October 2012

When asked to define diversity, Dominion employee Guy Livesay said, "The dictionary uses words like 'distinct' and 'variety.' I believe diversity has more to do with our uniqueness than with our differences." His photo was taken at Mattamuskeet Lake in Hyde County, North Carolina. "The photo shows three of the dozens of types of birds that exist together in the wild, each with its own feeding habits, size, color, etc.," Livesay said.

October 1:

• Independence Day (Nigeria) - Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1960.

October 2:

• Gandhi’s Birthday (India) - celebrated as a national holiday in India. Gandhi was an Indian nationalist who adopted non-violence in fighting for his country's independence.

October 3:

• Day of German Unity (Germany) - Commemorates the day in 1990 when East and West Germany were reunited following the Cold War.

October 9:

• Han’gul Day (Korea) - Commemorates the creation of the Korean alphabet of 29 phonetic symbols called han’gul by King Sejong of the Yi dynasty between 1443 and 1446.

October 10:

• Thanksgiving Day (Canada) - Early Canadian settlers gave thanks for good harvests by decorating their churches with fruits and vegetables and celebrated dinner with venison and waterfowl.
• Columbus Day (USA) - Honors the explorer Christopher Columbus who first landed in the western world in 1492.

October 12:

• Noss Senhora de Aparecida (Brazil) - In 1717, a group of Brazilian fishermen pulled up a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary, followed by an abundant catch after a fruitless fishing day. They enshrined the statue, and in 1929, the Brazilian nation declared Nossa Senhor Aparecida the Patroness of Brazil. At least 500,000 pilgrims flock to this sanctuary annually.
• Hispanic Day (Spain) - A national holiday to commemorate Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas. Día de la Raza is also a holiday in many Latin American countries.

October 13:

• Sukkot (Jewish) - A Biblical pilgrimage festival. In Israel (and among Reform Jews), Sukkot is a 7-day holiday, with the first day celebrated as a full festival with special prayer services and holiday meals. Outside the land of Israel, the first two days are celebrated as full festivals.

October 16-23:

• Navratri (India) - Navratri means "nine nights" starting on the new moon and ending on Dussehra. It is dedicated to the goddess Durga who had nine incarnations and has the power of good to destroy demons.

October 18:

• National Heroes Day (Jamaica) – Honors Jamaican heroes.

October 21:

• Durga Puja (India) - Celebrates the divine creative force of the universe and honors the 10-armed goddess Durga, wife of Shiva, and the destroyer of demons.

October 22:

• Abu Simbel Festival (Egypt) - Built by Ramses II, his temple is angled so that the inner sanctum lights up twice a year: once on the anniversary of his rise to the throne and once on his birthday. The other date for this event is Feb. 22.

October 23:

• Chulanlongkorn Day (Thailand) - Commemorates the birth of Rama V, a progressive ruler who ruled from 1868 to 1910.
• Chongyang Festival (China, Taiwan, Hong Kong) - Families visit the graves of their ancestors.

October 24:

• Hajj (Islamic) - Muslims perform the annual spiritual pilgrimage to Mecca. It lasts for four days and about 4 million Muslims from more than 70 nations make this journey each year.

October 25:

• Yom Kippur (Jewish) - the Jewish holiday of the Day of Atonement. It falls on the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Tishri, and is commemorated with a 25-hour fast and intensive prayer. It is considered the holiest day of the Jewish year.

October 26:

• Eid ul-Adha (Islamic) - This is the second in the series of Eid festivals that Muslims celebrate. It is also referred to as the "Big Bayram" (from Turkish) or "Big Feast." It is celebrated by Muslims all over the world as a tribute to those who are completing their pilgrimage in Mecca on that day.

October 28:

• National Day "Ochi" (Greece) - Marks the anniversary of when Prime Minster Metaxas, said "no" (or "ochi" in Greek) to the invasion of Albania by the Italians, thereby entering themselves into World War II.

October 31:

• Halloween (USA, Canada) - This western world tradition marked by children in costumes going door-to-door for candy, originated in Ireland. Halloween is the eve of All Saints' Day and was a celebration of all saints and martyrs. Over time the holiday has strayed from its religious background and become a cultural event. 

October-November: 

• Iroquois Harvest Ceremony (Aboriginal) - This is a daylong ceremony to give thanks to the earth spirits for providing now and in the future.