Important National and International Days

Halloween is celebrated annually on October 31st in many countries around the world, particularly in North America. The date has roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain and the Christian holiday of All Hallows' Eve. October 31st is the correct and widely recognized date for Halloween celebrations.

The ancient Celts celebrated Samhain (their New Year) on November 1st, marking the end of harvest and beginning of winter. This festival evolved into modern Halloween. October 13th, December 21st (winter solstice), and January 1st are not related to Celtic New Year celebrations.

World Red Cross Day is observed annually on May 8th to commemorate the birth of Henry Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross movement and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The day was established in 1948 and is recognized internationally to honor the humanitarian work of the Red Cross and Red Crescent societies worldwide.

Flag Day is celebrated on June 14th in the United States, commemorating the adoption of the US flag in 1777. July 4th is Independence Day, and April 4th and June 4th are not significant flag-related dates.

Pope Julius I, who served as Pope from 337-352 AD, is traditionally credited with declaring December 25th as the date for celebrating Christmas. This declaration helped establish the standardized celebration of Christmas in the Christian calendar.

Illayaraja, the legendary Indian music composer, was born on June 2, 1943, in Pannaipuram, Tamil Nadu. This is a well-documented biographical fact about the composer.

June 24 is the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist, celebrating his birth. This date is exactly six months before Christmas Eve (December 24), following the biblical account of John being six months older than Jesus.

Miss World 2010, the 60th edition of the pageant, was held on October 30, 2010, in Sanya, China. Alexandria Mills from the United States won the title. This is a factual date verification.

Australia Day is celebrated on January 26th each year, commemorating the arrival of the First Fleet at Port Jackson in 1788. It marks the founding of the colony of New South Wales and is Australia's national day.

The Sydney Festival is celebrated throughout January each year. It's a major cultural festival featuring theater, dance, music, and visual arts, running for approximately three weeks starting in early January.

Christmas was declared a federal holiday in the United States on June 26, 1870, when President Ulysses S. Grant signed it into law. This was part of a broader act that declared several holidays as federal observances. The 1870 date is correct - it was nearly a century after the founding of the United States that Christmas became officially recognized.

Chinese New Year 2011 fell on February 3rd, marking the beginning of the Year of the Rabbit. It's based on the lunar-solar calendar and varies each year. January 1st is the Gregorian New Year, December 25th is Christmas, and January 26th is India's Republic Day.

Malayalam New Year (Vishu) in 2011 was celebrated on April 18th. Vishu typically falls on the first day of the Malayalam month of Medam, usually around April 14th. April 14th is Tamil New Year (Puthandu), and December 25th is Christmas.

Tamil New Year (Puthandu) in 2011 fell on April 14th. This is the first day of the Tamil month of Chithirai and is consistently celebrated on April 14th each year. January 1st is the Gregorian New Year, March 21st is the spring equinox, and April 18th is when Malayalam New Year sometimes falls.