My Science School

Teacher's Day

Do you have a special day to honour your teacher? In China, people honour all teachers with a national holiday called Teacher’s Day.

On this day, people throughout China also celebrate the birthday of one of the greatest thinkers and teachers in Chinese history - Confucius.

Some children may give their teachers cards or gifts on September 28, which is Teacher’s Day and Confucius’s Birthday. Also, some people in China hold a ceremony at dawn in Confucian temples. It includes music and special dances. People also put food offerings before the altar. This ceremony has been a Chinese tradition for more than 1,000 years.

Teachers’ Day in India is celebrated on 5th September to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. He was a renowned scholar, recipient of Bharat Ratna, first Vice- President and second President of independent India. He was born on 5 September, 1888. As an educationist, he was an advocate of edification and was a distinguished envoy, academician, and above all a great teacher.

As the common adage goes, the future of a country lies in the hands of its children, and teachers, as mentors, can mold students into future leaders who shape the destiny of India. They play an important role in our lives to become successful in career and business. They help us to become a good human being, a better member of society, and an ideal citizen of the country. Teacher’s Day is celebrated to acknowledge the challenges, hardships, and the special role that teachers play in our lives.

Teachers Day is one such event for which students and teachers equally look forward to. Teachers Day is important for the students as it gives them a chance to understand the efforts put in by their teachers to ensure that they get a proper education. Similarly, teachers also look forward to the Teachers’ Day celebration as their efforts get recognised and honoured by students and other agencies as well.

Teachers should be respected and honoured. In India, on the eve of Teachers' Day, i.e. on 5 September, the National Teachers Awards are given to the meritorious teachers by the President of India. The awards are conferred as public gratitude to praiseworthy teachers working in primary schools, middle schools, and secondary schools.

Picture Credit : Google

Mexican Independence Day

Grimly, Father Hidalgo, the priest of the little Mexican community of Dolores, tugged at the rope that rang the church bell. He was calling the people to church earlier than usual on this Sunday morning.

It was September 15, 1810, and Father Hidalgo was going to give a very different kind of sermon. He was going to call on the Mexican people to rise up and free themselves from Spain.

The speech Father Hidalgo gave that morning became known as Grito de Dolores, or “Cry of Dolores”. It was the beginning of years of war. Father Hidalgo, who is often called the Father of Mexican Independence, didn’t live to see an independent Mexico. He was killed in 1811, but Mexico won its independence in 1821.

September 16, the day after Father Hidalgo gave the Cry of Dolores, is celebrated along with September 15 as Mexico’s Independence Days. During the first evening of the Independence Days, the president of Mexico repeats the Cry of Dolores. Then he rings the same church bell that Father Hidalgo rang. Bells throughout Mexico ring out in honour of a free Mexico.

Picture Credit : Google

Rosh Ha-Shanah and Yom Kippur

It is sunset. The rabbi blows the shofar - a trumpet made from a ram’s horn. The notes of the shofar ringing out through the synagogue tell the people that Rosh Ha-Shanah has begun.

Rosh Ha-Shanah means “beginning of the year”. It is the Jewish New Year celebration, an important religious holiday.

During the next 10 days, Jews pray and express their sorrow for any wrongs they have done during the year. Rosh Ha-Shanah falls on the first day of the Hebrew month of Tishri and lasts 1 or 2 days. It can come anywhere between September 5 and October 5. The tenth day following Rosh Ha-Shanah is called Yom Kippur, which means “Day of Atonement”. Atonement means making up for anything bad you may have done.

Yom Kippur is the most important and holiest day of the Jewish year. Like all Jewish holy days, it begins at sunset. Most people go to a service at a synagogue in the evening and again the following day.

During Yom Kippur, many Jews do not eat or drink anything. At sunset, a blast on the shofar signals the end of Yom Kippur.

Picture Credit : Google

Brazilian Independence Day

Pedro’s face grew grim as he read messages that had just come from Portugal, which ruled Brazil. Pedro was the son of Portugal’s king and the leader of Brazil’s people. The messages told him that Portugal refused to listen to Brazil’s pleas to change some harsh new laws.

Pedro threw down the messages and shouted, “Independence or death!” And the fight for independence began that day - September 7, 1822. Less than two years later, Brazil was a free country. Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, has a big parade on September 7, when all Brazilians celebrate Independence Day.

On this day several activities held and on vast scale celebrations took place in the capital of Brazil that is Brazilia which include military parades, musical concerts and fireworks in the evening. People do outings, picnics and several outdoor events are performed by them. Let us tell you that Parades generally occur in the morning and fireworks in the evening. Thousands of Brazilians gather in the road on this day and celebrate together.

Feast of the Hungry Ghosts

Have you ever heard of ghost money or hungry ghosts? These things are part of the Feast of the Hungry Ghosts, a holiday celebrated by Chinese people in Singapore and other countries.

In China and many ethnic Chinese communities in Asia from Cambodia to India to Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam all share the belief that real ghosts and spirits, hungry ones at that (!),  roam the streets during the entire seventh lunar month each year, which is designated as Ghost Month. No benign little trick-or-treaters, these roaming spirits are on the lookout for victims to claim so they can be reborn! This is the scariest and most dangerous month of the Chinese lunar year. On a special day, people offer gifts to the spirits of their ancestors.

The gifts are mostly food, clothes, and play money called “ghost money”. It is believed that if these things are burned, the spirits will get them. They will then have food to eat, clothes to wear, and money to spend.

Picture Credit : Google

Homowo

Do you know any twins? Tell them there is a special day for them in Ghana. Ghana lies in western Africa on the Atlantic Ocean. During the maize harvest in August or early September, people known as the Ga enjoy a harvest festival that includes a celebration of twins. On this day, twins who dress up in white clothes get special treats.

The festival also includes dancing, singing, and parades. People wear their best clothes. All this fun continues for a week until Homowo Day. Then everyone opens up their home to friends and family and shares a wonderful harvest feast. There is fish from the sea and such traditional foods as special maize dough and yams. Like many holidays, Homowo is a time for enjoying the fruits of the harvest.

Homowo means “hooting at hunger”. The day celebrates the first good harvest that the Ga people had after a time when many people went hungry long, long ago. It also marks the beginning of the New Year for the Ga.

Picture Credit : Google

The Month of September

September is the ninth month of the year. The Roman name September comes from septem, the Latin word for “seven”.

After the Romans switched September from the seventh to the ninth month, several Roman leaders tried to rename September. But they had no success.

Summer ends and autumn begins on September 22 or 23 in the northern half of the world. September is the time when many crops in the north are harvested. In the southern half of the world, winter is ending, and spring is just beginning.

The month of September was named during a time when the calendar year began with March, which is why the name does not correspond with the placement in the Julian and Gregorian calendars.

September is a time when many students return to school after the summer holiday in the Northern Hemisphere. September starts on the same day of the week as December every year. It does not end on the same day of the week as any other month in the year.

Homage to Cuauhtémoc

Dancers in feathered headdresses trimmed with beads and mirrors whirl and shake. The dancers move faster and faster until they suddenly stop. There is then a moment of silence.

The dance is part of a celebration held every year on August 21 in Mexico City to honour Cuauhtémoc, the last Aztec Indian ruler of Mexico. The Aztecs were an American Indian people who were fierce warriors and ruled a mighty empire in Mexico during the 1400’s and early 1500’s. The Spaniards conquered the empire in 1521 and destroyed it.

Many people in Mexico today are related to the Aztecs. These people and other Mexicans honour Cuauhtémoc with a festival because of his bravery in defending the Aztecs. The festival includes readings of the story of his life and his fight against the Spanish and wonderful dances by large groups. Cuauhtémoc lived from about 1495 to 1525.

Star Festival

Once upon a time, two stars - Vega and Altair - fell in love. After Vega and Altair married, they neglected their duties. This made Vega’s father - the king of the heavens - angry. He sent Altair to live far away in a place known as the Heavenly River. He said the two could see each other only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh moon.

When this day came, poor Vega could not cross the Heavenly River. A flock of magpies took pity on her. They spread their wings to make a bridge, and Vega ran across the bridge to reach Altair.

According to this tale, Vega and Altair continue to meet this way. But if it rains on this day, the magpies cannot make a bridge. Then Vega and Altair must wait another year.

The Japanese people love this story. They call the seventh day of the seventh moon the Star Festival.

People in the city of Sendai, Japan, celebrate this festival from August 6 to 8. They decorate streets and bamboo branches with colourful paper blossoms and figures. These figures are offerings to Vega and Altair and are meant to bring good luck.

 

Indonesian Independence Day

Independence Day is a national holiday in Indonesia commemorating the anniversary of the Indonesia’s Proclamation of Independence on 17 August 1945. It was made a national holiday by then-President Sukarno in 1953.

Ceremonies and festive events are held throughout the country to celebrate this national day, including flag hoisting, local games and neighborhood competitions, patriotic and cultural parades. Discounts are offered by participating shopping centres or businesses.

On this day, all Indonesian national televisions broadcast the National Independence Day Ceremony live from the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta. Televisions also often air Indonesian patriotic songs, nationalistic-themed films, advertisements, and talkshows.

In the city of Jakarta, Indonesia, flags fly everywhere on Independence Day, even on betjaks. A betjak is a kind of taxi for one or two passengers. It looks like a bicycle with three wheels. The driver pedals from the rear.

As the drivers pedal through the busy streets, clanging their bells as they go, the red and white flag of Indonesia flaps in the breeze in celebration of the country’s independence.

Indonesia gained its independence from the Netherlands on August 17, 1945.

Picture Credit : Google

The Month of August

August is the eighth month of the year. After Julius Caesar was killed, Augustus, his great-nephew, became emperor of Rome. The Romans named August in his honour.

In parts of the Northern Hemisphere, August is summertime. It is likely to be one of the hottest months there. In the Southern Hemisphere, the arrival of August means that winter will soon be over.

August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendar and is 31 days long. It is considered the busiest time for tourism because it falls in the main school summer holiday period. It is the seasonal equivalent of February in the opposite hemisphere.

August does not start on the same day of the week as any other month in the year in common years, but ends on the same day of the week as November every year. During leap years, August starts on the same day as February and still ends on same day as November.

Simon Bolivar’s Birthday

Simon Bolivar Day is a national holiday in Venezuela and is always celebrated on July 24th. It commemorates the birthday of Simon Bolivar, a Venezuelan who played a key role in Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru and Colombia becoming independent from Spain.

Simon Bolivar is one of the greatest heroes of South America. He was born in Venezuela in 1783 and became a general for a South American army. Bolivar fought for the freedom of the Spanish colonies in South America.

In 1819, Bolivar became the first president of a union of South American countries. Finally, in 1824, Bolivar crushed the Spanish army. He had won independence for what are now Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.

Those six countries honour Simon Bolivar on his birthday, July 24.

The country of Bolivia was named after Bolivar, and a silver coin used today in Venezuela is called the Bolivar.

Picture Credit : Google

Bastille Day

In Paris, France, on July 14, 1789, a ragged mob of people swept through the streets shouting for justice. The people were on their way to the Bastille, a dreadful prison.

The Bastille stood for all that was evil in France. At that time, the king and the rich lived in luxury. The poor were often starving and treated badly. Anyone who complained was thrown into a prison such as the Bastille.

But on that day in July, the people rose up in anger. They stormed the Bastille, freed the prisoners, and began to tear down the prison. This event was part of the French Revolution. The revolution led to greater freedom and a better government for the French people.

Today, French people everywhere celebrate July 14 in memory of that important day in 1789. It is Bastille Day, a national holiday in France.

The celebration of Bastille Day includes parades, games, speeches, and fireworks. In the evening, people dance in the street until dawn, just as they did on the first Bastille Day.

Bon Festival

The smell of incense fills the air. Paper lanterns light up homes and cemeteries. It’s the Japanese festival of Bon, the time of year when Buddhists believe the spirits of their ancestors come to visit them. The festival takes place from July 13 to 15.

Obon (Japanese) or just Bon is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. It has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon Odori. This custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars.

The festival of Obon lasts for three days; however, its starting date varies within different regions of Japan. In modern Japan, it is held on July 15 in the eastern part (Kant?), on August 15 in the western part (Kansai), and in Okinawa and the Amami Islands it is celebrated like China's Ghost Festival on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month.

During the festival, Buddhists light paper lanterns at their homes to guide the spirits. They also leave food in their homes and cemeteries to welcome the spirits. Families go to the cemetery to clean family graves. They may also entertain guests at home or exchange gifts.

On the last evening, families float the lanterns down rivers or on the sea. They believe the lanterns carry the spirits back to the spirit world.

Independence Day

During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the thirteen colonies from Great Britain in 1776 actually occurred on July 2, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virgina declaring the United States independent from Great Britain’s rule. After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the wording of the Declaration, finally approving it two days later on July 4.

Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, political speeches, and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the national day of the United States.

The second day of July 1776 will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.

Picture Credit : Google