Celebration Of Life Month on January, 2025: How did Black History Month originate?

January, 2025 is Celebration Of Life Month 2025. Celebration Of Life Month‎ Search for Celebration Of Life Month. Look Up Fast Results now!

The rest of the several weeks celebrate an element of existence that one remembers existence itself. It’s a biggie.Why possess a special month? Because, among all of the commotion in our everyday existence, there's an unfortunate inclination to forget we’re alive. Within the failing to remember, we risk permitting existence to pass through us by without ever really realizing – that is a pity if we glance around we'll find much to celebrate.So let Celebration Of Life Month be the beginning of a determined effort to take full advantage of exactly what you come accross, whether it’s savouring a hug from a family member, or basically appreciating the play of sunshine in puddles at work vehicle-park. As Dryden stated:“Happy the guy, and happy he alone, He who are able to call now their own: He who, secure within, know, Tomorrow do thy worst, for I've resided today.”

Black History Month was established in 1976 by Afro-Americans for the Study of Afro-American Life and History.[1] The month-long celebration was an expansion of Negro History Week, which was established in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, director of what was then known as the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. Woodson selected the week in February that embraced the birthdays of both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. The celebration may have had its origins in the separate efforts of Mary Church Terrell, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and the African American collegiate fraternity Omega Psi Phi. The former had begun the practice of honoring Frederick Douglass on February 14, the date he used to mark his birth. The Omegas established a "Negro Achievement Week" in 1924. Woodson was friends with Mary Church Terrell and worked with her and the National Council of Colored Women to preserve Douglass' home and personal papers. Woodson was also a member of Omega Psi Phi. While Terrell's celebration of Douglass was a local event and the Omega Achievement Week was part of their community outreach, Woodson broadened the scope of the celebration in three significant ways. First, he conceived of the event as a national celebration, sending out a circular to groups across the United States. Secondly, he sought to appeal to both whites and blacks and to improve race relations. For this reason, he chose President Lincoln's birthday as well as Douglass'. Finally, Woodson viewed Negro History Week as an extension of ASNLH's effort to demonstrate to the world that Africans and peoples of African descent had contributed to the advance of history. Each year, ASNLH would select a national theme and provide scholarly and popular materials to focus the nation's "study" of Negro history. As such, Negro History Week was conceived as a means of undermining the foundation of the idea of black inferiority through popular information grounded in scholarship. The theme, chosen by the founders of Black History Month, for 2007 is "From Slavery to Freedom, Africans in the Americas."

The Negro History Week Movement took hold immediately. At first it was celebrated almost exclusively by African Americans, taking place outside of the view of the wider society. Increasingly, however, mayors and governors, especially in the North, began endorsing Negro History Week and promoting interracial harmony. By the time of Woodson's death in 1950, Negro History Week had become a well-established cultural institution. Indeed, it was so established that Woodson had begun to criticize groups for shallow and often inaccurate presentations that did not advance the public's knowledge of Negro life and history.

With the rise of the Black Power Movement in the 1960s, many in the African American community began to complain about the insufficiency of a week-long celebration. In 1976, the ASNLH, having changed its name to The Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History, responded to the popular call, citing the 50th annual celebration and America's bicentennial. For more on the association visit ASALH.org.

What is the actual Document that declared February Black History Month?

Big_Lock2: I sense from your question some doubt about the legitimacy of a "Black History Month." Without debating its bona fides, I have provided below the answer to your question with links to the "actual [d]ocument[s]" that "exist for this 'celebration.'"

__For a general history of the development of Black History Month, please see:

__More specifically, in 1975, President Ford issued the first official Message on the Observance of then Black History Week, urging all Americans to "recognize the important contribution made to our nation's life and culture by black citizens."

For the document, please see:

__In 1976, President Ford issued the first Message on the Observance of Black History Month that year.

For the document, please see:

__In subsequent years, Presidents Reagan and Carter continued to issue annual Messages honoring African American History Month.

__In 1986 Congress passed Public Law 99-244 which designated February 1986 as "National Black (Afro-American) History Month.” This law noted that February 1, 1986 would “mark the beginning of the sixtieth annual public and private salute to Black History.” The law further called upon the President to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe February 1986 as Black History Month with the appropriate ceremonies and activities.

For the text of Public Law 99-244, please see:

__In February, 1986, President Reagan issued Presidential Proclamation 5443 which proclaimed that “the foremost purpose of Black History Month is to make all Americans aware of this struggle for freedom and equal opportunity.” This proclamation stated further that this month was a time “to celebrate the many achievements of African Americans in every field from science and the arts to politics and religion."

For the document, please see:

__In January 1996, President Clinton issued Presidential Proclamation 6863 for “National African American History Month." The proclamation emphasized the theme for that year, the achievements of black women from Sojourner Truth to Mary McLeod Bethune and Toni Morrison.

For the document, please see:

__In February 1996, the Senate passed Senate Resolution 229 commemorating Black History Month and the contributions of African American U.S. Senators.

For the document, please see:

__Since 1996, the Presidents have issued annual proclamations for "National African American History Month." For example, in 2008 President George Bush issued Presidential Proclamation 8218. The theme for 2008 honored Carter G. Woodson who established the first N_gro History Week and whose organization, the Association for the Study of N_gro Life and History (ASALH) is responsible for setting the theme for "National African American History Month each year."

For the document, please see:

__Yahoo! Answers does not permit me to provide links sufficient to cover all relevant Presidential Proclamations from 1996 through 2008; however, you will find them listed with links at the following web site:

__President Obama's 2009 Proclamation may be read at the following web site:

For additional information and links, please see:

The Jewish New Year Celebrations?

Rosh HaShanah (ראש השנה) is the Jewish New Year. It falls during the month of Tishrei and occurs ten days before Yom Kippur. Together, Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are known as the Days of Awe or the High Holy Days.

Rosh HaShanah literally means “Head of the Year” the month of Tishrei is believed to be the month in which God created the world. Hence, another way to think about Rosh HaShanah is as the birthday of the world.

Rosh HaShanah is observed on the first two days of Tishrei. Jewish tradition teaches that during the High Holy Days God decides who will live and who will die during the coming year. As a result, during Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur Jews embark upon the serious task of examining their lives and repenting for any wrongs they have committed during the previous year. This process of repentance is called teshuvah. Jews are encouraged to make amends with anyone they have wronged and to make plans for improving during the coming year. In this way, Rosh HaShanah is all about making peace in the community and striving to be a better person.

Even though the theme of Rosh HaShanah is life and death, it is a holiday filled with hope for the New Year. Jews believe that God is compassionate and just, and that God will accept their prayers for forgiveness.

The Rosh HaShanah prayer service is one of the longest of the year. Only the Yom Kippur service is longer. Rosh HaShanah service usually runs from early morning until the afternoon and is so unique that it has its own prayer book called the Makhzor. Two of the most well known prayers from Rosh HaShanah liturgy are:

Unetaneh Tohkef – This prayer is about life and death. Part of it reads: "On Rosh HaShanah it is written, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed, how many will leave this world and how many will be born into it, who will live and who will die... But penitence, prayer and good deeds can annul the severity of the decree."

Avienu Malkeinu – Another famous prayer is Avienu Malkeinu, which means “Our Father Our King” in Hebrew. Usually the entire congregation will sing the last verse of this prayer in unison, which says: "Our Father, our King, answer us as though we have no deed to plead our cause, save us with mercy and loving-kindness."

On Rosh HaShanah it is customary to greet people with "L'Shanah Tovah," which is Hebrew that is usually translated as "For a Good Year" or "May you have a good year." Some people also say "L'shana tovah tikatev v'etahetem," which means "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year." (If said to a woman the greeting would be: "L'shanah tovah tikatevi v'tahetemi").

The shofar is made of a ram's horn and is blown one hundred times during each of the two days of Rosh HaShanah. The sound of the shofar blast reminds people of the importance of reflection during this important holiday.

Tashlich is a ceremony that usually takes place during the first day of Rosh HaShanah. "Tashlich" literally means "casting off" and involves symbolically casting off the sins of the previous year by tossing pieces of bread or another food into a body of flowing water. Other significant symbols of Rosh HaShanah include apples, honey and round loaves of challah. Apple slices dipped in honey represent our hope for a sweet new year and are traditionally accompanied by a short prayer before eating that goes: "May it by Thy will, O Lord, Our God, to grant us a year that is good and sweet." Challah, which is usually baked into braids, is shaped into round loaves of bread on Rosh HaShanah. The circular shape symbolizes the continuation of life.

On the second night of Rosh HaShanah it is customary to eat a fruit that is new to us for the season, saying the shehechiyanu blessing as we eat it to thank God for bringing us to this season. Pomegranates are a popular choice because Israel is often praised for its pomegranates and because, according to legend, pomegranates contain 613 seeds – one for each of the 613 mitzvot. Another reason for eating pomegranates on Rosh HaShanah has to do with the symbolic hope that our good deeds in the coming year will be as many as the seeds of the fruit.

Sunset September 16, 2012 - nightfall September 18, 2012