45+ Sample Printable Calendars

What Is a Calendar?

As you are no doubt aware, a calendar is a chart or a tabular representation of the days, weeks, and months of the present year. It is a systematic approach to organize events for social, religious, or personal purposes. Moreover, a calendar gives people a clear idea of the seasonal changes throughout the year. It enables individuals to keep track of special events such as birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. Regardless of the rise of technology, though, printed calendars have proven its significance across the globe. Aside from digital calendars, we still see calendars printed on paper and placed on walls, desks, or pockets.

Calendars: The Holiday Edition

A calendar shows us whether it’s still the 1st day of the month or already the 30th, Monday, or Sunday, January or December. Other than the things mentioned, what else does a calendar include? Holidays. A year does not go by without holidays. Since time immemorial, countries in different corners of the world observe diverse festivities and rituals. During these times of the year, there will be an interruption or changes in the normal activities of the people under the jurisdiction of the place where the holiday was celebrated. Often, the government mandates the suspension of classes or reduction of time to work for businesses. For this reason, the first thing most people check when they go through a calendar is the holidays. Here are some of the holidays which people from different nations celebrate:

New Year’s Day: No matter how cruel the world can be, the new year will always bring a ray of hope to almost everyone. It does mark not only the beginning of the calendar but also the beginning of a new life. Since the Julian calendar takes effect, people celebrate New Year’s Day on the first of January—a month named after Janus, the god of beginnings and doorways. During this day, people light fireworks, party all day and all night, dance, eat, drink, and swear that they will adhere to their respective New Year’s resolutions.Chinese New Year: The Gregorian calendar we know of does not take full effect in China. In this country, the movement of the moon dictates the beginning of the lunar new year. Because of this, the date of celebration changes every year. Chinese New Year or popularly known as the Spring Festival usually falls on the first or second month of the year, between January 21 and February 21. Just like the traditional New Year’s Day, people in China also put up decorations, light fireworks or firecrackers, give gifts (e.g., red envelopes), and eat dinner with their family. Mardi Gras: A day before the start of the Lenten season during the Ash Wednesday, followers of Christianity celebrate Mardi Gras—a French term for Fat Tuesday. This celebration, which is most famous in New Orleans, involves eating sumptuous and richer foods before Christians submit themselves to fasting during Lent. Mardi Gras for the year 2020 falls on the 25th of February.Saint Patrick’s Day: Saint Patrick’s Day is a cultural and religious celebration in memory of Ireland’s foremost patron saint. Guess who? Yep, Saint Patrick. People in Ireland and other parts of the world celebrate this holiday every March 17 of the Gregorian calendar. This day celebrates the rich Irish heritage—complete with parades, special food, drinks, Irish lore, and a whole lot of fun. You can also see lots of green-colored stuff during this day.Cinco de Mayo: Cinco de Mayo is the Spanish term for the Fifth of May. This celebration commemorates the victory of the Mexican Army against the French Empire during the historic Battle of Puebla. This holiday is also referred to as the Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, which took place on May 5, 1862.Eid al-Fitr: Eid al-Fitr or the Festival of Breaking the Fast starts on the evening of May 23 and ends on the evening of May 24 for the year 2020. However, this celebration begins and ends on different times and days—depending on when the new moon appears in the night sky. Eid al-Fitr is an Islamic holiday that marks the end of the Muslims’ Ramadan fasting from sun up to sundown.Memorial Day: On the last Monday of May, people in the United States celebrate Memorial Day (originally referred to as Decoration Day) to honor the valor of the military personnel who lay down their lives serving their country and protecting their fellowmen.Independence Day: One of the most important holidays that the United States observes is the Fourth of July or Independence Day. It is a federal holiday celebrating the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence that paved the way for liberty and justice of Americans.Dia de Muertos: Dia de Muertos or the Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday that begins on October 31 and ends on November 2. This celebration entails the creation of altars to commemorate the dead. Unlike the spooky Halloween feels, Dia de Muertos is a fun-filled celebration that is exploding with colors. Locals and revelers hold parades while wearing funky makeup and costumes, sing, dance, and make offerings to the dear departed.Guy Fawkes Night: Observed on the 5th of November, Guy Fawkes Night is an annual holiday in the United Kingdom that marks the anniversary of the failure of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605. The gunpowder plot was an unsuccessful attempt by the Catholics to assassinate King James I, the queen, and their son. Also known as Bonfire Night or Firework Night, the traditions of this holiday include the lighting of fireworks and bonfires. Apart from that, there is also a ceremonial burning of an effigy of one Guy Fawkes or Guido Fawkes.Veterans Day: Aside from Memorial Day, the United States also observes an annual celebration to give honor to the country’s military veterans—both past and present ones. Veteran’s Day is a federal holiday that falls on the 11th day of November. It is intended to send out gratitude to the brave men who served and will continue to serve the country.Diwali: Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains across the world celebrate a religious holiday called Diwali. It is a festival of lights which lasts for five days. Typically, Diwali falls between October and November, depending on the position of the moon. This holiday is a celebration of the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance.Thanksgiving Day: Thanksgiving day is a national holiday held during the fourth Thursday of November. People in the United States celebrate this day by getting together for a feast. Usually, the Thanksgiving meal includes roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, dinner rolls, cranberries, and a whole lot more. The history of Thanksgiving stemmed from 1621, which marks the Pilgrims’ first harvest in the New World.Christmas Day: Deemed as the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas is an annual celebration on the 25th of December, which commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a season of love, friendship, and unity. During Christmas, people spend time with their families, enjoy a feast, and give gifts. Data from Statista revealed that in the United States, individuals are expected to spend an average of $846 for Christmas gifts. One of the factors that influence the American’s purchasing decision are discounts and big sales in various stores. With this information in mind, we can presume that people don’t really care much about how much they will spend for the season—thus, making it a good avenue for businesses.

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How Did the Calendar Come to Be?

Long before the existence of calendars, people from the old ages adopt various methods to measure and keep track of time. During this era, the celestial bodies play a significant role in time-telling. The patterns of the stars and the movements of the moon and sun enable our ancestors to measure the length of days and nights. Inventions such as oil lamps, candle clocks, and hourglasses were also made to regulate the time. In this section, let us take a look into the yesteryears of a calendar.

Roman Calendar

Introduced in the 700s BCE, the Roman calendar is a time-telling system used in ancient Rome. The calendar originally has ten months—March being the first month of the year. It was then followed by Aprilis, Maius, Junius, Quintilis, Sextilis, September, October, November, and December. Unlike the number of days per year that we know of today, the Roman year only lasted for 304 days, without taking into consideration the remaining 61 days of winter. If you ever wondered why September isn’t the seventh month of the year, it is because at around 703 BC, Numa Pompilius, who was a Roman ruler, added two months in the calendar. These months are what we now know as January and February.

Julian Calendar

As a reform of the Roman calendar, the Julian calendar was introduced during 46 BC. And for about 16 centuries, people in various places in the world make use of it. The calendar that was named after Julius Caesar comprises 365 days or 12 months.

Gregorian Calendar

Named after Pope Gregory XIII, the Gregorian calendar superseded the Julian calendar. Although it was introduced in 1582, people embraced the new system in different years. The goal of Pope Gregory XIII when he proposed this calendar was to change the date of Easter. Up until today, the Gregorian calendar is the widely used calendar in different parts of the world.

How Do People Personalize a Calendar?

A calendar is more than just a sheet of paper attached to the walls. It’s more than just the lines, numbers, and letters reflected on your screen. It bears a great significance in your life more than you think it is. Without calendars, you will be oblivious of what is happening around you. While a simple and generic calendar enables you to keep track of the dates, nothing beats the advantages a personalized calendar can give. In this short guide, we have outlined a step-by-step guide to help you create a calendar.

Step 1: Download a Template

Creating calendars will really take much of your time, especially when you have to create one from a blank page. To save you from this hassle, downloading an editable and printable calendar template will be the best option you have to make. In this article, we have compiled the best calendar templates for you. Make sure to select the one which will best suit your needs. You may also take a look at these blank calendar templates and download the one you prefer the most.

Step 2: Incorporate Your Preferences

After downloading a template, open it on your preferred application, and edit its content for the calendar to fully serve its purpose. You may alter its colors, font styles, and background design so that the material would not just be useful, but also visually pleasing. If you are creating a monthly calendar, you may also incorporate in your design the theme tied to each month of the year.

Step 3: Note Down Important Events

For some people, the primary purpose of calendars is for them to have a constant reminder of their appointments, celebrations, holidays, and other important events. Therefore, see to it that you note down in your calendar every important event in your life—from federal holidays to birthdays. Aside from these, a calendar can also help you declutter your preoccupied mind. You can write in your calendar the tasks you need to carry out and their respective due dates. Doing so helps you avoid missed deadlines and procrastination, especially when you are in school or at work.

Step 4: Update When Necessary

There may be days we deem ordinary, but we may never know when things are going to change. A simple day may eventually become a day to remember. When this happens, never forget to make changes and update your calendar. Also, if you have new tasks to accomplish—be it long-term or short-term projects—always note it in your calendar. It is important to update your calendar regularly so that you can prevent overlapping schedules or missed appointments. You may never know, an up-to-date calendar may be your key to success.

Step 5: Don’t Forget Significant Dates

Have you ever have that “I think there’s something important today.” moment? Or those times when you feel like there is something worth celebrating, yet you fail to recall what it exactly is? When you experience this, the next thing you’ll probably do is check your calendar or your social media account—where most people share their precious moments. However, it is not enough that you write down essential days in your calendars, you should also never fail to remember the most significant dates of your life and the people important to you.

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