Ramadan Every day during Ramadan, Muslims read their holy book, the Koran. If a person chooses not to eat or drink for a while, he or she "fasts." Muslims---people who follow the Islamic...
Fifth day, fifth moon
Dragon Boat Festival Chinese people in the countries of Malaysia and Taiwan enjoy the Dragon Boat Festival every summer. This celebration comes in the month of the fifth moon on the Chinese...
The month of Juno
June is the sixth month of the year. It has thirty days. In ancient Roman times, when the year began in March, June was the fourth month of the year. Some people say that June was named for Juno,...
Maypoles and parades
May Day and Labor Day May 1 In many countries, the first of May is May Day---a day to welcome spring. People gather flowers and dance, often around a May pole. May Day came to the United States...
A holiday for trees
Arbor Day Whoever heard of a holiday for trees? You have---if you've heard of Arbor Day. Arbor is another word for tree. On Arbor Day, many people---especially schoolchildren---plant trees. Most...
Bunnies and bells
Easter Who brings colored eggs at Easter? It all depends on where you live. Children in the United States and Canada say the Easter bunny, or rabbit, brings eggs at Easter. Children in England and...
Festival of freedom
Passover Long ago, the Jewish people were slaves in Egypt. God knew that the Jews longed to be free. To help the Jews, He chose one of them, a man named Moses. God appeared to Moses and told him...
Moomba!
Moomba Festival Moomba means \"get together and have fun." And that's just what the people of Melbourne, Australia, do at the yearly Moomba Festival. The Moomba Festival gets its name from the...
The month of Mars
March, the third month of the year, has thirty-one clays. On the Roman calendar, the year began with March. Romans named the month after Mars, their god of war, because springtime was when they...
The beginning of Lent
Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. It can be as early as February 4 or as late as March 10. The exact date depends on the date set for Easter Sunday (see page 142). Ash...