INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FRIENDSHIP
The United Nations’ International Day of Friendship is a movement to address many of the everyday challenges faced by humankind. Underlying this undertaking is the belief that solidarity of the…
Spanish Language Day
Observed annually on 23 April, United Nations Spanish Language Day (Día del Idioma Español en las Naciones Unidas) was first held in 2010 as a means of linguistic, cultural,…
World Hello Day
World Hello Day was created on 21 November 1973 by brothers and university graduates Brian and Michael McCormack in response to the Yom Kippur War. The brothers started the movement…
World Day for Audiovisual Heritage
World Day for Audiovisual Heritage is an observance dedicated to the preservation of cultural histories and traditions by means of audiovisual archiving. Equal parts celebration of and commitment to cultural…
Video Game Localisation
Africa has proven itself to be a dark horse in the global gaming industry boom, with regional revenues expected to surpass the $1 billion mark by 2024. While these sales…
Language and Environmentalism
In June we marked World Environment Day. A day underscoring the fact that a healthy environment is the foundation of a prosperous society and that attaining such a state is…
International Dictionary Day
International Dictionary Day (ITD) is celebrated annually on the 16th of October and celebrates the birth of Noah Webster, an American writer who was born in 1758. Webster is best-known…
International Indigenous People Day
The 9th of August marks International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. This occasion is dedicated to raising awareness and encouraging recognition of indigenous identities, rights, and traditions. Although indigenous…
The Complexity of Choosing Chocolate
World Chocolate Day is an annual observance which has been celebrated globally on the 7th of July since 2009. Though several chocolate-centric days exist, this date is widely believed to be the anniversary of the day chocolate was introduced to Europe in 1550. The United States alone has at least four additional occasions – one such day celebrated on the birthday of Milton S. Hershey, father of the Hershey’s Kiss. Historically, however, chocolate consumption can be traced back thousands of years, originating with pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures such as the Olmec, who were the first major civilisation in modern-day Mexico. The tropical lowlands inhabited by these peoples fostered the ideal environments for fruit trees such as avocado and cacao, or cocoa.
Translating “African”
The 21st of May marks World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. This auspicious date is dedicated to celebrating the bounteous wealth of cultures all over the world and commemorating the importance of intercultural dialogue in achieving and maintaining world peace and sustainable development. First conceived in May 2002, this day continues striving to enhance the potential of culture to improve the livelihoods of people all over the world.