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Holiday Focus: German Unification Day
In October of 1990, East and West Germany were reunited into a single country after more than 40 years of separation, almost 30 of those years spent separated by the Berlin Wall. Although Unification Day is celebrated on October 3, the day is also meant to commemorate significant related events of November 1989, including the resignation of the East German government and the fall of the Berlin Wall. The holiday is celebrated with parades, speeches, and the official Unity Day street festival.
World Holidays Featured This Month
India - Gandhi Jayanti - October 2
Commemorates the birth of Mohandas (or Mahatma) Gandhi, a national hero in India's fight for independence. To celebrate, people gather together to weave and spin cloth, and some make pilgrimages to Raj Ghat, the site of Gandhi's cremation.
South Korea - Han'gul Day - October 9
Celebrates the invention of the Korean alphabet in 1446. It is celebrated with Confucian customs, ancient-style dances, and calligraphy contests. In Yoju, the Grand Cultural Festival is held, with songs, parades, and games.
Japan - Takayama Matsuri - October 9-10
This festival is held twice a year, once in the spring and once in the autumn. Both festivals are famous for their floats decorated with ornate cloth, wood, and metalwork. Elaborate puppet shows are featured on some of the floats. Metal gongs are used in folk music, and a lion dance is performed, traditionally meant to banish animals that threatened famers' crops.
Equatorial Guinea - Independence Day - October 12
Commemorates the country's 1968 independence from Spain, after three hundred years of colonization. It is celebrated with gatherings, singing, and food.
United Kingdom - Trafalgar Day - October 21
On the anniversary of the maritime battle off the coast of Trafalgar, Spain, in 1805, a brief service is held in London's Trafalgar Square. Wreaths are placed next to Nelson's Column, a monument dedicated to Lord Nelson, who was killed during the battle.
Brazil - Festival of Light - Two weeks at the beginning of October
Celebrated in Belem, the Festival of Light honors Our Lady of Nazareth. Lights are hung on the church and the surrounding areas. During the main parade, the "miracle car," a platform with illustrations of the miracles attributed to the Virgin, is carried through the streets, followed by worshippers of all ages and circumstances.
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