Fun Facts Traditional birthstone: ruby Mystical birthstone: ruby Ayurvedic birthstone: ruby Flower: pink larkspur Chinese Floral Emblem: lotus Sun Signs: Cancer / Leo Dates Vary Year to Year Late June/Early July: Green Corn Festival 5th day of 5th moon: Chinese Dragon Boat Festival 2nd Saturday: Bon Odori Monday nearest the 12th: Orangemen's Day, Canada 3rd or 4th Saturday: Hopi Niman Dance Last Weekend: Gilroy Garlic Festival 3rd Day of bright 1/2 of Shravna, 5th Hindu month: Teej 5th Day of bright 1/2 of Shravna, 5th Hindu month: Naga Panchami Night of 27th Day of Rajab, 7th Islamic month: Lailat al-Miraj 9th Day of Av, 11th Jewish month: Tisha be-Av 9th Islamic month: Ramadan Weekly Observances ~1st Week~ Frontier Days, Arizona ~2nd Week~ Special Recognition Week ~3rd Week~ Lyme Disease Awareness Week Space Week Swan Upping, UK ~4th Week~ Cheyenne Frontier Day, Wyoming Monthly Observances Hay Month National Baked Bean Month National Blueberries Month National Hot Dog Month National Ice Cream Month National Recreation and Parks Month National Tennis Month Tahiti Awareness Month

Daily Observances 1 Canada Day La Fiesta de Burro Mt. Fuji Day, Japan National Gingersnap Day Plunkett, Ireland St. Cosmas and Damian's Day 2 Besse-en-Chandesse, France Corso del Palio, Siena, Italy Madonna di Provenzano Festival, Italy National Anisette Day National Literacy Day 3 Garibaldi Day, Italy National Chocolate Wafer Day St. Anatolius' Day St. Ignatius of Loyola's Day St. Thomas the Apostle's Day Sun Dance, Assinibone Tribe, Montana 4 Barbeque Day National Country Music Day National Huckleberry Festival St. Elizabeth of Portugal's Day St. Ulrich's Day US Independence Day 5 Fiesta do Tapuleiros begins, Portugal National Apple Turnover Day Peace & Unity Day, Rwanda St. Anthony Zaccaria's Day St. Rosalia's Day Tynwald Day, Isle of Man 6 National Fried Chicken Day National Pickle Festival Rememberance Day, Luxembourg St. Maria Goretti's Day 7 Double Seven Day, China Macaroni Day National Strawberry Sundae Day Saba Saba Day, Tanzania Tanabata, Japan 8 Feast St. Sunniva, Norse Festa dos Tabuleiros, Portugal Heritage Day Lindenfest, Rhineland, Germany National Cherry Festival National Milk Chocolate with Almonds Day Old Crafts Day St. Aquila and Prisca's Day St. Kilian's Day 9 Fashion Day Lobster Carnival, Nova Scotia, Canada National POW/MIA Recognition Day National Sugar Cookie Day 10 Bahamas Independence Day Clerihew Day Knut the Reaper's Day, Scotland National Pina Colada Day Night of Sorrows Windjammer Days 11 Bodmin Riding, Wales Feast of Theano National Blueberry Muffin Day St. Benedict II's Day St. Pius I's Day 12 Orangeman's Day, Northern Ireland St. John Gualbert's Day 13 Festival of Lanterns, Japan Festival of Our Lady of Fatima Festival of the Three Cows La Retraite, France National French Fries Day National Ice Cream Day St. Mildred's Day 14 Bastille Day, France National Grand Marnier Day St. Deusdedit's Day St. Procopius' Day 15 Black Ship Festival, Japan Feast of Rowana Feast of St. Vladimir of Kiev National Tapioca Pudding Day Respect Canada Day St. Bonaventure's Day St. Swithins's Day 16 La Paz Day, Bolivia National Blueberry Festival National Corn Fritters Day St. Eustathius' Day 17 Avocado Festival Gion Matsuri, Japan Munoz-Rivera Day, Puerto Rico National Peach Ice Cream Day Norway Independence Day POW-MIA Recognition Day Scillitan Martyrs' Day St. Alexius Day St. Marcellina's Day 18 Chrysanthemum Day National Caviar Day Railroad Day St. Philastrius' Day 19 National Daiquiri Day Prince Lot Hula Festival, Honolulu, Hawaii St. Marcrina's Day 20 Binding of the Wreaths Chess Day National Lollipop Day St. Elijah's Day 21 Feast of Damo National Creme Brulee Day National Junk Food Day Schoelcher Day, French West Indies St. Lawrence of Brindisi's Day St. Praxedes' Day 22 Lotus Festival Preparedness Day St. Mary Magdalene's Day 23 Feast of Sulis Fiesta De Santiago, Guatemala Soma No Umadi, Japan St. Apollinaris' Feast St. Bridget's Day 24 Bolivar Day, Ecuador, Venezuel Festival of St. Eloi, French Basque National Tequila Day Pioneer Day, Utah St. Boris' Daya 25 Act Like a Caveman Day Furrinalia National Hot Fudge Sundae Day St. Christopher's Day Threading the Needle Holiday, China 26 Bagelfest Black-Eyed Peas Jamboree begins, Texas Central Maine Egg Festival begins Curacaco Day National Coffee Milkshake Day Slepnir, Celtic Horse Festival Somers Day, Bermuda St. Anne's Day St. Joachim's Day 27 Caravan of Pilgrims begins, Cairo Garlic Festival National Scotch Day Procession of the Witches, Beselare, Belgium 28 Accountant's Day Domhnach Chrom Dubh, Ireland Festival of Hungry Ghosts, China National Milk Chocolate Day St. Innocent I's Day St. Victor I's Day 29 Cherry Feast, Germany Dragon Day National Lasagna Day Oslok, Norway St. Lupus' Day Thor's Day, Norse 30 Marseillaise Day, France National Cheesecake Day St. Abdon's Day St. Silas' Day, Greek 31 Friendship Day Lammas Eve Loki and Sigyn's Day, Norse National Raspberry Cake Day Red Friday St. Ignatius of Loyola's Day  St. Germanus' Day St. Giovanni Colombini's Day

National Days refer to the USA unless stated otherwise. Jewish and Muslim holidays begin the previous day at sundown.

What's a holiday? Festival? Celebration?

hol-i-day (noun)
1. A consecrated day; religious anniversary; a day set apart in honor of some person, or in commemoration of some event.
2. A day of exemption from labor; a day of amusement and gayety; a festival day.
3. (Law) A day fixed by law for suspension of business; a legal holiday.
4. A vacation (chiefly British).
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

fes·ti·val (noun)
1. An occasion for feasting or celebration, especially a day or time of religious significance that recurs at regular intervals.
2. An often regularly recurring program of cultural performances, exhibitions, or competitions: a film festival.
3. Revelry; conviviality.
(adjective)
Of, relating to, or suitable for a feast or festival; festive
Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

cel'e·bra'tion (noun)
1. an occasion for special festivities to mark some happy event
2. any festival or other celebration
3. the public performance of a sacrament or solemn ceremony with all appropriate ritual
Source: WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University