Check Out The 2014 Calendar's Key Events, Holidays, Fun Facts & More
So 2013 is finally drawing to a close. Now that 2014 is upon
us, it's worth taking a few minutes to check out the 2014 calendar and
get acquainted with this year's holidays, key dates and more.
People around the world are ringing in New Year's Day with a wide
range of celebrations, from launching off fireworks to drinking
champagne and even just laying on the couch
watching the ball drop
in New York's Times Square on TV. New Year's Day 2014 comes next, a day
of hangovers, resolutions and reflection on the triumphs and trials of
2013.
But the first day of January is also a perfect time to look forward
to the new year, and to start mapping out our obligations, holidays,
special events and other plans. So here's a list of helpful information,
quirky facts and other things you may want to know about the new
calendar as January 2014 gets under way, all followed by a listing of
when major holidays will fall this year.
Though the new year of the Chinese zodiac will not begin until the
Lunar New Year on the last day of January, it's worth noting that 2014
is
the Year of the Horse,
which is recognized to be the Chinese people's ethos – making
unremitting efforts to improve themselves. It is "energetic, bright,
warm-hearted, intelligent and able,"
according to TravelChinaGuide.com. So say goodbye to
the Year of the Snake.
Over the course of the year, there will also be a number of major
elections including to the United Nations Security Council, U.S.
Congress and governorships and European Parliament, as well as votes in
Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Tonga, South
Africa, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Macau, Belgium, Hungary,
Lithuania, Romania, Sweden, Onatrio, and a number of other places across
the world.
Speaking of politics, members of
the U.S. House of Representatives can breathe a sigh of relief, as
they will work only
113 days in 2014, down from the already-low 126 days they were
scheduled to toil on Capitol Hill in 2013. They get $174,000 for their
abbreviated efforts, in case you were wondering. Paid for by the
American taxpayer.
And at midnight on Jan. 1, New York City
will officially inaugurate
its new mayor, Bill de Blasio, in a private ceremony at his home in
Brooklyn. He will be the first New York mayor not named Michael
Bloomberg in 12 years.
This year Sochi, Russia, will host
the Winter Olympics,
which begin on Feb. 7. Be sure to catch the excitement, as 12 new
winter sports events, including snowboard slopestyle and women's ski
jumping,
will debut this year.
In sports,
the Super Bowl will be Feb. 2 in 2014,
the Kentucky Derby is May 3,
the UEFA Champions League Final is May 24 and
the French Open begins May 26.
Here's a full list of important sporting events taking place in 2014.
The 2014 Oscars will take place on March 2, and the Festival de Cannes (
Cannes Film Festival) will take place between May 14 and 25 in 2014, to name a couple of important events in entertainment.
The list could go on nearly forever, as 2014 is bound to be a year of
many breakthroughs and exciting events. But in the interest of brevity,
we'll leave you with a breakdown of the dates on which many major
American holidays will take place in 2014. There are also many other
lesser-known holidays from Science Fiction Day (Jan. 2) to Visit the Zoo
Day (Dec. 27), which
you can learn about here.
Jan. 1: New Year's Day
Jan. 20: Martin Luther King Day
Feb. 14: Valentine's Day
Feb. 17: Presidents' Day
April 18: Good Friday
April 20: Easter Sunday
May 11: Mother's Day
May 26: Memorial Day
June 15: Father's Day
July 4: Independence Day
Sept. 1: Labor Day
Oct. 13: Columbus Day
Oct. 31: Halloween
Nov. 11: Veterans Day
Nov. 27: Thanksgiving Day
Dec. 25: Christmas
Dec. 31: New Year's Eve
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