By Koa Davidson
Don’t Give Up the Ship Day – June 1st
Gawai Dayak – June 1
Global Day of Parents- June 1
Oscar the Grouch Day – June 1
National Simp Day – June 3
National Lincoln Loud Day – June 5
Ascension Day (Orthodox) – June 6
Savitri Amavasya – June 6
Daniel Boone Day – June 7
Shavuot – June 11
King Kamehameha Day – June 11
Child Labor Day – June 12
Father’s Day – June 13
Guru Rinpoche Day – June 13
Hari Raya Haji – June 13
Old Time Fiddlers Week – June 16-22
Eid-e-Ghorban – June 17
Juneteenth – June 19
Anti-Fascist Struggle Day – June 22
Pentecost (Orthodox) – June 23
Detroit Style Pizza Day – June 23
Eid-e-Ghadir – June 24
Holy Spirit Monday – June 24
PTSD Awareness Month – June 1–30
Pride Month – June 1-30
June is approaching, and with that summer break. While the end of the school year may seem like a holiday in it of itself, there are several real days of celebration which occur during this month.
Don’t Give Up the Ship Day is celebrated on June 1 and commemorates the bravery shown by Captain James Lawrence, the commander of the USS Chesapeake. In May of 1807, then captain Charles Gordon was authorized to assemble a crew for the ship to perform a cargo deployment operation to the Mediterranean as a part of the war against the Barbary States, two of the men Gordon acquired for his crew were deserters from the British Navy. Upon the British government hearing of the ship harboring deserters, they sent the HMS Leopard to fire upon the Chesapeake, which had little defense given that it was a cargo ship. Five years later, the repeated actions of this kind from the British government led to the start of the War of 1812. James Lawrence had been appointed captain of the Chesapeake, and out of vengeance for what happened previously to the ship, began a campaign where he successfully captured five British ships. Eventually, he was caught in a battle with the HMS Shannon, 72 lives were claimed in the battle including that of Lawrence himself. Despite this, Lawrence endured through his injuries and remained steadfast on not giving up the ship. Although the battle was lost, Lawrence’s martyrdom was commemorated by the US government by the creation of a day in his honor on June 1st.
Shavuot is celebrated on June 11 in the Jewish religion and commemorates the day in which HaShem gifted the Jewish people The Torah on Mount Sinai after a 7-week hike to reach its peak, coinciding with the beginning of the wheat harvest. It is common for Jews celebrating the holiday to decorate their homes with plants so to serve as a reminder of the beauty of HaShem’s natural creations. The celebration typically involves the consumption of a large feast. As a rule of thumb, it is common to consume dairy products for Shavuot as it represents HaShem’s promise to Moses that he would lead the Jewish people to a land of milk and honey. Foods traditionally found at a Shavuot feast include Cheesecake, Quiche, and Blintzes – a desert dish created by Russian Jews which consists of cream cheese wrapped in a crepe and topped with a berry jam. On Shavuot, it is common to read from the Book of Ruth because it details a woman’s conversion to Judaism, and with that, her acceptance of the Torah. Because Shavuot is dedicated to the gifting of the Torah, many Jewish converts find special significance in the holiday; it is common for people seeking to join the Jewish religion to either begin, or symbolically complete, their process of conversion on this day.
Eid-e-Ghorban is celebrated by Muslims on June 17 and lasts until June 21. In English the day is often referred to as the Feast of Sacrifice and commemorates the day when the Prophet Ibrahim (SWT), or Abraham as he is known as in the Western world, agreed to sacrifice all he had for Allah. In an event known in the Western world as the Binding of Isaac, Ibrahim (SWT) had experienced a recurring dream in which Allah commanded him to sacrifice his son, Ishmael (Isaac as he as referred to in Christianity and Judaism) One-night Ibrahim (SWT) awoke from his dream, determined to complete the deed. He told his son, Ishmael, that Allah had commanded his death, Ishmael had accepted this act as part of Allah’s will. For the loyalty displayed by both parties, Allah sent down a lamb to be sacrificed instead of Ishmael. It is common for many Muslims to choose this day to coincide for their completion of the Hajj (the holy pilgrimage to Mecca in Islam) since it represents the birth of man’s devotion to Allah. Along with this it is common for a communal feast to be held, typically a meat-heavy, one given the significance of lambs in the holiday.
Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19; the namesake of the holiday is a portmanteau of the day which it is held on. The day commemorates when General Gordon Granger rode into Texas on June 19th, 1865 to inform the citizens of the dissolution of the Confederacy and the abolition of slavery in the state. The enslaved population had no knowledge of the announced ending of slavery, therefore the announcement came as a total surprise, met with intense jubilation. The day remained a regional celebration for the black community of Texas for over a century, until 1980, when the holiday became officially recognized by the state of Texas. From then on, observance of Juneteenth spread throughout black America as a means of celebrating their people and culture as a whole, not just their liberation. In 2021, after repeated petitioning, Juneteenth became recognized as a national holiday. The day serves as a means of both remembering the past abuses which many African Americans have gone through, along with celebrating the people’s endurance and will to triumph over their oppression.
Holy Spirit Monday is celebrated on June 24 by many Orthodox Christians. The day commemorates when the Apostles received The Holy Spirit while celebrating the aforementioned Shavuot, 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus. Since Pentecost is celebrated in May by the Orthodox Church due to is still using the Julian Calendar, the event consistently falls in June. Many Christians view this as the birth of the Church, as it allowed the followers of Jesus to experience the Holy Spirit, in turn allowing humanity to be able connect with God. Because of this, it is common attend church.
