📅 holiday

Royal Ploughing Ceremony

Tuesday, May 5, 2026

— days to go

The Royal Ploughing Ceremony in Cambodia is considered an ancient royal rite. It is celebrated by a number of countries in Asia as a way of marking the traditional commencement of the season for rice growing. In 2027, Royal Ploughing Ceremony falls on Monday 24 May. The holiday will be on Friday 12 May in 2028. The ceremony for rice ploughing is also called Lehtun Mingala, or Mingala Ledaw, and was practiced in Burma as well before the colonising monarchy abolished it in 1885. This ceremony has been celebrated for a number of centuries after it was initiated by a Khmer king who was greatly concerned with farming conditions and the people. Traditionally held in May (also known as Pisak), this ceremony marks the beginning of the rainy season. The rainy season was when the Khmer people began preparations for their farming activities according to the Satra, a book of governing traditional rules. Part of the purpose for the ceremony was also to hold prayer for a bountiful harvest. This ceremony is therefore held every year. The ceremony traditionally begins with a feast. The first day of the waning moon, a feast is conducted by the Brahmans until five days have past. The King (or a person he has assigned in his place) then begins the ploughing with two bulls to symbolise the start of the season as well as a good harvest to his people. The ceremony utilises three rounds with the plow to sow rice seeds, then water, rice, soybeans, sesame, corn, grass, and wine are placed before the seat of the king for the bulls to symbolise different predictions of the future depending on what the bulls choose to eat. For example, wine will result in an increase of crime, water means there will be flooding, and grass foretells disease striking the animals. The Royal Ploughing Ceremony in Cambodia is a national holiday with its first practices tracing back to the 5th or 6th century. It is also celebrated in Thailand. While this royal ploughing ceremony is celebrated in more than just Cambodia, it is certainly an important holiday to this Asian country. Remember that the ploughing ceremony is also a holiday, so many things will be closed during this time in May. The actual dates of the ceremony might vary slightly as the holiday is designed around the lunar calendar. The dates also vary by country. Regardless of the time or place, however, the ceremony follows the same traditions. Should you want to celebrate the Royal Ploughing Ceremony in Cambodia, it would be best to research if the king plans to attend that year and where it would be. Likely, in Cambodia, the event will be held next to the Royal Palace in an open field near the National Museum. Often the ceremony is held in a public square. The ceremony is probably the best way to properly celebrate the holiday. It is interesting to consider how ancient this practice is in countries like Cambodia and Thailand. Not every community still has such a deep connection with the ritual of farming and growing food. While in Cambodia, be sure to enjoy and appreciate this unique and ancient festivity.

History

It is celebrated by a number of countries in Asia as a way of marking the traditional commencement of the season for rice growing. Traditionally held in May (also known as Pisak), this ceremony marks the beginning of the rainy season. The rainy season was when the Khmer people began preparations for their farming activities according to the Satra, a book of governing traditional rules. This ceremony is therefore held every year. The ceremony traditionally begins with a feast

How It's Celebrated

Other Years

2026 Tue

5 May

2027 Mon

24 May

2028 Fri

12 May

2025 Thu

15 May

2024 Sun

26 May

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📅 holiday Nov 30

St Andrew's Day

Saint Andrew’s Day is celebrated every 30 November in Scotland. The day celebrates the Feast of Saint Andrew and is also considered Scotland’s National Day. In 2026, Saint Andrew's Day falls on Monday 30 November. The holiday will be on Tuesday 30 November in 2027. *Please refer to this note for Scotland-specific information. This patron saint day was declared a bank holiday in 2006 by the Scottish Parliament although banks are not required to close if they do not wish to. If 30 November occurs on a weekend, the bank holiday is moved to the following Monday. Saint Andrew is notable in that he was one of the original twelve disciples of Jesus Christ and was also the brother of Saint Peter. Before following Jesus, Andrew was a fisherman. He was born at Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee. The main colour you will see in Scotland on Saint Andrew’s Day is the white diagonal cross on blue background of the Scottish flag – the Saltire. This is the Saint Andrew’s cross, and represents the shape of the cross on which Saint Andrew was said to have been crucified. The history of the Scottish link to Saint Andrew goes back as far as 832AD when Óengus II promised God that if the Scots and Picts were victorious in battle against the Angles he would make Saint Andrew the patron saint of Scotland. And they were. Saint Andrew’s Day’s amazing menus include cullen skink (haddock and potato soup), highland venison casseroles, potted hough (shin) with mustard sauce and Scottish tablet (a very sweet treat). Events around Scotland include flag ceremonies, the Shindig in George Square of Glasgow that features live music, and local celebrations in the town of Saint Andrews in the Kingdom of Fife. There is also free entry to many of Scotland’s castles and attractions on the day. Scotland has a free Saint Andrew’s Day app available for iPhone and Android with Scottish and worldwide events, menu ideas and much more.

📅 holiday Dec 26

Shaheed Udham Singh Jayanti

The birth anniversary of freedom fighter Udham Singh, called “Shaheed Udham Singh Jayanti”, is a public holiday in the Indian state of Haryana. In 2026, Shaheed Udham Singh Jayanti falls on Saturday 26 December. The holiday will be on Sunday 26 December in 2027. From the British perspective, Shaheed Udham Singh was an assassin who killed their lieutenant governor of Punjab province on 13 March 1940. He shot Michael O’Dwyer to death at a meeting in London. He did not try to escape and was immediately arrested. In jail, he went on a hunger strike for over 40 days but was force fed to keep him alive until his execution on 31 July, 1940. In India, he is sometimes called “Shaheed i Azam”, which means “The Great Martyr”. The reason is that Michael O’Dwyer had supported a massacre of over 1,000 people over 20 years before he was assassinated. In 1919, riots broke out against British rule in Punjab, which were ultimately put down by firing on civilians, including women and children. There had been riots a few days before that had killed four Europeans and burned down some British banks, but the crowd fired upon is considered to have been a group of peaceful protesters. Mahatma Gandhi condemned the assassination, but many others, especially in his native province of Punjab, approved of it. There is a national memorial in the garden of Jallianwala Bagh in the Punjabi city of Amritsar, where the 1919 massacre took place, which mentions him honourably.

📅 holiday Aug 15

Assumption Day

Assumption Day is also known as the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and is observed every 15 August in Lithuania. Assumption Day celebrates the day when, according to Catholic tradition and doctrine, the Virgin Mary was assumed bodily into Heaven. In 2026, Assumption Day falls on Saturday 15 August. The holiday will be on Sunday 15 August in 2027. The Assumption of Mary has been a church tradition since at least the 4th Century A.D., but it was not an officially recognised Catholic dogma until the 1950 declaration of Pope Pious XII. Over three-fourths of Lithuanians consider themselves Roman Catholic, so it’s no surprise that they have made Assumption of Mary a national holiday in their country. In Lithuania, however, ancient traditions are mixed in with Assumption Day teaching and practices. The day is called “Zoline” by many, a Lithuanian word meaning “Meadow Grass Day”. It became an official holiday only in 2000 but has been celebrated much longer. Flowers and wheatears are taken to churches on Zoline. It is a harvest tradition that has pagan roots but is now associated with Mary as the first of the Church, other than Jesus himself, to be given a glorified body. Thus, she is like the first of the new harvest in a spiritual comparison according to Roman Catholic teaching. There is a festival for Zoline in the town of Pivasiunai, which is the biggest such celebration in all Lithuania. It goes on for eight straight days. A painting of Mary with the baby Jesus is at the centre of the celebrations.

LTYTFR +42

📅 holiday Feb 25

EDSA Revolution Anniversary

The EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary occurs every 25 February in the Philippines. It commemorates the peaceful demonstrations that occurred in 1986 and led to the overthrow of the corrupt rule of President Ferdinand Marcos. In 2027, EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary falls on Thursday 25 February. The holiday will be on [Error: Data not found] in [Error: Data not found]. Note: Since 2010,The EDSA People Power Revolution anniversary has been a school holiday in the Philippines. This means that both public and private schools close down, while businesses remain open. In previous years, 25 February was a work holiday, but today, the Monday nearest that date is a holiday only for schools. The revolution is also known as the “Yellow Revolution” and the “EDSA Revolution” due to the colour worn by the original protesters and the street, Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue, where the protests took place. The demonstrations celebrated by this day were the culmination of unrest that began years earlier in 1983 and were immediately triggered by the assassination of opposition senator Benigno Aquino, Jr., and the widespread belief that elections had been rigged to keep Marcos in power. At the time, these were the largest non-violent demonstrations in the world, and they succeeded in toppling an oppressive autocrat without shedding a drop of blood. Today, the EDSA People Power Revolution Annversary is celebrated to remember when democracy was restored in the Philippines and as “the revolution that surprised the world”. The name of Marcos has remained synonymous with corruption to the present time, though there have been some efforts at historical revisionism. There are also those who decry the revolution as an example of “Imperial Manila” at work because few from outside the capital took part in the overthrow of Marcos. It is true that most People Power Revolution celebrations take place in and around Manila, but there are also celebrations throughout the country, showing that the Imperial Manila criticism is not held by all who live outside the capital. Many celebrate People Power Revolution by gathering in EDSA, wearing yellow, and attend concerts and church services in the vicinity to commemorate the 1986 events. The political party that led the revolution is known as “LABAN,” which means “fight,” and the crowds hold their hands up in an L-shape while gathered in EDSA to show support. Television and other media cover the event profusely each year, and documentaries on 1986 and general patriotic programming abound.