Moroccans celebrate the Anniversary of the Recovery of Oued Ed-Dahab every year on August 14 to commemorate the day this territory returned to Morocco. Western Sahara was occupied by Spain from 1884 to 1976. Morocco’s attempt to reclaim the territory caused a war that lasted nearly 16 years. After many years of struggling to reclaim the land that was once there, Morocco was able to claim a large portion of Western Sahara. This national holiday celebrates this achievement. It’s a very important day in Moroccan history as it was the last step in claiming independence after Spanish colonization.
Glorious Twelfth
Glorious Twelfth is a holiday that is celebrated every year on August 12. The day marks the beginning of the shooting season for red grouse and It is considered to be one of the busiest days in the shooting season. On this day, there is usually a large amount of game hunted and shot. The red grouse bird is usually farmed for shooting which results in their unnaturally high population. They are also susceptible to disease outbreaks which causes a fluctuation in their number yearly. Whenever the twelfth day of August falls on a Sunday, the holiday is postponed to August 13 because the English law forbids game bird shooting on Sundays. Different animals have different starts to their open seasons. Most open seasons begin on September 1. The woodcock and pheasant have their open season starting on October 1.
Spirit Festival
Ghost Festival or Hungry Ghost Festival is celebrated every year in China, usually in August. This year, it falls on September 6. It is a special Chinese tradition where they honor their ancestors. The popular folk religion called Taoism includes days regarding dead people and their ghosts. These ghosts can be thousands of years old. It is believed that the spirits visit in the seventh month of the lunar calendar. For this occurrence, people usually need to take special precautions and perform certain ceremonies. The festival is observed by many people around the country. It is a tradition that is still observed today.