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19 Jan (Mon)	Martin Luther King Day	A public holiday in the USA, this day commemorates the birth of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, around the time of King's birthday, January 15th. It is the only United States federal holiday commemorating an African-American and one of only four to commemorate an individual person.
27 Jan (Tue)	Holocaust Memorial Day	A national event in the United Kingdom dedicated to the remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust. Held every year on 27th January, the date of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp in 1945. The day is dedicated to the memory of all those — not just Jews — who suffered at the hands of the Nazis. Many choose to extend the meaning of the day to include all those in recent history who have faced genocide and persecution on the grounds of race, religion, etc.
1 Feb (Sun)	Imbolc (Pagan)	One of the four principal festivals of the Celtic calendar, celebrated either at the beginning of February or at the first signs of Spring. Originally dedicated to the goddess Brighid, in the Christian period it was adopted as St. Brigid's Day. The festival celebrates the awakening of the land and the growing power of the sun. Fire and purification are considered by many to be an important aspect of this festival, the lighting of candles and fires being symbolic of the return of warmth associated with the approach of spring.
14 Feb (Sat)	St. Valentine's Day	The traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other, sending Valentine's cards and gifts, often anonymously. The holiday is named after two men, both Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the Middle Ages, later being marked with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of "valentines". Since the 19th century, however, hand-written notes have been superseded by mass-produced greeting cards, leading some to disparagingly call Valentine's Day a "Hallmark holiday".
24 Feb (Tue)	Mardi Gras	The day before Ash Wednesday, being equivalent to Shrove Tuesday. Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday" and is the final day of Carnival before the privations of Lent.
1 Mar (Sun)	St. David's Day	The feast day of Saint David, patron saint of Wales. The date was declared a national day of celebration within Wales in the 18th century and ever since has been a celebration of Welshness throughout the UK and beyond.
17 Mar (Tue)	St. Patrick's Day	The feast day of Saint Patrick, patron saint of Ireland. The day is a national holiday in the Republic of Ireland, but is also celebrated by Irish people worldwide.
21 Mar (Sat)	Ostara (Spring Equinox) (Pagan)	Pagan festival celebrating the Spring Equinox, when the hours of night and day become equal, the power of the Sun grows and the land begins to bloom. Traditionally, Pagans celebrate this event with music and dance, with the youthful god (the Green Man) said to lead the way with his hunting call. Others dedicate this time to Eostre, Anglo-Saxon goddess of fertility.
22 Mar (Sun)	Mothering Sunday	Also known as Simnel Sunday, Mothering Sunday is derived from the Christian festival of Mid-Lent Sunday. However, it is now more commonly known as Mother's Day, having lost most of its associations with its Christian origins. Traditionally, on this Sunday Christians would visit their "mother church" and take gifts to their mothers, in particular simnel cake.
23 Apr (Thu)	St. George's Day	Feast day of St. George, patron saint of England, Georgia, Bulgaria, and Portugal. For England, St. George's Day also marks its National Day. Most countries who observe St. George's Day celebrate it on 23 April, the traditionally accepted date of Saint George's death in 303. Georgia, however, celebrates it on 23 November.
1 May (Fri)	Beltane (Pagan)	Also spelt Beltaine, this Pagan festival has its origins in an ancient Gaelic festival. This festival marked the beginning of the pastoral summer season when the herds of livestock were driven out to the summer pastures and mountain grazing lands. The lighting of bonfires on mountains and hills of ritual and political significance was one of the main activities of the festival.
21 Jun (Sun)	Midsummer Solstice/ Midsummer’s Day (Pagan)	The date at which the Sun reaches its most northerly distance from the equator. The festival of Midsummer, sometimes called Litha, is important in Pagan culture.
4 Jul (Sat)	Independence Day (US)	Commonly known as "the Fourth of July", or simply "the Fourth", this day is a federal holiday in the USA. It celebrates America's declaration of independence from Great Britain on 4th July 1776. The day is commonly celebrated with parades, barbecues and picnics, baseball games, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Fireworks have been associated with the Fourth of July since 1777.
14 Jul (Tue)	Bastille Day (France)	French national holiday, celebrated annually on 14th July. In France, it is called Fête Nationale ("National Holiday") or Quatorze Juillet ("14th of July"). It commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération, held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789 — the Fête de la Fédération was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern French "nation" following the French Revolution.
1 Aug (Sat)	Lughnasadh (Pagan)	Pagan harvest festival, during which Pagans give thanks for the bounty of the Goddess as Queen of the Land. Lughnasadh is celebrated either on 1st August, at the time of the ripening of the local berry crop, or on the full moon nearest the midpoint between the summer solstice and autumnal equinox. The festival is generally marked by the lighting of bonfires, music and dancing.