October is Black History Month
Its aims are to promote knowledge of black history and the positive contributions Black people have made to British Society and to heighten the awareness of Black people in their cultural heritage.
The origins of BHM go back to 1926 when Carter G Woodson, editor for 30 years of the Journal of Negro History, established African Caribbean celebrations in America. Akyaaba Addai Sebbo set up Black History Month in Britain. He worked with the Greater London Council (GLC) to establish the event in 1987. Click here to to find out more.
The International Day of Older Persons is an opportunity to highlight the important contributions that older people make to society and raise awareness of the issues and challenges of ageing in today’s world.
The 2020 theme aims to:
World Vegetarian Day was founded in 1977 by the North American Vegetarian Society (NAVS) and was endorsed by the International Vegetarian Union in 1978.
The day begins a month of celebrations and special days, and aims to promote the awareness of the ethical, environmental, health and humanitarian benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle. The month includes: World Farm Animals Day (Oct 2nd), The Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi (Oct 4th - see below), World Food Day (Oct 16th) and concludes with World Vegan Day (Nov 1st).
This was established by the UN in 2007 to mark the birthday of Mohandas Gandhi: a leading figure in India’s history, helping his country to achieve independence through his policy of peaceful protest. Click here to find out more about him.
Saint Francis of Assisi is best known as the patron saint of animals. Some churches hold ceremonies to bless animals. Click here to find out more about him.
World Teachers' Day commemorates teachers worldwide. Its aim is to raise awareness, understanding and appreciation of the vital contribution that teachers make to education and ensure that the needs of future generations will continue to be met.
Teachers develop learners' abilities to build a sustainable future with citizens who are able to take action in their own communities and contribute to global challenges.
World Smile Day is celebrated each year on the first Friday in October. The idea was started by Harvey Ball, an American commercial artist, who created the Smiley Face in 1963. He felt his symbol had become over-commercialised and the original meaning lost, and thought we should all devote one day a year to smiles and kind acts.
The smiley face knows no politics, no geography and no religion. Harvey’s idea was that for at least one day each year, neither should we; the first World Smile Day was held in 1999.
This year we are encouraged to: Do an act of kindness. Make one person smile!
The day provides an opportunity for anyone concerned with mental health issues to talk about their work, and discuss what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide. This year's theme is Mental Health for All.
In the early morning of 14 October 1066, two great armies prepared to fight for the throne of England. On a hilltop 7 miles from Hastings were the forces of Harold, who had been crowned king nine months earlier. Facing them on the far side of the valley below were the troops of Duke William of Normandy, who believed he was the rightful king. By the end of the day, thousands lay dead on the battlefield, and the victorious William was one step nearer to seizing the throne. You can visit the site where the battle is thought to have taken place, and there is an annual re-enactment of the battle. Click here to find out more.
The Norman invasion was to change our way of life in England forever. Click here to find out how.
Global Hand Washing Day is a campaign to motivate and mobilise millions around the world to wash their hands with soap. This is the single most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections.
This year, the Global Handwashing Day theme focuses on the links between handwashing and food – including food hygiene and nutrition. Handwashing is an important part of keeping food safe, preventing diseases, and helping children grow strong. The tagline, Clean hands – a recipe for health, reminds us to make handwashing a part of every meal.
We all hope for continued health, wellbeing, and productivity for ourselves, our families, and our communities. Hand washing is an affordable, effective way to achieve these goals. For example, hand washing with soap could prevent many of the 272 million yearly schooldays lost to diarrhoeal disease, and 50% of the infections acquired in healthcare settings. Click here to find out more.
Don’t forget the clocks will go back by one hour on Sunday 25th October as British Summer Time (BST) ends for another year. The official time changes at 2.00 am BST, moving back to 1.00 am Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) across the UK.
What does it mean to you? Is it something we should be celebrating?
Click here to find out how it started, what you can do instead, and try one of our delicious pumpkin recipes.
Guestling Bradshaw CE Primary School | Hosted by New Era Technology | DB Primary | DB Learning Library