official narrative of Paraguay's history is fraught with disputes among historians, educators and politicians. The "authentic" version of historical events, wars in particular, varies depending on whether it was written in Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Europe, or North America. Both the Colorado Party and Liberal Party maintain distinct official versions of Paraguayan history. During the pillaging of Asuncion (Saqueo de Asunción) in 1869, the Brazilian Imperial Army ransacked and relocated the Paraguayan National Archives to Rio de Janeiro where they have been kept in secrecy, making Paraguayan history in the Colonial and early National periods difficult to study. Between 1904 and 1954, Paraguay had thirty-one presidents, most of whom were removed from office by force. From 1954 to 1989, the country was ruled by Alfredo Stroessner and the Colorado party. The dictator oversaw an era of economic expansion, but at the cost of a poor human rights and environmental record (see "Political History"). Torture and death for political opponents was routine. After his overthrow, the Colorado continued to dominate national politics until 2008. Leftist former bishop Fernando Lugo achieved a historic victory in Paraguay's presidential election of April 2008, defeating the ruling party candidate, and ending 61 years of conservative rule. Lugo won with nearly 41% of the vote, compared to almost 31% for Blanca Ovelar of the Colorado party. The Lugo administration has highlighted the reduction of corruption and economic inequality as two major priorities.
Family Day Worldwide - M a y 1 5
The International Day of Families is observed on the 15th of May every year. The Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly resolution in 1993 (A/RES/47/237) and reflects the importance the international community attaches to families. The International Day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and increase the knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families. In its resolution, the General Assembly also noted that the family-related provisions of the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits of the 1990s and their follow-up processes continue to provide policy guidance on ways to strengthen family-centred components of policies and programmes as part of an integrated comprehensive approach to development. The International Day of Families has inspired a series of awareness-raising events, including national family days. In many countries, that day provides an opportunity to highlight different areas of interest and importance to families. Activities include workshops and conferences, radio and television programmes, newspaper articles and cultural programmes highlighting relevant themes. The 2011's commemoration of the International Day of Families focuses on the "Confronting Family Poverty and Social Exclusion."
Mother's Day Samoa - M a y 1 5
Samoa holds a very special place for mothers and their role in the community. Bearers of a nation and nurturers of great leaders, the roles of mothers are endless and can sometimes fade into the background with all that’s happening around us. So to truly celebrate the attributes of a mother and their dedication to the building of a nation, a day has been allocated and approved by the Government to be observed as Mother’s Day. The celebrations usually consist of the Mothers and families attending church services in the morning with a big feast to be followed soon after. The spreads are plenty and sizeable, enough to feed a whole village.
Peace Officer Memorial Day U.S. - M a y 1 5
Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week is an observance in the United States that pays tribute to the local, state, and Federal peace officers. The Memorial takes place on May 15, and Police Week is the calendar week in which the Memorial falls.
History The holiday was created on October 1, 1961, when Con-
gress asked the president to designate May 15 to honor peace officers. John F. Kennedy signed the bill into law on October 1, 1962. Amended in 1994, Bill Clinton, through Public Law 103-322, directed that the flag of the United States be flown at half-staff on May 15. According to a proclamation by George W. Bush in 2002, "Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week pay tribute to the local, State, and Federal law enforcement officers who serve and protect us with courage and dedication. These observances also remind us of the ongoing need to be vigilant against all forms of crime, especially to acts of extreme violence and terrorism." Much of the holiday centers on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial wall in Washington, D.C., whose walls feature the names of more than 19,000 law enforcement officers who have been killed in the line of duty.
San Isidro Labrador Int’l - May 15
Isidore the Laborer, also known as Isidore the Farmer, (Spanish: San Isidro Labrador), (c. 1070 – 15 May 1130) was a Spanish day laborer known for his goodness toward the poor and animals. He is the Catholic patron saint of farmers and of Madrid and of La Ceiba, Honduras.
Biography
Isidore was born to very poor parents in Madrid, about the year 1070. He was in the service of the wealthy Madrid landowner Juan de Vargas on a farm in the vicinity of Madrid. Juan de Vargas would later make him bailiff of his entire estate of Lower Caramanca. Every morning before going to work, Isidore was accustomed to hearing a Mass at one of the churches in Madrid. One day his fellow-laborers complained to their master that Isidore was always late for work in the morning. Upon investigation, so runs the legend, the master found Isidore at prayer while an angel was doing the plowing for him. On another occasion, his master saw an angel plowing on either side of him, so that Isidore's work was equal to that of three of his fellow-laborers. Isidore is also said to have brought back to life his master's deceased daughter, and to have caused a fountain of fresh water to burst from the dry earth in order to quench his master's thirst. St. Isidore married Maria Torribia, a canonized saint, who is known as Santa María de la Cabeza in Spain because her head (cabeza in Spanish) is often carried in procession, especially during droughts. Isidore and Maria had one son, who died in his youth. On one occasion their son fell into a deep well and, at the prayers of his parents, the water of the well is said to have risen miraculously to the level of the ground, bringing the child with it, alive and well. Isidore and Maria then vowed sexual abstinence and lived in separate houses. Isidore died on May 15, 1130, at his birthplace close to Madrid. When King Philip III of Spain was cured of a deadly disease by touching the relics of the saint, the king replaced the old reliquary with a costly silver one. Isidore was beatified in Rome on May 2, 1619, by Pope Paul V. He was canonized nearly three years later by Pope Gregory XV, along with Saints Ignatius of Loyola,Francis Xavier, Teresa of Avila, and Philip Neri, on March 12, 1622. San Ysidro, California and San Ysidro, New Mexico were named after him. His master Juan de Vargas's house in Madrid is now a museum with temporary exhibitions on Madrilenian subjects, as well as on the life of the saint.
FEAST DAY, CELEBRATIONS AND FESTIVALS
Saint Isidore is widely venerated as the patron saint of peasants and day laborers, as he had been one himself. In 1947, at the request of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, he was officially named patron of farmers, with a feast day on May 10 in all dioceses of the United States, with a proper Mass and Office. The traditional date of his liturgical feast, which, though not included in the General Roman Calendar, has been celebrated for centuries in several countries and dioceses, is May 15. When St. Isidore's feast was first inserted into the calendar for the United States in the year 1947, the feast day of Saint John Baptist de La Salle is still celebrated on May 15, with the result that the celebration of his feast was assigned to March 22. With the reform of the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints in 1969, St. Isidore's feast was restored to the May 15 date and celebrated as an Optional Memorial. In some places within the United States and Canada, his feast is celebrated on October 25, and in other locations and among Traditional Roman Catholics the March 22 date is retained.[2] Many towns venerate St. Isidore and his wife Saint Maria Torribia with processions in which the fields are blessed.
Corrales, New Mexico USA In Corrales, New Mexico the town celebrates San Ysidro Fest day on May 15. Matachina's dance through the street and fiesta is a big part in the city.
Spain Madrid, his birth city, which he is the Patron Saint of, a pilgrimage is cele-
In brated surrounding the St. Isidore hermitage, in the district of Carabanchel, every May, 15. Also a major city party is celebrated in the city during this week. In La Orotava (Canary Islands), the greatest celebrations honor Isidore and Maria. The "Dance of Magos" (mago Spanish for "magician", but also used for "farmer" in Guanche), the "Blessing of the cattle", and finally the Romería, or pilgrimage, are all celebrated to honor both patrons of this important city of the Canaries. Celebrations honoring both saints are also held elsewhere on the islands. For years, the Alicantine locality of Castalla has been celebrating the Fair of San Isidro, where numerous companies display their products in a playful and festive atmosphere. A medieval swap meet and mechanical attractions are especially popular. A large celebration is held in Estepona, (near Marbella) in Andalucia, where locals celebrate the day by drinking a mix of brandy and a popular energy drink - which is named in his honour. This has led to St. Isidore often being termed as the patron saint of krunk (because of the name of this combination drink in the US). The Romeria festival in Almogia, a pueblo blanco in the campo north of Malaga (about halfway between Malaga and Antequera) in Andalucia, celebrates San Isidro, its patron saint, on the middle weekend of May with a fiesta carnival. Floats from the surrounding farming communities, accompanied by traditionally dressed ladies in 'flamenco' dresses and caballeros on dancing horses, sing and dance from Almogia to the Romeria ground a few kilometres north of Baroque statue the village and the festival includes music, traditional horse races, a bar for Isidore in Madrid horses as well as their riders, and much parading of costume and finery. The best-dressed float is awarded a prize.
of
St.
Chile May 15 is San Isidro Day in Cuz-Cuz, about five kilometers from the city of Illapel, Choapa province, in the Coquimbo
region of Chile. If the day falls on a Monday, the following Sunday is celebrated. Celebrations begin at noon with a Mass, followed by a procession and Chilean dances.
Peru The residents of San Isidro de Carampá of Ayacucho
in the city of Lima celebrate a San Isidro festival. The First Society of San Isidro de Carampá organizes the festival, along with the Butler and the Adornante festivals. In the evening, after the celebration of the Mass, a procession moves to the house of the Adornante. On the next day, Central Day, another Mass is said, this time celebrated by the Butler. Another procession is held, followed by a festival.
Philippines Throughout the Philippine archipelago, several feast
are celebrated and offered to St. Isidore. Among them are: The Sabugan ng Biyaya Festival (also • known as simply Sabugan Festival) of the town of Agdangan, a small town in Quezon, is a thanksgiving event for the blessings that the town received, and to First Group of Shippers of San Isidro honor St. Isidore The Laborer. The Nabas Bariw Festival is celebrated Labrador in Lima, Peru. • to commemorate the feast day of St. Isidore the Farmer, the patron saint of Nabas, a municipality of Aklan province in the Visayas. It is celebrated annually from 12 – 15 May. This celebration showcases the town's hat, mat and other bariw products as well as the town's unique tourism sites and natural attractions. Also, May 15 celebrates the fiesta of San Isidro de Labrador in Talavera, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. Ta• lavera is a first class municipality in the province of Nueva Ecija, one of the top producers of agricultural goods in the country. Its principal crops are rice, corn, and onions. The province is often referred to as the “Rice Granary of the Philippines". The feast begins a few days before the feast day and is celebrated with a week of festivities, including daily novenas, Masses, processions, entertainment events and a fair (or perya). The fiesta is held on the actual day. The colorful Lucban San Isidro Pahiyas Festival is also held in honor of Saints Isidore and Maria dela • Cabeza every May 15 in Lucban, Quezon. It is in thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest. Carabaos kneel before the church of San Isidro Labrador during the Town Fiesta of Pulilan, Bulacan. • San Isidro Labrador is also the parish saint of the town of Mogpog, Marinduque. During his feast day, • the town people celebrates the Kangga Festival, which highlights Filipino farmers' customs and traditions, as well as a thanksgiving ritual for a bountiful harvest and the prosperity the town has achieved throughout the years.
Veneration St. Isidore the farmer is also honored on his day in Aglipayan Church(Philippine Independent Church).
Teacher's Day South Korea May 15
Originally it was started by a group of Red Cross youth team members who visited their sick ex-teachers in hospitals. The national celebration ceremony was stopped between 1973 and 1982 but it resumed after that. On the day, teachers are usually presented with carnations by their students, and both enjoy a shorter school day. Ex-students pay their respects to their former teachers by visiting them and giving them a carnation. Many schools now close on Teachers' Day because of the rampant bribery implicit in the expensive gifts often given to teachers. Schools can use the day to have an outing for the teachers.
Int’l Conscientious Objector Day Worldwide - M a y 1 5
Every year, 15th May marks International Conscientious Objection Day - a day to celebrate those who have and those who continue to resist war, especially by refusing to be part of military structures. 15th May was International Conscientious Objection Day, marked around the world as a day to celebrate those who have and those who continue to resist war, especially by refusing to be part of military structures. Hundreds of people worldwide are imprisoned for rejecting conscription, or leaving the armed forces having developed a conscientious objection to war. In the Republic of Korea alone, there are more than 400 people incarcarated. International Conscientious Objectors Day! Around the world activists are using this joint day of action as an opportunity to raise awareness of conscientious objection, to highlight particular movements for conscientious objection now, and strengthen the international network that is active around 15th May. Amnesty International, marking the International Conscientious Objectors Day, renews its call on all states to recognise the right to conscientious objection to military service. Nearly two years ago the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that states must respect the right to conscientious objection as part of their obligation to respect the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, bringing European law in line with international human rights standards.