Not Your Typical Holiday Planning Quiz

No no, it's not just a Shakespeare play. Twelfth Night refers to the last night of the 'Twelve Days of Christmas', which lead out from Christmas Day towards the Epiphany, the night on which the Three Wise Men gave their gifts to Jesus Christ in the manger. The day upon which this event falls is reliant on the religion as some start counting these days from Christmas and some start the day after; it means that the Twelfth Night will either (typically) be January 5 or January 6.

Generally not pushed as an international day-off, Epiphany Eve has, traditionally, been a day on which to feast. Outside of nations aligned with Christian traditions, it's not really traditionally observed.

Created in North America, Groundhog Day always falls on February 2nd (sometimes over and over again ad infinitum). The tradition started in Pennsylvania and the day involves the use of a groundhog, fortunately, which is meant to leave its hibernation and emerge out into the wild. If the groundhog emerges to see its shadow, it'll be scared into returning into hibernation, and this is implies that winter will persist for another six weeks. If it doesn't see its shadow, winter will only last another two weeks.

It's an imperfect science, obviously, but the tradition has held for decades. It's such an imperfect science that, if you were to look back at the records, you'd find that (historically), the groundhog has only been right around 4 in every 10 years. That's worse than a coin flip.

Pi Day always falls on March 14th because the first digits of the mathematical constant of pi work out to 3.14, the same digits as that date. While not necessarily celebrated with parades or time off work, and not with as much certainty in nations that flip their dates to read month-day-year, Pi Day has been regarded as a semi-official date of note in the United States (through legislature!) since the late 2000s. Some people even make pies for it.

Oh yeah, and it's not to be confused with National Pie Day in the U.S., which has been on January 23 since the 1970s.

Created as an international day of note in 1970, Earth Day was established for the sake of environmental awareness, calling attention to the necessity of treating the planet with respect towards conservation and general health. Causes that have emerged as talking points over the decades have included pollution, endangered species, climate change, and the overabundance of plastics.

Although the day was originally proposed by the United Nations to start in March of 1969, the annual date ultimately fell on April 22. It's celebrated worldwide.

Not an official holiday by any means, Star Wars Day has grown in popularity over the years almost entirely through word of mouth (though corporations like LucasFilm and Disney have pushed it pretty hard, considering) due to fans' enjoyment of the "Star Wars" IP. Always celebrated on May 4th, it was selected to be on this day due to the phrase "may the Force be with you", which sounds close enough to "May the Fourth be with you."

Over time, in addition to being a celebration of "Star Wars" and nerd fandom in general, it's also been used as a key release date for "Star Wars" content and merchandise.

National Day of Sweden falls annually on June 6 and is effectively Swedish Independence Day, having been established to celebrate the coronation of King Gustav Vasa, ending the Kalmar Union back in the early 16th century, and also the creation of the Swedish constitution, which occurred on the same day in 1809.

The day has also been historically tied to Swedish Flag Day, the precursor to National Day of Sweden, which was held in 1916. It was renamed in the 1980s by Swedish parliament, and then pushed into being a national public holiday in 2005.

France's national day, referred to as Bastille Day, commemorates the famous Storming of the Bastille, which occurred during the French Revolution back in 1789. Celebrated since the late 18th century, the day has generally seen parties and parades in the middle of Paris; the modern version of this is a military parade down the Champs-Élysées.

Bastille Day falls on July 14 on an annual basis, and interestingly, it's a national day that sees celebrations all over the world, especially in former French colonies and dependencies who've upheld long-standing traditions, even if it's not necessarily a day off.

All of these nations have different Independence Days, but all of them fall in August. India gained its independence from the UK on August 15, 1947; South Korea (and North) was liberated from the Empire of Japan on the same day in 1945; Singapore held its National Day for the first time on August 9, 1965.

The month is a busy one for national days. It's also the month of independence for Switzerland (August 1), Bolivia (August 6), Ukraine (August 24), and Malaysia (August 31), amongst others.

Created by the United Nations in 1981, World Peace Day, or the International Day of Peace, lands on September 21, acting as an opportunity to reflect on humanitarian efforts towards the establishment of peace. On a annual basis, a theme is selected to highlight ongoing struggles of note, turning a spotlight to approaches that need to be taken to encourage sustainable efforts.

In the past, these have turned attention to climate action, racism, culture, and general immediacy, especially in the face of international crises.

Though primarily a North American holiday due to its association with the harvest in the 'New World', Thanksgiving comes in many forms, sometimes with religious roots, in other parts of the globe. The confusing part of it, though, comes from the disparity seen between Canada and the U.S., where the date falls quite differently depending on where you are.

In Canada, Thanksgiving always falls on the second Monday in October in line with European harvest schedules. In the U.S., however, it's formally the fourth Thursday in November. In the modern day, American Thanksgiving also marks the start of holiday shopping season, often acting as the day before 'Black Friday' sales (and, subsequently, Cyber Monday for online sales). Something to be thankful for, I guess.

Celebrated in Mexican culture, Dia de los Muertos, or the 'Day of the Dead', is held immediately following Halloween, placing it on November 1st and through to the 2nd. The roots of this one are tied to both Aztec customs and those brought over to Mexico by Spanish Christian settlers, accounting for the event's celebration on what would commonly have been regarded as Allhallowtide (All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day).

On this day, those who observe give offerings to their deceased family members and friends, erecting altars, enjoying feasts, and remembering those who have passed. The event is often seen with skulls (calaveras) and flowers in its imagery, creating a vibrant backdrop for an otherwise moribund topic. It is, after all, a celebration.

Originating in the UK but spreading around the world (mostly through colonization), Boxing Day was devised as a day of offering; the boxes themselves are gifts given to those in need. The name stuck in the 18th century though the event, which commonly fell on St. Stephen's Day, was observed unofficially for centuries before, operating with a religious connotation (in the form of donating alms).

In the modern era, it's the day after Christmas and generally seen as a bank holiday or a statutory holiday in many countries, even though that won't necessarily stop the retail sector from treating it as a clearance sale day or a day of gift returns.