Popular Holidays Around the World and Their Significance

A holiday is a day that is designed as having a special significance according to either a group of individuals, a government, or a country. These holidays are an occasion to celebrate either a festival or a birthday of someone who made a significant contribution to the country. The beauty of holidays is the diversity that is seen in them. Each country and each religious group of individuals have a different set of holidays, according to their traditions or their beliefs. Given below is a list of the various holidays celebrated around the world with a lot of enthusiasm (some of the holidays given below may or may not be national holidays).

List of Holidays Around the World

January

• New Year's Day
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• Solnal
• Twelfth Night
• Epiphany
• Julian Christmas
• Pongal
• Jewish New Year of the Trees
• Chinese New Year
• Burns Night
• Australia Day

February

• Sarasvati Puja
• 100th Day of School
• Groundhog Day
• Black History Month
• Mardi Gras
• President's Day
• Valentine's Day
• Nirvana Day
• Shiva Ratri
• Purim

March

• Shrove Tuesday
• Ash Wednesday
• St. David's Day
• International Women's Day
• St. Patrick's Day
• Jamshedi Navroz
• Now Ruz
• Holi
• Greek Independence Day
• Sizdeh Bedar

April

• April Fool's Day
• International Children's Book Day
• Ching Ming
• Hana Matsuri
• Baisakhi
• Bon Chol Chhanam
• Songkran
• Anzac Day
• Passover
• Palm Sunday
• Holy Thursday
• Good Friday
• Holy Saturday
• Easter Sunday
• Easter Monday
• Low Sunday
• Ridvan
• Mahavir Jayanti
• Arbor Day
• Earth Day
• St. George's Day

May

• May Day
• Santa Cruzen Day
• Cinco de Mayo
• Memorial Day
• Mother's Day
• Shavuot
• Vesak
• Citizenship Day - Canada
• Victoria Day

June

• Father's Day
• Chinese Dragon Boat Festival
• Flag Day
• Midsummer's Day/Eve
• Ratha Yatra

July

• Canada Day
• Fourth of July
• Tanabata
• Obon

August

• Hiroshima Day
• Raksha Bandhan
• Janmashtami
• The Assumption of Mary
• Ghost Festival

September

• Labor Day
• National Grandparents Day
• Onam
• International Day of Peace

October

• Jewish High Holy Days
• Rosh Hashanah
• Yom Kippur
• Sukkot
• Octoberfest
• Canadian Thanksgiving
• Dia de la Raza
• Columbus Day
• Halloween

November

• All Soul's/Saint's Day
• Guy Fawkes Day
• Diwali
• Louis Riel Day
• Remembrance Day
• Veteran's Day
• St. Martin's Day
• US Thanksgiving
• St. Catherine's Day
• Eid-ul-Fitr
• St. Andrew's Day

December

• Advent
• Chanukah
• St. Nicholas Day
• St. Lucia Day
• Las Posadas
• Christmas Eve
• Christmas Day
• Yule
• Boxing Day
• St. Stephen's Day
• Kwanzaa
• Mummering
• New Year's Eve
• Holy Innocents Day

There are also a lot of weird holidays around the world, that are celebrated just for fun, like 'Act Happy Day' and 'Dump Your Significant Jerk Day'. However, as is said, a holiday is just an excuse to celebrate!