Departments: Resources
Why Do You Teach? Let’s Count the Reasons

Did a student talk back to you today? Did an irate mother request yet another parent conference? Take heart.

Why I Teach:
Inspirational True Stories From Teachers Who Make a Difference
By Esther Wright
Prima Publishing, $12.95, 193 pp.

Click here to order Why I Teach from Amazon.com.

If you need a daily lift or a moment’s pause to remember why you even entered this profession, choose a chapter, any chapter, from this book.

What is so surprising in this small volume of 38 essays is that so many poignant themes emerge that are supported by delightful anecdotes from teacher experiences.

For instance, a Kansas teacher compares the nine months of each school year to giving birth to a new class of graduates.

Some contributors recall teachers who inspired them to become teachers. Others point to special students who motivated them to remain in the profession—students afflicted with disease, drug addiction, or poverty, but who have taught them and fellow students what it is to be kind, courageous, and generous.

Some contributors write of immigrant kids who beat the odds and graduate to success. There’s even a grateful essay from a husband who appreciates his wife’s profession because his mind stays active as they discover, together, teaching materials from throwaway and discontinued store stock.

From these essays, we realize that, like us, our colleagues teach because they love learning. They spend their own money on supplies. They get more from their students than they give. They cope daily with the inequities in education. They need support to be effective; and they agree that real learning doesn’t always occur in the classroom.

Policy makers and education “experts” should be required to read this book to learn that teaching is an empty vocation without love and compassion—and that the caring side of the profession can’t be assessed by the state or national standards they’re demanding.

And community leaders and politicians should be required to read this book to realize how important their support is to help students who lag academically, those students who are poor, abused, and forgotten.

Ask people what they remember from school and chances are that their memories will be of some special teacher, a person who saw their talent and realized their worth, taught them to think creatively, demanded they give more than they thought possible, inspired them, and cared about their future.

Someone like the teacher described in this book who, with his class, buried a dead pigeon on the playground to help his students realize that death is inextricably linked with life.

Why I Teach celebrates the teaching profession by validating our work, especially on a personal level. Our students are indeed our future. Just ask a woman who was administered life-saving radiation by a former student.

“How do you stand it?”That’s what people ask us about our profession. Maybe one day, they’ll understand why we teach.

In the meantime, this book is a welcome reminder of why we teach. It’s a calling, not just a job, and it’s really who we are.

—Kathy Megyeri
High school English teacher
Sandy Springs, Maryland

Excerpt:
"Education is not just what we learn in school. We have the opportunity to grow and become better communicators, partners, parents, teachers, students, and workers in everything we do. Self-education is a lifelong task. There are always more faces to find along the trail. And there will always be new trails to walk."

—Tim Merriman
Fort Collins, Colorado

"Teaching is one way to make a difference, to touch one or many in a man-ner that will make the world a better place. In doing so, I reap as much if not more, than I have sown. I can't think of a better way to spend a life."

—Dick Deis
Corvallis, Oregon

Books by NEA Members

What’s the Recipe for Friends?
Greg Williamson, illustrated by Greg Abele Join Freddy as he embarks on his first day at a new school and unfolds his mother’s recipe for friends. When Freddy befriends his neighbor and classmate, Billy, he learns that the basic ingredients—politeness, kindness, and sharing—can never be forgotten when trying to make friends.24 pp. $7.99 plus $2 s&h to Peerless Publishing, P.O. Box 20466 Ferndale, MI 48220, 248/542-1930, fax 248/542-3895.

The Cafés of Paris: A Guide
Christine Graf The Cafés of Paris will help tourists discover the people, places, and charms of Paris. Graf lists cafés by location, price, and proximity to famous attractions, which makes for easy reading. The book also features short reviews and episodes about notable visitors to the city’s cafés, with descriptions of characters from Ernest Hemingway to Henry James. 192 pp. $14.95 plus $4 s&h to Interlink Publishing Group, Inc. 46 Crosby St., Northampton, MA 01060,800/238-5465, fax 413/582-6731.

Supporting Students With Learning Needs
Marcia Conti-D’Antonio, Robert Bertrando, Joanne Eisenberge This book—designed for educators working with diverse student populations—covers planning, scheduling, instruction, and assessment for teaching in block schedules. It covers information on teaching vs. coverage, offers advice on cooperative planning, and includes supportive references. 164 pp. $29.95 plus $5 s&h to Eye On Education, 6 Depot Way West, Larchmont, NY 10538 914/833-0551, fax 914/833-076.

Empowerment in the Classroom
Dr. Arlene Kaiser For ideas and strategies for the empowered classroom, turn to this book, which is developed from 20 years worth of experience. The author, a middle school teacher and the author of 11 Ways to Keep Your Enthusiasm for Teaching, offers recommendations for educators who want to be effective and successful with students. 82 pp. $10 for NEA members, plus $3 s&h to August Press, 3424 Spring Creek Lane, Milpitas, CA 95035, 408/ 946-4444.

Reading for Understanding
Ruth Schoenbach, Cynthia Greenleaf, Christine Cziko, Lori Hurwitz “Any teacher who puts a book in front of a student is a reading teacher,” write the authors. Their new book addresses the growing difficulty students have reading and understanding academic texts. Written for content teachers in secondary schools, the book offers value for all educators. Also featured are classroom lessons and exercises. 193 pp. $19.95 plus $5.50 s&h to Jossey-Bass Publishers, 350 Sansome St., San Francisco, CA 94104. 800/956-7739, fax 800/569-0443.

New from the NEA Professional Library

Implementing Standards-Based Education
Robert J. Marzano and John S. Kendall
NEA Professional Library. 90 pp., $7.95, #2072-3-00-WB

Have you been told which standards to address in your classes? Then you’ll want to know the four steps to follow to organize your content, plan which assessments to use, organize your grade book, and redesign your report card.

Where can you begin to help your students using standards? By thinking about external tests and performance tasks and portfolios.

This book describes two distinct approaches to using standards in the classroom—direct, in which a specific set of standards is mandated for each class or subject, and indirect, in which teachers have more flexibility in teaching and assessing standards in their classroom due to the nature of external tests.

For more information or to order, call 800/229-4200. To order on the Web, go to www.nea.org/books.

Excerpt
"One of the biggest mistakes a teacher can make is to ignore the standards movement. To do this is to put individual students at great risk in that they might not be adequately prepared to meet the challenges that standards-based education will certainly impose on them. In this book, we have attempted to describe the various approaches to standards-based education and the advantages and disadvantages of those approaches. Perhaps more important, we have attempted to explain how each approach can and should affect what happens in individual classrooms."

TV Tips

KIDSNET, a national resource for children's media in Washington, DC, provides the TV Tips listings. For more information on children's shows, check out the KIDSNET Web site.

The American President
PBS, Sunday-Thursday, April 9-13, 9-11 pm ET. Check local listings. This 10-part series tells the story of the American Presidency, examining how the office has changed with each man who has held it. Each one-hour episode profiles several Presidents under themes that range from expansion or abuse of presidential powers and military backgrounds to impact on international affairs. The series features interviews with President Clinton and all the living former presidents except Ronald Reagan. Check www.americanpresident.org for Presidential history resources, information on the 2000 election year, and the student-run OurVote magazine.

Fail Safe
CBS, Sunday, April 9, 9-11 p.m. ET. Broadcast live, this special movie presentation revisits the nuclear tensions of the Cold War as the U.S. President and Soviet premier struggle to divert an American pilot mistakenly ordered to bomb Moscow. Like the 1964 film, the program is based on the Cuban Missile Crisis-era novel by Eugene Burdick. KIDSNET has produced a combined print and online guide with activities, historical background, and interactive materials to help teachers use the film in social studies, history, government, language arts, and media literacy curricula. Visit www.KIDSNET.org for more information.

Walking With Dinosaurs
Discovery Channel, Sunday, April 16, 7-10 p.m. ET. Combining computer animation, animatronics, and wildlife film-making techniques, this three-hour documentary recreates the prehistoric ecosystem of the dinosaurs. Produced in consultation with a team of paleontologists, the program realistically depicts the sounds and day-to-day lives of species from air, land, and sea. A series of companion books is available in stores, and the Web site features images, activities, and background on dinosaur research.

Masterpiece Theatre: David Copperfield
PBS, Sunday, April 16-Monday, April 17, 9-11 p.m. ET, check local listings. This adaptation of Charles Dickens’s semi-autobiographical novel follows the coming-of-age of young David as he suffers the wrath of his stepfather, the abusive Mr. Murdstone, and battles the sniveling clerk Uriah Heep.

Global Warming
PBS, Tuesday, April 18, 2000, 9:00 p.m. ET, check local listings. Co-presented by the series “Frontline” and “Nova,” this documentary presents the basic science of the greenhouse effect and examines some of the more promising solutions. The program visits several locations where the global warming issue has become critical, including the Greenland ice cap, the growing industrial cities of China and India, and Washington, D.C., where legislators set environmental policy precedents that affect the world. Visit www.pbs.org/nova for transcripts and educational materials.

Jason and the Argonauts
NBC, Sunday, April 30-Monday, May 1, 9-11 p.m. ET. This miniseries from Hallmark Entertainment retells the Greek myth of Jason, a young hero who must find the Golden Fleece that will help him reclaim his father’s kingdom from the evil King Pelias. Sailing on the Argo, Jason and his team of adventurers face monsters, gods, and other dangerous obstacles during their quest. Visit www.nbc.com for more information.

Witness: Voices From the Holocaust
PBS, Monday, May 1, 2000, 10:00 p.m. ET, check local listings. This program combines eyewitness testimony, unique film footage, and personal photographs to explore the experience of the Holocaust from the perspective of individuals who survived the Nazi era. Weaving the stories of Jews, survivors, Hitler Youth, clergy, American POWs, resistance fighters, bystanders, and liberators, the narrative provides a rare and intimate portrait of the time, the place, and the people. Visit PBS online for a companion Web site with images, stories, and background information.

Between the Lions
PBS, Monday-Friday, 10:30-11 a.m. ET. This new series uses a combination of music, stories, animation, live-action, and puppetry to introduce kids to the joys of reading. The program features a family of lions who run a library where books come to life, making the reading process accessible and entertaining for young viewers. The companion Web site includes details about the series’ curriculum partners as well as children’s activities and educational support for teachers and parents.

The Rainbow Fish
HBO Family, Daily, 6:30-7 a.m. and 11:30 am-noon ET. Based on the children’s book series by Marcus Pfister, this new animated program for young viewers follows the adventures of Rainbow Fish and his undersea friends as they learn gentle life lessons about sharing, understanding differences, helping others, and friendship. Visit www.hbo.com for more information.

Disney’s The Weekenders
ABC, Saturdays, 8:30-9:00 a.m. ET. This new animated series focuses on the weekend adventures of four adolescent friends who look for new ways to have fun while negotiating the obstacles of adolescent growth. Unified in their friendship, the kids cover a wide range of personalities, from the brainy, inquisitive leader to the outspoken tomboy. Rated E/I, the series has been designed with the help of educators to provide pro-social messages and themes. Visit www.disney1.com for more information.

Announcements

NEA Member To Receive Nation’s Top Teaching Honor
The National Teacher of the Year Program continues as the nation’s oldest, most prestigious teaching honor. This year, one of four NEA member finalists will be selected as its 50th recipient. In April, the President of the United States will introduce the 2000 National Teacher of the Year to the American people. This year’s exemplary finalists, profiled below, represent the states of California, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Minnesota.

• A Veteran Music Man
  P. Brett Smith, Minnesota Teacher of the Year, could hardly sit still as a student. “I had very high energy that exploded when I felt trapped in the chair of my small desk,” recalls this 15-year educator, in his first year as third through fifth grade music teacher at O.H. Anderson Elementary in Mahtomedi. Smith was challenged by much more than just an excess of energy. Tests showed that he had several learning disabilities, including dyslexia. “These revelations really boosted my self-esteem and helped to shape my focus as a teacher,” says Smith. “I respond to my students’ desire to learn much more than I do to their test aptitude.” Smith, who has also taught at the middle school, high school, and collegiate levels, is currently the president-elect of the Minnesota Music Education Association.

• Giving Back to the Profession
  With 35 years of teaching experience, Dr. Marilyn Whirry, California Teacher of the Year, calls her life “a canvas with swirling brush strokes that depict the motifs of my experience.” These motifs include the presentation of more than 350 workshops to teachers, including 28 on reading and writing strategies in the summer of 1999 alone. Whirry’s teaching philosophy centers around seeking, embracing, and celebrating the act of learning. Mary-Anna Rae, a former student, says of Whirry: “In everything she does, she always makes it clear that she is listening, attending to the students’ deepest thinking.”

• Crossing Cultural Divides
  “I remember filling notebooks in the mornings, writing my wishes, thoughts, and plans for the future,” recalls Michigan Teacher of the Year Margaret Holtschlag. “These journals were filled with my dreams to be a teacher.” This “ultimate middle child,” who teaches at Murphy Elementary School in Haslett, says that in her family of 12 children, her parents nurtured independence and cooperation. These same qualities are fostered in Holtschlag’s fourth-grade classroom. Visitors will see students meeting in literature circles, sending daily weather observations to scientists at NASA, and previewing CNN Newsroom tape. Her students also benefit from her commitment to local and global education. Holtschlag serves as a founding member of Linking All Types of Teachers to Cross-Cultural Education.

• A Life Schooled in History
  Perhaps only in social studies would an educator’s hobby of antique collecting coincide so much with teaching. A colleague who has team-taught with Mitsuye Conover, Oklahoma Teacher of the Year and collector of World War I memorabilia, says: “She is utterly absorbed into the teaching of American history and her instruction is always characterized by a quiet but intense American patriotism.” Conover’s major influences in joining the “helping profession of teaching” are shaped by her experiences as a toddler in a Japanese internment camp and the impact of her first grade teacher, who developed a love of reading in a child with, at the time, virtually no proficiency in English. Conover is an eleventh-grade advanced placement American history teacher at Bartlesville High School.

NEA Honorees
NEA holds an annual awards ceremony to honor individuals, organizations, and affiliate Associations that have contributed to the human-and-civil-rights goals and aspirations. This year’s NEA Human and Civil Rights Awards Dinner, at which some 11 awards will be presented, will be held on July 2, 2000, at Chicago’s Hilton Hotel and Towers. Contact Doris Belton 202/822-7713.

Web Winners

Disney Learning Tools
Make learning fun with ideas for your classroom from Disney’s Imagineers. Edu-Station provides educators with information and projects in the arts, social science, math, language arts, and science. Catch up on the latest happenings with the educator events calendar or learn how to teach technology-style with a cyberlesson plan. This Web site also features everything from Web cards to music downloads.

Word Find Puzzles
Take the challenge: Put your word detective skills to the test with Web Word Find. This archive of printable word puzzles provides the player with vocabulary practice following different themes.

News in Schools
News happens at every hour of every day, and now you can bring what’s happening around the globe into the classroom. CNN Newsroom is a free multimedia instructional program that includes daily Features Desks such as Health and the Environment as well as in-depth news stories and coverage of world and regional events tailored exclusively for students. The online daily classroom guide includes lessons with thought-provoking questions and educational links to today’s top stories. The CNN Newsroom is cablecast on CNN from 4:30-5 a.m. ET weekdays, 12 months a year. Enrolled schools may record each day’s program and use at their convenience. Join the program by calling 1-800-344-6216 or fill out the on-line application. On the Web at www.turnerlearning.com/newsroom.

Help With Funding
Grant writing is made easy and fast with this Web site. With the click of a button at Schoolgrants.org, educators can locate federal and local grants and read tips on writing them. The site also lists other ways to raise cash with links to fundraising programs, scholarships, contests, and more.

Africa Online
Take a journey to the continent that houses 50 nations of people with this Web site created by students. Explore Africa’s many unique geographic features and wildlife without leaving the classroom. Beautiful pictures and well-organized links help students and educators with research projects. Test your trivia with quizzes for the novice and the advanced learner.

Is It Summer Vacation Yet?
Even though summer hasn’t arrived, you can take a well-deserved “virtual” trip on The American Experience, Way Back: U.S. History for Kids. Vivid photos and descriptive text take you to interesting places around the United States. Other themes featured in the site’s archives include Technology in 1900, Gold Rush, Flight, and Stand Up For Your Rights.

CPR Internet Guide
Learn how to help save lives with this Web site designed as a supplement to CPR training courses. Packed with information about CPR and what to do if someone is choking, everyone can learn important skills that will help in an emergency. Download the CPR video demonstration for a multimedia approach or have your questions answered in the “ask the doctor” section.

Going To See a Movie?
If you’re having trouble deciding what movie to see this weekend, don’t throw out your popcorn yet. Designed to give you movie suggestions based on your personal interests, Movielens is a modern way to choose from a variety of new releases and old classics. This “collaborative filtering research project” from the University of Minnesota also has options for you to rate movies for other site users and check out movie reviews.

Study Guides and Strategies
A student’s ability to master writing and studying often determines success in school. Study Guides and Strategies is an online manual that helps students learn how to learn. These tips and tricks can assist with test taking, studying, writing essays, participating in the classroom and more.

From Stone to Silicon: The History of Computers
Created by a team of students, this Web site makes learning about computers easy and fun. From the first human-made numerical calculator to the iMAC, Computer Chronicles from Stone to Silicon is divided into five main sections of computer history, ending with an important event in each stage. You can also read about people’s predictions for the future of computers and post your own.

The Forces Behind Fun
With the Amusement Park Physics Web site, students can learn about science while discussing a topic they can relate to. The site centers around five common amusement park rides and lets students explore the in’s and out’s of physics online. Experiment suggestions offer them a chance to design their own roller coaster or learn about weightlessness with a freefall water experiment. Many local amusement parks also offer Physics is Phun Days in March, April, and May, where students can perform physics experiments while riding rides.

Into The Unknown With Lewis and Clark
Explore Thomas Jefferson’s Corps of Discovery project as you travel with his secretary Meriwether Lewis and his friend William Clark on a four-year expedition into the unknown American West. Brought to you by PBS Online, you can hear modern-day testimony from experts on the monumental mission of the 1800s. Lesson plans are also available in social studies, math, science, and language arts.

Stay Informed
Want to check out the latest daily news centered on education issues? Washingtonpost.com recently launched a new addition to its Web site dedicated solely to education topics. In addition to continuously updated national news stories, the site features special reports, columnists, and guides for parents and much more.

Space View
See a new perspective on the world through the eyes of the shuttle Endeavor’s high-resolution 3-D images project. The site features the history of the project, world maps, and topography centering on the space mission.

Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini becomes “virtually” alive through the magic of the Web. This companion to the PBS program has a teacher’s guide, the magician’s biography, escape secrets, a timeline, and poster gallery.

World History
Which came first, Appanage Russia or Slavic Russia? Now you can find out quickly and easily on WebChron, which chronicles the world’s history. Spanning East and West, from religion to technology, this site makes referencing dates as easy as a click of a button.

Get Published
Do you like to write but are not sure how to get published? Visit Rosedog, which links writers with publishers and provides tips and tricks to future authors on how to get published.

Free or Inexpensive

Making After School Count
Every issue of this publication, produced by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, spotlights educational programs across the nation and features interviews from real students and volunteers. You can get the inside scoop on working programs from Head Start to Freedom School in Philadelphia, PA, as well as information on starting your own youth empowerment program. Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, 1200 Mott Foundation Building, Flint, MI 48502 800/645-1766.

Lolo & Red-Legs
When Lolo finds and captures a Mexican “red-leg” tarantula outside of his home in Southern California, his ordinary summer becomes one fun-filled adventure. After Red-Legs is discovered missing, Lolo and three friends team up to play detective and uncover the mysterious tracks of Red-Legs’ disappearance. $6.95 plus $4 s&h to Northland Publishing Company, P.O. Box 1389, Flagstaff, AZ 86002, 800/346-3257, fax 800/257-9082.

You Know You’re a Veteran Teacher When…
You’ll find a host of funny phrases in this book, created by four teachers from elementary, middle, and high schools. Every page comically commemorates the amazing job teachers do. $7.37 plus $1.50 s&h to Jeanine Turpie, 15309 West Via Montoya, Sun City West, AZ 85375.

Guide to the Best Children’s Videos
What are your children watching? This guide helps parents navigate the world of children’s video media. It lists only recommended videos categorized by viewer age and program subject matter. Includes evaluations of CD-ROMs and family films, but most importantly every program is kid-tested and adult-approved. $16, Pocket Books,800/223-2348.

Go Figure!
Looking for ideas to make math relevant? In Go Figure! Mathematics Through Sports measurement, geometry, statistics, and economics come together through a sports theme. This guidebook gives detailed instructions to teachers for lesson implementation and student assessment. From “warm-ups” to “game plans,” getting your students into mathematical shape will be fun, exciting and relevant. Go figure! For grades 6-12. $24.50 plus $6 s&h to Teacher Ideas Press, P.O. Box 6633, Englewood, CO 80155, 800/237-6124.

Young Scientists
Engage young children in the fun of science. Science Play! Beginning Discoveries for 2 to 6 year olds challenges children’s innate curiosity and helps parents turn play into opportunities for enrichment. Even the busiest parents will be able to enhance their child’s early years by helping them to build skills and self-confidence by using the five easy steps of the scientific method. $12.95 plus $3.20 s&h. From Williamson Publishing Co., P.O. Box 185, Charlotte, VT 05445. 800-234-8791. On the Web at www.williamsonbooks.com.

Detective Work
Arthur Conan Doyle: Beyond Baker Street. This is a book about the creator of Sherlock Holmes stories, though these were only a small part of Conan Doyle’s total work. $22 plus $5 s&h from Oxford University Press, 2001 Evans Rd., Cary, NC 27513, 800/451-7556, Fax 919/677-1303. On the Web at www.oup.com.

Ordinary Things
The Light Bulb and The Telephone, part of the Atheneum Young Readers Series. Well-illustrated and clearly written, these books focus on important inventions that are often taken for granted. A special foldout in each book shows in detail how the invention works. $17.95 plus $3 s&h from Atheneum Press, 100 Front St., Riverside, NJ 08075, 800/223-2348, Fax 800/943-9831. On the Web at www.SimonSaysKids.com.

Reading Perspectives
Perspectives on Shared Reading: Planning and Practice. A book by two teachers, mother and daughter, detailing strategies for implementing shared reading for kids from kindergarten through second grade. Among the topics that the authors address: developing teaching skills with texts and encouraging student-parent participation. $10 plus $4 s&h from Heinemann, Box 5007, West Port, CT 06881. 800/793-2154, Fax 203/222-1502. See www.heinemann.com.

Classroom Literature
Nikki Giovanni in the Classroom: “the same ol’ danger but a brand new pleasure” is the first volume in the National Council of Teachers of English’s new High School literature series. Along with literature teaching tips, the book includes various poems, essays, and interviews by Giovanni. $12.95 plus $2 s&h from National Council of Teachers of English, 1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096. 877-369-6283. On the Web at www.ncte.org/books/98/Jago52120.html.

Filling in the Blanks
The untold stories of Black cowboys and cowgirls in American history is what this small book, Black Cowboys, is all about. There are short articles about Black rodeos and the legacy of the Black cowboy. $4.95 plus $2 s&h, from Cobblestone Publishing, 30 Grove St., Suite C, Peterborough, NH 03458. 603/924-7209, Fax 603/924-7380. Available on the Web at www.cobblestonepub.com.

Diversity Calendar

October
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History Month
The month of October was selected to commemorate the anniversaries of the first two lesbian and gay marches on Washington in October 1979 and 1987. Among the special commemorations during October is National Coming Out Day on October 11, which marks the largest gathering to date of gays and lesbians supporting gay rights in Washington, D. C. in 1987.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month
The idea of recognizing the importance of employing disabled persons has existed since 1945. The monthly observance was established by presidential proclamation in 1998.

Diwali, October 26
Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, is one of the most important Hindu festivals of the year and marks the beginning of the Hindu new year. Long ago, this festival represented the commencement of the commercial year and was a time for the spirits of the dead to revisit the homes of the living.

November
National American Indian Heritage Month
National American Indian Heritage Month celebrates the history and contributions of Native Americans. Several national organizations have been formed over the years to address American Indian and Alaska Native issues. The National Indian Education Association, founded in 1969, is the largest and oldest Indian education organization in the country.

Ramadan, November 27
Ramadan, the ninth and holiest month of the Islamic year, traditionally begins with the sighting of the new moon. This time of spiritual and physical purification commemorates the revelation of the Quran to Muhammad on Lailat Ul-Qadr. Fasting during this month is one of the five fundamental religious duties of Islam. The fast ends when the new moon is again sighted.

December
World AIDS Day, December 1
World AIDS Day is a day designated by the United Nations and the World Health Organization to increase awareness and education about AIDS.

Emperor's Birthday, December 23
Emperor's Birthday is a Japanese national holiday that serves as a day of rest and an opportunity for people to be received by the Emperor in Tokyo.

Boxing Day, December 26
Boxing Day is observed throughout British-influenced countries. The original meaning may have come from a small box passed for donations on this day or from boxed gifts being passed to those people who render services to the public.