The Parish Magazine January 2024

34 The Parish Magazine - January 2024
AWARENESS
Are you aware of what you should be doing?
Hardly a day goes by now that
has not been claimed by someone
as a special 'awareness' day.
Many of them are for really good
causes, while some are simply
excuses to market and sell
products and services, Here is
a selection of some of the more
worthy awareness days, weeks
and month, and we have included
some of the more traditional
days when the Church celebrates
a Saint or remembers religious
events . . .
DRY JANUARY
Dry January is an annual health
campaign that encourages people to
abstain from alcohol for the entire
month of January.
Alcohol abuse affects a huge
number of families. According to
the NHS, 7.5 million people in the
UK have an alcohol problem.
Dry January is a voluntary
challenge that has gained
popularity worldwide as individuals
commit to starting the New
Year with a fresh, alcohol-free
perspective.
VEGANUARY WORKPLACE
CHALLENGE MONTH
This is a 31-day pledge that
encourages work forces to try being
vegan for the month of January.
Staff are challenged to eat a purely
plant-based diet for one month, but
there is no reason why you can’t join
in on your own at home!
OTHER JANUARY MONTHS
Here are some other January
Awareness months that you can
find out more about on the internet:
National Blood Donor Month,
Cervical Health Awareness Month,
Mental Wellness Month, and
Poverty Awareness Month.
WORLD BRAILLE DAY
THURSDAY 4 JANUARY
Created by the United Nations,
World Braille Day has been
celebrated since 2019. Its objective
is to raise awareness of the
importance of Braille as a means
of communication in the full
Thursday 4 January is World Braille Day
realization of the human rights for
blind and partially sighted people.
Thursday 4 January is the birthday of
Braille's inventor, Louis Braille. His
gift brightens the lives of millions
of people who are blind or visually
impaired, and they benefit from his
work every day.
THE EPIPHANY 6 JANUARY
A day celebrated by thousands of
Christians around the world, while
many churches will also celebrate it
in their regular Sunday services the
next day. (See page 19).
BREW MONDAY 15 January
On Brew Monday Samaritans remind
us to reach out for a cup of tea and
a catch-up with the people we care
about. The third Monday in January
is sometimes referred to as ‘the most
difficult day of the year’. Samaritans
say this is a myth and there is no
such thing as ‘Blue Monday’ – we all
have our good days and our bad days,
and those aren’t for the calendar
to decide. Their answer is to have a
conversation over a brew – and they
add that you can do this any day of
the week or the year!
ST FRANCIS DE SALES
24 JANUARY
St Francis de Sales, ‘the Gentleman
Saint’, is remembered in both Roman
Catholic and Church of England
churches on 24 January. He was born
Vkarafill, dreamstime.com
on 21 August 1567 and died in Lyon
on 28 December 1622, aged 55 years.
He is known as ‘the Gentleman
Saint’ because of his great patience
and gentleness.
He the patron of writers and
journalists because of his extensive
use of broadsheets and books in
spiritual direction and in his efforts
to convert the Calvinists of the
region. He also developed a sign
language to teach a deaf man about
God, hence is also the patron saint of
the deaf.
BIG GARDEN BIRD WATCH
26—28 JANUARY
This is the UK’s largest garden
wildlife survey. It was first held
in 1979, and every year, around
700,000 people take part. It is easy.
You simply watch the birds in your
garden or local park for one hour,
record and report what you see. Find
out more: https://www.rspb.org.uk/
whats-happening/big-garden-birdwatch
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY
27 JANUARY
Between 1941 and 1945, six million
Jewish men, women and children
were murdered by the Nazis and their
collaborators. Their attempt to murder
all the Jews in Europe shook the
foundations of civilisation. The day is
also used to remember the genocides
which followed in Cambodia, Rwanda,
Bosnia, and Darfur.