Holidays Calendar for February 2, 2023
The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, or Candlemas, is one of the major Christian holidays. This holiday celebrates one of the early episodes in life of Jesus Christ.
Residents of the Canary Islands, especially Tenerife, celebrate the feast of the Virgin of Candelaria twice a year, on February 2 and on August 15. On these days, they honor the patron saint of the archipelago.
Rheumatoid Awareness Day is an annual campaign held on February 2. It was established in 2013 by the Rheumatoid Patient Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated improving the lives of people suffering from rheumatoid diseases.
World Play Your Ukulele Day, sometimes referred to as World Ukulele Day or National Ukulele Day, is celebrated on February 2 every year. It was created to get more people interested in an amazing musical instrument that is often not taken seriously enough.
Inventor's Day in Thailand annually falls on February 2. The country honors its outstanding persons, who contributed in world scientific progress.
National Space Technology Day is an official Iranian observance held on the 14th day of the month of Bahman in the Solar Hijri calendar, which corresponds to February 2 in the Gregorian calendar. It commemorates the anniversary of the launch of Iran’s first domestically made satellite Omid.
National Agriculture Day (Wan Kaset Haeng Chat) is celebrated in Thailand on February 2. It is considered the professional holiday of all people who work in agriculture-related jobs.
Marmot Day is an Alaskan version of Groundhog Day, a popular North American tradition that derives from a Pennsylvania Dutch superstition. It became an official holiday in 2009, replacing Groundhog Day.
Hedgehogs are one of the cutest and most recognizable animals, so it is not surprising that they have their own holiday, albeit an unofficial one. National Hedgehog Day is celebrated annually on February 2.
Every country has it's own Constitution Day. The Philippines celebrate it on February 2, that is the anniversary of adoption of the 1987 Constitution.
February 2 is a day off in Estonia, because it's Anniversary of the Tartu Peace Treaty. This is a national holiday, that is annually celebrated by the Estonians.
February 2 is a special memorable date in the Russian Armed Forces, that is dedicated to the Victory in the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943, one of the most outstanding battles won by Russia in World War II.
In Denmark, there are four kinds of official flag-flying days: national days, religious holidays, birthdays in the Royal Family, and military flag-flying days that commemorate important events in the country’s military history. For example, the anniversary of the Battle of Mysunde, celebrated on February 2, commemorates the first battle of the Second Schleswig War.
The birthday of the South African wine industry is celebrated on February 2 because the first wine was produced from South African grapes on this day in 1659. So raise a glass of South African wine and drink to the rich wine heritage of South Africa.
February 2 is a perfect day to celebrate National Heavenly Hash Day. Whatever comes to your mind, you're right! You have to celebrate the day of any Heavenly Hash dessert.
National Tater Tot Day is one of the unofficial yet popular food days observed in the United States. It is celebrated on February 2 in honor of a popular potato-based frozen food, which is typically deep-fried and served as a side dish or entrée.
Groundhog Day is a popular tradition in the USA and Canada that derives from a Pennsylvania Dutch superstition. On February 2, people watch a groundhog emerge from its burrow, hoping it will predict the end of winter and the arrival of spring.
Candles Day (Küünlapäev) in Estonia, that falls annually on February 2, is the celebration of breaking the winter in half. According to the folk calendar, its the first women's holiday, when they can set aside their work, have fun and drink wine.
The value of wetlands should be appreciated every day, but only one day a year it's remembered on international level. February 2 is World Wetlands Day, the international day of awareness of wetlands.
Azerbaijan celebrates Youth Day annually on February 2. This holiday was created in 1997 as the consequence of the conduction of the First Forum of Azerbaijani Youth in 1996.
Sled Dog Day, sometimes referred to as National Sled Dog Day, celebrates loyal and hard-working animals that used to be the only means of transportation in the Arctic region. It is observed on February 2 to commemorate the famous 1925 serum run to Nome, which saved the Alaskan town of Nome from a diphtheria epidemic.
Festivals on February 2, 2023
- Reykjavik Winter Lights Festival in Reykjavik, Iceland
- Carnival in the Dominican Republic in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
- Ice Music Festival in Geilo, Norway
- Fajr International Film Festival in Tehran, Iran
- La Folle Journée in Nantes, France
- Panagbenga Festival in Baguio, Philippines
- Taipei International Book Exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan
- International Kolkata Book Fair in Kolkata, India
- BRAFA Art Fair in Brussels, Belgium
- Carnival of Ovar in Ovar, Portugal
- Göteborg Film Festival in Gothenburg, Sweden
- Mozart Week in Salzburg in Salzburg, Austria
- International Film Festival Rotterdam in Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Cairo International Book Fair in Cairo, Egypt
- Fringe World in Perth, Australia
This Day in History
- 2021 Died: Captain Sir Thomas Moore, British Army officer and fundraiser who made international headlines in April 2020 when he raised money for charity in the run-up to his 100th birthday during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2014 Died: Philip Seymour Hoffman, American actor, producer, and director. He died of combined drug intoxication at the age of forty-six.
- 2012 Died: Dorothy Gilman, American writer who is best known for the Mrs. Pollifax series. The Mrs. Pollifax books are spy-mystery novels.
- 2007 A major flood began in Jakarta, Indonesia. The 2007 Jakarta flood is considered the worst flooding in Indonesia in 300 years; it killed nearly 80 people.
- 1996 Born: Paul Mescal, Irish actor who rose to fame with his role in the miniseries Normal People. His film credits include All of Us Strangers and Gladiator 2.
- 1996 Died: Gene Kelly, American actor, singer, dancer, choreographer, film director, and producer whose innovations transformed the Hollywood musical film.
- 1995 Died: Fred Perry, English tennis and table tennis player, the winner of ten Majors including two Pro Slams and eight Grand Slams.
- 1995 Born: Arfa Karim, Pakistani student and computer prodigy who became the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional at the age of nine.
- 1988 Born: Zosia Mamet, American actress and musician who has appeared in television series including Mad Men, United States of Tara, Parenthood, Girls, and The Flight Attendant.
- 1987 A plebiscite for the ratification of the Constitution of the Philippines was held. 76.37% of the voters favored the ratification of the charter.
- 1987 Born: Gerard Piqué, Spanish former professional footballer who played as a center-back. He is considered to be one of the best center-backs of his generation.
- 1986 Born: Gemma Arterton, English actress best known for her roles in St Trinian's, Quantum of Solace, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, and Byzantium.
- 1979 Born: Marissa Jaret Winokour, American actress and singer known for her Tony-winning performance as Tracy Turnblad in the Broadway musical Hairspray.
- 1979 Died: Sid Vicious (stage name of John Beverley, born John Simon Ritchie), English vocalist and bass guitarist best known as a member of the Sex Pistols.
- 1977 Born: Shakira (Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll), Colombian singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, model, record producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.
- 1972 Died: Natalie Clifford Barney, American poet, playwright, and novelist who lived as an expatriate in Paris and held a salon at 20 rue Jacob.
- 1972 Born: Dana International (stage name of Sharon Kohen, born Yaron Cohen), Israeli pop singer who won the Eurovision Song Contest 1998.
- 1970 Died: Bertrand Russell, British philosopher, logician, social critic, historian, mathematician, and political activist. He was awarded the 1950 Nobel Prize in Literature.
- 1969 Died: Boris Karloff (stage name of William Henry Pratt), English actor who is best known for his roles in horror films and especially for his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster.
- 1959 The Dyatlov Pass incident occurred. Nine experienced skiers died in the Ural mountains. The absence of witnesses and the subsequent investigations concerning the death of the skiers inspired intense speculation.
- 1949 Born: Brent Spiner, American actor best known for his role as the android Data in the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation and a number of subsequent films and television series.
- 1943 The Battle of Stalingrad ended with decisive Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. It was a major battle of World War II that lasted for more than 5 months.
- 1939 Born: Dale T. Mortensen, American economist who was awarded the 2010 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences with Christopher A. Pissarides and Peter A. Diamond.
- 1922 Ulysses, a modernist novel by James Joyce, was first published in its entirety. It is considered to be one of the most important works of modernist literature.
- 1918 Died: Edmond Rostand, French poet and playwright who is best known for his play Cyrano de Bergerac that has been translated and performed many times.
- 1907 Died: Dmitri Mendeleev, Russian chemist and inventor who is best known for formulating the Periodic Law and creating the periodic table of elements.
- 1901 The funeral of Queen Victoria, the longest reigning British monarch, was held in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, Berkshire.
- 1901 Born: Jascha Heifetz, Lithuanian-born American violinist and violin teacher who is considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century.
- 1882 Born: James Joyce, Irish novelist and poet who is considered one of the most influential modernist writers. One of his best-known works is Ulysses.
- 1848 The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in the Villa de Guadalupe Hidalgo between Mexico and the United States. It ended the Mexican-American War.
- 1829 Born: Alfred Brehm, German zoologist, writer and natural history illustrator. His best-known work is Brehms Tierleben (Brehm's Life of Animals).
- 1653 New Amsterdam received municipal rights and became a city. It was renamed the City of New York on September 8, 1664.
- 1536 Buenos Aires was founded by a Spanish expedition led by Pedro de Mendoza. It was originally named Ciudad de Nuestra Señora Santa María del Buen Ayre.
- 962 Pope John XII crowned Otto I, also known as Otto the Great, who thus became the first Holy Roman Emperor in nearly forty years.