In Judaism, the New Moon ushers in a new month

Rosh Chodesh or Rosh ḥodesh (Hebrew: ראש חודש‎; trans. Beginning of the Month; lit. Head of the Month) is the name for the first day of every month in the Hebrew calendar, marked by the appearance of the new moon. The new moon is marked by the day and hour that the new crescent is observed. It is considered a minor holiday, akin to the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot.^[1]

Carl Edward Sagan ( /ˈseɪɡɪn/; November 9, 1934 – December 20, 1996) was an astronomer from the United States, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer, and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He published more than 600 scientific papers^[2] and articles and was author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books. He advocated scientifically skeptical inquiry and the scientific method, pioneered exobiology and promoted the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI).

Sagan is known for his popular science books and for the award-winning 1980 television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, which he narrated and co-wrote.^[3] The book Cosmos was published to accompany the series. Sagan wrote the novel Contact, the basis for a 1997 film of the same name.

Obama Day was a national holiday celebrated in Kenya on November 6, 2008, in honor of Barack Obama's electoral victory in the United States presidential election, 2008.^[1][2]

Shortly after the U.S. election result was announced, Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki declared the holiday, because Obama's father, Barack Obama, Sr., was Kenyan.^[3]

World Freedom Day is a United States federal observance declared by then-President George W. Bush to commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of communist rule in Central and Eastern Europe. It started in 2001 and is celebrated on 9 November.

For this occasion, conservative youth groups such as Young America's Foundation^[1] and the College Republicans urge students to commemorate this day (which they mark as the start of "Freedom Week," thus including Veterans Day) by "celebrating victory over communism" through provocative flyer campaigns and activism projects.^[2] Many conservative political commentators and activists use World Freedom Day as an occasion in which to acclaim President Ronald Reagan, whom they regard as being responsible for the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.^{[citation needed]}

Diwali (also spelled Devali in certain regions) or Deepavali,^{[note 1]} popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-December for different reasons.^[1] For Hindus, Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. For Jains, Diwali marks the attainment of moksha or nirvana by Mahavira in 527 BCE.^[2][3]

Diwali is an official holiday in India,^[4]Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore,^[5] and Fiji.^[6]