📅 holiday

Congo Independence Day

Tuesday, June 30, 2026

— days to go

In 1885, Belgian. Colonization Begins. In the Berlin Conference, European powers recognize King Leopold II's claim to the Congo Free State, marking the start of brutal Belgian colonization

History

The Democratic Republic of Congo gained independence from Belgium on June 30, 1960, ending one of the most brutal colonial regimes in African history. King Leopold II established the Congo Free State in 1885,私人控制和 exploitative rule led to millions of Congolese deaths through forced labor and violence. Belgium annexed the territory as the Belgian Congo in 1908 following international outrage. Following World War II, Belgian rule continued despite growing unrest and nationalist movements. The Congo Crisis erupted immediately upon independence as secessionist movements, civil war, and Cold War interference destabilized the new nation. June 30 commemorates Congo's independence from Belgium and the birth of the modern Congolese nation under Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, whose assassination later that year highlighted the tragicbeginnings of post-colonial Congo.

How It's Celebrated

Celebrate by learning more about the occasion, sharing on social media with relevant hashtags, participating in community events, or taking small personal actions that align with the day's theme.

Countries

🇨🇴 CO

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📅 holiday Feb 10

Feast of St Paul's Shipwreck

The Feast of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck is a holiday unique to Malta because it was on Malta that the Apostle Paul was shipwrecked around the year A.D. 60. In 2027, Feast of St Paul's Shipwreck falls on Wednesday 10 February. The holiday will be on Thursday 10 February in 2028. The feast is kept on February 10th each year, and as Paul is the patron saint of Malta, it is a much-anticipated event. Out of dozens of “saint days” on the church calendar in Malta, the Feast of Saint Paul is one of only a handful that have the status of a national holiday. The account of Paul’s shipwreck and three-month, wintertime stay on Malta is found in the Bible’s Acts 27:27 through 28:11. He was being taken to Rome as a prisoner to eventually stand trial before Caesar. God let him know in advance he would be shipwrecked but would spare the lives of all on board, which promise was later kept and in answer to Paul’s prayers for their lives. The Bible says the storm was in the Adriatic Sea, though Malta borders the Ionian Sea, because in ancient times, the Adriatic’s boundaries were considered to extend much farther south. The ship broke up on the rocks near the shores of Malta, and all swam ashore. The local population greeted them, but thought he might be a murderer whom the “goddess of justice” had finally caught up with after he was bitten by a poisonous snake. After he lived, however, they supposed him to be, perhaps, a god. Paul, however, soon showed them it was God’s power at work in a mere man by healing the governor of the island, Publius, and many others who were sick or disabled among the island’s population. No doubt, Paul preached the Gospel to them as well, and when he left Malta, the inhabitants gave him all necessary supplies out of gratitude. The Feast of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck is kept at the “Parish Church of Saint Paul Shipwrecked” in Malta’s capital city of Valletta. It is also a day of processions and family get-togethers. Three things to do should you visit Malta, though hopefully not be shipwrecked there, on February 10th are:

📅 holiday Feb 23

Defender of the Fatherland Day

Defender of the Fatherland Day is a public holiday in RU.

📅 holiday Mar 19

St Joseph's Day

Every 19 March is celebrated as Saint Joseph’s Day in Roman Catholic cantons of the Swiss Confederation. In 2027, St Joseph's Day falls on Friday 19 March. The holiday will be on Sunday 19 March in 2028. However, in recent years, people have paid it less and less mind, and many local businesses in these regions don’t even close on Saint Joseph’s Day like they used to. Interestingly, there are two different religious feast days dedicated to Joseph in Roman Catholicism. Saint Joseph’s Day focuses on his role as the husband of Mary and “step father” of the child Jesus. But on 1 May, Saint Joseph the Worker day focuses on his role as the patron saint of all carpenters. There aren’t many events in areas of Switzerland celebrating Saint Joseph’s Day on 19 March. For those who have the day off, it is often spent relaxing, shopping or getting outdoors in the Spring weather.

CHESVA +1

🌍 observance Mar 21

National Flower Day

The American flower industry. The commercial cut flower industry in the United States began in. California in the late 1870s, pioneered by Theodosia Shepard, a Ventura housewife who began selling garden flowers commercially. California's Mediterranean climate allowed year-round production, and immigrant families âChinese, Japanese, Italian, and Dutchâ expanded and transformed the industry over the following decades.In 1912,fifty-four Japanese immigrant growersfounded the. Los Angeles Southern California Flower Market, one of the largest in the country. For most of the 20th century, American flowers were grown domestically, with farms concentrated near major cities in the East and in California's coastal valleys.That changed on October 18, 1965, when thefirst shipment of Colombian cut flowersarrived in Miami. Colombia'shigh-altitude equatorial climateproduced ideal growing conditions with abundant light and mild temperatures, while labor costs were dramatically lower than in the US. The Andean Trade Preference Act later eliminated tariffs on Colombian flower imports, accelerating the shift. By the 1980s, Colombia was the leading supplier of cut flowers to the United States, and many domestic growers had shut down or shifted to potted plants and specialty varieties.By 2024, the United States imported a record$1.98 billionin cut flowers. Colombia supplied over 80% of imports at$1.59 billion, followed by Ecuador at $693 million. American growers produced only about $350 million domestically. California still leads domestic production at 60% of US cut flower sales, but many of its growers now focus on specialty varieties too delicate for long-distance transport.In 2025, new tariffs were placed on Colombian imports (from 0% to 10%) and Ecuadorian imports (from 6.8% to 15%), creating uncertainty in an industry operating on thin margins

COECEQ +1