How Youth Day is celebrated around the world
South Africa is not alone in cherishing the contribution made by its young people.
WHILE International Youth Day, officially recognised by the United Nations, is observed on August 12, several countries around the world have their own special days at various times of the year.
Some of these, like South Africa’s Youth Day (June 16), commemorate events that are specifically associated with young people.
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The Republic of China (Taiwan) has celebrated Youth Day on March 29 since 1954. It commemorates the Huanghuagang Uprising of 1911, during which 72 young revolutionaries sacrificed their lives to overthrow the Qing Dynasty.
Youth Day in India is celebrated on January 12, on the birthday of Swami Vivekananda. In 1984, the government of India declared this day as National Youth Day because:‘It was felt that his philosophy and the ideals for which he lived and worked could be a great source of inspiration for the Indian Youth.’
In Venezuela, Youth Day is celebrated on February 12. The holiday was created to commemorate all the teenagers who fought and died in the Battle of La Victoria, during the Venezuelan War of Independence, on February 12, 1814.
Other reasons offered for celebrating youth are somewhat spurious.
Youth Day is a public holiday in Morocco on August 21, the birthday of the monarch. Youth and Sports Day on May 19 in Turkey is also Atatürk Day, a day of commemoration of the beginning of the national liberation movement initiated by Kemal Atatürk in 1919 and the beginning of the Turkish War of Independence.
Youth Day was celebrated throughout the former Yugoslavia on May 25, supposedly Josip Broz Tito’s birthday, but they got the date wrong – he was, in fact, born on May 7, 1892. Meanwhile, Thailand celebrates Youth Day
The Roman Catholic Church has its own Youth Day, initiated by Pope John Paul II in 1985. For the first celebration of WYD in 1986, bishops all over the world were invited to schedule an annual youth event to be held every Palm Sunday in their dioceses. It is celebrated at the diocesan level annually, and at the international level every two to three years at different locations. The 1995 World Youth Day closing Mass in the Philippines set a world record for the largest number of people gathered for a single religious event (with 5-million attendees) – a record not surpassed until 6-million attended a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in the Philippines 20 years later, in 2015.
So South Africa is not alone in cherishing the contribution made by its young people.
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