The day is coordinated by the Paris-based IDAHO committee. By 2010 the organization and the IDAHO day had been fully and officially recognized by the EU parliament, Belgium, the UK, Mexico, Costa Rica, The Netherlands, France, Luxemburg, Spain, and Brazil. In addition, in many countries like Argentina, Italy, Bolivia, and Croatia the day has been recognized by cities and regional governments…  In many countries, unfortunately, homosexuality is still largely taboo or under dispute. According to the IDAHO website only eleven countries around the world recognize same sex marriage rights, and in 76 countries it is still legal to prosecute a person based on their sexual orientation.

International Day Against Homophobia is usually a rallying event where people around the world come together to support the cause, as well as each other, in various different ways. The day is about unity in spirit and diversity in expression. International Day Against Homophobia aims to mobilize public opinion, draw media attention to issues surrounding homophobia, and to network and create partnerships between organizations. The United Nations, for example, supports the IDAHO movement through UNAIDS. According to the UNAIDS website, “Homophobia is considered one of the main obstacles in implementing HIV prevention strategies.”

Various ways that you can celebrate and participate to the International Day Against Homophobia, are listed at the IDAHO website.

Women and Girls in IT

The main aim of this day is to raise awareness of changes brought about by technology, specifically the Internet.

This year’s theme for Information Society Day is Women and Girls in Information and Communication Technology… The International Telecommunications Union says on their website, that “ICTs are tools that can help accelerate progress towards achieving (gender equality), and it is for this reason that ITU Council proposed that we focus our efforts this year on women and girls, using the power of ICTs to provide new digital opportunities to end discrimination and empower the female half of the world’s population to achieve their rightful place as equals in the world.”

Read more about the World Telecommunications and Information Society Day and the work of the International Telecommunications Union here. 

So, it seems that although cheek kissing is a common greeting across the globe, one has to be truly culturally competent to smoothly master the art of cheek kissing! Read about the differnces and learn that London is a one-kiss city.

Types of Cheek Kissing

But, before going too much further, let’s list the different types of kisses we encounter. (for the purposes of this article I’m leaving out full-on lovers kisses!) There are three different degrees to touching…. There is the ‘real’ kiss; from mouth to cheek. Then, there is the ‘fake’ kiss; check touches cheek, and, finally, the no-contact ‘air’ kiss.

See slide show ‘Greetings and Salivations‘

How Often Do You Kiss?

Next, how many times do you kiss? This ranges between one and four times; twice being the most common, four being very specific to certain areas. London is definitely a one-kiss city although cheek kissing is not a traditional English way of greeting. Neither is it typically Finnish, Danish, German, Latvian, or Dutch, yet, in London, I greet most of my English, Finnish, Danish, German, Latvian and Dutch friends with a kiss on the cheek.  It’s always only one kiss

However, it’s a whole different story with other nationalities! It’s as if we are all rehearsing and London is going through cheek kissing training. With my Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and South American friends, they all have their own versions and numbers of the kiss. I’m always getting it wrong. So, I have to keep practising

Which cheek dilemma?

Next, comes the left/right dilemma. Left seems to be the more common side to begin with, especially in Greece, France, Italy, and certain African countries; but there are, of course, expectations to the rule. France is probably a country with the most variance in cheek kissing protocol within its boarders. One of the LinkedIn group members said that “in Northern France, in Lille, they kiss twice, and in Douai, 30 km south, they kiss 4 times…”

Who do you kiss?

Fourth, and perhaps most crucially is the question who can you kiss? In some countries, specifically in South-American cultures, it’s courteous to cheek-kiss anyone and everyone in your social circle, even if you’ve never exchanged a word with them. In other cultures, you only cheek-kiss your friends, or even only people you have spoken to. In yet other cultures only male-female, or female-female kisses are appropriate, whereas in others, only male-male cheek kisses take place.

And it doesn’t stop there, unfortunately…

• in the Netherlands, for example, the rules of cheek kissing may even change “between the beginning and end of the party” (Norman Viss).
• In Australia the protocol ranges “from the multiples and sequences… to a complete avoidance and dislike of the practice,” (Robert Bean).
• In Argentina, the number of kisses may not only vary from region to region, but from one socio-economic class to another! (Josefina Avelin)
• In Hungary, the traditional custom is “two kisses, first one on the person’s left cheek,” but the UN international custom is “three starting on the right,” (Bryan Hopkins). Either everyone in Budapest is very confused, or people just compromise halfway and kiss each other on the lips!
• In addition, countries that traditionally don’t cheek kiss are beginning to do so, such as England, the Netherlands, and Denmark.

How To Know What To Do?

The only thing left to wonder is how do we, who constantly cross cultures, cope with all this? The most sensible advice seems to be to “let the other person take charge,” “to play it by ear,” or “go with the flow.” Personally, I like the approach London has taken, the city of one kiss. It’s kind, neutral, and efficient. However, it’s very possible that those friends who enjoy kissing three or four times would find the London-way very impersonal. Bernard Meltzer has been quoted as saying, “happiness is like a kiss, you must share it to enjoy it,” but, then again, Oscar Wilde once said that a “kiss may ruin a human life.” I think I better leave any further analysis of this cultural, personal, regional, universal greeting to artists.

Here are some primary points regarding family that the United Nations Social Policy and Development Division list in their mission statement:

-       The integration of a family perspective into policy-making at the national, regional and international levels must be promoted

-       Family research and diagnostic studies need to be supported

-       There must be continuous dialogue with Governments, civil society and the private sector on family issues

-       Coordination on family policies and programmes within national governments and within the United Nations system will be encouraged and supported

Policy meetings for public officials, exhibitions and organized discussions to raise awareness of the annual theme, educational sessions for children and young people, and the launch of campaigns that support families are common activities on the International Day of Families.

Although the definition and meaning of family varies greatly from one culture to another, and from one person to the next, family is a universal unit that all of us can relate to, in one way or another. Happy International Day of Families to you all!

The day is an initiative of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) and is being supported by thousands of citizens, fair trade organizations, social and environmental movements, and producers and consumers all around the planet. In the world economy, in important decision-making, and in business, the interests of small farmers are often forgotten. World Fair Trade Organization aims “to enable producers to improve their livelihoods and communities through Fair Trade,” by keeping their voices heard.

World Fair Trade Organization lists a range of fun ways for individuals to help and participate on this day. Activities range all the way from face painting to trade concerts.

Last year, Fair trade supporters around the world held a 100% fair trade breakfast. What will you do this year?

Also read about Fair Trade Fortnight for more fair trade tips.

Unity in Diversity - the EU Flag

Europe Day is simply an observance day and it’s not a public holiday. It is a political event, nevertheless, and the day attempts to teach people more about the ways in which the EU works and to speak in support of European integration.

In Paris in the spring of 1950, the French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman first proposed the ideas behind what is now the European Union. Schuman called for European countries to pool together their coal and steel production and to form a supranational European Institution. Although the goals and values of the EU today much differ from those of Schman’s time, his proposal laid the foundation for today’s EU. Today, the European Union strives “to build a Europe which respects freedom and the identity of all of the people who live on this continent.” After all, the motto of the European Union is “united in diversity.”

Happy Europe Day!

Today, Red Cross has approximately 97 million volunteers, members, and staff members world wide. National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies exist in nearly every country in the world… Currently, the International Committee of the Red Cross recognizes 186 National Societies. The Red Cross describes its self as a “volunteer-led humanitarian organisation that helps people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are.” The Red Cross gives the means to “vulnerable people at home and overseas to prepare for and respond to emergencies in their own communities, and… help people recover and move on with their lives.”

Red Cross is the largest independent humanitarian network in the world, so to list all of its activities would make a thick novel. At the time of writing this article, some of the Red Cross events in the media are the following: A UK charity worker, Michael Coleby, is doing a ten-day cycling marathon from Coventry to Geneva, Switzerland, to the home of the International Committee of the Red Cross in order to raise money for the organisation. American Red Cross volunteers are helping victims affected by the North Texas Tornadoes, and in Gaza Red Cross has begun to deliver fuel to the city’s 13 public hospitals in order for the hospitals to maintain essential health services.

Ways you can help or contribute on this World Red Cross Crescent Day are listed here.

Enlightened Buddha

Wesak celebrates the birthday, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha. The death of the Buddha is not a sad occasion because it simply marks the day when the Buddha finally reached Nirvana, a heavenly state where there is no pain or suffering… Enlightenment and death in Buddhism mean the escape from the cycle of death and rebirth, a release from Karma. Buddha literally means ‘one who is awake.’

Wesak is a very lighthearted, cheerful celebration full of colour. Homes are often decorated. In Thailand, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka, for example, Wesak is celebrated with an abundance of colorful lanterns. China has incorporated the traditional dragon dance into the festivities. In countries like Japan Wesak is mostly celebrated in Buddhist temples where ceremonies are performed by monks and nuns.

Celebrating Wesak also means bringing happiness and fortune to others. Donating to charities, helping out the aging, disabled, and others less fortunate is common on this day.

Happy Wesak everyone!

Children dancing around a Maypole

International Workers’ Day originated in 1886 when workers around the world gathered to demonstrate against impossible working hours and to demand the 8-hour working day. Before this movement it was common for factory workers to work 10-16 hours a day in dangerous, unhealthy conditions. These demonstrations soon achieved their goal and the 8-hour working day was made an official policy. Therefore, in some countries, International Workers’ Day is not only celebrated by labour unions, but by all workers because (setting its socialist roots aside) the day has come to symbolize social justice and international labor rights. Traditional celebrations for International Workers’ Day usually include public demonstrations and organized street marches.

The second way to celebrate May Day has its roots all the way down in pagan, European customs of the Middle Ages. May 1^st (when simply called ‘May Day’ not ‘International Workers’ Day) is a celebration of springtime fertility and the abolishment of winter. In Germany and Scandinavian countries, for example, May Day takes the form of a carnival, and most young people use the day as an opportunity to party. In the United Kingdom May Day often includes folk traditions such as Morris dancing.

Here’s an old English rhyme about spring:

A swarm of bees in May
Is worth a load of hay;
A swarm of bees in June
Is worth a silver spoon;
A swarm of bees in July
Is not worth a fly.

Happy May Day to you all!

UNESCO is organizing a Jazz concert at the UNESCO head quarters in Paris, and is anticipating the day to “bring together performers, educators, governments, experts, and fans alike, as they explore together the history, meaning, impact, and legacy of jazz music throughout the world.”

The one and only way to celebrate International Jazz Day is to listen to some jazz. After all, even Louis Armstrong once said: “If you have to ask what jazz is you will never know.”

Here’s a clip from the London Jazz Festival 2012: Soul Rebels Brass Band playing on the Golden Jubilee Bridge.

Other Significant Days in April:

International Earth Day

World Health Day

Easter Sunday

International Children’s Book Day

International Day for Street Children 

International Day of Human Space Flight

Vaisakhi

International Day for Monuments and Sites

International Mother Earth Day

St. George’s Day

World Malaria Day

World Intellectual Property Day

World Day for Safety and Health at Work