International Francophonie Day

International Francophonie Day (French: Journée internationale de la Francophonie) is observed within the International Organization of La Francophonie’s 77 member states every March 20 to celebrate the French language and Francophone culture. There are over 369 million French speakers on Earth.

Created in 1988, the date celebrates the signing of the Niamey Convention in Niger on 20 March 1970. The convention established the Agence de Coopération Culturelle et Technique, the precursor to the International Organization of La Francophonie.

Just like the British colonies, the French established French colonies. This led to the cultural and lingual spread in the regions which they established the colonies.

According to the Canadian then-minister for La Francophonie Steven Blaney’s speech in 2013, the International Francophonie Day is to "celebrate our commitment to not only the French language and the rich and diverse francophone culture but also the values of peace, democracy and respect for human rights that unite all members of the International Organization of La Francophonie".

Tunisia's Independence Day

Tunisia gained Independence from France on the 20th of March in 1956, after a result of a long struggle and the efforts of many Tunisian nationalists, including Habib Bourguiba, who later became the first President of Tunisia.

The struggle for independence included peaceful protests, strikes, and political organizing. On March 20th, 1956, the French government agreed to Tunisia’s demands for independence after negotiations with Bourguiba.

The Tunisian flag was raised for the first time, and Bourguiba gave a speech announcing the country’s independence.

On this occasion, Tunisia celebrates the day with national parades and fireworks. It is a day for Tunisians to reflect on their country’s history, celebrate their independence, and renew their commitment to building a strong and prosperous nation.

World Storytelling Day

 

Every year on March 20, World Storytelling Day celebrates the art of oral storytelling. It’s also a day for people around the globe to listen and tell stories in as many languages as possible.

Each year World Storytelling Day has a theme around which the storytellers tell their stories. The storytellers are free to choose their stories, but most of them try to connect to the theme. 

History of World Storytelling Day: World Storytelling Day started out as a national day for storytelling in Sweden around 1991. The day was called 'Alla berättares dag,' which translates to All Storytellers Day.

In 1997, storytellers in Australia coordinated a five-week long celebration of story. The day became known as the International Day of Oral Narrators. Around this time, Mexico and other Latin American countries were celebrating their own National Day of Storytellers. In 2002, Scandinavians created their own storytelling web-network called Ratatosk.

The new network helped the national day for storytelling spread from Sweden to Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Estonia. In 2003, the idea continued to spread to other countries including Canada. The event became known as World Storytelling Day. Today, storytelling events occur on every continent except Antarctica.

World Oral Health Day

 

World Oral Health Day (WOHD) is observed on 20 March, every year. The day is dedicated to spreading awareness about the importance of good oral health for people's overall health and well-being. The main goal of World Oral Health Day is to empower people with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to take care of their teeth and gums. By doing so, it is hoped that people will take better care of their oral health.

The significance of World Oral Health Day is to highlight the importance of good oral hygiene practices for both adults and children. By taking care of our teeth and gums, we can prevent tooth decay, gum disease, and bone loss. This can have serious health consequences for those who do not take good care of their oral health.

The history of World Oral Health Day dates back to 2007, when it was first established. Earlier, the date for World Oral Health Day was set for 12 September but since this date coincides with the birthday of FDI founder Dr. Charles Godon (12 September), therefore in 2013, the date of World Oral Health Day was changed and set for 20 March.

Karpoor Chandra Kulish's Birth Anniversary

Karpoor Chandra Kulish, born on 20 March 1926, is a celebrated doyen of Hindi Journalism and the founder of Rajasthan Patrika. He was a man who donned several hats in his lifetime. He was a poet, a writer, a journalist, a Vedic allegorist and a prolific social thinker. Born in the Tonk district of Rajasthan, India, Kulish was informed by a deep regard for the Hindi language which made him gravitate towards a career in scholarship, pedagogy and Hindi literature.

A pervading concern for deep societal issues and ailments, however, pushed Shri Kulish into a career in journalism. In 1951, he began working as a clerk at a newspaper in Jaipur called ‘Rashtradoot’ before his flair for journalism shone through and he was progressively tasked with various responsibilities such as handling the magazine, editing, reportage and penning a weekly column under the pseudonym of ‘Ghumakkar’. After five years of working at ‘Rashtradoot’, he faced a mounting realization that there was a pressing need for an independent regional newspaper in Rajasthan that could compete with national dailies and that would most importantly, be free of political influence.

To realize this dream, Rajasthan Patrika was set up as an evening newspaper in 1956 with humble borrowings of Rs. 500 (roughly equivalent to USD 40 at the time). “In the press corridor with the help of two chairs, one table, one typewriter and two and a half men, a tabular-sized two paise-a-page Rajasthan Patrika took shape. Like a paper boat, it embarked on the grand sea of journalism, riding on the strength of good wishes and blessings.” Since then, Shri Kulish painstakingly developed Patrika as a synonymy for journalistic grit and courage. Under his helm, Patrika gained the adage of being ‘the newspaper with a soul’. Kulish retired from Rajasthan Patrika on 20 March 1986.

International Astrology Day

 

International Astrology Day is being observed on March 20 this year. It is celebrated depending on the exact day that the Northward equinox actually occurs. This varies year to year between March 19-22, though it usually falls on March 20 or March 21.

International Astrology Day was first asserted by the Association for Astrological Networking in 1993 and is an annual observance celebrated by astrologers and astrology enthusiasts. It is the first full day of the zodiac sign Aries.

International Day of Happiness

 

A profound shift in attitudes is underway all over the world. People are now recognising that 'progress' should be about increasing human happiness and wellbeing, not just growing the economy.

March 20 has been established as the annual International Day of Happiness and all 193 United Nations member states have adopted a resolution calling for happiness to be given greater priority.

In 2011, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution which recognised happiness as a “fundamental human goal” and called for “a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes the happiness and well-being of all peoples”.

In 2012 the first ever UN conference on Happiness took place and the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution which decreed that the International Day of Happiness would be observed every year on 20 March. It was celebrated for the first time in 2013.

World Frog Day

 

World Frog Day, celebrated on 20 March each year, aims to raise awareness of frog species around the world, their key role in healthy ecosystems, and how we can protect them.

Frogs play a central role in many ecosystems. They control the insect population and are a food source for many larger animals. Frogs can also secrete substances through their skin. Some secretions are beneficial and researchers have used some of them to create new antibiotics and painkillers.

Any decline in frog populations has a ripple effect on the surrounding wildlife, disturbing an otherwise well-balanced food web.

World Sparrow Day

World Sparrow Day is observed on March 20. Sparrow also known as House Sparrow (passer domesticus) is a bird of sparrow family. There are 26 species of sparrows worldwide out of which five of them are found in India. The species found in India are House Sparrow, Sind Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Russet Sparrow, and Eurasian Tree Sparrow. They have a life span of three years.

Along with being a part of our environment sparrows are of immense importance for our ecosystem, but in the recent times we can see a declining trend in their population due to loss of habitat, absence of native plants, widespread use of concrete, modern grocery storage, higher little index etc. are the primary cause for the decline in the population of sparrows in various parts of India.

History:

The first World Sparrow Day was celebrated on March 20, 2010. In India, The Nature Forever Society started the initiative of celebrating World Sparrow Day, emphasising on the importance of saving house sparrows and other common birds. The Nature Forever Society was founded by Mohammed Dilawar, an Indian conservationist. He started his work with nature by helping the house sparrows and taking up initiatives to save their population in Nasik.

Significance:

The gradual decline in the population of sparrows is harmful for the ecosystem. The day aims to raise awareness about the importance of these birds for biodiversity and our environment. The best way to spend the day is by educating ourselves about the various initiatives that we can take up to ensure that the population of sparrows sees a steep increase. We should also consciously make efforts to broaden conservation efforts to safeguard their population.