International Mountain Day facts for kids

Mountain Day is a name for three different special events. It can be a fun student celebration in some colleges in the United States. On this day, classes are canceled without warning, and students head to the mountains or a park. It's also International Mountain Day, held every year on December 11. This day was created by the United Nations General Assembly to encourage people to protect mountains and use them wisely. Finally, Mountain Day is a national holiday in Japan since 2016. In 2023, Japan's Mountain Day will be on August 11th.

Mountain Day in the United States

Mountain Day has been a tradition in the United States for a long time. It started at least as far back as 1838. Students from Mount Holyoke College would go to Mount Holyoke.

Other colleges soon started their own Mountain Day traditions:

• Smith College began its Mountain Day in 1877.
• Juniata College started its tradition in 1896.
• Students at Williams College have been climbing Mount Greylock since the 1800s. Mount Greylock is the highest mountain in Massachusetts.
• Colby-Sawyer College says its Mountain Day began in the 1850s. The first mention in their student newspaper was in 1893.
• Elmira College started its Mountain Day in 1918.

Hollins University has a similar fun tradition. It's called Tinker Day. On this day, students wear costumes and hike up Tinker Mountain.

International Mountain Day

December 11 is known as "International Mountain Day." The United Nations General Assembly created this day in 2003. They wanted countries around the world to hold events. These events would show how important it is to develop mountains in a way that protects them for the future. This is called "sustainable mountain development."

Each year, International Mountain Day has a different theme. These themes are always about protecting mountains. The FAO is a United Nations group. They are in charge of leading the celebration of this special day.

For example, the theme for International Mountain Day 2010 was "Mountain minorities and indigenous peoples." This theme aimed to teach people about groups who live in mountain areas. It also highlighted their special cultural heritage, traditions, and customs.

On International Mountain Day 2018, a leader from Venezuela visited the mountains. He announced plans to help save Pico Humboldt. This is Venezuela's last remaining glacier.

Mountain Day in Japan

In May 2014, Japan announced a new public holiday. It would be called Mountain Day. This holiday started in 2016 and is celebrated every August 11.

People who supported the holiday included a lawmaker named Seishiro Etō. The Japanese Alpine Club also helped. The law states that the holiday is for people to "get familiar with mountains." It also helps them "appreciate blessings from mountains."

There was a special change for the 2020 Summer Olympics. The 2020 date for Mountain Day was moved to August 10. The Olympics were then delayed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The government kept the August 10 date for 2020. They also changed the 2021 holiday to August 9.

See also

• Outfly, Wartburg College fall holiday
• Leaf peeping