Holidays and observances
Holidays and observances on May 21
17 holidays and special days are celebrated on May 21 around the world.
- 17observances
- 75events
Holidays and observances
Afro-Colombian Day (Colombia)Afro-Colombian Day is an annual commemoration of the abolition of slavery in the Republic of Colombia on May 21, 1851. It is also the anniversary of the establishment of the first free town in the Americas, Palenque de San Basilio. Afro-Colombian Day was first
Christian feast day:
Blessed Adílio Daronch and Manuel Gómez GonzálezBeatification is an act by which the Catholic Church formally recognizes that a deceased member of the faithful is believed to have entered Heaven and is capable of interceding on behalf of individuals who pray in their name, permitting a restricted, local for
Christian feast day:
Blessed Franz JägerstätterFranz Jägerstätter, was an Austrian farmer and conscientious objector during World War II. Jägerstätter refused to fight for Nazi Germany because of his devout Catholic faith, leading to him getting sentenced to death and executed. He is venerated as a martyr 
Christian feast day:
Earliest day on which Corpus Christi can fall, while June 24 is the latest; held on Thursday after Trinity Sunday (often locally moved to Sunday). (Roman Catholic Church)The Feast of Corpus Christi, also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, is a liturgical solemnity celebrating the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist; the feast is observed by the Catholic Church, in addition to certain Western
Christian feast day:
Eugène de MazenodEugène de Mazenod, OMI was a French aristocrat and Catholic bishop who founded the congregation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate.
Christian feast day:
Helena of Constantinople, also known as "Feast of the Holy Great Sovereigns Constantine and Helen, Equal-to-the-Apostles." (Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion)Flavia Julia Helena, also known as Helena of Constantinople and in Christianity as Saint Helena, was a Greek Augusta of the Roman Empire and mother of Emperor Constantine the Great as well as a Canonized saint in both Catholic and Orthodox Churches for her piv- Christian feast day:
Blessed Hemming of TurkuBeatification is an act by which the Catholic Church formally recognizes that a deceased member of the faithful is believed to have entered Heaven and is capable of interceding on behalf of individuals who pray in their name, permitting a restricted, local for
Christian feast day:
John Elliot (Episcopal Church)John Eliot was a Puritan missionary to Native Americans who some called "the apostle to the Indians", and the founder of Roxbury Latin School in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1645. In 1660 he completed the enormous task of translating the Eliot Indian Bible 
Christian feast day:
Saints of the Cristero War, including Christopher MagallanesOn May 21, 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized a group of 25 saints and martyrs who had died in the Mexican Cristero War. The vast majority are Catholic priests who were executed for carrying out their ministry despite the suppression under the anti-clerical law
Christian feast day:
May 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)May 20 - Eastern Orthodox Church calendar - May 22
Circassian Day of Mourning (Circassians)The Circassian Day of Mourning is observed by the Circassian diaspora every year on 21 May to commemorate all those who were killed in and displaced by the Circassian genocide, which took place in the final stages of the Russian invasion of Circassia. It is kn
Day of Patriots and Military (Hungary)An Armed Forces Day, alongside its branch-specific variants often referred to as Army or Soldier's Day, Navy or Sailor's Day, and Air Force or Aviator's Day, is a holiday dedicated to honoring the armed forces, or one of their branches, of a sovereign state, i
Independence Day, celebrates the Montenegrin independence referendum in 2006, celebrated until the next day. (Montenegro)Independence Day is observed in Montenegro on 21 May to commemorate the passage of the 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, marking Montenegro's independence from Serbia and Montenegro.
International Tea Day (International)International Tea Day is observed annually on May 21, according to the United Nations. Chinese scholar Chen Entian was the earliest initiator and promoter. The concerning resolution was adopted on December 21, 2019, and called on the United Nations Food and Ag
Navy Day (Chile)Day of Naval Glories is a Chilean national holiday celebrated on May 21 each year. The day was selected to commemorate the Battle of Iquique, which occurred on May 21, 1879, during the War of the Pacific. The day is an official holiday and until 2016 was the t- Saint Helena Day, celebrates the discovery of Saint Helena in 1502. (Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha) This is a list of public holidays in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean consisting of Saint Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha.
- World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (International)The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, sometimes abbreviated World Day for Cultural Diversity, is a United Nations sanctioned observance day for the promotion of diversity and intercultural dialogue. Begun in 2002, it is celebrated
Frequently asked questions
What is celebrated on May 21?
17 observances are celebrated on May 21 around the world: Afro-Colombian Day (Colombia), Christian feast day: Blessed Adílio Daronch and Manuel Gómez González, Christian feast day: Blessed Franz Jägerstätter, Christian feast day: Earliest day on which Corpus Christi can fall, while June 24 is the latest; held on Thursday after Trinity Sunday (often locally moved to Sunday). (Roman Catholic Church), Christian feast day: Eugène de Mazenod, Christian feast day: Helena of Constantinople, also known as "Feast of the Holy Great Sovereigns Constantine and Helen, Equal-to-the-Apostles." (Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion). The list gathers national holidays, international days and religious or civil observances falling on this date in different countries, as recorded on Wikipedia. Some are fixed and recur on the same day every year; others depend on the local calendar. Each links to the article explaining its origin and meaning.
What happened on May 21?
75 documented historical events happened on May 21, from antiquity to the present day. The best known is this: Arab–Byzantine wars: The city of Syracuse was captured by the Aghlabids (pictured) as part of the Muslim conquest of Sicily. On the same day, in another year: The Crusades: The siege of Shaizar ended, and the Emir of Shaizar became a vassal of the Byzantine Empire. On Almanaccolo every event is listed in chronological order, grouped by century, and links to the Wikipedia article it comes from, so you can always read further or check the source. Alongside the events you find who was born and who died on this date, and which observances are celebrated around the world.
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