August 4
Holidays
12 holidays recorded on August 4 throughout history
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New Brunswick Day has been celebrated on the first Monday of August since 1936.
New Brunswick Day has been celebrated on the first Monday of August since 1936. It honors a province that was carved out of Nova Scotia in 1784, largely to accommodate Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution. They brought their politics, their surnames, and their distrust of their neighbors to the south. New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual province in Canada today. The holiday is a long weekend. Most people spend it near water.
August 4 in Eastern Orthodox liturgics commemorates the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus and various local saints across Ort…
August 4 in Eastern Orthodox liturgics commemorates the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus and various local saints across Orthodox national churches. The date falls within the Dormition Fast, a two-week period of fasting and prayer leading to the Feast of the Assumption.
Coast Guard Day honors the founding of the Revenue Cutter Service on August 4, 1790 — the predecessor of today's U.S.
Coast Guard Day honors the founding of the Revenue Cutter Service on August 4, 1790 — the predecessor of today's U.S. Coast Guard. The holiday celebrates the service's mission of maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, and environmental protection, performed by roughly 40,000 active-duty members.
Illinois residents celebrate Barack Obama Day every August 4 to honor the state’s most prominent political export.
Illinois residents celebrate Barack Obama Day every August 4 to honor the state’s most prominent political export. By designating this annual observance, the state legislature formally recognized his transition from a local community organizer and state senator to the 44th President of the United States, cementing his enduring influence on Illinois’s modern political identity.
Lebanon designated August 4 as a commemoration day for the 2020 Beirut explosion that killed over 200 people and deva…
Lebanon designated August 4 as a commemoration day for the 2020 Beirut explosion that killed over 200 people and devastated half the city. The blast — caused by 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored improperly at the port for six years — ranks among the largest non-nuclear explosions in history, and no senior official has been held accountable.
Matica Slovenska Day in Slovakia commemorates the 1863 founding of the cultural institution dedicated to preserving S…
Matica Slovenska Day in Slovakia commemorates the 1863 founding of the cultural institution dedicated to preserving Slovak national identity. The holiday honors the organization's role in resisting Magyarization and maintaining Slovak language and culture during centuries of Hungarian rule.
Constitution Day in the Cook Islands marks the 1965 adoption of self-governing status in free association with New Ze…
Constitution Day in the Cook Islands marks the 1965 adoption of self-governing status in free association with New Zealand, a unique arrangement that grants Cook Islanders New Zealand citizenship. The holiday celebrates the island nation's political identity while acknowledging its continuing partnership with New Zealand.
The Fiestas de la Virgen Blanca open on August 4 in Vitoria-Gasteiz, the capital of Spain's Basque Country, with the …
The Fiestas de la Virgen Blanca open on August 4 in Vitoria-Gasteiz, the capital of Spain's Basque Country, with the descent of "Celedon" — a puppet figure that ziplines from the bell tower of San Miguel church into the crowd below. The five-day festival combines Basque cultural traditions, bullfighting, and street celebrations.
Revolution Day in Burkina Faso commemorates the 1983 coup led by Thomas Sankara, the Marxist revolutionary who rename…
Revolution Day in Burkina Faso commemorates the 1983 coup led by Thomas Sankara, the Marxist revolutionary who renamed the country from Upper Volta and launched sweeping social reforms. Sankara's four-year presidency — ended by his assassination — made him a pan-African icon often called "Africa's Che Guevara."
Sithney is the patron saint of mad dogs, which raises more questions than it answers.
Sithney is the patron saint of mad dogs, which raises more questions than it answers. The sixth-century Cornish saint supposedly asked God to be patron of young girls, was refused, and was offered mad dogs instead. He accepted. Cornish legend has it he took the insult in stride. Whether this story reflects theology, folk humor, or something stranger is lost. The feast day remains on August 4.
Jean-Marie Vianney arrived in Ars-sur-Formans in 1818 to serve a village that had nearly forgotten religion existed.
Jean-Marie Vianney arrived in Ars-sur-Formans in 1818 to serve a village that had nearly forgotten religion existed. By the time he died forty years later, up to 20,000 pilgrims a year were making their way to confession with him. He spent sixteen to eighteen hours a day in the confessional. He tried to resign three times. The church said no each time. He was declared patron saint of parish priests in 1929.
Torontonians celebrate Simcoe Day to honor John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada who abol…
Torontonians celebrate Simcoe Day to honor John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada who abolished slavery in the province in 1793. By prioritizing human rights decades before the British Empire’s broader emancipation, he established a regional identity rooted in the Underground Railroad’s eventual role as a sanctuary for freedom seekers.