Earth Day
With all of the holidays on
the international calendar designed to celebrate events and historical figures,
there is at least one holiday that celebrates something that we all take too
much for granted: Earth Day.
An international holiday
that falls on March 21st, Earth Day is an excellent opportunity for
people around the world to celebrate the wonders of Earth while contemplating
all of the obligations that humans have in ensuring the safety of the natural
environment. Celebrated on the day of
the Vernal Equinox, a time where the moment when night and day are equal
throughout the Earth, Earth Day is a great reminder of the beautiful systems of
balance of the Earth. Through history,
the Vernal Equinox was a day of celebration for the beginning of spring, a
potent symbol of the renewal of life.
Thousands of years ago, men built Stonehenge with stones arranged to
measure the very moment of the Vernal Equinox.
The ancient Greeks and early Chinese civilizations were known to
celebrate this important day and this is a tradition that will hopefully
continue throughout time.
Earth Day is also an
excellent day for families. For
parents, this holiday provides the opportunity to teach their children about
the importance of balancing the needs of the Earth with the needs of
humanity. Additionally, kids are able
to enjoy Earth Day at school, as they learn important lessons regarding the
wonder that is the Earth.
The roots of Earth Day
stretches back to October 1969, when John McConnell suggested a holiday to
celebrate the natural environment. In the
1969 Earth Day proposal that was submitted to the San Francisco Board of
Supervisors, the purpose of Earth Day was clearly stated as a day ”to remind
each person of his right, and the equal right of every other person, to the use
of this global home and at the same time the equal responsibility of each
person to preserve and improve the Earth and the quality of life thereon.”
The first Earth Day
celebration took place in San Francisco in 1970. Soon after, the United Nations took Earth Day to heart and made
Earth Day an annual day of celebrating the Earth that is acknowledge throughout
the world. The United Nations Peace
Bell rings at the moment Spring begins on Earth Day and this is a moment where
the people of the world can come together and commit themselves to the
protection and care of the planet.
Over the years, Earth Day
has had a great effect in bringing environmental issues into focus. Recycling initiatives and composting has
become popular in the years after Earth Day was instituted as an international
holiday. Although Earth Day is a
fantastic holiday, it should be reminded that just one day isn’t enough to
concern yourself with the needs of Mother Earth. The purpose of Earth Day is to mobilize thought and actions that
yield positive results to the needs of the natural environment.
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