August 11
Holidays
15 holidays recorded on August 11 throughout history
Quote of the Day
“Either you deal with reality, or you can be sure reality is going to deal with you.”
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Saint Attracta was an early Irish female saint associated with County Sligo, possibly a contemporary of Saint Patrick…
Saint Attracta was an early Irish female saint associated with County Sligo, possibly a contemporary of Saint Patrick in the 5th century. She's venerated in the west of Ireland and associated with a healing well at Killaraght. Female saints from early Irish Christianity are poorly documented — the records were mostly kept by men, in monasteries that weren't especially interested in women's religious lives.
Chad gained full sovereignty from France in 1960, ending decades of colonial administration that began in the early t…
Chad gained full sovereignty from France in 1960, ending decades of colonial administration that began in the early twentieth century. This transition transformed the territory into a republic, forcing the new nation to immediately navigate the immense challenges of forging a unified state across diverse ethnic and regional divides.
Tiburtius and Chromatius were Roman martyrs venerated together on August 11.
Tiburtius and Chromatius were Roman martyrs venerated together on August 11. Their Acts were considered apocryphal even in the medieval church — the stories were entertaining but not historically reliable. Pope Benedict XVI's 2002 reform of the Roman calendar removed their feast. But they had been in the calendar for roughly 1,400 years before that. Removed, not forgotten.
Pakistan's Flag Day encourages citizens to display the national flag and contribute to armed forces welfare funds.
Pakistan's Flag Day encourages citizens to display the national flag and contribute to armed forces welfare funds. The observance supports veterans and military families while reinforcing national identity.
August 11 in the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar commemorates multiple saints and martyrs venerated in the tradi…
August 11 in the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar commemorates multiple saints and martyrs venerated in the tradition. The day's observances connect Orthodox Christians worldwide to the shared calendar of the ancient church.
Taurinus of Evreux was a 4th-century bishop who evangelized the region of Normandy, France.
Taurinus of Evreux was a 4th-century bishop who evangelized the region of Normandy, France. His cult developed in the medieval period, and the Abbey of Saint-Taurin in Evreux housed his relics in one of the finest medieval reliquaries in France.
John Henry Newman was an Anglican priest who converted to Roman Catholicism in 1845, eventually becoming a cardinal.
John Henry Newman was an Anglican priest who converted to Roman Catholicism in 1845, eventually becoming a cardinal. His intellectual journey from the Oxford Movement to Rome shaped modern Catholic theology. He was canonized as a saint by Pope Francis in 2019 — a rare honor for a figure who spent half his life in the Church of England.
Athracht was an early Irish saint associated with the area around Killaraght in County Sligo.
Athracht was an early Irish saint associated with the area around Killaraght in County Sligo. She is one of many local saints from Ireland's early Christian period whose stories blend hagiography with local folklore.
Saint Philomena presents a historical puzzle.
Saint Philomena presents a historical puzzle. She was venerated widely from 1802, when her remains were found in Rome and attributed to a martyr of that name. By 1961, the Vatican's historical commission had concluded there was no reliable evidence she had ever existed. Her feast was removed from the Roman calendar. Devotees kept venerating her anyway. Some miracles are not subject to historical review.
Clare of Assisi heard Francis preach when she was seventeen.
Clare of Assisi heard Francis preach when she was seventeen. She ran away from her family, took religious vows from Francis himself, and founded the Order of Poor Ladies — later the Poor Clares. Her family sent men to drag her back twice. Both times she refused to leave. She held the papal bull exempting her community from owning property as she died, in 1253. She'd spent her life protecting that poverty.
Saint Susanna was traditionally a Roman martyr, daughter or niece of a priest, who was killed in 295 AD for refusing …
Saint Susanna was traditionally a Roman martyr, daughter or niece of a priest, who was killed in 295 AD for refusing to marry the emperor Diocletian's adopted son. Her Acts are considered largely legendary. She was venerated in Rome for over 1,500 years. The church of Santa Susanna on the Quirinal Hill, built over what tradition held was her home, still stands. The American Catholic community in Rome worships there.
Saint Taurinus was the first bishop of Évreux in Normandy, traditionally sent from Rome in the 3rd or 4th century.
Saint Taurinus was the first bishop of Évreux in Normandy, traditionally sent from Rome in the 3rd or 4th century. He is venerated as the apostle of the region and credited with establishing the first Christian community there. The Cathedral of Évreux, rebuilt multiple times over the centuries, still bears his name. That's the kind of persistence that gets you a feast day.
Géry of Cambrai was a 6th-7th century bishop who served as bishop of Cambrai for about fifty years, evangelizing the …
Géry of Cambrai was a 6th-7th century bishop who served as bishop of Cambrai for about fifty years, evangelizing the region that is now northern France and Belgium. He was known for destroying a pagan idol in the public square of Cambrai — the act that earned him his reputation for zeal. The city he ministered in changed hands between France and the Habsburg Netherlands multiple times in the centuries after his death.
Saint Fiacre was an Irish monk who settled in France in the 7th century, establishing a hermitage near Meaux east of …
Saint Fiacre was an Irish monk who settled in France in the 7th century, establishing a hermitage near Meaux east of Paris. He grew herbs and treated the sick. He became the patron saint of gardeners — and, centuries later, of taxi drivers, because in Paris the first horse-drawn carriages for hire operated out of the Hôtel Saint-Fiacre. He disliked women intensely and reportedly refused to let them enter his oratory.
Mountain Day became Japan's newest national holiday in 2016, created to give people 'opportunities to get familiar wi…
Mountain Day became Japan's newest national holiday in 2016, created to give people 'opportunities to get familiar with mountains and appreciate blessings from mountains.' Japan's mountainous terrain covers 73% of its land area and deeply shapes its culture, from Mount Fuji to hot spring traditions.