IMPORTANT DAYS- MAY

1 May Day

International Labour Day is also known as the International Worker’s Day and May Day . It is being celebrated all across the world every year on 1^st of May which has been declared as the traditional spring holiday in the Europe.

It has also been declared as the national holiday in almost 80 countries of the world whereas it is being celebrated as an unofficial event in most of the countries. In the US and Canada, it is (Labour Day) celebrated on 1^st Monday of the September month as an annual holiday for celebrating the great achievements of the workers working in various fields.

International Workers’ Day is the big celebration on the world level and it is celebrated to commemorate the 4^th of May of 1886, the Haymarket affair (Haymarket Massacre) in the Chicago. It is the big event of that year when workers were on the general strike for their eight-hour workday and police were doing their job of dispersing the general public from the crowd. Suddenly, a bomb was thrown over the crowd by an unidentified person and then police started firing over the workers and four demonstrators were killed.

International Labour Day or May Day is celebrated to finish the struggle as well as to promote the requirement of eight-hour work day. Earlier the working condition of the laborer was very severe and working hours was 10 to 16 hour a day even in the unsafe conditions. Deaths, injuries and other dreadful conditions of the workers were very common at the workplace during the 1860’s and working people were very agitated throughout the workday until the 8-hour workday was declared. After the lots of efforts made by the workers and socialists, eight-hours was declared as the legal time for the workers in the national convention at Chicago in 1884 by the American Federation of Labor.

5 International Midwives Day

International Midwives Day is celebrated every year on international level to commemorate and increase the awareness about the contribution of the midwives towards the patients all over the world. 5^th of May was established to be celebrated as a day to honor the midwives for their big contribution towards the health of their nations. It is celebrated with great enthusiasm and joy in more than 50 countries around the world.

First International Day of the Midwife (IDM) was launched and celebrated on 5^th of May in the year 1991 using the theme “Towards safe birth for all by the year 2000″.   The day was established to be celebrated on annual basis to fulfill the demand of following theme “The World Needs Midwives Now More Than Ever”.

International Midwives Day was decided celebrating annually in the conference of International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), Netherlands in 1987. Varieties of events are organized during the celebration in order to support the “Safe Motherhood” as well as promote the midwifery profession throughout the world by increasing the awareness about their contributions.

According to the statistics, it is noted that approximately 350 000 women are dying every year due to pregnancy hazards or during child birth, around 2 million newborns babies are dying just after their birth or within 24 hours of birth and around 2.6 million of the cases are stillbirths. Such death rates can be lessened and prevented by adding some precautions and safety measures to the pregnant women and new born babies.

In order to make some positive efforts towards the health of the nation, International Day of the Midwife has been started celebrating every year to increase awareness about the roles of midwives as well as to fulfill the increasing needs of more midwives all over the world. The universal efforts, of implementing well-educated and harmonious midwifery workforce in all the functioning health systems by availing proper equipments and other supplies, has been started to prevent up to 60% of the maternal and child death rates throughout the world.

The theme of 2015 would be “Midwives: for a better tomorrow”.

6 Asthma Day

World Asthma Day is a big event celebrated all over the world by the people to increase the awareness among public worldwide about the precautions and preventions of the asthma. This event is annually organized on international level by the GINA (Global Initiative for Asthma) in order to increase the asthma awareness all around the world. It is celebrated on annual basis at 1^st Tuesday of May. World Asthma Day celebration was first started celebrating in the year 1998 by the GINA in more than 35 countries after its first “World Asthma Meeting” in the Barcelona, Spain.
Controlling the current status of asthma all around the world is very necessary and it has become the responsibility of all the medical professionals and not only the patients. Asthma management requires collaborative efforts of the patients, asthma carers, health professionals, community health groups and other health care systems globally.
World Asthma Day is celebrated in the month of May every year that’s why May is known as the Asthma Awareness Month when the “National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP)” is organized to encourages the people to take care of their asthma.
The theme of 2015 would be “You Can Control Your Asthma” and sub-theme would be “It’s Time to Control Asthma”.

For more reading : http://www.indiacelebrating.com/events/world-asthma-day/

8 Thalassemia Day

World Thalassemia Day is celebrated every year on 8^th of May. It was established by the World Health Organization in order to raise the public awareness about this disease, prevention measures and measures to avoid its transmission.
According to the statistics, around 19% of the total population is the carrier of Thalassemia gene in the Saudi Arabia Kingdom. Thus world thalassemia day is celebrated there as a big event by organizing variety of preventive programs to increase awareness and reduce spread of this genetic disease. This event celebration promotes and encourages the common public for the pre-marriage test to reduce the genetic problems among families.
The day is dedicated to commemorate the thalassemia patients and give them a special chance to live like a normal person as well as prevent this disease to spread in the community, society, state, country and finally world.
Thalassemia is an autosomal recessive blood disorders which gets inherited from parents to the children through genes. It is a blood disorder causes weakening and destruction of the red blood cells, affects the formation of hemoglobin in the body and causes mild or severe anemia. It causes complications like bone deformities, iron overload, cardiovascular illnesses, heart palpitations, enlarged liver, jaundice, enlarged spleen, enlarged bones of cheeks or forehead, delayed puberty and etc.
Around 3.4% of the people are carrier of the Thalassemia and around 7000 to 10,000 children are born with Thalassemia per year in India. It can be of any type such as Alpha Thalassemia, Beta Thalassemia, Delta Thalassemia and combination of other hemoglobinopathies (hemoglobin C, D, E and S).
It is seen among children of one or two years of life. Mild Thalassemia sometimes does not show any symptoms thus can be undiagnosed until blood test (complete blood count, CBC test). It can be treated through the blood transfusion, B group vitamins supplements, iron chelation therapy and blood and bone marrow stem cell transplantation to maintain the normal level of haemoglobin and healthy RBCs.
Since, it is an inheritable disease so cannot be prevented completely however, it can be lessen through the prenatal tests which helps in the early detection and cure before the child birth. It is requested to all the carriers of thalassemia gene to meet a genetic counselor as soon as possible to get proper treatment before being a parent of child or prevent the gene to get inherited to their child.
For more reading: http://www.indiacelebrating.com/events/world-thalassemia-day/

8 Red Cross Day

World Red Cross day is celebrated on 8^th of May every year as the birth anniversary of founder of the Red Cross, Henry Dunant who also founded the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), He was born in the Geneva in the year 1828. He was the most famous person and became the recipient of 1^st Nobel Peace Prize.

World Red Cross Day is an annual event celebration, celebrating the principles of “International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement”. It is celebrated every year to pay tribute to the volunteers participated in the event as well as welcome their precious contribution for helping people in need.

Red Cross was introduced as a major contribution to the peace after the World War I by an international commission at 14^th International Conference of the Red Cross. The principles of the Red Cross Truce was presented and approved on 15^th International Conference at Tokyo in the year 1934 to get applicable all across the world in different regions. The possibility of its annual celebration was asked to the “League of the Red Cross Societies (LORCS)” by the International Federation of the Red Cross Societies (IFRC) General Assembly. It was first celebrated as the Red Cross Day on 8^th of May in 1948. Later, it was officially named as the “World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day” in the year 1984.

For more reading: http://www.indiacelebrating.com/events/world-red-cross-day/

May 8 Parasuram Jayanti

Parshuram the sixth incarnation of Vishnu is the epitome of valor and devotion towards parents. Once his father, Jamadagni got angry with his wife Renuka and ordered Parshuram to murder her. Parshuram obeyed him and killed his mother. Contented with his act Jamadagni asked his son to ask for anything whatever he wanted. Parshuram asked to bring back his mother to life. It was Parshuram’s cleverness that brought back his mother to life again. In this way Parshuram proved his devotion to his father and mother.

The birthday of Parshuram is celebrated on the 3rd day of Shukla Paksh of Vaishakh month. This day is also known as Parshu Rama Dwadashi and people fast on this day to be blessed with a son. According to Varah Puran, by keeping a fast on this day, the devotee enjoys his stay in Brahmiok and will be reborn to become a great king.

Akshaya Tritiya is another name for the birthday of Lord Parasuram. There is a strong belief that the merits gained by good acts on this day are forever. It is believed that Akshaya Tritiya marks the beginning of the Treta Yug.

May 9 Akshaya Tritiya

Akshaya Tritiya in 2016 will be observed on May 9.

As per Hindu calendar, Akshaya Tritiya ) is celebrated on third day of bright moon (Shukla paksha) of Vaishakha / Baisakh month.
Akshaya Tritiya , also known as ‘Akha Teej’, is the most auspicious day in Hindu and Jain community of India. The day also marks the birth anniversary ‘Lord Parasurama’, who is the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Another legend says that Akshaya Tritiya ) marks the day when Lord Ganesha and Rishi Ved Vyas started writing ‘Mahabharata’.
Akshaya Tritiya is usually observed in late April or early May. In 2015 it was observed on Tuesday, 21st April. The name of the festival describes the planetary position of Sun, Moon and Jupiter. On this day all three unanimously come under ‘Mrigshira Nakshatra’. Akshaya Tritiya is considered highly auspicious and is believed to bring lot of good luck and prosperity. It is also a day of eternal success and many people buy gold or property on this day. The day is considered auspicious for starting new ventures. The legend is that any venture initiated on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya continues to grow and bring prosperity. Hence, new ventures, like starting a business, construction, etc. is performed on Akshaya Tritiya.
It was on this day that Goddess Annapoorna devi was born.
Kubera received his wealth and position as custodian of wealth and property with Goddess Lakshmi on this day, by praying to Lord Shiva at Shivapuram.
So many legends!
In Hinduism, Akshay Tritiya was the day when Vyasa started writing the history of the great Bharat war in the form of an epic Mahabharata. This day is symbolized by god Vishnu, the preserver-god in the Hindu Trinity. According to Hindu mythology, on this day the Treta Yuga began and the river Ganges, the most sacred river of India, descended to the earth from the heaven.
          It is traditionally observed as the birthday of Parashurama, the sixth incarnation of god Vishnu. The Puranic scriptures speak about how he reclaimed the land from the sea.
        In Mahabharata, Yudhishtira receives the Akshaya patra, which he uses to serve food for all the needy in his kingdom.
        It is on this day that poor Sudama, the best friend of Krishna visits Him (Lord Krishna) to greet Him after He became the King. With nothing to offer, Sudama takes with him Poha (puffed rice) and offers it to his friend and never discusses his poverty though he intends to. On his return he finds his hut changed to a palace.
      It is on this day that Dushasana, Duryodhana's brother, unveils Draupadi at the royal court where Krishna protects her providing the 'unending' veil...
       In more recent history, Adi Shankara recited the Kanaka Dhara Stotr on this day for the sake of the poor couple at whose house he stopped for Bhiksha and was offered their only available gooseberry.
Goa and Kerala regions, even today, are referred to as Parushurama Kshetra. Akshaya Tritiya, the third day of the bright-half of the lunar month of Vaisakha is considered one of the most sacred days of the year.
In Odisha, on Akshay Tritiya day, farmers start ploughing their land and construction of chariots for Rath Yatra begins at Puri.

12 Nurses Day

International Nurses Day (IND) is celebrated every year all around the world on 12^th of May to commemorate the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale and to mark the nurses' contributions towards people’s health.
Nurses Day was first proposed by the Dorothy Sutherland (an officer from the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare) in the year 1953 and first proclaimed by the President Dwight D. Eisenhower. And it was first celebrated by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) in the year 1965.
In the month of January in 1974, the 12^th of May was declared to be celebrated as the birthday anniversary of the founder of modern nursing, the Florence Nightingale. International Nurses Day Kit (having educational and public information materials to be used by the nurses among public) is prepared and distributed every year by the International Council of Nurses while celebrating the nurses day.
Florence Nightingale (the foundational philosopher of the modern nursing) was born on 12^th of May in 1820. International Council of Nurses established the day in 1974 to be celebrated every year to highlight the importance of nurses role in providing the best health care services. She became an important figure of the nursing since Crimean War during 1850s. She, stationed at the Barrack Hospital, Scutari, reformed the health care services and nursing and opened “the Nightingale School of Nursing” at the St. Thomas Hospital, London in 1860.
International Nurses Day is celebrated every year by organizing a candle lamp service in the Westminster Abbey, London. A candle lamp is handed over from one nurse to another (symbolizing to pass the knowledge from one nurse to another) to place it on the High Altar. A big ceremony is also held at the St. Margaret’s Church, the Florence Nightingale burial place, a day after her birthday.

17 Hypertension Day
World Hypertension Day is celebrated every year on 17^th of May to raise the public awareness about hypertension, its preventive measures and complications. It was first celebrated on 14^th of May in the year 2005 organized by the World Hypertension League (WHL).
Hypertension is a condition called high blood pressure during which the arterial blood pressure raises to high level from the normal level (120/80 mmHg). It is medical condition called as silent killer as it does not show any clear symptoms however severe hypertension show some symptoms of headaches, sleepiness, palpitation, blurred vision, fatigue, dizziness, confusion, ringing sensation in the ears, breathing difficulty, irregular heartbeat which may lead to even coma.
It is divided in two types (primary or essential hypertension and secondary hypertension) on the basis of its causing factors. The primary hypertension is more common type however its causes are unknown. Whereas, causes of secondary hypertension are kidney damage, adrenal gland over-activity, sleep apnea syndrome, tumors, recreational drugs, thyroid gland dysfunctioning, aortic coarctation, pregnancy-related conditions, over or wrong medications, alcoholic drinks, bad food etc.
It is also an inheritable disease which can be inherited to children from parents having hypertension or family history of diabetes, obesity, smoking, lack of exercise, excess alcohol drink, use of oral contraceptive pills and etc. Its complications are atherosclerosis means narrowing of arteries, brain hemorrhage means blood clot in brain (stroke), heart attack, aneurysm, kidney failure, heart failure, eye damage and etc.
Celebrating World Hypertension Day all over the world was established and started by The World Hypertension League (WHL). WHL is a health organization lead around 85 national hypertension societies and associations worldwide. It had started the campaign of hypertension day to increase the common public awareness about the hypertension. It aimed to fill the gap of the lack of appropriate knowledge among people about the hypertension and people suffering of it. WHL had launched the campaign of World Hypertension Day first time on 14^th of May in 2005 however it was started celebrating dedicatedly every year on 17^th of May since 2006.
More reading in:http://www.indiacelebrating.com/events/world-hypertension-day/

31 No Tobacco Day

World No Tobacco Day was first introduced by the World Health Organization to be celebrated as a most recognized event all over the world in order to make people easily get aware of all the problems and health complications occurred by the tobacco chewing or smoking to prevent all the health hazards to make the whole world free of tobacco and healthy world of people.

It was first celebrated on 7^th of April in the year 1988 at 40^th WHO Anniversary and later it was declared to be celebrated as No Tobacco Day on 31^st of May every year. It was created as World No Tobacco Day in the year 1987 by the member states of WHO.

It is celebrated intending to aware and encourage people to reduce or completely stop the tobacco consumption in any form all across the globe. The day celebration aims to draw public attention globally to spread the message of harmful effects of tobacco use as well as its complications to others. Variety of global organizations involved in this campaign such as state governments, public health organizations and etc organizes various public awareness programmes locally.
Nicotine addiction is very bad for the health which is lethal and known as brain “wanting” disease which can never be cured however can be fully arrested. It binds the brain dopamine pathways just like other illegal drugs, meth, alcohol, heroin and etc. It prepares the brain to send false message about the need of nicotine to the body as necessary as other survival activities like eating and drinking food and liquids.
Varieties of nicotine addiction quitting method are provided by the health organizations to help the ex-users on the earth to prevent their lives. WHO has banned the promotion, advertisement and sponsorship of the tobacco or its products while celebrating the World No Tobacco Day of 2008 and through the campaign message of “Tobacco-free youth”.
It is very necessary to ban or stop the use of tobacco on global basis as it leads to many illnesses like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (also called COPD), lung cancer, heart attacks, strokes, chronic heart diseases, emphysema, variety of cancers and etc. Tobacco can be used in many forms such as cigarettes, cigars, bidis, creamy snuff (tooth paste), kreteks, pipes, gutkha, chewing tobacco, hand rolling tobacco, snuff, water pipes, snus and many more so it is very necessary to ban the use of tobacco products as well.