Religious and Secular Holidays celebrated in Agincourt, Iowa¹

JANUARY

01 — New Year’s Day (in the Gregorian Calendar)

17 — Feast Day of Ahab, saint and martyr, patron of pirates and obsessive compulsives. / This is also “Betty White Day” in many households

19 — Myrtle Sheldon’s Birthday (another source differs)

MF¹ — MLK Jr Day (third Monday in January)

FEBRUARY

14 — Feast Day of Valentinus of Rome, saint and martyr, patron of (among other things) beekeepers

MF — Presidents’ Day (third Monday in February)

23 — Feast Day of Baldomerus of Lyon, saint and martyr, patron of locksmiths; known for his personal piety, charity and simple living

MARCH

APRIL

16 — Feast Day of Drogo, saint and hermit, patron of unattractive people, shepherds (but not goatherds), and of coffeehouses

MF — Arbor Day (the last Friday in April)

MF — Easter (the Sunday following the paschal full moon)

MAY

15 — Feast Day of Dymphna, saint and martyr, patron of the criminally insane

JUNE

16 — Feast Day of Clara, patron saint of grandmothers, meatloaf, potato salad, bread pudding and rhubarb — especially rhubarb

19 — Juneteenth

JULY

04 — Independence Day (United States)

14 — Bastille Day (France)²

AUGUST

00 — It’s just too damn hot to celebrate anything

SEPTEMBER

18 — Feast Day of Ferreolus, saint and martyr (with his brother Ferrutio), patron of sick poultry [not to be confused with St Ferrule, patron of shoelaces]

MF — Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year); the end of second day of Tishrei

MF — Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement); tenth day of Tishrei

MF — Hijri New Year (Islamic New Year) or رأس السنة الهجرية; may occur during August, September, or October

OCTOBER

MF — Indigenous Peoples’ Day (second Monday in October)

25 — Feast Day of Saints Crispin and Crispinian, patrons of leather workers and (more recently) of sadomasochists; also Founders Day in Agincourt

31 — All Hallows’ Eve

NOVEMBER

01 — All Saints’ Day

02 — All Souls’ Day

MF — Election Day (first Tuesday after the first Monday in November)

11 — Veterans Day (technically, the 11th hour of the 11th day or the 11th month)

MF — Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday in November)

31 — Festival Day of Wrogn, Norse God of Blunder

DECEMBER

25 — Christmas Day (in the Gregorian Calendar)

31 — New Year’s Eve (in the Gregorian Calendar)

¹ MF = a movable feast, often dependent on the Lunar Calendar; consult your local cleric, civil calendar, ouija board, tea leaves, seer, etc.

² This is also James VerDoorn’s birthday but you probably didn’t know him. RIP, Jim and Sharon.