Memorial Day

Memorial Day. Celebrated in different coutries on different dates. In the United States it is on May 30, but typically observed on the last Monday of May. This day is a tribute to those fallen in all the wars the USA was involved in. Observance includes military and civic parades, and decoration with flowers of the graves of American soldiers. Flags are at half mast until noon. It was called Decoration Day when it was originated on May 30, 1868, by General John J. Logan, commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. It is now a legal holiday in all the states.
Flag etiquette. In the U.S. the flag is flown at half mast from sunrise until noon, at which time it is raise to full mast until sunset. A flag should always be raised to full mast before lowering to half mast, and again raised to full mast before removing.

Mexico

History

Independence Day, September 16. Commemorates the day in 1810 when Miguel Hidalgo, a parish priest, issued a declaration of Mexico's freedom from the rule of Spain. The revolt which followed ended in victory in 1822. This is a national holiday and is celebrated with parades, feasting, fireworks, and dancing.
Day of Mourning, July 31. Memorializes the death of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (d.1811), priest and hero in the 1810 revolt against Spain.
Constitution Day, February 5. A holiday commemorating the anniversaries of the constitutions of 1857 and 1917.
Birthday of Benito Juárez, March 21. Celebrates the birthday of Benito Pablo Juárez (1806-1872), Mexico's first president of Indian descent. Destroyer of the Maximillian empire. Also called the Day of the Indian Chief.
Day of Mourning, July 18. Memorializes the anniversary of the death of Benito Juárez.
Cinco de Mayo, May 5. Name is Spanish for "fifth of May". Celebrates the Battle of Puebla in 1867 when the French were defeated. The Mexican-American War of 1846-48, and Mexico's Civil War had left Mexico devastated and bankrupt. On July 17, 1861, President Juarez declared that all foreign debt payments would be suspended for two years, after which payments were promised to resume. In response, the English, Spanish and French invaded Mexico in order to collect. The Spanish and English eventually withdrew, but the French remained, possibly due to an ulterior motive to extend their empire. On the fifth of May, five thousand poorly equipped Mestizo and Zapotec Indians under the command of General Ignacio Zaragoza defeated the French in the Battle of Puebla. The Cinco de Mayo celebrations are even more popular with Mexican-Americans in the United States than in Mexico.
Revolution Day, November 20. Commemorates the 1910 Revolution. Celebrated especially in Mexico City.
Day of Mourning, July 17. Memorializes the anniversary of the death of Alvaro Obregón (d.1928).

Religion

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12. Commemorates the vision of the Virgin Mary to a young boy in 1531, and is celebrated with processions and dancing.
Posadas Days, December 16-24. The Nine Days Before Christmas. A festival celebrated with processions that commemorate the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, and of course include the breaking of piñatas.
Holy Cross Day, May 3. Construction workers day. Commemorates the finding of the cross on which Christ was crucified by Saint Helena. Also known as Feast of the Inventio. [celebrated by other christians?]
San Marcós Day, April 25. Today is celebrated in towns in Mexico that are namesakes to Saint Mark, or of which he is the patron saint.
Dia de la Raza, October 12. "Day of the Race".
Labor Day, May 1.
Night of the Radishes, December 23.
Presidential Message Day, September 1. A public holiday on the opening of the Mexican Congress.

Public holidays   New Year's Day, Constitution Day, Birthday of Benito Juárez Easter, Labor Day (May 1), Cinco de Mayo, Presidential Message Day, Independence Day, Dia de la Raza, Revolution Day, and Christmas. In addition, Day of the Dead (All Souls' Day) and Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe are widely celebrated, but not public holidays.

Micronesia

National holiday, May 10. Proclamation of the Federated States of Micronesia (May 10, 1979).

Midsummer Day

Midsummer Day, June 24. Midsummer occurs when the days are at their longest in the norther hemisphere, although it misses the actual solstice by a couple days. The celebration of Midsummer is especially popular throughout Europe, with festivities beginning on Midsummer Eve which include lighting bonfires, especially on mountaintops, dancing around and leaping over fires, and other ancient customs. It probably originated in ancient times as sun worship, with the fires representing the power of the sun. These bonfires have been thought to have all sorts of magical properties, from driving away of evil withches and trolls, to ensuring health and affecting the weather. Frazer cites substantial evidence that the fires are actually sun charms. As the sun worship was forgotten, the customs remained and the theme of Midsummer became increasingly romantic. There are a number of customs for predicting one's future spouse. A girl who sees nine Midsummer fires will marry before the end of the year, and placing certain flowers under the pillow will give you dreams of your future mate. In Sweden there are a number of customs on this day similar to customs celebrated elsewhere on May Day, namely dancing around a Maypole and electing a queen for the day. This is also the feast day of Saint John the Baptist, and so is also referred to as Saint John's Day.

Moldova

Monaco

Monaco National Festival, November 19. Also known as Prince Rainier Day.

Public holidays   New Year's Day, Feast of St Dévote, Easter Monday, Fête du Travail (Labor Day), Ascension Day, Whit Monday, Assumption, All Saints' Day, Monaco National Festival, Immaculate Conception, Christmas.

Mongolia

National Day, July 11. Date traditionally associated with the establishment of the present republic in 1921.

Public holidays   New Year's Day, Tsagaan Sar (lunar new year), International Women's Day, National Day, Republic Day (Nov 26).

Montserrat

Public holidays   New Year's Day, St Patrick's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labor Day, Whit Monday, Queen's Official Birthday, August Monday, Liberation Day (Nov 23), Christmas (Dec 25-26), Festival Day (Dec 31).

moon

Mormonism

Founding of the Mormon Church, April 6.

Morocco

Independence Day, March 2. Anniversary of the day in 1956 when the Treaty of Fez was terminated and the sovereign nation was established.
Throne Day, March 3. Commemorates their independence in 1956, and the anniversary of King Hassan's accession.
Oued ed-Dahab Day, August 14. Anniversary of the 1979 annexation.

Public holidays   New Year's Day, Throne Day, Labor Day (May 1), Oued ed-Dahab Day, Green March (Nov 6), Independence Day, First of Ramadan, Eid el Seghir (Id al-Fitr), Eid el Kebir (Id al-Adha), Islamic New Year, Ashoura, Mouloud.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day, second Sunday in May (May 9, 2004). This is a day for honoring mothers. It was first suggested by Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia, and celebrated in the churches of that city on May 10, 1908. In 1914, the year following a resolution by Congress commending observance of Mother's Day, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation directing that the flag should be displayed on all public buildings on the second Sunday in May in observance of Mother's Day. Observance of Mother's Day has spred worldwide to England, Sweden, Denmark, India, China, Mexico, and other countries. The predecessor for Mother's Day was the old English custom of observing Mothering Sunday.
International Mother's Day, May 11.

Mozambique

Armed Forces Day, September 25. Also known as Popular Liberation Forces Day. Anniversary of the start of the Armed Struggle for National Liberation.
Heroes' Day, February 3. Anniversary of the assassination of Eduardo Mondlane.
Universal Fraternity Day, January 1. Same as New Year's Day.

Public holidays   New Year's Day, Heroes' Day, Women's Day (Apr 7), Workers' Day (May 1), Independence Day (Jun 25), Lusaka Agreement Day (Sep 7), Armed Forces Day, and Family Day (Dec 25).

Myanmar

Independence Day, January 4. Anniversary gaining independence from Britain in 1948. The celebrations last all week.
Peasants' Day, May 2. An extension of Labor Day which is dedicated to agricultural workers. There is also a Peasants' Day on March 2.
Peasants' Day, March 2. Anniversary of General Ne Win's seizure of power in 1962.
Resistance Day, March 27. Commemorates the opposition to invaders by guerrilla forces during World War II.
Martyrs' Day, July 19. Aung San was murdered on this day in 1947.
Union Day, February 12. Commemorates the conference in 1947 leading to the formation of the Union of Burma. Also called Pyidaungsa Day.
Burmese New Year, near April 17. The new year's day. It occurs when the Sun enters Aries. The new year does not begin until the precise second that the Sun enters Aries. The exception is the area of Arakan, which only observes the day. Also called Thingyan Tet.
National Day. December 10 [or Nov 14?].
Karen New Year, occurs in December or January. The first day of the new year according to the Karen Calendar, which has thirteen months. It is celebrated annually by the Karen people, who are indigenous to Myanmar and Tibet. The celebration includes group dancing in traditional costumes.

Public holidays   Independence Day, Union Day, Peasants' Day, Full Moon of Tabaung, Armed Forces Day (Mar 27), Water Festival (Maha Thingyan), Burmese New Year, Labor Day (May 1), Full Moon of Kason, Martyrs' Day, Full Moon of Waso, Full Moon of Thadingyut, Diwali, Tazaundaing Festival, National Day, Karen New Year, Christmas, Id al-Adha.