Festive days

Festive Days.
January.
New Year's Day.
January 1 represents the fresh start of a new year after a period of remembrance of the passing year, including on radio, television and in newspapers, which starts in early December in countries around the world. Publications have year-end articles that review the changes during the previous year. In some cases publications may set their entire year workalight in hope that the smoke emitted from the flame brings new life to the company. There are also articles on planned or expected changes in the coming year. This day is traditionally a religious feast, but since the 1900s has also become an occasion to celebrate the night of December 31, called New Year's Eve. There are fireworks at midnight at the moment the new year arrives; watchnightservices are also still observed by many.
The celebrations held world-wide on January 1 as part of New Year's Day commonly include the following:
* Parades
* American football: In the United States, January 1 is the traditional date for many post-season college football bowl games, which are usually accompanied by parades and other activities to celebrate the events
* Football: In Europe,Association Football, where a Full Fixture programme is usually played throughout the Premier League and the rest of the League/Non League system in England
* Ice hockey, most famously the Winter Classic in North America, a National Hockey League game that is played outdoors
* Concerts
* Entertainment, usually enjoyed from the comfort of home
* Family time
* Traditional meals* Church services
February.
Saint Valentine's Day.
Saint Valentine's Day, often simply Valentine's Day, is observed on February 14 each year. Today Valentine's Day is celebrated in many countries around the world, mostly in the West, although it remains a working day in all of them.
The original "St. Valentine" was a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saintsnamed Valentinus. Modern romantic connotations were added several centuries later by poets. Several martyrdom stories were invented for the various Valentines that belonged to February 14, and added to later martyrologies. This celebration was deleted from the General Roman Calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI.
The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer inthe High Middle Ages, when the tradition ofcourtly love flourished. By the 15th century, it had evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines").
Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century,handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.

March.
International Women's Day.
International Women's Day (IWD), originally called International Working Women’s Day, is marked on March 8 every year. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic,political and social achievements. Started as a Socialist political event, the holiday blended in the culture of many countries, primarily Eastern Europe, Russia, and the former Soviet bloc. In many regions, the day lost its political flavour, and became simply an occasion for men to express their love for women in a way somewhat similar to a mixture of Mother's Day and Valentine's Day. In otherregions, however, the original political and human rights theme designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner.

April.
World Health Day.
World Health Day is celebrated every year on 7 April, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO).
In 1948, the World...