On Saturday January 25th 2020, the new moon will herald the new year for about one-sixth of the world’s population. Though the event is commonly known as Chinese New Year in the west, it is observed in many countries across east Asia, not just China. In China, it’s known as the Spring Festival – it’s […]
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January 18th 2020 is a Saturday. Many of us will wake up, wipe the sleep from our eyes and feel relaxed and relieved that it is the weekend and we don’t have to go to work. That’s just as well as January 18th is one of a handful of days in 2020 when there are […]
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The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is a stock exchange located in New York, United States. It is the world’s largest stock exchange by market capitalization. The New York Stock Exchange is open five days per week for 6.5 hours per day. The holidays observed by the NYSE follow the US Federal Holidays with the […]
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There are a lot of public holidays in Japan with June the only month that doesn’t boost a public holiday. This isn’t because the Japanese like holidays – in fact the opposite is true – the high number of holidays is to try and encourage workers to take some time off. The country is known […]
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In Malta’s Budget on October 15th 2019, it was announced that one additional day of vocational leave will be granted to all workers in 2020 in order to compensate for the number of public holidays falling on a weekend. The same happened last year, which was understandable (but probably unnecessary) as in 2019, six of […]
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As we move into the last quarter of the year and Autumn takes a stronger grip on the weather, Spaniards can lament the loss of a national holiday to a weekend as Spain’s National Day, Hispanic Day, falls on Saturday October 12th this year, with not even a single autonomous community offering a day in […]
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Within the United Kingdom, England and Wales have eight bank holidays a year. These are New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Early May Bank Holiday, Spring Bank Holiday, August Bank Holiday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Most fall on a Monday. If New Year’s Day, Christmas Day or Boxing Day fall on a weekend, […]
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Bank Holidays may seem like a general term used for holidays in the British Isles, but as with most cultural events, there is always an interesting story behind everything… On Bank Holidays in the United Kingdom, generally on a Monday, businesses and banks are closed. But why are they called Bank Holidays, when it’s not […]
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Thursday July 4th 2019 is Independence day in the USA, marking 243 years since America declared its independence from Great Britain. Did you know that 150 other countries have their own Independence Day? Looking at the 151 Independence Days, it turns out that nationalist urges have a seasonal bent with 44% of all Independence Days […]
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On February 14th, lovers and sweethearts around the world will exchange gifts and cards to mark Valentine’s Day. For many it is a harmless day to encourage some romance. However, in some parts of the world, actively celebrating St. Valentine’s Day is frowned upon and even banned. Cool down in Cambodia This year, the Khmer […]
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