Vyshyvanka Day in Ukraine

  Vyshyvanka Day, sometimes referred to as World Vyshyvanka Day, is a Ukrainian holiday celebrated on the third Thursday of May. On this day, thousands of Ukrainians across the world wear vyshyvankas (traditional embroidered shirts) to demonstrate their national identity and patriotism.The word “vyshyvanka” is derived from the Ukrainian word for embroidery, “vyshyvka”. Embroidery has a rich history in Ukraine and occupies an important place among Ukrainian decorative arts. Ukrainian embroidery varies from region to region. Although red and black are the most common colors of Ukrainian embroidery, other color schemes such as red and blue, white on white and a combination of several bright colors are popular in specific regions.
According to Ukrainian tradition, vyshyvanka is more than just an embroidered shirt. It is a talisman that is supposed to protect the wearer from evil spirits. Historically, embroidery was used in the places on the garment where evil spirits could potentially enter the person: back, hem, shoulders, cuffs, and neckline.
Vyshyvanka Day was initiated in 2006 by Lesia Voroniuk, a student at the Yurii Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University. She was inspired by a fellow student who often wore vyshyvanka to class. Voroniuk thought it would be great to have a day when all students come to class in vyshyvankas to celebrate Ukrainian culture.

April Fools’ Day

 April Fools’ Day or All Fools’ Day is a holiday celebrated in various countries on April 1. The day is marked by hoaxes and other practical jokes on friends, family members, neighbors, and coworkers. The earliest recorded association between April 1 and foolishness can be found in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (1392). Many historians believe that the establishment of January 1 as New Year’s Day in the 16th century was responsible for the creation of the April Fools’ Day, but this theory does not explain earlier references.

International Women's Day

March 8 is International Women's Day. Originally this day was created to appreciate women's rights and suffrage, but later it lost its political significance and became a blend of Mother's Day and Valentine's Day.International Women's Day appeared in the USA in 1909, when it was observed for the first time in New York. The Socialist Party of America organized this holiday to commemorate the strike of the International Ladies' Garment Workers. Despite later focus claimed, that a specific strike was held on March 8, in fact there were no such event.
In August 1910 “International Woman's Day” was proposed during the general meeting of the Socialist Second International in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was seconded by Clara Zetkin, the fellow socialist and later communist leader. The following year the holiday was celebrated in Denmark, Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

Christmas in the Eastern Orthodox Church

January 7 is Christmas in the Eastern Orthodox Church that use Julian calendar. This holiday corresponds to Christmas celebrated by all Western churches that falls on December 25.
Celebration of Christmas in the Easter Orthodox Church has got its own traditions which are very important for this holiday's celebration. An important part of the celebration is a special Christmas family meal that consists of 12 kinds of dishes that symbolize 12 apostles and 12 days of Christmastide.
In eastern part of Europe the traditional Christmas meal is kutia (served in Belarus, Ukraine and some parts of Poland) or sochivo (in Russia). This sweet grain pudding serves as a memorial dish (resembles koliva in Serbia and Romania).
Singing carols is another important Christmas tradition. Children and grownups in special costumes go from house to house and sing carols that tell about the birth of Jesus. Some carols praise the members of the family who listen to the carols. The singers are usually treated with sweets and money

Thanksgiving Day in the USA

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Thanksgiving Day is one of the most important holidays in the United States. It was established as a federal holiday in 1863 and has been celebrated every year since then. Thanksgiving is observed on the fourth Thursday in November.
The history of Thanksgiving is typically associated with Plymouth Colony founded by the English immigrants who arrived aboard the Mayflower in 1620. Their first winter in the New World was very harsh, nearly half the settlers died. However, the pilgrims did manage to develop the colony and grow crops. In November 1621, they celebrated the harvest feast which is now referred to as “The First Thanksgiving”.

Source Claims the Queen Plans to Crown William & Kate King & Queen

An anonymous source told Life & Style that Queen Elizabeth has decided to pass down her royal duties to her grandson Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton. Now, it should be pointed out that the queen has yet to make any sort of formal announcement herself to confirm this news, but if it's true, it's pretty exciting. It would also mean that the queen is skipping over her own son, Prince Charles, in the British monarchy’s line of succession, which is not so exciting for him.

But why would the queen make such a huge decision? Life & Style's source claims that the queen believes installing a younger generation than Prince Charles is vital for the House of Windsor to thrive in the future.

Independence Day in the USA

Independence Day is an important federal holiday in the United States that commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. The declaration was adopted on July 4, 1776 therefore the holiday is commonly referred to as the Fourth of July or July Fourth.
On July 2, 1776 the Second Continental Congress approved the Lee Resolution, also known as the resolution of independence. The text of the document formally announcing separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain and explaining this decision, the Declaration of Independence, was approved on July 4. The text of the Declaration had been prepared by the Committee of Five, Thomas Jefferson being the principal author. The anniversary of the Declaration would come to be celebrated as Independence Day in the United States.