Ten Days to Celebrate! Trivia Quiz

Waitangi Day is regarded as the National Day of New Zealand. It commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on 6 February. Though this occurred in 1840, Waitangi Day did not become a public holiday until 1974. The Treaty of Waitangi was signed between the British Crown and the Maori chiefs.

Whilst giving rights to the British to acquire land and establish a colony in the country, the treaty was also meant to safeguard the interests of the Maori people. It included terms for the Maori to have the same rights as British subjects, and to retain ownership of their properties.

ANZAC stands for Australia and New Zealand Army Corps. As given away by the name, this day is observed in both Australia and NZ. It commemorates the army personnel who served in World War I, especially those involved in the Gallipoli Campaign. It is observed on the 25th of April with most places holding a Dawn Service. Over time, this day has extended to veterans who have served their country in any capacity, and not just in WWI.

Despite Hinduism being the dominant religion in India, the country is so culturally diverse that few festivals are celebrated in the same manner or on the same date throughout the land. Diwali perhaps comes closest to a pan Indian festival, though even this is celebrated on different days and in different ways in many regions. Diwali is known as the 'festival of lights' after the many diyas (small earthen lamps) that were lit to welcome the Hindu god, Ram, when he returned to his kingdom, Ayodhya, after 14 years in exile. Diwali is celebrated as the victory of light over darkness and good over evil.

Other faiths that originated on the Indian subcontinent like Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, also celebrate Diwali.

The Dragon Boat Festival occurs in the 5th month of the Chinese calendar. Since it is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th month, it is also known as the Double Fifth Festival. The Chinese calendar being lunisolar, this date falls in the May-June period of the Gregorian calendar. According to Chinese tradition, the 5th month is considered unlucky.

Therefore, people used to hang things like flowers and garlic on their doors to ward off bad luck. The 5th month generally coincided with the hot summer days when illnesses were widespread.

The Dragon Boat festival initially started off as a traditional health and wellness festival where people ceremonially got together to drive away bad luck. Over time, many other reasons have been given for the celebration of this festival.

The best known tradition of this festival is the Dragon Boat Racing with participants competing in ornate watercraft.

Bastille Day is the national day of France observed on the 14th of July. The name Bastille Day is mostly used outside of France with the French themselves referring to the day as Fête Nationale Française ("French National Celebration") or le 14 Juillet ("the 14th of July").

It commemorates the Storming of the Bastille which occurred on 14 July 1789. This was a major event in the French Revolution. The Bastille was a medieval fortress that housed political prisoners. It was located in Paris and considered a symbol of the royal authority.

While the American Thanksgiving is better known, Canada has its own Thanksgiving festival too. Canada celebrates Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October. The reason behind the festival is the same - to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. Food at a Canadian Thanksgiving meal may also appear similar to the American holiday with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, and cranberry sauce.

Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday in the USA only in 2021, however, it has been celebrated by African-Americans since the mid-19th century. Though Abraham Lincoln had passed the Emancipation Proclamation which officially ended slavery in 1863, it took over two years till order was announced in all of the country. On 19 June 1865, General Gordon proclaimed the announcement in Texas. Since then Juneteenth has been celebrated within the African-American community as a day of historical and cultural significance. Ways for other communities to join in the celebrations in a meaningful way without culturally appropriating it include reading works of notable African-American authors, and supporting Black owned businesses.

Día de Muertos is Spanish for 'Day of the Dead'. This festival originated in Mexico though it aligns with the Roman Catholic observances of All Saints' Day (1 November) and All Souls' Day (2 November), which are commemorated across the world by adherents of the faith.

In Mexico, the Día de Muertos has a more festive and joyful tradition, unlike other parts of the world where are these days are observed with more solemnity. Home altars are built with offerings of food and drink, especially those favoured by the departed family members being remembered.

Día del Mar (Day of the Sea) is a unique festival. It is celebrated on the 23rd of March and marks the loss of Bolivia's coastal region to Chile resulting in the former becoming landlocked. Bolivia and Chile were engaged in the War of the Pacific from 1879 to 1883. Bolivia lost the war and consequently lost its Litoral Department to Chile.

This was Bolivia's only territory that bordered the coast. Bolivia observes Día del Mar to reiterate its claims for access to the Pacific Ocean.

The Day of Reconciliation is observed on the 16th of December in South Africa. This public holiday was created in 1995 after the country emerged from decades of hostility and oppression brought on by the apartheid policy. As this day was established especially to foster healing between two groups of people, the date was chosen such that it was important to both. Since 1838, Afrikaners, descendants of mainly Dutch settlers, had celebrated 16 December as Day of the Vow, commemorating victory over the Zulus at the Battle of Blood River. On the other hand, the date is also significant for black African cultural groups of South Africa as it marked not only peaceful protests against the racial injustice, but also the date of the establishment of Umkhonto we Sizwe, a paramilitary wing of the African National Congress that was founded on 16 December 1961.