Holidays Calendar for November 22, 2020
Independence Day is one of the most important public holidays in Lebanon. This holiday celebrates the anniversary of the declaration of independence of Lebanon from France in 1943.
Catholics venerate Saint Cecilia as the patroness of musicians. Mariachis (performers of traditional Mexican music) celebrate the feast day of Saint Cecilia (November 22) as their “professional holiday”. On this day, they fill the streets of Mexico City to celebrate the patron saint of music with festive songs.
Youth Day is celebrated in many countries around the world on different dates, however, there is also a global event, known as World Youth Day. This observance was established by Pope John Paul II in 1985; it was originally celebrated on Palm Sunday, but in late 2020, Pope Francis moved it to the Sunday of the Feast of Christ the King.
Totensonntag (Sunday of the Dead) is a Lutheran religious holiday when all deceased are honored and remembered. It is observed on the last Sunday before Advent, a season of preparation for Christmas.
International Larimar Day is observed annually on November 22. This annual holiday was created in 2018 to celebrate a rare mineral that can be found only in the Dominican Republic.
Every year all teachers and professors of Costa Rica celebrate their professional holiday, Teachers' Day, on November 22. This holiday was established in honor of Mauro Fernández Acuña, a prominent Costa Rican politician and lawyer, who dedicated much of his work to reformation of the educational system.
Justice Workers' Day is annually celebrated in Azerbaijan on November 22. This professional day was officially established by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliev in 2000.
Bank Workers' Day is one of the official professional days in Armenia. It was established by the Government of Armenia in 2003 to mark the 10th anniversary of the introduction of the dram, the national currency in Armenia.
Prosecutors’ Day is an official professional holiday in the Kyrgyz Republic celebrated on November 22 every year. It was proclaimed by the government of Kyrgyzstan in 2000 in order to emphasize the significant contribution of public prosecutors to overseeing the precise and uniform execution of laws.
Russian psychologists celebrate their professional holiday in November 22. Although Psychologist Day in Russia doesn’t have an official status, it has been celebrated informally for over two decades.
Humane Society Anniversary Day is celebrated annually on November 22 in honor of one of the world’s largest and most influential animal welfare organizations. It commemorates the establishment of the Humane Society of the United States in 1954.
People of the British Virgin Islands are aware about the importance of environment conservation, that is why they annually observe Arbor Day. The trees planting events annually take place on November 22.
The Albanians celebrate Albanian Alphabet Day every year on November 22. This is not a public holiday, but it's a very important event for the Albanian nation.
November 22 is the perfect day to celebrate National Cranberry Relish Day as Thanksgiving day is right around the corner and cranberry relish is commonly associated with Thanksgiving dinner.
Love Your Freckles Day is celebrated around the world on November 22. It was created to encourage people who have freckles to embrace them proudly (and to remind of the importance of wearing sunscreen).
Danish Pastry Day (Wienerbrödets dag) is celebrated in Sweden on November 22. It celebrates a delicious sweet pastry called Danish pastry in English (because it is believed to have originated in Denmark) but known as “Viennese bread” in Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish.
Every year all grandmother and grandfathers in Singapore celebrate Grandparents' Day on the fourth Sunday in November. This is a jolly holiday, that has a long history in Singapore.
National Housing Day is observed in Canada on November 22 every year. It was created to raise awareness of the housing crisis and homelessness that were declared a national disaster back in 1998.
Good Spouses Day, alternatively translated as Good Couple Day, Good Partners Day or Good Husband and Wife Day, is celebrated in Japan every year on November 22. It was created as a day for married people to express their gratitude to their spouses.
Festivals on November 22, 2020
- American Music Awards in Los Angeles, USA
- Christmas Market and Parade in Valkenburg aan de Geul in Valkenburg aan de Geul, Netherlands
- Owen Sound Festival of Northern Lights in Owen Sound, Canada
- Natchitoches Christmas Festival in Natchitoches, USA
- Stockholm Christmas Market in Stockholm, Sweden
- Mar del Plata International Film Festival in Mar del Plata, Argentina
- Silver Bells in the City in Lansing, USA
- Wroclaw Christmas Market in Wroclaw, Poland
- Gijón International Film Festival in Gijón, Spain
- PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia, USA
- Guadalajara International Film Festival in Guadalajara, Mexico
- America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration in Plymouth (MA), USA
- Strasbourg Christmas Market in Strasbourg, France
- International Film Festival of India in Panaji, India
- Three Continents Festival in Nantes, France
This Day in History
- 2022 Andre Marcus Bing killed six co-workers and injured four others before killing himself, in retaliation for perceived workplace harassment at the Walmart Supercenter in Chesapeake, Virginia.
- 2017 Died: Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Russian operatic baritone. He came to international prominence in 1989 when he won the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, beating local favorite Bryn Terfel in the final round.
- 2014 Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old African American boy, was shot by a police officer in Cleveland, Ohio. The incident received national and international coverage.
- 2013 Died: Father Alec Reid, Irish Catholic priest noted for his facilitator role in the Northern Ireland peace process, for which he received several peace awards.
- 2007 Died: Maurice Béjart, French dancer, choreographer, and opera director. In 1987, he founded the Béjart Ballet Lausanne, a famous dance company.
- 2005 Angela Merkel became the first female Chancellor of Germany. She is also the first former citizen of the German Democratic Republic to hold the office.
- 2004 The Orange Revolution began in Ukraine following the presidential election. A series of nationwide protests led to the revote ordered by the Supreme Court of Ukraine.
- 2000 Born: Auliʻi Cravalho, American actress and singer best known for voicing the title character in the Disney animated musical film Moana.
- 1996 Born: Hailey Bieber (née Baldwin), American model, media personality, and socialite. She has been featured in major ads for Guess, Ralph Lauren, and Tommy Hilfiger.
- 1996 Died: Mark Lenard, American actor primarily remembered for his appearances in the Star Trek franchise, particularly in the role of Spock's father Sarek.
- 1995 Born: Katherine McNamara, American actress best known for portraying the protagonist Clary Fray on the supernatural drama television series Shadowhunters.
- 1988 Born: Jamie Campbell Bower, English actor, singer, and model whose credits include The Twilight Saga, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, Stranger Things, and more.
- 1984 Born: Scarlett Johansson, American actress of stage and screen, model, and singer. She has won a number of awards, including a BAFTA, a Saturn Award, and a Tony.
- 1981 Died: Hans Adolf Krebs, German-born British physician and biochemist who won the 1953 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering the citric acid cycle.
- 1977 Scheduled service of the turbojet-powered supersonic passenger jet airliner Concorde from Paris and London to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport began.
- 1976 Born: Ville Valo, Finnish singer, songwriter and musician best known as the lead vocalist of the gothic rock band HIM. He has also had a successful solo career.
- 1975 Juan Carlos I was proclaimed King of Spain following the death of Francisco Franco. Soon after enthronement, he began the Spanish transition to democracy.
- 1968 The Beatles released their ninth studio album, The Beatles. It is also known as the White Album due to its plain white sleeve with no graphics or text other than the band's name.
- 1967 Born: Boris Becker, German former world No. 1 tennis player. Becker is the youngest-ever winner of the gentlemen's singles Wimbledon Championships title, a feat he accomplished aged 17 in 1985.
- 1967 Born: Mark Ruffalo, American actor, director, producer, screenwriter, and activist, best known for his roles in The Avengers, The Kids Are All Right, Foxcatcher, and other films.
- 1965 Born: Mads Mikkelsen, Danish actor and former dancer and gymnast. He achieved worldwide recognition for playing the main antagonist Le Chiffre in Casino Royale.
- 1963 Died: C. S. Lewis, Irish and English novelist, poet, essayist, academic, and Christian apologist best known for his series of seven novels The Chronicles of Narnia.
- 1963 Died: Aldous Huxley, English writer and philosopher. He is best known for his dystopian novel Brave New World and non-fiction book The Doors of Perception.
- 1963 Died: John F. Kennedy, American politician and statesman who served as the 35th President of the United States. He was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald.
- 1958 Born: Jamie Lee Curtis, American actress and author known for her roles in the films Trading Places, A Fish Called Wanda, True Lies, Freaky Friday, and others.
- 1956 The opening ceremony of the 1956 Summer Olympics was held in Melbourne, Australia. These were the first Olympic to be staged in the Southern Hemisphere.
- 1944 Died: Arthur Eddington, British astronomer, physicist, and mathematician who is primarily remembered for his significant contribution to the field of astrophysics.
- 1943 Born: Billie Jean King (née Moffitt), American former World number 1 professional tennis player, sportscaster, and activist. She won 39 Grand Slam titles.
- 1940 Born: Terry Gilliam, American-British filmmaker, comedian, animator and actor. He gained stardom as a member of the Monty Python comedy troupe and later transitioned to directing serious films.
- 1935 The China Clipper, a Pan Am flying boat, took off from the city of Alameda, California in an attempt to deliver the first airmail cargo across the Pacific Ocean.
- 1928 Maurice Ravel's one-movement orchestral piece Boléro premiered at the Paris Opéra. The orchestra of the Opéra was conducted by Walther Straram.
- 1917 Born: Andrew Huxley, English physiologist and biophysicist who was awarded the 1963 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, sharing it with two other scientists.
- 1916 Died: Jack London (born John Griffith Chaney), American author, journalist, and social activist whose most famous works include White Fang and The Call of the Wind.
- 1914 Born: Peter Townsend, RAF officer who served as equerry to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. He is best known for his romance with Princess Margaret.
- 1909 American aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright established the Wright Company with the intention of capitalizing on their invention of the practical airplane.
- 1904 Born: Louis Néel, French physicist who was awarded the 1970 Nobel Prize in Physics for his discoveries concerning antiferromagnetism and ferrimagnetism.
- 1900 Died: Arthur Sullivan, English composer primarily remembered for his series of fourteen operatic collaborations with the dramatist William Schwenck Gilbert.
- 1890 Born: Charles de Gaulle, French general, leader of the French Resistance, author, and statesman who served as the 18th President of France from 1958 to 1969.
- 1869 Born: André Gide, French novelist, essayist, and playwright who was awarded the 1947 Nobel Prize for Literature for his comprehensive and artistically significant writings.