I’m not quite sure how all these International Days are supposed to work, or how you’re supposed to know about them, but suffice to say that somehow I keep missing them. It’s not that I don’t use the internet or follow the news, but it’s becoming quite clear to me that many of these special days are simply not as well publicised as perhaps they should be.

Apparently, yesterday was Earth Day, which was organised by the ‘Green’ movement. It is claimed that more than one billion* people around the world voiced their appreciation for the planet and demanded its protection (*give or take an odd million). They are standing for a sustainable future and calling upon individuals, organizations, and governments to do their part. 

Today is International Book Day, organised by UNESCO, and is a day when we should promote reading, publishing and copyright. The 23rd April is selected for book day as it is often quoted as the anniversary of the deaths of both William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes. At least one official celebration of this day is the reading of Cervantes’ Don Quixote (actually a two-day “readathon”).

In England it is also St George’s Day, as we honour the life of England’s very own Patron Saint (albeit that there is no public holiday). I think it’s probably fair to say that St George’s Day, St Andrew’s Day (Scotland) and St David’s Day (Wales) are not celebrated as much as St Patrick’s Day in Ireland, but apparently many people are now working to get these days re-established on the calendar for all British people.

So today, by way of recognition, I will be reading a book, made from re-cycled paper, about the life and times of St George (I think that covers all the bases).

I’m not quite sure how all these International Days are supposed to work, or how you’re supposed to know about them, but suffice to say that somehow I keep missing them. It’s not that I don’t use the internet or follow the news, but it’s becoming quite clear to me that many of these special days are simply not as well publicised as perhaps they should be.

Apparently, yesterday was Earth Day, which was organised by the ‘Green’ movement. It is claimed that more than one billion* people around the world voiced their appreciation for the planet and demanded its protection (*give or take an odd million). They are standing for a sustainable future and calling upon individuals, organizations, and governments to do their part. 

Today is International Book Day, organised by UNESCO, and is a day when we should promote reading, publishing and copyright. The 23rd April is selected for book day as it is often quoted as the anniversary of the deaths of both William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes. At least one official celebration of this day is the reading of Cervantes’ Don Quixote (actually a two-day “readathon”).

In England it is also St George’s Day, as we honour the life of England’s very own Patron Saint (albeit that there is no public holiday). I think it’s probably fair to say that St George’s Day, St Andrew’s Day (Scotland) and St David’s Day (Wales) are not celebrated as much as St Patrick’s Day in Ireland, but apparently many people are now working to get these days re-established on the calendar for all British people.

So today, by way of recognition, I will be reading a book, made from re-cycled paper, about the life and times of St George (I think that covers all the bases).