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UID:224989-1775001600-1775087999@aofonline.org
SUMMARY:April Fool's Day
DESCRIPTION:You gotta be kidding me …For decades\, April Fools Day has been a celebration of nonsense. Practical jokes and other foolish activities mark the morning hours of April 1st. But by one tradition\, all foolish behavior must cease by noon\, or roles will be reversed\, and the joke will be on you! Foolery abounds in our 21st Century culture; April Fools Day offers to groups\, organizations and individuals committed to minimizing the nonsense and gobbledygook in our world\, a chance to educate and enlighten the public through fun events and activity. It also gives us an opportunity to commemorate Steve Allen by officially recognizing Dumbth (http://www.amazon.com/Dumbth-Thinking-Reason-Better-Improve/dp/1573922374) as the Book of the Month. Activity Suggestions … A Parody of the Paranormal: Though it’s shunned upon by some\, ridicule can be a powerful tool and April Fools Day offers an outlet to employ parody and satire in a constructive way. Through skit\, fun activity and wacky presentations\, consider how your group can mimic the nonsensical ideas that circulate within the paranormal communities and accompanying the activity with hand-outs and informational materials thereby serving to educate others about many of the pseudosciences and other unsupported ideas. Blunder Expo: “To err is human” wrote Shakespeare and yes indeed\, we humans can often make silly mistakes and do stupid things! Politicians\, the media\, celebrities and other people living in the public eye are especially prone to blunders. Blunders have even changed the course of history. A Blunder Expo can help draw attention to the mistakes and foolishness that have plagued our kind and possibly work to minimize such behavior in the future. It also provides an opportunity to promote critical thought – one of our many tools in helping to avoid mistakes and stupidity. Monty Python Film Festival: What better way to celebrate April Fools Day than to sit and watch those masters of the absurd and foolish tweak the noses of society\, religion\, and politics\, and still have room for a fish dance or two! With today’s abundance of videocassettes and DVDs that showcase the best of Monty Python on film and television\, take a few days or a weekend out as a group to gather in front of the television\, serve up your favorite snacks\, and watch the unofficial comedy troupe of the freethought movement.  
URL:https://aofonline.org/event/april-fools-day/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260412
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260413
DTSTAMP:20260310T201454Z
CREATED:20260310T201454Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201454Z
UID:224990-1775952000-1776038399@aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Yuri's Night\, or Cosmonauts Day
DESCRIPTION:Yuri’s Night\, also called Cosmonauts Day\, is a day in honor of Yuri Gagarin\, who became the first human in space on April 12\, 1961. Twenty years later on the same day the U.S. launched the first space shuttle. The Soviet Union first celebrated Cosmonauts Day in 1962\, on the first anniversary of Gagarin successful flight into space. It was celebrated annually in the USSR and then Russia. The idea for a worldwide celebration of space and technology sprang into existence at the United Nations’ Space Generation Advisory Council Conference in September of 2000. The new\, worldwide Yuri’s Night was first celebrated on April 12\, 2001 and has since become an annual international celebration. Yuri’s Night not only celebrates space and technology\, but also the principles of freethinking. Once people thought that the other planets travelled around Earth. It took courage as well as intelligence for people to argue against the religiously-ordained view of the Earth as the center of the universe. Celebrating Yuri’s Night not only is about celebrating his historic achievement\, but all accomplishments of science that have overturned dogma and advanced our knowledge of our universe. Yuri’s Night has become an international phenomenon since its introduction in 2001. Every year coordinators and participants look to broaden the spectrum of events held. The range of events is as diverse as the people who hold them; even residents of the International Space Station have been known to join in the fun. Whether in someone’s living room\, a nightclub or a world-class science museum\, Cosmonauts Day events all have one thing in common: people who are excited about space exploration\, science\, freethought\, and want to join together to celebrate it. Participating in Cosmonauts Day isn’t difficult: if finding an already existing party near is hard\, then get your friends together call it a Yuri’s Night party. Getting people to think about space\, science\, and freethought is the focus no matter the venue. “Circling the earth in my orbital spaceship I marveled at its beauty. People of the world\, let us safeguard and enhance this beauty\, not destroy it!” — Yuri Gagarin
URL:https://aofonline.org/event/yuris-night-or-cosmonauts-day/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260415
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260422
DTSTAMP:20260310T201454Z
CREATED:20260310T201454Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201454Z
UID:224992-1776211200-1776815999@aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Ask An Atheist Day
DESCRIPTION:National Ask an Atheist Day (https://www.wheniscalendars.com/national-ask-an-atheist-day/) is a movible secular holiday occurring twice each year — on the 3rd Thursday of April (anywhere from April 15 to April 21)\, and on the 3rd Thursday of September (from Sept 15 to Sep 21). As if atheists don’t have enough to do already. “NAaA Day” is an opportunity for secular groups across the country to dispell stereotypes about atheism and to encourage constructive\, courteous dialogue between believers and nonbelievers. And it is an opportunity for the general public—particularly people of faith—to approach non-theists and ask questions about secular life. Please don’t be afraid to spark up a discussion with us\, we won’t bite. Most don’t\, anyway. The first NAaA Day was in February of 2011\, when members of the Secular Student Alliance (https://secularstudents.org/) (SSA) at the University of Illinois set up a table with a sign that said “Ask an Atheist.” The next month an article appeared in the Friendly Atheist website (https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/)\, written by a “Guest Contributor” (probably an SSA member)\, saying the event was a smashing success and the Illinois group hoped to take the day nationally. “The SSA is ready to help\,” it added. Since then NAaA Day has occurred across the nation each April since\, and soon in September as well. For those interested\, it helps to know a bit about atheism. Of course the point is to ask atheists questions\, but here is some background. Generally atheists have no belief in deities\, which is not quite the same as a positive belief no deity exists. The prefix “a” just means “without.” Atheism has no set ideology—atheists may be humanists\, rationalists\, Unitarian Universalists\, postmodernists\, secularists\, among other things. Historically\, Greek and Roman philosophers and writers such as Epicurus\, Democritus\, and Lucretius had an influence on what would become atheism. The term didn’t appear until the sixteenth century\, a time when freethought and skepticism began to flourish. Some that lived during the Age of Enlightenment were the first to identify themselves as atheists. The supremacy of human reason was an facit of the French Revolution\, and it was at this time that atheism first became used politically. Science also began to lock horns with orthodox religion during the second half of the nineteenth century. Today it is challenging to estimate how many atheists are in the world. A 2015 poll claimed about 11% of the world’s population are atheists\, and a 2012 poll claimed the number to be 13% (both WIN/Gallup International polls). A BBC poll from 2004 put the number at 8%. Europe and Asia seem to have the largest number of atheists. In 2015\, 61% of Chinese citizens identified as atheists. How to observe the day. If you call yourself an atheist\, you can celebrate the day in a variety of ways. For example\, set up a table where believers and others can come up to you and ask you questions about atheism\, secular living\, and your beliefs (or nonbeliefs). You can email (mailto:organizers@secularstudents.org) the SSA for supplies for your table\, such as brochures\, stickers (https://secularstudents.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/AAAD-stickers-768×632.jpg)\, posters\, and flyers. You could also wear the stickers and put flyers up on campus (flyers could be put up before the day as well). You could organize an “ask an atheist” panel event\, or go on a radio station and have an “ask an atheist” segment where listeners are able to call in and ask you questions about atheism. When posting on social media\, use the hashtag #askanatheist. For more about the day and how to participate\, take a look at the Ask An Atheist Day Activity Guide (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XJObSWsJnmFY29WDsCGmMeJzCGax0QfQ/view). But what if you aren’t an atheist? Celebrate NAaA Day by asking an atheist about atheism! The day is meant to be filled with respectful dialogue\, so make sure to participate in such a way\, no matter if you are an atheist or the person asking questions.
URL:https://aofonline.org/event/ask-an-atheist-day/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260422
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260423
DTSTAMP:20260310T201454Z
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UID:224991-1776816000-1776902399@aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Earth Day
DESCRIPTION:Earth Day is a day to grow and diversify the environmental movement\, and to mobilize our resources to promote a healthy\, sustainable planet. Earth Day is the only Secular Holiday celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds\, faiths and nationalities. More than a half billion people participate in Earth Day campaigns every year. U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson founded Earth Day in 1970 to push the environment onto the national agenda. It is an inclusive event\, attracting people of all religions and beliefs. Non-religious groups have many reasons to celebrate Earth Day: those who don’t believe in heaven or divine intervention realize that this world is all we have and that it is in our hands to protect it. Those who believe that the scientific method is the best way to gain understanding of our world\, can also use Earth Day to promote the best available science about environmental issues. Secular groups can use this annual event to network with environmental groups and other organizations. You can celebrate Earth Day in many different ways. Events across the globe are often designed to bring notice of the environment to lawmakers. Events also take place on college and school campuses. Meetings intended for the sole purpose of attracting attention to the cause are the most common; these meetings often employ music\, speakers\, and other attractions to generate attention.  
URL:https://aofonline.org/event/earth-day/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
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