5. Arbor Day (April 29th)
Arbor Day is one of the most widespread observance days in the world. In the United States, Arbor Day is always on the last Friday in April. It is a holiday in which people come together to plant trees to beautify their local area. Not only are trees important, but this can help combat climate change. People plant several millions of trees on this day just in the United States alone. In fact, The Arbor Day Foundation, which has over a million members, has been singularly responsible for producing over 350 million trees worldwide since its inception in 1972. They average around 5 million trees planted annually in the United States. The true importance of this day cannot be understated.
The idea for Arbor Day came before the foundation was created in 1972. In Nebraska City, J. Sterling Morton held an annual meeting of the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture, where it was approved to do so in 1872. By April of that year, an estimated one million trees were planted all across Nebraska. Birdsey Northrop took the idea and brought it to Japan in 1883 to bring a village improvement message. The American Forestry Association later chose him to be the Chairman of the Committee to get Arbor Day to every State in America. He also brought the idea to other places like Canada, Europe, and Australia, and the rest is history.