Metajournalism.com

One of the reasons why India fares poorly on the development and socio-economic indicators is the large number of public holidays enjoyed by the employees of the government sector in India. The sheer number of government holidays proves to be a stumbling block for India’s progress.

Corporations all across the world have a system of five working days per week. What complicates matters in case of India is the large number of festivals celebrated due to the multi-cultural and multi-religious nature of the populace. According to the notification issued by the government of India, there are as many as 38 public holidays in 2009.

The list includes the three national holidays – Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti. Apart from these, there are 8 days of casual leave, 30 days of earned leave and 20 days of half pay leave for every central government employee.

Besides, government employees can avail some other types of leaves like the 135 days maternity leave for women employees and 15 days paternity leave for men. They are also entitled to special leave of six to 21 days for any of the family planning surgeries they opt to undergo.

Hence if all the leaves are taken into consideration, any government employee would have only about 180 working days every year. Moreover, the usual practice of government employees availing casual and earned leave on the days preceding or succeeding a public holiday or a weekend / between two public holidays / between a public holiday and a weekend leads to work in government offices coming to a grinding halt.

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All these holidays, coupled with the rampant absenteeism, unpunctuality and employees going on a strike once in a while, has led to a situation where every government employee is getting salary for 356 days while working for only about one-third of the period.

The situation is undesirable considering the huge monetary losses for the country. Even the fifth and the sixth pay commissions have recommended a reduction in the number of government holidays. However successive governments have failed to initiate any action on the issue. This is mainly because most of the holidays are religious in nature and the political parties fear losing the support of the religious groups.

Similarly, the fear of losing support of people in the rough and tumble of vote-bank politics leads to the governments making no efforts in reducing the number of holidays observed on the birth and death anniversaries of political leaders.

Considering the above situation where the government is working for just fifty per cent of the total number of days in a year, the best alternative would be to switch from five days a week work schedule, which was introduced to save the expenditure on fuel, to the old system of six days a week work schedule.

This move provides the distinct advantage of adding about 52 working days in the government functioning without hurting the sentiments of any religious group. Another move that can prove helpful in this regard is to put a blanket ban on any holidays on the birth and death anniversaries of political leaders.

This could be replaced by the practice of observing two-minute silence in the government offices to show respect and then resuming normal working. Government can also reduce the number of earned leaves by 10 days and instead increase the number of days of half pay leave by 20 days.

In this case, a government employee should have the option of coming to the office either in the first half of the day or in the second half after lunch and working for a minimum of four hours. If this practice gains popularity, it will help a great deal to prevent the government work from coming to a standstill.

This would be beneficial for the employees too as they will now take half day leave to attend to their personal work, which could be completed within 3-4 hours rather than taking a full day earned leave.

The above measures will help the government in bringing up the number of working days of its office to around 260 and at the same time prevent the paralysis in government functioning. Reducing the number of holidays is imperative to make it more accessible to the people.

It must be remembered that unlike in the developed countries, the central and state governments in India still play a vital role almost every aspect in the lives of the people. Since we are still faring poorly on most of the socio-economic indicators, the government needs to work more in order to bridge the widening chasm between the expectations of the people and its capacity to deliver.

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Code: PV – SH 21 -07

Routes: Hanoi – Sapa – Halong – Ninh Binh – Hue – Danang – Hoi An – Nha Trang – Saigon – Cu Chi – Mekong
Duration:   21 days

Itinerary in Brief

Day 1: Good morning Hanoi
Day 2: Hanoi, city tour of the 1000 year old capital
Day 3: Hanoi – Tam Coc – Hoa Lu – Sapa, night train
Day 4: Sapa – Ta Phin, trekking and homestay (4 hours)
Day 5: More trekking and back to Sapa
Day 6: Sapa – Tam Duong by Jeep
Day 7: Tam Duong – Sapa – Hanoi, via night train
Day 8: Hanoi – Halong Bay

Day 9: Halong Bay – HanoiDay
10: Your free day in HanoiDay
11: Hue, city tour Day
12: Hue, boat trip – HoianDay
13: Hoian, walking tour in the ancient town
Day 14: Hoian – Nha Trang
Day 15: Nha Trang, island boat trip
Day 16: Nha Trang – Saigon, city tour
Day 17: Tay Ninh and the Cu Chi tunnels
Day 18: Saigon to the fertile Mekong Delta (Cai Be – Can Tho)
Day 19: Can Tho – Saigon
Day 20: Free day in Saigon
Day 21: Departure Saigon, Goodbye Vietnam

Itinerary in Detail

Day 1: Good morning Hanoi
Welcome to Hanoi, we will meet and take you to your hotel, check in your hotel then today is free at your leisure, to rest or explore around at your own pace. Overnight in Hanoi.

Included: Transfer, Tour Guide, Hotel

Day 2: Hanoi, city tour of the 1000 year old capital

Depart at 8:00 am, after checking out, from your hotel by car. We will begin our day by visiting Uncle Ho, learning about his great life at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Presidential Palace, and his residential place. Next stop is the nearby Temple of Literature.

The site of Vietnam\’s first University, built in twelfth century, to teach the royals the Confucius theory. Here we will also have a chance to see a traditional music performance. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant for a taste of authentic Hanoi Pho. In the afternoon, choose one from the numerous museums or temples around Hanoi (Museum of Ethnology, Women\’s Museum, History Museum or Quan Thanh Temple). A late afternoon walk around Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi\’s fascinating Old Quarter for some great fun, shopping, and street side traditional food. This is your chance to be part of typical Hanoian style and its traditional Vietnamese culture. We finish our relaxing but informative day by attending a Water Puppet Show, a favorite experience for all visitors to Vietnam.We can help you get back to your hotel if you wish, but often our guests would just rather spend the early evening enjoying a drink with a view of the city. Dinner on your own.

Included: Retire to your hotel for the night. All meals, Car / bus, Entrance fee(s)

Day 3: Hanoi – Tam Coc – Hoa Lu – Sapa, night train
Pick-up from your hotel is at 8:00 am, we have a 2 hour drive (110km South) to the city of Ninh Binh, also known as the Inland Halong and the Ancient Capital. It will be an exciting day highlighted, by a 2 hour boat ride in a hand- woven bamboo row boat down the Tam Coc streams enjoying spectacular scenery surrounded by rice paddies and towering limestone mountain peaks. After lunch served at a local riverside restaurant we make a short transfer (4 km) down a peaceful country road to Hoa Lu, Vietnam’s ancient capital eleven centuries ago. Here, there are two temples dedicated to King Dinh and King Le, the founders of the ancient capital during the 10th century. Return to Hanoi around 5:00 pm.8:30 pm: Transfer from an prearranged meeting spot to the station for your night train to Sapa.

Included: All meals Car / bus Entrance fee(s), Tour Guide, Hotel, AC train tickets

Day.4: Sapa – Ta Phin, trekking and homestay (4 hours)
The train arrives in Lao Cai at about 6:30 am where your PanViet guide will welcome you. Look for the “PanViet Travel” sign when you exit the train station. Then take a morning drive through the clouds by car / bus to Sapa (about 1.5 hours).

When you arrive in Sapa you will be taken to a local restaurant for a morning shower & breakfast. Then we will take a short ride from Sapa to our trekking base where we start our trek through terraced rice fields and Hmong villages. Chances to meet and talk with locals working in the fields are plentiful. We will break for a picnic lunch en route then continue trekking to Ta Phin village of the Dao people (4 hours). Your Dao host family will warmly welcome you to their traditional home where we will share in an ethnic style dinner and stay the night.

Included: Transfer, Tour Guide, All meals, Entrance fee(s), Home-stay

Day 5: More trekking and back to Sapa
At the first of gleam of daylight, you will see and hear the sounds of morning village life. You can join them in some of their activities, like feeding the animals, cleaning the houses, gardening or preparing breakfast. After breakfast, we will complete our trek on valley route to the main road (4 hours) linking Lao Cai and Sapa. Alternatively, for this long trek, you can choose a short morning wander around the village for about 1 hour, resulting in more time spent with the host family and other villagers. For both options, you will be supported by our car / bus back to Sapa (30 minutes).
When we arrive back in Sapa we will check in to the hotel, shower, and have lunch. At 2:30 pm we will visit the gardens of beautiful Ham Rong mountain & take part in a traditional ethnic music performance put on by the ethnic minority people. Then return at your own leisure with free time to discover the secrets of this colorful town. Overnight at the hotel in Sapa town.

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Included: Transfer, Tour Guide, Hotel, All meals

Day 6: Sapa – Tam Duong by Jeep
Morning preparations, breakfast, check-out, then it is time to take a wonderful journey by jeep. We will go up and over Tram Ton pass and then descend, zig-zagging to the valley below. The views on this trip are absolutely incredible! Our destination is Tam Duong, but before we get there we will visit Binh Lu and see hilltribe people carrying with them their hand crafted products or leading animals on the way to market. You will be free to wonder around but please be respectful of the people here as they are reluctant to have their picture taken without permission. This area has not seen many tourists. We will have lunch here, then continue through the untouched villages with frequent stops to visit and talk to the locals. Overnight in Tam Duong.

Included: Transfer, Tour Guide, Hotel, All meals.

Day 7: Tam Duong – Sapa – Hanoi, via night train
Breakfast then back in the jeep for the uphill climb back to Sapa. Time for capture yesterday\’s missed photographs of this fabulous areas. If this day falls on Sunday then 2 beautiful markets can be visited on our way.

You will return to Sapa in late afternoon and finally depart for the Lao Cai train station at 5:30 pm. The train leaves Lao Cai at 8:50 pm and arrives after a pleasant sleep in your first class, shared AC soft berth to Hanoi by 4:30 am.

Included: Transfer, Tour Guide, Hotel, all meals

Day 8: Hanoi – Halong Bay
When you arrive in Hanoi a very short walk will get you to a prearranged hotel for you to shower and a take a short rest before we start our next day. At 8:00 am we will pick you up, by private car/ bus, at the hotel and begin our journey to Halong city. After 3.5 hours driving and viewing simple, country side, rice paddy life, we arrive at the at port. Board your private boat, an authentic Chinese Junk, and start your amazing cruise through this World Heritage Site. Lunch is served onboard, a selection of the freshest seafood. We visit \”the amazing cave\”, followed by a swim in the tranquility of Halong Bay and its emerald water. We will cruise further into a quiet area where we will anchor and stay overnight. Dinner and relax as the sun sets. Then you are free to swim in the phosphorous water, retire to your cabin, or fall asleep under the stars amidst the magic of Halong on the top deck.Hotel for shower

Included: Transfer, Tour Guide, Hotel, Private cabin on junk, All meals, Entrance fee(s)

Day 9: Halong Bay – Hanoi
Wake up early in the morning for a great sunrise and a breath of fresh ocean air. Breakfast served on boat then we do a leisurely cruise through thousands of seemingly never ending islands. These are great opportunities to capture some amazing photographs.

We stop to visit a floating fishing village and listen to some legendary stories of the fishermen\’s daily life. Take one last swim somewhere in the middle of the bay to refresh before cruising back to the Halong city pier. By noon we be ashore and break for lunch at a local restaurant. Then we hit the road back to Hanoi. We arrive and finish our tour at your hotel by 5:00 pm.

Included: Transfer, Tour Guide, Hotel, alll meals

Day 10: Your free day in Hanoi
Today is your free day in the Hanoi capital and all of its fascinating historical charm. Spend your day relaxing or shopping. Some suggestions include waking up early (about 6:00 am) and joining in the some exercise around Hoan Kiem Lake; or taking a cyclo tour around the Old Quarter for a different point of view; or visiting the numerous markets, shopping, and trying all of the street side traditional foods.

Board your 11:00 pm night train, AC soft sleeper to Hue.

Included: AC soft tickets, Breafast

Day 11: Hue, city tour
Arrival in Hue at 10:00 am then transfer to your Hotel. After morning preparations we will go on a relaxing cyclo or bicycle tour. We will also visit the Forbidden Purple City and Dong Ba market. Overnight in Hue.

Included: Transfer, Tour Guide, Hotel, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12: Hue, boat trip – Hoian
Getting started at 9:30 am from your hotel, we walk and transfer to the boat dock for cruising on the Perfume River viewing the city and the tranquil villages on the riverbank. Walk up to visit the Thien Mu Pagoda, overlooking the Perfume River and the beautiful scenery beyond. Take some time here to learn about the influences of Buddhism in Vietnam.
Leave Hue in the evening by a car/ bus for Hoian. From here it will take us about 4 hours to get to Hoian. There is fabulous sightseeing en route and we may make stops at: Lang Co beach, Hai Van pass, Cham Museum, and the Marble mountains. Then onto Hoian, overnight here.

Included: Transfer, Tour Guide, Hotel, Boat cruise, Entrance fee(s), All meals

Day 13: Hoian, walking tour in the ancient town
The center of Vietnam is home to many of World Heritage Sites and Hoian is one of them. Here in this ancient town of Hoian, 30 km south of Danang, lies on the banks of the Thu Bon River.

Occupied by early western traders in the 16th century, Hoian has a distinct Chinese atmosphere with low, tile-roofed houses and narrow streets. The original structure of some of these streets still remain almost fully intact. All the houses were made of rare wood, decorated with colorful lacquered details and panels engraved with Chinese characters. Always a favorite place!

Included: Transfer, Tour Guide, Hotel, Entrance fee(s), All meals

Day 14: Hoian – Nha Trang
Breakfast at the hotel then transfer to the airport in Da Nang for noon-flight to Nha Trang. A taxi takes you to your hotel, it is free to chill out on the beautiful white sand beach.

Included: Transfer, Tour Guide, Hotel, Car / bus, flight, Entrance fee(s)

Day 15: Nha Trang, island boat trip
Morning pick up from hotel and transfer to the boat station (45 minutes). Hop on the boat and begin a day on the water. The first stop will be at Mum Island. This is one of the best places for snorkeling in Nha Trang. Hold your breath for as long as you can and dive deep into this colorful world of fish and coral. Next stop, Tam Island, for sun bathing and relaxing on the off shore beach. Lunch will be served at a nearby fishing village with a selection of fresh seafood. After the lunch we will visit Tri Nguyen Aquarium then take the boat back to Nha Trang city. Free time in the evening and overnight at your hotel.
Note: We may need to fly to Saigon this afternoon (4:45 pm) if our next morning flight is not available.

Included: Transfer, Tour Guide, Hotel, Boat, Entrance fee(s), Breafast, lunch

Day 16: Nha Trang – Saigon, city tour
We take an early flight this morning at 7:45 am, arriving to Saigon at 8:40 am, transfer down town and check-in at our hotel before our city tour of this bustling Saigon started. Visit the Binh Tay Market in Cho Lon; stopover at Thien Hau, a 150 year old Chinese Temple; then to a Lacquer wares workshop and the Jade Emperor pagoda. In the afternoon visit the War Remnants Museum, the Notre Dame Cathedral and the historic Central Post Office, we’ll drop you off at your hotel around 5:30 pm.

Included: Transfer, Tour Guide, Hotel, Flight, Entrance fee(s), All meals

Day 17: Tay Ninh and the Cu Chi tunnels
Departing Saigon at 8:30 am from your hotel for a morning excursion to Tay Ninh to the Great Cao Dai Temple (a place to worship a mixture of Buddhism, Confucius, Taoism, Hinduism and Christianity). We see the noon mass at the temple (1 hour). Lunch in Tay Ninh.
In the afternoon we visit the Cu Chi outdoor museum to learn about the infamous tunnel systems of the Viet Cong. Take this opportunity to get a unique understanding of the guerillas underground fight strategies during the war and crawl through 50 – 100 meters of the 200 km tunnel system. On the way back to Saigon, local rice paper workshops, and views of Vietnam country side and paddy fields are pleasant sights. We’ll drop you off at your hotel.

Included: Transfer, Tour Guide, Hotel, Entrance fee(s), All meals

Day 18: Saigon to the fertile Mekong Delta (Cai Be – Can Tho)
Depart Saigon at 8:00 am from your hotel. Head south to Cai Be. Upon arrival at 10:30 am, board a boat for a journey through the Mekong\’s floating market. See how river life goes on here, watch the trading between merchant ships and local farmers. Alive and exciting. Cruise through the secluded canals and cross the Mighty Mekong to an island where we will stop to enjoy fresh seasonal fruit before boating to Vinh Long. Back on the bus for our trip to Can Tho to overnight.
Included: Transfer, Tour Guide, Hotel, Entrance fee(s), Boat, All meals

Day 19: Can Tho – Saigon
An early start for a boat trip to Cai Rang floating market, then we have some distance to cover. First a cruise, then a walk on a quiet country road taking in the magnificent scenery and getting a little bit closer to the locals as they go about their daily routine. We take a trip by \”xe loi\” which is a local colonial-era cab pulled by motorbike and tour the country side. In the afternoon we head back to Saigon. At your same Saigon hotel by 6:00 pm.

Included: Transfer, Tour Guide, Hotel, Entrance fee(s), Boat, All meals

Day 20: Free day in Saigon

Breakfast at the hotel then a day at your leisure in Saigon. Today is a great day for you to relax, shop, take a cyclo tour, and finish any last preparations before you take your flight home the next day.BreakfastHotelDay 21: Departure Saigon, Goodbye Vietnam
Breakfast at hotel. Depending on your flight you may have sometime for some more shopping. Then we will transfer you to the airport for your flight home. Goodbye and hope to see you again soon!

Included: Transfer, Tour Guide

Prices ($ US)

Your price when;
Standard
Superior
Deluxe

you are 2 persons:
1773 / person
2023 / person
2374 / person

you are 4 persons:
1478 / person
1737 / person
2088 / person

Included: All as mentioned above.
Budget for 1 star hotel, Standard is 2-3 stars, Superior is from 3-4 stars, Deluxe is at 4-5 stars hotels.
Excluded: Travel insurance, drinks, items of a personal nature, tips and gratitude, others not mentioned in the inclusion box.
What to Bring: Passport with a valid visa, sun hat, sunglasses, sun cream, insect repellent, good shoes for some hiking, camera with lots of films.

AMSTERDAM — Fox brought theater operators at Cinema Expo a bit of Christmas cheer on Tuesday, tubthumping two December tentpoles along with a host of other movies.The Yuletide pics are 3D releases — fantasy sequel “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” and the classic adventure

“Gulliver’s Travels.” Fox international co-toppers Paul Hanneman and Tomas Jegeus gave way to Jack Black to introduce a 2D trailer and an extended clip showing the comic actor as Gulliver, wading into an invading armada to rescue embattled Lilliputians.”I just wish I had gotten my back waxed before we filmed that scene,” Black apologized to the assembled exhibitors. “But we can fix it in post.”On the international front, Fox is enjoying its most successful year as its 2010 foreign boxoffice has just crossed billion.

It’s the fourth time Fox has hit that mark — no other studio has reached it more than twice — and it’s the earliest point in the year. In the past, no studio has attained that plateau until December.Fox received a huge boost from 2009 release “Avatar,” which this year collected .4 billion of its international tally of .987 billion this year. Two local co-productions with Fox International — China’s “Hot Summer Days” and India’s “My Name Is Khan” — also figured prominently in the accounting. And, most recently, “The A-Team,” which posted No. 1 openings in France, Italy, Belgium,

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New Zealand, Norway, Taiwan and Thailand, pushed Fox beyond the billion line.At Cinema Expo, the studio screened Oliver Stone’s “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” which opens Sept. 24 in the U.S., and action comedy “Knight and Day,” which bows Wednesday in the States.”In a summer of sequels and remakes, ‘Knight and Day’ is a real breath of fresh air,” Jegeus said.Other highlights of the Fox showreel included extended footage from the horror thriller remake “Predators” and an extended trailer from the actioner “Unstoppable,”

which Hanneman suggested is “best described as ‘Speed’ on a train.”Also Tuesday, Universal screened the 3D animated feature “Despicable Me,” whose producer, Chris Meledandri, was honored with a Cinema Expo award for career achievement in animated filmmaking. A 13-year Fox veteran before jumping to Universal a couple of years ago, he was feted during a luncheon with a reel of clips filled with accolades from industry executives and “Despicable” voice actor Steve Carell.”He was the single most important person in building Fox Animation,”

former Fox boss Peter Chernin said of Meledandri, who is charged with building a similar unit at Universal.Universal international president David Kosse was honored as international distributor of the year. But in tribute-reel remarks, producer Judd Apatow said Kosse also has been known to make key creative suggestions.”He was the one on ‘Knocked Up’ who suggested we show the baby’s head coming out of Katherine Heigl’s vagina,” Apatow deadpanned. “I want to credit him with that publicly

.”In accepting the award, Kosse told exhibitors that he envisions international grosses ultimately contributing 75%-80% of global boxoffice, or 15%-20% more than now, thanks to emerging markets.”It’s well within reach,” he said. “When I travel around Hollywood, the first question I hear from many people is, ‘Will this film play globally?’ “

Watch And Download Movie: The Chronicles of Narnia Movie 2010 Online Free

Visit Here: http://netwebsite.in

The Christmas ski holidays are a very attractive proposition this year, with Christmas Day falling on the Sunday. Many businesses finish on the Friday, allowing skiers to head for the slopes on the Saturday, arriving mid-afternoon Christmas Eve. With Monday and Tuesday being public holidays, even employees of companies that are open between Christmas and New Year will only need to take three days holidays from their entitlement for a weeks Christmas skiing!  Sounds good, but the prudent accountants may be raising two sensible questions at this point. The first will probably be regarding the cost of  Christmas ski holidays, the second regarding snow reliability.

The first point is an easy one, in some cases cost can be prohibitive, but in recent years the increased competition as a result of the number of new chalet operators on the market has meant a step change in availability. Couple this with the fact that Christmas skiing has strangely fallen out of favour with New Year taking over as the must ski holiday, and you won’t be surprised to hear that prices have fallen as a consequence. It was the week most ski chalets thought they would always sell, but when many didn’t, the effect was dramatic.  Yes it is still a week in demand, but operators cannot afford to be left with a ‘must sell’ week. A small premium for ski Christmas still applies in comparison to say January, but at best prices are on a par with late February. Unlike the New Year week, if you shop around you may even find some very good Christmas ski deals too (just make sure they are and not over priced ski chalets that didn’t sell).

As for snow reliability for the christmas ski holidays  first things first, snow is hard to forecast, it is lottery in fact, but in the last decade only one year has the Christmas skiing been poor, a year where you could ski, but with thin cover and icy slopes in places (something that continued throughout that season). Analysts amongst you might ask about snow depths at this point, and yes these are the best indicator of how the snow cover in any resort at any point is, but early on at least, they are not necessarily a good indicator of how the skiing and conditions actually are. Early on the ski season the sun sits a lot lower in the sky, the snow is skied less, and lower temperatures keep the snow condition in its peak condition longer. 100cm in February when the sun is high on south facing slopes can soon melt and freeze again to become thin and icy, losing up to 10cm of snow a day too. Contrast this to December when 75cm might lose just 15cm even during a sunny week! As long as the rocks are covered, a good base and good snow conditions can last days this time of year (the snow stays cold and doesn’t melt and re-freeze to make icy patches).  

Our advice is therefore to make use of the natural break and enjoy the Christmas ski holidays in the alps. It won’t cost half as much as you might think, and the snow is likely to make for a very happy ski Christmas!

Go forward in the near future and you will see yourself in the brand New Year 2010. The hogmanay will be spectacle, the roaring celebrations. The fireworks will shine the night; as the countdown begins and clock ticks at 12, the whole world will shout out loud “HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010.

The New Year means, new aspirations, new resolutions, new adventures, and 2010 calendar. One cannot overlook the fact that, calendar 2010 is very essential and a must-have to start a New Year. Calendar 2010 hanging on the walls, on the PC desktop, pocket sized calendars, school calendars will make our future days more well-planned and systematic. Even before the end of 2010, the advent 2010 calendar is making rounds in the market. Although, its futuristic, but has a lot of facts and interesting information in store for us. Like, one doesn’t need to hunt for the list of US holidays here and there, just a glance at the 2011 calendar, is all it takes.

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In this advanced and fast-paced life, when, multi-tasking is a norm, its very important to keep a track on the daily activities, do all the scheduling of the meetings and on holidays take family out on outings- 2010 calendar brings a volley of good times and one can look forward to a range of calendars 2010 in great designs, sizes, shapes, and colors. There are free printable calendars, paper calendars like wall and personal calendars and also in e-formats. E-calendars are available on online sites. One can place it on their computer or laptop desktop and share it with friends. Range of these 2010 calendars are accessible and available  in stunning images, featuring pics of divine figures, beautiful scenery, angels, cupids, nature, snowfall, waterfall and a lot more hat will entice everyone’s imagination.

There is some interesting information in-store for us such as the start of new year 2011 will fall on Thursday and end on Thursday too. There are the list of holidays, which include National Holidays, Festivals, advent of the season, weekends and a lot more.
The 2010 calendar USA will showcase all 10 USA federal or public holidays. 2010 calendar USA is highly beneficial, keeping in mind, the fact that, the dates of federal holidays changes yearly. Martin Luther King Day is on January 19, Presidents Day is on 16th February, USA Independence Day is on July 3rd, Labor day is on 7th September, 12th of October is Columbus Day,
November 11 is Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas is on 26th November and 25th December, respectively.

The 2010 calendar Canada will enlist all the bank holidays, when all the government offices, banks and businesses are closed. Although, both 2010 Calendar USA and 2009 Calendar Canada, share a set of same holidays, but there’s a little difference like in Canada, 2010 Family Day is on February 16th, Heritage Day , Good Friday, Easter, Aboriginal Day, Discovery Day, Canada Day, Nunavut Day, Civic Holidays- all makes to 2010 Calendar Canada.

Politics affects everything, including public holidays. As an indication of Vietnam’s new openness, Christinas, New Year’s Day, Tet (Lunar New Year) and Buddha’s Birthday were re-established as holidays after a 15-year lapse.

The following is a list of Vietnam’s pub­lic holidays:

New Year’s Day (Tet Duong Lich) 1 January

Anniversary of the Founding of the Viet­namese Communist Party (Thanh Lap Dang CSVN) 3 February – the Vietnamese Commu­nist Party was founded on this date in ] 930.

Liberation Day (Saigon Giai Phong) 30 April – the date on which Saigon surrendered is com­memorated nationwide as Liberation Pay Many cities and provinces also commemorate the anniversary of the date, in March or Aprit 1975, on which they were ‘liberated’ bv the North Vietnamese Army

International Workers’ Day (Quoc Te Lao Dong) 1 May – also known as May Day, this falls back-lo-back with Liberation Day, giving everyone a two-day holiday

Ho Chi Minh’s Birthday (Sinh Nhat Bac Ho) 19 May

Buddha’s Birthday (Phat Dan) Eighth day  of the fourth moon (usually June)

National Day (Quocc Khanh) 2 September -commemorates the proclamation of the Decla­ration of Independence ol the Democratic Re­public of Vietnam by Ho Chi Minh in 1945.

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Cliiistmas (Giang Sinh) 25 December

Special prayers are held at Vietnamese and Chinese pagodas when the moon is full or just the thinnest sliver. Many Buddhists eat only vegetarian food on these days, which, according to the Chinese lunar calendar, fall on the 14th and 15th days of the month and from the last (29th or 30th) day of the month to the first daj of the next month.

Festivals

The following major religious festivals in­clude Ihe lunar date (check against any Viet­namese calendar for the Gregorian dates):

Tet (Tel Nguyen Dan) first to seventh days of the first moon – the Vietnamese Lunar New Year is the most important festival of the year and falls in late January or early February. This public holiday is officially three days, but many peo­ple take an entire week off work and few busi­nesses are open.

Holiday of ihe Deal (Thanh Minh) Fifth day of the third moon – people pay solemn visits lo graves of deceased relatives, specially tidied up a few days before, and make offerings of food, flowers, Joss stick; and votive papers.

Buddha’s Birth, Enlightenment and Death Eighth day of the fourth moon-this day is cele­brated at pagodas and temples which, like many private homes, are festooned with lanterns. Pro­cessions are held in Ihe evening. This festival has been redesignated a public holiday.

Summer Solstice Day (Tet Doan Ngo) Fifth day of the fifth moon – offerings are made to spir­its, ghosts and the God of Death to ward of Fepi­demics. Human effigies are burned to satisfy the requirements of the Cod of Death for souls to staff his army.

Wandering Souls Day (Trung Nguyen) Fifteenth day of the seventh moon – this is the second-largest Vietnamese festival of the year. Offer­ings nf food and gifts arc made in homes and pagodas for the wandering souls of Ihe forgotten dead.

Mid-Autumn Festival (Trung Thu) Fifteenth day of the eighth moon – this festival is celebrated with moon cakes ot sticky rice filled with lotus seeds, watermelon seeds, peanuts, the yolks of duck eggs, raisins, sugar and other such things. This festival is like Christmas Day for children, who cairy colourful lanterns in Ihe form of boats, unicorns, dragons, lobsters, carp, hares, toads etc in an evening procession accompanied by the banging of drums and cymbals.

Confucius’ Birthday Twenty-eighth day of the ninth moon

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