South Korea Hangul Day By Sharon Schweitzer South Korea Hangul Day, also known as Korean Alphabet Day, is observed annually on October 9th. It’s a national holiday to commemorate the invention and proclamation of the Korean alphabet, known as Hangul (or Hangeul). It’s also celebrated in North Korea on January 15th as ‘Chosun-gul’ [...]
World Sake Day By Sharon Schweitzer World Sake Day, or Nihonshu no Hi, started in 1978 when Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association (J.S.S.) designated October 1st as a day of sake celebration. The day is also to salute the people involved in sake production — the rice farmers and brewery workers. The [...]
World Tourism Day By Sharon Schweitzer Tourism has been a part of the human experience as long as there have been distant places to go and experience. It was originally the province of the wealthy, with travel being difficult and expensive, but it afforded opportunities to learn new languages, experience different cuisines, and [...]
National Chai Day By Sharon Schweitzer National Chai Day is celebrated in India on September 21st each year to celebrate the unique flavors of chai, also known as masala chai. Chai, which means “tea” in many languages, has its roots in South Asia, particularly in countries such as India, Pakistan, and Nepal. It [...]
Mid-Autumn Moon Festival By Sharon Schweitzer What has three names and celebrates the moon? Mid-Autumn Festival, Zhongqiu Jie (中秋节) in Chinese, is also called the Mooncake Festival or the Moon Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar — or on September 17th this year. Since [...]
World Coconut Day By Sharon Schweitzer The aim of celebrating this holiday is to bring coconuts into the spotlight and recognize their importance and benefits — not just health-wise but economically too. Coconuts are especially celebrated in Asian- and Pacific regions by the APCC, Asian and Pacific Coconut Community, which facilitates most of [...]
National Rice Month By Sharon Schweitzer We celebrate National Rice Month throughout the entire month of September. With over 40,000 kinds that grow on every continent, except in Antarctica, what a way to discover as many varieties as possible! The history of National Rice Month dates back to 1991 when President George H.W. [...]
National Bao Day By Sharon Schweitzer National Bao Day is celebrated on August 22nd every year. It’s a day to savor the deliciousness of the famed dumpling. It’s also a day dedicated to learn more about the bao, also known as ‘baozi’ or ‘hot Asian buns,’ and the culture that surrounds them. Do [...]
South Korea on the World’s Stage By Polina Anastassieva, Sharon Schweitzer This past July, in partnership with the World Affairs Council of Austin, St. Edward’s University, Stratfor, and Neil-Cochran Museum, an event on South Korea was held. The two speakers, Dr. Jooyoun Lee, a professor at St. Edward’s University, and Roger Baker, an [...]
Sailor Moon Day By Sharon Schweitzer Sailor Moon Day, celebrated on August 6th every year, celebrates one of the most popular manga and anime series, Sailor Moon. The series starts with a small, very talkative black cat and a young girl, Usagi Tsukino. Usagi received a brooch that helped transform her into the [...]