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From: Ross Clark <benlizro@ihug.co.nz>
Newsgroups: sci.lang
Subject: More Big Days
Date: Sun, 9 Feb 2025 22:04:18 +1300
Organization: A noiseless patient Spider
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10 February - Feast of St Paul's Shipwreck (Malta)

Why? Because it's Malta's only appearance in the Bible (Acts 28:1ff.). 
And he's the patron saint of Malta. The text says "Melita", but scholars 
don't seem to have a problem with the identification. The Maltese of the 
time (?59 AD) were Roman citizens, and treated Paul (also a Roman 
citizen) well. They are described as _barbaroi_, meaning they didn't 
speak Greek. (Fr McKenzie thinks probably Punic.)
Paul was on his way to Rome to appeal to Caesar against charges of 
making trouble.
Why 10 February? Don't have any information on that.

https://axhotelsmalta.com/discover-activities-in-malta/activities/feast-st-pauls-shipwreck-malta/

11 February - National Foundation Day (Kenkoku Kinen no Hi) (Japan)

Proclaimed in 1873; abolished after WWII; revived 1967. 11 February (660 
B.C.) is the accession date of Emperor Jimmu, first emperor of Japan. 
(All this is pretty legendary, but...) also "coincidentally" (Wiki), 
date of promulgation of the Meiji Constitution (1889), i.e. the 
foundation of modern Japan.
"In contrast with the events associated with earlier Kigensetsu, 
celebrations for National Foundation Day are relatively moderate. During 
the post-war period and up to 2000, there were two opposing sentiments: 
a caution to prevent ultra-nationalism and a desire to revive cultural 
traditions. As such people generally didn't overtly express nationalism 
or patriotism in public. As a public holiday, government offices, 
schools, banks, and many companies are closed."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Foundation_Day_(Japan)

12 February - Makha Bucha Day (Thailand)

Māgha Pūjā, a Buddhist festival  (also celebrated in Cambodia, Laos, 
Myanmar and Sri Lanka). Magha is the name of the third lunar month, and 
Puja is a ritual or religious observance. "it celebrates a gathering 
that was held between the Buddha and 1,250 of his first disciples, 
which, according to tradition, preceded the custom of periodic 
recitation of discipline by monks. On the day, Buddhists celebrate the 
creation of an ideal and exemplary community, which is why it is 
sometimes called Saṅgha Day, the Saṅgha referring to the Buddhist 
community..."
"...became widely popular in the modern period, when it was instituted 
in Thailand by King Rama IV in the mid-19th century."
” It is an occasion when Buddhists go to the temple to perform 
merit-making activities, such as alms giving, meditation and listening 
to teachings. It has been proposed in Thailand as a more spiritual 
alternative to the celebration of Valentine's Day."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C4%81gha_P%C5%ABj%C4%81