Birthstone:

Garnet

Flower of the month:

Carnation

Health Awareness:

National Blood Donor Month

National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.

Holidays and Events:

1st - New Year's Day, also simply called New Year or New Year's, is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year%27s_Day

New Year’s Day Rose parade: Since 1890, the Tournament of Roses has produced America’s New Year Celebration, bringing the traditions of the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game to Pasadena and the world for nearly 130 years.

https://tournamentofroses.com/

15th - Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., and sometimes referred to as MLK Day) is an American federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around King's birthday, January 15, 1929.

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1964/king/biographical/

27th - International Holocaust Remembrance Day The United Nations General Assembly designated January 27—the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau—as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

https://www.ushmm.org/remember/international-holocaust-remembrance-day

Chinese New Year is a major holiday in Greater China and has strongly influenced lunar new year celebrations of China's neighbouring cultures, including the Korean New Year (seol), the Tết of Vietnam, and the Losar of Tibet.^[3] It is also celebrated worldwide in regions and countries with significant Overseas Chinese populations, including Singapore,^[4] Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar,^[5] Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines,^[6] and Mauritius,^[7] as well as many in North America and Europe.^[8][9][10]

Chinese New Year is associated with several myths and customs. The festival was traditionally a time to honour deities as well as ancestors. ^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year}

Birthstone:

Amethyst

Flower of the month:

Violet

Health Awareness:

American Heart Month

Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month! Here are some ways to get involved: https://www.loveisrespect.org/teendvmonth/

Holidays and Events:

Black History Month

12th - Lincoln's Birthday Lincoln's Birthday is a legal, public holiday in some U.S. states, observed on the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth on February 12, 1809 in Hodgenville, Kentucky. Lincoln's Birthday is combined with a celebration of President George Washington's birthday (also in February) and celebrated either as Washington's Birthday or as Presidents' Day on the third Monday in February, concurrent with the federal holiday

14th - Valentine's Day Each year on February 14, people exchange cards, candy or flowers with their special “valentine.” St. Valentine’s Day is named for a Christian martyr and dates back to the 5th century, but has origins in the Roman holiday Lupercalia.

https://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day

Mardi Gras Celebration, or Fat Tuesday, refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday.

https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/

Birthstone:

Aquamarine

Flower of the month:

Jonquil

Health Awareness:

National Colon Cancer Awareness Month is an annual celebration observed in the United States during the month of March, to increase awareness of colorectal cancer. In the United States it is organized by the Colorectal Cancer Alliance

Holidays and Events:

Women's History Month goto www.nwhp.org/whm/

8th – International Women’s Day International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.

https://www.un.org/en/events/womensday/

20th - Vernal Equinox the equinox in spring, on about March 20 in the northern hemisphere and September 22 in the southern hemisphere.Also called spring equinox.

The equinox in March, when the sun crosses the celestial equator in a northerly direction, marking the prime meridian of right ascension.Also called First Point of Aries (see Aries).

https://www.britannica.com/science/vernal-equinox

31st - Cesar Chavez Day Cesar E. Chavez National Holiday was established by Los Angeles volunteers who organized and led the effort in California that won Cesar Chavez Day, the first legal state holiday and day of service and learning in honor of farm worker leader Cesar E. Chavez. The legal holiday bill introduced by then State Senator Richard Polanco (Los Angeles-D) was signed into law by then Governor Gray Davis (D) on August 18, 2000. The holiday is celebrated in California on Cesar E. Chavez’s birthday March 31st. This marked the first time that a labor leader or Latino has been honored with a public legal holiday. http://www.cesarchavezholiday.org/

Birthstone:

Diamond

Flower of the month:

Daisy or sweet pea

Health Awareness:

April is named by Congress as National Cancer Control Month.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month! Here are some tips to help you drink alcohol in moderation: https://bit.ly/2hRRtQB

Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) is an annual campaign to raise public awareness about sexual assault and educate communities and individuals on how to prevent sexual violence.^[1] It is observed in April.

Testicular Cancer Awareness Month is celebrated in April of each year. You can learn more about testicular cancer at the Men’s Health Resource Center.

Holidays and Events:

National Poetry month;

Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month

1^st-April fool’s day

Some historians speculate that April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563. People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes.

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/april-fools-day

Passover, or Pesach in Hebrew, is one of the Jewish religion’s most sacred and widely observed holidays. Passover commemorates the story of the Israelites’ departure from ancient Egypt, which appears in the Hebrew Bible’s books of Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, among other texts. Jews observe the weeklong festival with a number of important rituals, including a traditional Passover meals known as a seder, the removal of leavened products from their home, the substitution of matzo for bread and the retelling of the exodus tale.

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/passover

Easter Sunday Easter, Latin Pascha, Greek Pascha, principal festival of the Christian church, which celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his Crucifixion. The earliest recorded observance of an Easter celebration comes from the 2nd century, though the commemoration of Jesus’ Resurrection probably occurred earlier.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Easter-holiday

7th – United Nations’ World Health Day

Universal health coverage is WHO’s number one goal. Key to achieving it is ensuring that everyone can obtain the care they need, when they need it, right in the heart of the community. https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-health-day/world-health-day-2019

13th – Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday

Jefferson's Birthday officially honors the birth of the third U.S. president, Thomas Jefferson on April 13, 1743.^[1] This day was recognized by Franklin D. Roosevelt as part of Presidential Proclamation 2276, issued on March 21, 1938.^[2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson%27s_Birthday

15th – Tax Due Day Many United States residents mark Tax Day as the deadline to file their income tax details to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The date is usually on or around April 15. However, this deadline may be extended to accommodate holidays or extreme weather conditions.

https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/tax-day

https://www.irs.gov/irs-history-timeline

patriot day (Third Monday in April) Each year in mid-April, thousands of people flock to historic Lexington and Concord and Minute Man National Historical Park to celebrate Patriots' Day. Patriots' Day is a special Massachusetts State holiday commemorating the opening battle of the American Revolutionary War, April 19, 1775.

https://www.nps.gov/mima/patriots-day.htm

22nd - Earth day The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement. https://www.earthday.org/about/

Birthstone:

Emerald

Flower of the month:

Lily of the Valley

Health Awareness:

Mental Health Awareness Month (also referred to as "Mental Health Month") has been observed in May in the United States since 1949, reaching millions of people in the United States through the media, local events, and screenings.

ALS awareness month In the United States, the campaign is observed every year in the month of May.^[5] It is recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.^[6]

May is Skin Cancer Prevention Month! Take these steps to protect yourself from #SkinCancer: http://1.usa.gov/1G8qOTW

National Stroke Awareness Month is observed in the United States annually during the month of May. National Stroke Awareness Month was created to promote public awareness and reduce the incidence of stroke in the United States.

Holidays and Events:

5th - Battle of Puebla Day, Cinco De Mayo (Mexico). Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. The day, which falls on Sunday, May 5 in 2019, is also known as Battle of Puebla Day.

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/cinco-de-mayo

National Day of Prayer

The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman.

https://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/about

Mother's Day. Mother's Day in the United States is annually held on the second Sunday of May. It celebrates motherhood and it is a time to appreciate mothers and mother figures. Many people give gifts, cards, flowers, candy, a meal in a restaurant or other treats to their mother and mother figures, including grandmothers, great-grandmothers, stepmothers, and foster mothers.

https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/mothers-day

Memorial Day The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war).

It is now observed in almost every state on the last Monday in May with Congressional passage of the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 – 363). The 30th of May was originally chosen as Memorial Day (or Decoration Day as it was then called) because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle. However, on 28 June 1968, the United States Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved four holidays, including Memorial Day, from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a convenient three-day weekend. The change moved Memorial Day from its traditional May 30th date to the last Monday in May.

http://www.usmemorialday.org/?page_id=2

Birthstone:

Pearl

Flower of the month:

Rose

Health Awareness:

National Scleroderma Awareness Month

JUNE is Men’s Health Month! http://www.menshealthmonth.org/

June is National Safety Month by Sponsor: National Safety Council

Holidays and Events:

Adopt a Cat Month

Father's Day In 1916, President Wilson honored the day by using telegraph signals to unfurl a flag in Spokane when he pressed a button in Washington, D.C. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge urged state governments to observe Father’s Day.

Today, the day honoring fathers is celebrated in the United States on the third Sunday of June https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/fathers-day

21st – June Solstice For us in the Northern Hemisphere, this solstice marks the longest day of the year. Early dawns. Long days. Late sunsets. Short nights. The sun at its height each day, as it crosses the sky. Meanwhile, south of the equator, winter begins. It’s because Earth doesn’t orbit upright. Instead, our world is tilted on its axis by 23 1/2 degrees. Earth’s Northern and Southern Hemispheres trade places in receiving the sun’s light and warmth most directly. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-june-solstice

Birthstone:

Ruby

Flower of the month:

Larkspur

Health Awareness:

World Hepatitis Day, observed on July 28 every year, aims to raise global awareness of hepatitis

Holidays and Events:

4th - American Independence Day

On July 4, 1776, the 13 colonies claimed their independence from England, an event which eventually led to the formation of the United States. Each year on the fourth of July, also known as Independence Day, Americans celebrate this historic event.

https://www.military.com/independence-day/history-of-independence-day.html

Birthstone:

Peridot

Flower of the month:

Gladiolus

Health Awareness:

National Immunization Awareness Month

Sponsor: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases

Holidays and Events:

12th – International Youth Day

12 August was first designated International Youth Day by the UN General Assembly in 1999, and serves as an annual celebration of the role of young women and men as essential partners in change, and an opportunity to raise awareness of challenges and problems facing the world’s youth. https://www.un.org/en/events/youthday/

19th – World Humanitarian Day

World Humanitarian Day (WHD) is held every year on 19 August to pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service, and to rally support for people affected by crises around the world. "From supporting civilians caught up in crisis to addressing disease outbreaks, women humanitarians are on the front lines."
— UN Secretary-General, António Guterres

https://www.un.org/en/events/humanitarianday/

Birthstone:

Sapphire

Flower of the month:

Aster

Health Awareness:

Bladder Awareness Month

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is an annual national health campaign organized by major childhood cancer organizations to increase awareness of pediatric cancer and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure.

National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

Sponsor: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

September is Pain Awareness Month in the United States. The American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA) declared this month to “raise public awareness of issues in the area of pain and pain management.”

Holidays and Events:

Labor Day Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

https://www.dol.gov/general/laborday/history

10th – World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), on 10 September, is organized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP). WHO has been co-sponsor of the day. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness around the globe that suicide can be prevented.

https://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/wspd/en/

11^th - Patriot Day In the United States, Patriot Day occurs on September 11 of each year in memory of the people killed in the September 11 attacks of the year 2001. https://www.bing.com/search?q=patriot+day&pc=MOZI&form=MOZLBR

Grandparents Day National Grandparents Day falls each year on the first Sunday after Labor Day. It was initiated at the grassroots level by West Virginian Marian Lucille Herndon McQuade, with the behind-the-scenes support of her husband Joseph L. McQuade.

https://www.legacyproject.org/guides/gpdhistory.html

Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of atonement)

The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah actually means “Head of the Year.” Just like the head controls the body, our actions on Rosh Hashanah have a tremendous impact on the rest of the year. Together with Yom Kippur (which follows 10 days later), it is part of the Yamim Nora'im (Days of Awe, or: High Holidays).https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/4762/jewish/What-Is-Rosh-Hashanah.htm

https://www.chabad.org/holidays/JewishNewYear/template_cdo/aid/671894/jewish/When-Is-Sukkot-in-2019-2020-2021-2022-2023-2024-and-2025.htm

22 or 23rd - Autumnal Equinox occurs depending on the location

Autumnal equinox, two moments in the year when the Sun is exactly above the Equator and day and night are of equal length; also, either of the two points in the sky where the ecliptic (the Sun’s annual pathway) and the celestial equator intersect. In the Northern Hemisphere the autumnal equinox falls about September 22 or 23, as the Sun crosses the celestial equator going south. In the Southern Hemisphere the equinox occurs on March 20 or 21, when the Sun moves north across the celestial equator. https://www.britannica.com/science/autumnal-equinox

Birthstone:

Opal

Flower of the month:

Cosmos, Calendula

Health Awareness:

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

National Liver Awareness Month

Holidays and Events:

2nd – International Day of Non-Violence (the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi) The United Nations’ (UN) International Day of Non-Violence is a global observance that promotes non-violence through education and public awareness. It is annually held on October 2 to coincide with renowned Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday. The International Day of Non-Violence promotes ways to stop violence.

https://www.un.org/en/events/nonviolenceday/

5th - The World Teachers' Day, Held annually on 5 October since 1994, World Teachers’ Day commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. This Recommendation sets benchmarks regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions. The Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel was adopted in 1997 to complement the 1966 Recommendation by covering teaching and research personnel in higher education.

https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/worldteachersday

Child Health Day, First Monday of October Child Health Day is held annually on the first Monday of October, elevating the publics knowledge and interest in children's health in our nation.

https://www.calendardate.com/child_health_day.htm

World Sight Day (WSD) is an annual day of awareness held on the second Thursday of October, to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment. https://www.iapb.org/advocacy/world-sight-day/

10th – World Mental Health Day is observed on 10 October every year

World Mental Health Day is observed on 10 October every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health.

https://www.who.int/mental_health/world-mental-health-day/en/

12th - Columbus Day or Indigenous People’s Day (Observed on the second Monday in October in the United States)

Christopher Columbus was an Italian-born explorer who set sail in August 1492, bound for Asia with backing from the Spanish monarchs King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella aboard the ships the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.

Columbus intended to chart a western sea route to China, India and the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia. Instead, on October 12, 1492, he landed in the Bahamas, becoming the first European to explore the Americas since the Vikings established colonies in Greenland and Newfoundland during the 10th century. It was unofficially celebrated in a number of cities and states as early as the 18th century, but did not become a federal holiday until 1937. For many, the holiday is a way of both honoring Columbus’ achievements and celebrating Italian-American heritage. But throughout its history, Columbus Day and the man who inspired it have generated controversy, and many alternatives to the holiday have proposed since the 1970s including Indigenous Peoples' Day.

https://www.history.com/topics/exploration/columbus-day

31st - Halloween Halloween is a holiday celebrated each year on October 31. The tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints. Soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities like trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes and eating treats.

https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween

Birthstone:

Topaz

Flower of the month:

Chrysanthemum

Health Awareness:

National Marrow Awareness Month, visit the web site at www.marrow.org

American Diabetes Month

Lung Cancer awareness month

Holidays and Events:

Southern California Desert Weed Show occurs the first weekend of November

3rd - Election Day 2020 (The Tuesday after the first Monday of November) On January 7, 1789, the electors were chosen for the first U.S. presidential election. (George Washington was elected president on February 4.)

By an act of Congress on January 23, 1845, the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November was designated Election Day for future presidential elections.

https://www.almanac.com/content/when-election-day

11th - Veterans Day/Remembrance Day The Veterans Day National Ceremony is held each year on November 11th at Arlington National Cemetery . The ceremony commences precisely at 11:00 a.m. with a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns and continues inside the Memorial Amphitheater with a parade of colors by veterans' organizations and remarks from dignitaries. The ceremony is intended to honor and thank all who served in the United States Armed Forces.

https://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/

14th – World Diabetes Day (WDD) was created in 1991 by IDF and the World Health Organization in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat posed by diabetes. World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations Day in 2006 with the passage of United Nation Resolution 61/225. It is marked every year on 14 November, the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best in 1922.

WDD is the world’s largest diabetes awareness campaign reaching a global audience of over 1 billion people in more than 160 countries. The campaign draws attention to issues of paramount importance to the diabetes world and keeps diabetes firmly in the public and political spotlight.

https://worlddiabetesday.org/about/

Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in the United States, . In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November. In the fall of 1941, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution returning the holiday to the fourth Thursday of November.

https://www.history.com/news/abraham-lincoln-and-the-mother-of-thanksgiving

Birthstone:

Turquoise

Flower of the month:

Narcissus

Health Awareness:

December is safe toys and celebrations month:

https://publichealthmaps.org/calendar/2019/12/1/safe-toys-and-celebrations-month

https://www.welcoa.org/health-observances/december/

Holidays and Events:

Winter Solstice is on either December 20, 21, 22 or 23 The winter solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, it takes place between December 20 and 23, depending on the year. (The reverse is true in the Southern Hemisphere, where the shortest day of the year occurs in June.) Cultures around the world have long held feasts and celebrated holidays around the winter solstice. Fire and light are traditional symbols of celebrations held on the darkest day of the year.

https://www.history.com/topics/natural-disasters-and-environment/winter-solstice

24th and 25th - Christmas eve and Christmas Day Christmas is celebrated on December 25 and is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. December 25–Christmas Day–has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870.

https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas

31st - New Year's Eve

In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, the last day of the year, is on December 31. In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated at evening social gatherings, where many people dance, eat, drink, and watch or light fireworks. Some Christians attend a watchnight service. The celebrations generally go on past midnight into New Year's Day, 1 January. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year%27s_Eve