January 23 – Anniversary of the Creation of Liechtenstein

Posted on January 23, 2014

Europe has some really tiny countries!

Liechtenstein is one of them. At just 61 square miles (160 square km), the nation is just a little bit bigger than a city near me, Anaheim, California (where Disneyland is). It's much smaller than the really large city near me, Los Angeles.

And we're comparing cities with nations, mind you!

It is a German-speaking countries tucked in between two other German-speaking countries—Switzerland and Austria—and it is known as a principality, with a government headed by a prince. 

Liechtenstein was created on this date in 1719.

Being small has some great advantages. It is one of the richest nations, per capita, and its unemployment rate and its crime rate are some of the lowest in the world! Liechtenstein doesn't even have any military forces!

Other things that make Liechtenstein special:

• It's the only nation that lies entirely in the Alps.
• It's one of just two nations that are doubly landlocked—which means that you would have to go through two other nations, from Liechtenstein, before you would come to an ocean.
• Like the other tiny countries in Europe, Liechtenstein has no airport.

Get a good feel for Liechtenstein from this short video. 

Also on this date:

National Handwriting Day 

Anniversary of the partitioning of Poland

Anniversary of the coldest temperature in the U.S.

Plan ahead!

Check out my Pinterest boards for:

• January holidays 
• January birthdays 
• Historical anniversaries in January

And here are my boards for:

• February holidays 
• February birthdays 
• Historical anniversaries in February

August 15 – National Days in Europe, Asia, and Africa!

Posted on August 15, 2013

Today is a big day in Liechtenstein, South Korea, and the Republic of Congo.

• People in Liechtenstein flock to the castle in their capital city, Vaduz, to see a ceremony, hear some speeches, and share drinks in the castle gardens. They enjoy a fair in the afternoon and a fireworks spectacular over the castle's tower at night.

Unlike most national holidays, this isn't the anniversary of Liechtenstein winning its independence or thwarting would-be conquerors. The holiday was invented in 1940 to be on the day of the Catholic holiday “the Feast of the Assumption” and to be the day before the birthday of Prince Franz Josef II. A nickname for the holiday is not “Independence Day,” but rather “Princely Celebrations.” (Well, the German translation of the phrase!)

• 
  In South Korea, people celebrate liberation from Japanese rule in 1945 and the declaration of the South Korean state in 1948. There are official celebrations in Seoul, and people fly the flag on their homes and businesses. Museums and other public places are open for free—and people can even travel on public transport systems for free!

The name of the Korean holiday translates to “Restoration of Light Day.”

• People of the Republic of the Congo are celebrating their 1960 independence from France today. This African nation has had some difficulty with the “republic” part of their national name—becoming a single-party state for two decades and suffering through a civil war that ousted a democratically elected government! I guess that this nation did NOT get involved in the Second Congo War, which was the deadliest war in modern African history—the nation most devastated by that war is the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Very similar name, right next door, but not the same country.

Check out Liechtenstein with this video. 

Enjoy this gallery of photos of South Korea. 

Here is a gallery of photos of the Republic of the Congo. 

Also on this date:

Chauvin Day 

Anniversary of the opening of the Panama Canal

Town festivals in Andorra

Plan ahead:

Here are my Pinterest pages on August holidays, historical anniversaries in August, and August birthdays.

And here are my Pinterest pages on September holidays, historical anniversaries in September, and September birthdays.

March 19, 2013 - St. Joseph's Day

Saint Joseph is, according to Catholicism, the husband of Mary and therefore the step-father of Jesus. Joseph's Feast Day isn't as famous in the U.S. as Saint Patrick's Day, two days before, but it is celebrated in many places in the world, sometimes with colorful and exciting customs.

Like, don't you just love it when an entire town turns out to watch giant puppets lit up on fire? And when the town is noisy 24 hours a day, for a week or more? When they explode fireworks every day at noon, and hold street parties, and have huge light displays that rival Las Vegas?

That is Las Fallas, the period of time leading up to and including St. Joseph's Day, in Valencia, Spain. (There “St. Joseph” is translated to “San Jose.”)

In Sicily, Italy, people have huge banquets in St. Joseph's honor; they give food to the needy, wear red, and build and decorate special altars to St. Joseph. (There “St. Joseph” is translated to “San Giuseppe.”)

In various places in the world, St. Joseph's Day is celebrated as a special day to honor people named Joseph or Josephine, and carpenters, and fathers—because Joseph was a carpenter and a father. St. Joseph is considered the patron saint of Canada, Mexico, China, and Belgium—so this Feast Day is celebrated by many in those nations.

One of the places that celebrates St. Joseph's Day as a sort of informal national day is Liechtenstein. This is a teeny, tiny country located in the Alps, in Europe. It is one of only two nations in the world that is doubly landlocked, which means Liechtensteiners have to go through two countries to get to an ocean or sea! (You can travel from Liechtenstein to landlocked Switzerland, and from there to either France, Germany, or Italy. Or you can travel from Liechtenstein to landlocked Austria, and from there to either Germany or Italy.)

Liechtenstein is about as large as a city near me, Long Beach, California. The 36,000 Liechtensteiners speak German and enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world. Neutral during World War II, a tax haven, a financial center, and a perfect spot for ski resorts, this nation has a lot going for its economy.

Learn more about Liechtenstein here. 

Also on this date:

Battle of March 19 in the Dominican Republic 

Swallows Day at Mission San Juan Capistrano

Anniversary of the discovery of electric eels