January Holidays
As we all know, 2020 just got rounded up and we are in 2021. A lot of awful things happened in 2020 like the spread of COVID-19 and the deaths of many famous people in the world. As we all hope, 2021 will have a better outcome than 2020 did and the start of the new year is January. There are very few, but important holidays that happen at this time of the year. So how about we start 2021 off with some good holidays that happen in January.
New Years
Most people on December 31st stay up until midnight, eat food, and some people, that are legal, drink alcohol and watch the ball drop slowly drop from Times Square in New York City to start a new year. Some people may go out to big parties and drink, while other people may just stay at home with their family while playing board games. But that’s only New Years Eve, the real New Years is on January 1st. Often on New Years, the ball drop is followed by fireworks, parades, and reflections upon the last year. Unlike Christmas Eve, New Years Eve is just like a normal day, no stores are closed and everything is open. New Years Day is when everything is closed and that is what people call the holiday. Many people spend New Years Day with loved ones and usually, people do traditions to give them good luck in the upcoming year. Some of those traditions that people can be involved with food, like eating 12 grapes very fast for good luck in the 12 months ahead in the new year. Other traditions include people kissing their loved ones when the ball drops at midnight so that they can make sure that the love stays for the upcoming month (and just for the cute video). Not everywhere in the world celebrates New Years at the same time, because of different times zones, some places in the world could still be last year while somewhere else could be in the next year. Some of the first countries in the world to celebrate the new year of 2021 are small island nations called Tonga, Samoa, and Kiribati. While even though this place is where nobody lives, Bakers Island is the last place to celebrate the new year.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
We also have another holiday that's in January and it has a very good message behind it. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day happens on the third Monday in the month of January every year. MLK’s birthday is on the 15th of January, so it is very close to his federal holiday. MLK Day is a day to remember and recognize what MLK did for the racial injustice in America. MLK is known for his involvement in the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's. What MLK is most famous for is his “I Have a Dream Speech.” In that speech, he spoke about the segregation and racism in America at the time. His federal holiday also celebrates the life and legacy of MLK, the day also encourages all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. The first-ever time that MLK day was celebrated was in 1986 in January.
Inauguration Day
January 20th, the day a new president takes the white house to run the USA. Every 4 years, the United States oaths the new president on Inauguration day. On this day, the candidate that got 270 electoral votes from the states when the votes were counted in November will claim the job as president. The first Inauguration day was first in March but then they switched the day into January because of the passing of the 20th amendment. When the president is sworn into office, they put their hand on a bible and repeat this oath, “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Every president has said the oath with a hand on the bible while an expectation of a few. Theodore Roosevelt did not swear on the bible in 1901. John Quincy Adams swore on a book of laws, which he thought was swearing on the constitution. Lyndon B Johnson was sworn in with a Roman Catholic missal while on an Air Force One.
Australia Day
Everything always doesn’t revolve around where we live, there are other places in the world that have other important holidays as well. One important holiday is Australia Day that's on the 26th of January. Australia Day is a holiday that represents what happened in the year 1788 when the arrival of the first fleet of British ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales, and when the rose the flag of Great Britain at Sydney Cove. The first ever official Australia day was in 1915 which was to raise funds for the World War I effort.
International Holocaust Remembrance day
International Holocaust Remembrance day is on the 27th of January in 2021. The first creation of this holiday was on November 1st of 2005. We hold this holiday because things happened to Jews back in 1941 like when millions of them were killed just because of their religion. We remember and celebrate this holiday for 2 main reasons. Reason one is to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again in any timeline. People shouldn't be killed just for what they believe in and that goes for any religion. Reason 2 is because many Jews died in the Holocaust but many also survived. This holiday reminds us that we can get through anything even with very big horrors, humanity can still get through obstacles. This holiday is a reminder that no evil is bigger than the human spirit.
In January many people think of it as not a really big month that doesn’t have a lot of big holidays in it. It's the month of a new year and right after a very big holiday so many people are just winding down and relaxing. There are many things that happen in January though. From a new year to celebrate and a new president that takes the white house every four years.
"International Holocaust Remembrance Day - January 27, 2021"
"Inauguration at the U.S Capitol"
Marisa Lascala. ¨15 New Year's Good Luck Traditions From Around the World to Borrow for Your celebration."December 31, 2020
History.com editors. “British settlement begins in Australia.” November 24, 2009.