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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260308
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260309
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260205T041013Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260212T071439Z
UID:224183-1772928000-1773014399@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:International Women's Day
DESCRIPTION:International Women’s Day (IWD)\, an international celebration\, honors the social\, economical\, and political achievements made by women everywhere. \nThis secular holiday dates back to the early 1900’s\, a time of turbulent growth in the industrialized world that saw growing demands for women to have the right to vote. Among other relevant historical events\, it commemorates the “Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire”\, on March 25\, 1911 in New York City\, where over 140 women lost their lives. \nBorn from the socialist and labor movements\, International Women’s Day has grown to become a global day of recognition and celebration across developed and developing countries alike. Promoted by the United Nations since 1975\, International Women’s Day is\, in the words of the UN\, “a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions\, whether national\, ethnic\, linguistic\, cultural\, economic or political. It is an occasion for looking back on past struggles and accomplishments\, and more importantly\, for looking ahead to the untapped potential and opportunities that await future generations of women.” \nFor decades\, IWD has increased in strength annually. Women’s organizations and governments around the world have celebrated IWD annually on the 8th of March by holding large-scale events that honor women’s progress and highlight areas where women’s rights still need to be advanced. \nIWD is an occasion that can be celebrated by all community groups that believe women’s rights are human rights. \nEach year on March 8\, hundreds of International Women’s Day events occur all around the world. IWD events range from small random informal gatherings to large-scale highly organized events. All celebrate women’s advancement and highlight the need for continued vigilance and action. The day is about honoring all women and their accomplishments\, this can done by taking part in a large organized activity or by simply honoring the women in one’s life with flowers\, a small gift\, or even a thank you.
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/international-womens-day/
CATEGORIES:holiday
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wp.aofonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/international-womens-day-1.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260310T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260310T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201450Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201450Z
UID:224977-1773169200-1773172800@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Board of Directors Meeting
DESCRIPTION:It’s an AOF planning meeting\, mainly for AOF directors & officers\, but open to all of you. These happen as required and are a lot more fun than they sound.  (learn/fearless-leaders.html) Please join us\, meet the Board\, keep an eye on the shenanigans. We love visitors. We have snacks. And maybe you’ll have some good ideas\, hm? Note\, this will be an actual in-person meeting\, so be sure vaccinations are current\, or wear a mask\, or just don’t cough on us.
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/board-of-directors-meeting/
LOCATION:Reason Center\, 1300 Ethan Way\, Ste 675\, Sac.\, map (https://goo.gl/maps/S5MR1e8ZodBzb4TG8)
CATEGORIES:Planning Meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260313T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260313T210000
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201451Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201451Z
UID:224980-1773428400-1773435600@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Movie and Discussion
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a cozy in-person Movie Night at Sacramento’s Reason Center (https://reasoncenter.org/)\, in a quiet room with cushy seating\, a huge screen\, air conditioning\, and refreshments right at hand. The movie title is a secret because of our MPLC License (https://www.mplc.org/page/the-umbrella-license) and certain legal folderol — but we can drop hints. This 2011 film starring Owen Wilson\, Rachel McAdams\, and Kathy Bates\, is a time travel fantasy made for literary junkies. While on a trip to Paris with his fiancée’s family\, a screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight\, to meet his writer heroes. AOF and Reason Center co-sponsor the Movie Night. The team provides popcorn and other munchies — feel free to bring your own snacks as well. We also encourage a post-film discussion\, which makes this educational if you stretch the word a bit. No fee required to attend\, really\, but donations gratefully accepted. We do have to pay for the room!
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/movie-and-discussion-2/
LOCATION:Reason Center\, 1300 Ethan Way\, Suite 675\,  see map (https://goo.gl/maps/RwiUgEJ5ESHRhrPu8)
CATEGORIES:Recreation
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260314
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260315
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201451Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201451Z
UID:224978-1773446400-1773532799@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Pi Day
DESCRIPTION:Pi\, Greek letter (Π)\, is of course the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi = 3.1415926535… (This is pi to just ten decimal places; it is an irrational number\, meaning the digits continue infinitely without repeating.) Math enthusiasts around the world celebrate Pi Day on March 14th\, i.e. 3/14 in the American dating convention\, since the first three digits of PI are 3.14 (March 14 also happens to be Albert Einstein’s birthday).  “Pi Moment” occurs on that day just before 3:10 pm (more precisely\, 15:9:26.5). The San Francisco Exploratorium celebrated the first Pi Day in 1988\, with staff and public marching around one of its circular spaces\, and then consuming fruit pies. Since then\, the museum has added pizza pies to its Pi Day menu. The founder of Pi Day\, the “Prince of Pi\,” is Larry Shaw\, now retired from the Exploratorium\, but still helping with the celebrations. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology often mails out its acceptance letters to be delivered to prospective students on Pi Day.  Celebrate Pi Day by doing anything to get students interested in mathematics. Teachers can organize many unique activities for students to generate interest. It is also used to inform students as well as the rest of the public about Pi\, its history and applications. Pi Day parties in math and science classes are common\, utilizing different types of pies\, all the while teaching students about Pi.
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/pi-day/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260316
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260317
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201452Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201452Z
UID:224981-1773619200-1773705599@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Freedom of Information Day
DESCRIPTION:Freedom of Information (FOI) Day (http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/press/information/topic.aspx?topic=FOI_Day) is an annual event on March 16\, the birthday of James Madison\, widely regarded as the Father of the Constitution and a foremost advocate for openness in government. On this day\, the American Library Association (http://www.ala.org/) presents the James Madison Award and the Eileen Cooke State & Local Madison Award to recognize those individuals or groups that have championed\, protected\, and promoted public access to government information and the public’s right to know.   The James Madison Award – Named for President James Madison\, the award was established in 1986 and is presented annually on the anniversary of his birth. That award is designed to celebrate an individual or group that has brought awareness to these issues at the national level.  The Eileen Cooke State & Local Madison Award – Named for Eileen Cooke\, former director of the ALA’s Washington Office\, this award honors an extraordinary leader who has built local grassroots awareness of the importance of access to information. Cooke herself was a tireless advocate for the public’s right to know and a mentor to many librarians and trustees. 
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/freedom-of-information-day/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260316
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260323
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201453Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201453Z
UID:224986-1773619200-1774223999@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Sunshine Week
DESCRIPTION:Sunshine Week (http://www.sunshineweek.org/) includes Freedom of Information Day (March 16)\, the birthday of James Madison\, and runs through that calendar week. Madison was the principal author of the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights which guarantee the rights of citizens.  Therefore Sunshine Week stands as a national initiative to open discussions about the important or open government and the freedom of information.  Sunshine Week dates back to 2002 when the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors launched Sunshine Sunday in response to efforts by some Florida legislators to create new exemptions to the state’s public records law. After Florida’s initiation on this topic\, other states followed its course. The American Society of Newspaper Editors launched Sunshine Week in March 2005. It has become an annual event.  Sunshine Week is not restricted to journalists. Anyone can be involved: students\, teachers\, bloggers\, private citizens\, public officials and non-profit groups. The only requirement is to engage in a public discussion either small or large about the importance of open government. A discussion can take many forms: a large public forum\, a classroom discussion\, an article or an editorial. The idea of participation is not about how much\, but about actually being involved.  To participate in Sunshine Week\, see https://sunshineweek.org/ (https://sunshineweek.org/) for ideas.
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/sunshine-week/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260319
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260322
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201452Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201452Z
UID:224982-1773878400-1774137599@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Equinox (March)
DESCRIPTION:The March Equinox (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equinox) is one of two days in the calendar year when day and night hours are nearly equal; in the northern hemisphere\, it is also the first day of Spring (Gregorian calendar). Annual seasons exist because of two planetary occurrences: 1)  a 23.5° tilt of the earth’s axis\, which makes the earth rotate like a gyroscope\, so it points continuously in a fixed direction-toward the area of space near the North Star 2)  the earth continuously revolves around the sun in an elliptical orbit-once every 365.25 of our solar days. So for half of the year the Southern Hemisphere is more exposed to the sun than the Northern Hemisphere\, and for the other half of the year the reverse is true. At noontime in the Northern Hemisphere the sun appears highest in the sky during summer and lowest in the sky during winter. The Vernal (Spring) Equinox is almost exactly halfway between the winter and summer solstices\, and in the sky the sun appears about midway between its highest and lowest points. It is one of the two times during the year when day and night are almost exactly 12 hours long\, and very close to being equal to one another. The other day is the Autumnal Equinox\, which usually falls on or near the first day of Autumn (September 22-23 northern hemisphere / March 20-21 southern) in the Gregorian calendar. The First Day of Spring has been a time of celebration throughout recorded Western history. Most ancient Mediterranean Pagan religions had some sort of festival at or around the time of the Vernal Equinox. The celebrations were a way to rejoice in the rebirth of nature and to ritually act out this seasonal change\, from the symbolic death of the earth in winter to its resurrection through the budding and blooming that came after the equinox. Many of these religions had stories of a man-god\, born of a virgin\, who was killed and reborn at this time each year\, and this day was often connected to the worship of many fertility goddesses with such names as Ostara\, Astarte\, Eostre\, Ishtar\, and Ostra. The name for the modern Christian Easter holiday originated from these spring celebrations. In every culture the Vernal Equinox signals the return of weather that favors our ability to grow agricultural crops\, and for this reason we have associated it with the “rebirth” of our ability to perpetuate ourselves. It is understandable why we have chosen to celebrate such a momentous occasion\, and why it has come to represent “rebirth” in a variety of contexts. For freethinkers the Vernal Equinox is a great time to celebrate the rebirth of Western art\, philosophy\, and culture with secular themes after centuries of religious domination. It is also a perfect day to celebrate the accomplishments of intellect\, reason\, and logic\, and a time to renew connections to our intellectual past as well as renew promises to continue striving to enlighten and improve the human condition. Another freethought holiday to celebrate around this time\, and as an alternative to Easter\, is the Excitement of Life Week (http://www.secularseasons.org/calendar/2003/april/excitement_of_life.html).
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/equinox-march/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260322T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260322T160000
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260211T014640Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260212T071236Z
UID:224308-1774188000-1774195200@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Protest Songs
DESCRIPTION:Sunday\, March 22\, 2026\, 02:00pm – 04:00pm\n\n\n\n\nLocation :  Reason Center\, 1300 Ethan Way\, Ste 675\, Sac.\, map. \n\nAmerican Protest Songs\, presented by the lyrical Michael Hersher.  Details TBA. \n\n\nContact :  See the AOF Contact page (http://www.aofonline.org/contact.html)\nA free event with free parking. Open to the public. Doors open 1:45pm. Bring snacks or a beverage to share if you can. AOF provides cool\, clear water.
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/protest-songs/
LOCATION:Reason Center\, 1300 Ethan Way Suite 675\, Elk Grove\, United States
CATEGORIES:aof event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wp.aofonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BSM7AAYOSWZNXG5JQU6PCQ6PQQ.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260322T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260322T160000
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201452Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201452Z
UID:224984-1774188000-1774195200@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Protest Songs
DESCRIPTION:The lyrical Michael Hersher will tell you the history of\, and lead you in the singing of\, old and new songs related to unions\, immigration\, peace\, women’s rights\, and class struggle. Michael will bring the words. You bring the spirit! (And if you can’t sing good\, sing loud.) Michael worked for many years as a lawyer for the State of California on farm worker labor relations and public education. He ended up as a mediator for special education disputes. He has been a folk singer and political activist since the 60s\, having grown up in a family of freethinkers and atheists. Michael’s parents were victims of McCarthyism in the 50s. In the last 40 years\, Michael has performed and taught protest songs to comfort and inspire folks on picket lines\, demonstrations\, and in classrooms and places of worship.
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/protest-songs-2/
LOCATION:Reason Center\, 1300 Ethan Way\, Ste 675\, Sac.\, map (https://goo.gl/maps/S5MR1e8ZodBzb4TG8).
CATEGORIES:Feature Event
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260323
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260324
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201453Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201453Z
UID:224985-1774224000-1774310399@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Atheist Coming-Out Day
DESCRIPTION:Atheist Day or Atheist Coming-Out Day (http://www.atheistrepublic.com/atheist-day) is a relatively new global secular holiday declared in 2019 by the Freedom From Religon Foundation (https://ffrf.org/) in partnership with the Atheist Republic (http://www.atheistrepublic.com/). In the words of the declaration: “We atheists and atheist allies hereby declare that from now on\, March 23rd is Atheist Day. We recognize the struggle of atheists to live authentic lives in many parts of the world. The struggle to openly affirm one’s atheism. The fear of intolerant governments\, mobs\, and religious zealots. “On March 23rd we shall take a stand for our right to be treated equal and for those of us in countries where atheists are persecuted and live under a threat of death. From every city in every country in the world we shall be one voice\, a voice of reason.”
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/atheist-coming-out-day/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260331T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260331T190000
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201453Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201453Z
UID:224988-1774972800-1774983600@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Davis Community Meal - Feed the Hungry
DESCRIPTION:The Davis Community Meal project serves meals to the hungry\, the poor\, the indigent\, the outcast. It happens in bucolic Davis city\, so near to us\, where compassionate citizens have developed a secular solution for the problem of hunger\, and need our help. So join us in this effort. Your reward will be an opportunity to meet new minds and hobnob with your freethought friends\, a likely free meal\, jazzy music\, and the rosey hearts-glow of benevolence. Also\, seriously\, it’s a blast! Cooking? Dish washing? Pshaw\, none required. The Davis Community Meals team will perform all the food prep and kitchen work. Our job is simply to set up chairs & tables\, serve\, smile\, put things away at the end\, and clean a bit (with a minimum of mopping). Extra points if you can arrive for setup\, but if you can’t\, that’s OK\, any help is good help. Setup begins about 4:30 p.m.\, food service at about 5:45. At 6:30 we clean up\, leaving the hall as we found it. For details\, please see Davis Community Meals (http://daviscommunitymeals.org/). For a map to the site\, see: Martin’s Episcopal Church (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=640+Hawthorne+Lane\,+davis+ca). (Yes\, a church hall\, so what?)
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/davis-community-meal-feed-the-hungry/
LOCATION:St. Martin’s Episcopal Church hall\, 640 Hawthorne Lane\, Davis\, CA\, see map (http://binged.it/1uBpi57)
CATEGORIES:Community Service
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260401
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260402
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201453Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201453Z
UID:224989-1775001600-1775087999@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:April Fool's Day
DESCRIPTION:You gotta be kidding me …For decades\, April Fools Day has been a celebration of nonsense. Practical jokes and other foolish activities mark the morning hours of April 1st. But by one tradition\, all foolish behavior must cease by noon\, or roles will be reversed\, and the joke will be on you! Foolery abounds in our 21st Century culture; April Fools Day offers to groups\, organizations and individuals committed to minimizing the nonsense and gobbledygook in our world\, a chance to educate and enlighten the public through fun events and activity. It also gives us an opportunity to commemorate Steve Allen by officially recognizing Dumbth (http://www.amazon.com/Dumbth-Thinking-Reason-Better-Improve/dp/1573922374) as the Book of the Month. Activity Suggestions … A Parody of the Paranormal: Though it’s shunned upon by some\, ridicule can be a powerful tool and April Fools Day offers an outlet to employ parody and satire in a constructive way. Through skit\, fun activity and wacky presentations\, consider how your group can mimic the nonsensical ideas that circulate within the paranormal communities and accompanying the activity with hand-outs and informational materials thereby serving to educate others about many of the pseudosciences and other unsupported ideas. Blunder Expo: “To err is human” wrote Shakespeare and yes indeed\, we humans can often make silly mistakes and do stupid things! Politicians\, the media\, celebrities and other people living in the public eye are especially prone to blunders. Blunders have even changed the course of history. A Blunder Expo can help draw attention to the mistakes and foolishness that have plagued our kind and possibly work to minimize such behavior in the future. It also provides an opportunity to promote critical thought – one of our many tools in helping to avoid mistakes and stupidity. Monty Python Film Festival: What better way to celebrate April Fools Day than to sit and watch those masters of the absurd and foolish tweak the noses of society\, religion\, and politics\, and still have room for a fish dance or two! With today’s abundance of videocassettes and DVDs that showcase the best of Monty Python on film and television\, take a few days or a weekend out as a group to gather in front of the television\, serve up your favorite snacks\, and watch the unofficial comedy troupe of the freethought movement.  
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/april-fools-day/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260410T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260410T210000
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260205T015332Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260326T183907Z
UID:224152-1775847600-1775854800@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Movie and Discussion
DESCRIPTION:Location :  Reason Center\, 1300 Ethan Way\, Suite 675\, see map \n\nJoin us for a cozy in-person Movie Night at Sacramento’s Reason Center\, in a quiet room with cushy seating and a huge screen and refreshments right at hand. The movie title is a secret because of our MPLC License and certain legal folderol — but we can drop hints. This month’s film\, from 2013\, celebrates Black History Month. It stars the late Chadwick Boseman\, T.R. Knight\, and Harrison Ford. “In 1947\, Jackie Robinson becomes the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era when he was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers and faces considerable racism in the process.” \nAOF and Reason Center co-sponsor the Movie Night. The team provides popcorn and other munchies — feel free to bring your own snacks as well. We also encourage a post-film discussion\, which makes this educational if you stretch the word a bit. No fee required to attend\, really\, but donations gratefully accepted. We do have to pay for the room! \n\n\nContact :  See http://reasoncenter.com/contact/\nFree Movie Nights are a joint venture of AOF and Reason Center. Suggest your own fave film for next time!
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/movie-and-discussion/
LOCATION:Reason Center\, 1300 Ethan Way Suite 675\, Elk Grove\, United States
CATEGORIES:aof event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wp.aofonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Movie-night.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260412
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260413
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201454Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201454Z
UID:224990-1775952000-1776038399@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Yuri's Night\, or Cosmonauts Day
DESCRIPTION:Yuri’s Night\, also called Cosmonauts Day\, is a day in honor of Yuri Gagarin\, who became the first human in space on April 12\, 1961. Twenty years later on the same day the U.S. launched the first space shuttle. The Soviet Union first celebrated Cosmonauts Day in 1962\, on the first anniversary of Gagarin successful flight into space. It was celebrated annually in the USSR and then Russia. The idea for a worldwide celebration of space and technology sprang into existence at the United Nations’ Space Generation Advisory Council Conference in September of 2000. The new\, worldwide Yuri’s Night was first celebrated on April 12\, 2001 and has since become an annual international celebration. Yuri’s Night not only celebrates space and technology\, but also the principles of freethinking. Once people thought that the other planets travelled around Earth. It took courage as well as intelligence for people to argue against the religiously-ordained view of the Earth as the center of the universe. Celebrating Yuri’s Night not only is about celebrating his historic achievement\, but all accomplishments of science that have overturned dogma and advanced our knowledge of our universe. Yuri’s Night has become an international phenomenon since its introduction in 2001. Every year coordinators and participants look to broaden the spectrum of events held. The range of events is as diverse as the people who hold them; even residents of the International Space Station have been known to join in the fun. Whether in someone’s living room\, a nightclub or a world-class science museum\, Cosmonauts Day events all have one thing in common: people who are excited about space exploration\, science\, freethought\, and want to join together to celebrate it. Participating in Cosmonauts Day isn’t difficult: if finding an already existing party near is hard\, then get your friends together call it a Yuri’s Night party. Getting people to think about space\, science\, and freethought is the focus no matter the venue. “Circling the earth in my orbital spaceship I marveled at its beauty. People of the world\, let us safeguard and enhance this beauty\, not destroy it!” — Yuri Gagarin
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/yuris-night-or-cosmonauts-day/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260415
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260422
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201454Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201454Z
UID:224992-1776211200-1776815999@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Ask An Atheist Day
DESCRIPTION:National Ask an Atheist Day (https://www.wheniscalendars.com/national-ask-an-atheist-day/) is a movible secular holiday occurring twice each year — on the 3rd Thursday of April (anywhere from April 15 to April 21)\, and on the 3rd Thursday of September (from Sept 15 to Sep 21). As if atheists don’t have enough to do already. “NAaA Day” is an opportunity for secular groups across the country to dispell stereotypes about atheism and to encourage constructive\, courteous dialogue between believers and nonbelievers. And it is an opportunity for the general public—particularly people of faith—to approach non-theists and ask questions about secular life. Please don’t be afraid to spark up a discussion with us\, we won’t bite. Most don’t\, anyway. The first NAaA Day was in February of 2011\, when members of the Secular Student Alliance (https://secularstudents.org/) (SSA) at the University of Illinois set up a table with a sign that said “Ask an Atheist.” The next month an article appeared in the Friendly Atheist website (https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/)\, written by a “Guest Contributor” (probably an SSA member)\, saying the event was a smashing success and the Illinois group hoped to take the day nationally. “The SSA is ready to help\,” it added. Since then NAaA Day has occurred across the nation each April since\, and soon in September as well. For those interested\, it helps to know a bit about atheism. Of course the point is to ask atheists questions\, but here is some background. Generally atheists have no belief in deities\, which is not quite the same as a positive belief no deity exists. The prefix “a” just means “without.” Atheism has no set ideology—atheists may be humanists\, rationalists\, Unitarian Universalists\, postmodernists\, secularists\, among other things. Historically\, Greek and Roman philosophers and writers such as Epicurus\, Democritus\, and Lucretius had an influence on what would become atheism. The term didn’t appear until the sixteenth century\, a time when freethought and skepticism began to flourish. Some that lived during the Age of Enlightenment were the first to identify themselves as atheists. The supremacy of human reason was an facit of the French Revolution\, and it was at this time that atheism first became used politically. Science also began to lock horns with orthodox religion during the second half of the nineteenth century. Today it is challenging to estimate how many atheists are in the world. A 2015 poll claimed about 11% of the world’s population are atheists\, and a 2012 poll claimed the number to be 13% (both WIN/Gallup International polls). A BBC poll from 2004 put the number at 8%. Europe and Asia seem to have the largest number of atheists. In 2015\, 61% of Chinese citizens identified as atheists. How to observe the day. If you call yourself an atheist\, you can celebrate the day in a variety of ways. For example\, set up a table where believers and others can come up to you and ask you questions about atheism\, secular living\, and your beliefs (or nonbeliefs). You can email (mailto:organizers@secularstudents.org) the SSA for supplies for your table\, such as brochures\, stickers (https://secularstudents.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/AAAD-stickers-768×632.jpg)\, posters\, and flyers. You could also wear the stickers and put flyers up on campus (flyers could be put up before the day as well). You could organize an “ask an atheist” panel event\, or go on a radio station and have an “ask an atheist” segment where listeners are able to call in and ask you questions about atheism. When posting on social media\, use the hashtag #askanatheist. For more about the day and how to participate\, take a look at the Ask An Atheist Day Activity Guide (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XJObSWsJnmFY29WDsCGmMeJzCGax0QfQ/view). But what if you aren’t an atheist? Celebrate NAaA Day by asking an atheist about atheism! The day is meant to be filled with respectful dialogue\, so make sure to participate in such a way\, no matter if you are an atheist or the person asking questions.
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/ask-an-atheist-day/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260422
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260423
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201454Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201454Z
UID:224991-1776816000-1776902399@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Earth Day
DESCRIPTION:Earth Day is a day to grow and diversify the environmental movement\, and to mobilize our resources to promote a healthy\, sustainable planet. Earth Day is the only Secular Holiday celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds\, faiths and nationalities. More than a half billion people participate in Earth Day campaigns every year. U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson founded Earth Day in 1970 to push the environment onto the national agenda. It is an inclusive event\, attracting people of all religions and beliefs. Non-religious groups have many reasons to celebrate Earth Day: those who don’t believe in heaven or divine intervention realize that this world is all we have and that it is in our hands to protect it. Those who believe that the scientific method is the best way to gain understanding of our world\, can also use Earth Day to promote the best available science about environmental issues. Secular groups can use this annual event to network with environmental groups and other organizations. You can celebrate Earth Day in many different ways. Events across the globe are often designed to bring notice of the environment to lawmakers. Events also take place on college and school campuses. Meetings intended for the sole purpose of attracting attention to the cause are the most common; these meetings often employ music\, speakers\, and other attractions to generate attention.  
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/earth-day/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260426T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260426T160000
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201454Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260331T030613Z
UID:224994-1777201200-1777219200@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:AOF at Sacramento Earth Day
DESCRIPTION:Sac Earth Day is the largest Earth Day festival in the Central Valley\, hosted each year by the Environmental Council of Sacramento. And a nicer team of squeaky liberal tree-huggers you could never hope to meet! Free to all\, this event provides you with fun\, games\, music\, info on healthy gardens and sustainability\, and a chance to meander in fresh air and enjoy the cheerful cacophony of every cause\, genre and crackpot calling to you at once. Once again\, AOF will proudly sponsor and table\, adding to the hubbub and crackpottery. Find it all on the central green in beautiful Southside Park where experts will advise you on Build Green concepts — education\, climate\, water\, gardening\, and habitat. It will inspire action and advocacy to move our world toward sustainability. As you meander\, visit us of course. Stop by the AOF table to schmooze. It may take effort to find us\, but you’ll have fun looking. And we get lonely you know. In fact\, if you can volunteer to join us for an hour or two\, contact the AOF president now at the email link below. (mailto:president@aofonline.org.) Just say what hour(s) you can spare to help us table. Sacramento Earth Day: a delight\, a maelstrom and kaleidoscope of art\, live music\, vegan-friendly food trucks\, cute dogs\, assorted cults\, earnest screeds\, well-aged hippies\, tables piled with candy and free swag\, and more.
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/aof-at-sacramento-earth-day/
LOCATION:Southside Park\, 2115 6th St\, Sacramento\, CA\, 95818\, United States
CATEGORIES:aof event,Community Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wp.aofonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/earth_day_environmental_protection-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260501
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260508
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201455Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201455Z
UID:224995-1777593600-1778198399@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:National Day of Reason
DESCRIPTION:The National Day of Reason (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_day_of_reason) (NDoR)\, endorsed first in 2003 and honored by U.S. secularists\, occurs on the first Thursday of May. NDoR is a response and counterbalance to the National Day of Prayer\, designated by the US Congress since 1952. On this day all humanist Americans can join hands to celebrate rational thinking—a concept all can or should support. The goal: to raise public awareness of the persistent threat to religious liberty posed by government intrusion into the sphere of private worship. For details\, and to learn about events in your area\, see http://www.nationaldayofreason.org/ (http://www.nationaldayofreason.org/). Other organizations such as the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia (http://www.phillyethics.org/) have designated this the Rational Day of Care\, a day to donate home-cooked meals to the Aid for Friends project\, or perform other acts of humanistic charity. On January 23\, 1808\, in a letter to the Reverend Samuel Miller\, our Founding Father Thomas Jefferson had these words: “Fasting and prayer are religious exercises; the enjoining them an act of discipline. Every religious society has a right to determine for itself the time for these exercises\, and the objects proper for them\, according to their own particular tenets; and right can never be safer than in their hands\, where the Constitution has deposited it. …civil powers alone have been given to the President of the United States and no authority to direct the religious exercises of his constituents.”  The National Day of Reason is a movable secular holiday. It can occur any time from May 1 to May 7.    (http://www.nationaldayofreason.org/)
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/national-day-of-reason/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260517T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260517T160000
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201455Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201455Z
UID:224997-1779026400-1779033600@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Doctor R. Snick returns
DESCRIPTION:Andrei Pischalnikoff aka Dr R Snick returns Prepare to be shocked\, amazed\, entertained\, and possibly grossed out. The good Doctor R. Snick will be back to shed light on the origins of the patent medicine shows that began in England then spread in the US like that unfortunate rash. You know the one. You’ll learn of operations ranging from small time to sophisticated shows that made outrageous profits using slick marketing and performances to sell “Snake Oil” and certain unspeakable devices. These medicines and devices offered false cures. False\, we stress. Don’t try these\, please. But they were especially entertaining to a gullible nation before the arrival of radio\, film and the FDA. Andrei Pischainikoff\, AKA Doctor R. Snick\, has been a storyteller using various media for several years. He began his journey speaking about 19th and 20th century quackery (fake medicine) and oddities in 2022. He delivers captivating shows about patent medicines\, snake oils\, medicine shows\, sticky oddities and Memento Mori while focusing on the audience’s interests. This event is our gift to you. You don’t need to get us anything. Discover much more about Andrei at doctorrsnicks.com (https://www.doctorrsnick.com/).     
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/doctor-r-snick-returns/
LOCATION:Reason Center\, 1300 Ethan Way\, Ste 675\, Sac.\, map (https://goo.gl/maps/S5MR1e8ZodBzb4TG8)
CATEGORIES:Feature Event
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260525
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260526
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201455Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201455Z
UID:224999-1779667200-1779753599@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Towel Day
DESCRIPTION:Towel Day (http://towelday.org/) is the annual celebration of the life and writings of Douglas Adams (1952-2001)\, humorist\, humanist\, conservationist\, science fiction writer\, and social critic. On that day\, fans around the universe proudly carry a towel in his honor. Why a towel? Don’t panic\, go to the website to see – or better yet\, read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy_(novel)). It’s a great book.  
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/towel-day/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260526
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260527
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201455Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201455Z
UID:224998-1779753600-1779839999@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Opposite Day
DESCRIPTION:Some say the proper date is May 26\, some say April 30\, some say March 27th — can you ever be sure? When someone says “Today is Opposite Day\,” he might be lying!  Opposite Day is a day to say the reverse of what you mean\, with a wink\, with a nod; a day when “no” means “yes” and “shut up” means “keep talking;” a day to be nice to your boss\, teacher or enemy\, and a complete jerk to your best friend; a day to turn words on their head; a day to tie knots in logic. Celebrate with care. It might get you in trouble!
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/opposite-day/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260528
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260529
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201456Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201456Z
UID:225000-1779926400-1780012799@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Birthday of Science
DESCRIPTION:The Birthday of Science marks the day Thales of Miletus (in 585 BCE) correctly predicted a solar eclipse. A better choice might be the discovery of fire or the wheel\, but we don’t know exactly when that happened\, or who did it. We do know about Thales. His prediction was significant because the idea of cause and effect (causality) applies to all science. Given any phenomenon\, with the exception of purely random quantum events\, in principle we can trace its cause or causes\, and the cause of those causes\, back through time — until all cause-tracks merge at the “Big Bang\,” beyond which\, presumably\, no tracks remain. The seeds of our life and future were sewn then. The Large Hadron Collider (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Hadron_Collider) is an effort to re-create those first moments. Science desires a beginning that applies to the big picture\, and a sense of order and predictability.  That is where causality leads us.
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/birthday-of-science/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260601
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260602
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201456Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201456Z
UID:225001-1780272000-1780358399@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Hug an Atheist Day
DESCRIPTION:In 2009\, freethinker William Bermudez started Hug an Atheist Day (http://www.weirdholiday.com/hug-an-atheist-day/) (June 1st) to poke fun at other groups popping up at the time to encouraged hugging. He called for people to run up and hug atheists or any nonbeliever in general\, whether agnostic\, skeptic\, secular humanist\, or with other heretical views. In the words of one blogger: It doesn’t matter what your worldview is\, practice a little tolerance. Find your nearest Atheist\, Absurdist\, Agnostic\, Anti-Religionist\, Antitheist\, Apatheist\, Deist\, Dystheist\, Existentialist\, Freethinker\, Gropaga\, Ignostic\, Mahayana\, Marxist\, Misotheist\, Naturalistic Pantheist\, Nihilist\, Nontheist\, Pastafarian\, Secular Humanist\, Skeptic\, Spagnostic\, Structuralist\, Buddhist\, Zenbuddhist\, or anyone else who doubts the existence of a god\, and  & give him/her the biggest hug ever! But use common sense\, because not everyone appreciates uninvited hugs.
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/hug-an-atheist-day/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260605
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260606
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201456Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201456Z
UID:225002-1780617600-1780703999@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:World Environment Day
DESCRIPTION:The goal of World Environment Day is to stimulate worldwide awareness of environmental issues\, and to generate action for conservation. The United Nations General Assembly established World Environment Day (http://worldenvironmentday.global/) in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. Each year World Environment Day celebrations occur at a different location around the globe. To find a location for this year\, see: World Environment Day Events (https://www.unenvironment.org/events). World Environment Day gives environmental issues a human face\, one with which we can identify. The philosophy of the Day has changed little over the last three decades; it still strives to associate faces with environmental issues and empower people to be advocates of sustainable and equitable development. By promoting an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing the attitudes towards environmental issues\, and advocating partnerships\, World Environment Day strives to ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safe\, clean\, healthy\, and more prosperous future. In the words of the United Nations Environment Programme\, “On this World Environment Day\, let us not despair\, but instead examine the state of our environment. Let us consider carefully the actions which each of us must take\, and then address ourselves to our common task of preserving all life on earth in a mood of sober resolution and quiet confidence.” Groups around the world hold activities to acknowledge and celebrate this day. Find an activity near you\, and join the fun!
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/world-environment-day/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260619
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260620
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201456Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201456Z
UID:225003-1781827200-1781913599@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Juneteenth
DESCRIPTION:Juneteenth (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juneteenth)\, an unofficial American secular holiday but official in Texas\, commemorates a major milestone: slavery’s end in the United States. On June 19\, 1865\, Union soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger landed at Galveston\, Texas\, with news that the war was over and the enslaved were now free. This was two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation (official on Jan 1\, 1863). The Proclamation had had little impact in Texas due to a lack of federal troops to enforce it – but with General Granger’s arrival\, Union forces were finally strong enough to overcome resistance. Why a two and a half year delay in the recognition of Emanicipation? Variant stories try to explain this. One concerns a messenger murdered on his way to Texas with the news. Another is that enslavers deliberately supressed the news to maintain the labor force on their plantations. Another\, that federal troops actually waited for slave owners to reap the benefits of one last cotton harvest before going to Texas. For some\, very likely\, President Lincoln’s authority over the rebel states was still in question. Whatever the truth of it\, conditions in Texas sadly remained status quo well beyond what was statutory. On arrival\, General Granger’s first order of business was to proclaim General Order Number 3 (http://www.juneteenth.com/general_order_no_3.htm)\, which began as follows: “The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States\, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves\, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.” Reactions ranged from shock to jubilation. While many lingered to learn of the new employer-to-employee relationship\, others left before offers were completely off the lips of their former ‘masters’ – attesting to the varying conditions on the plantations and the realization of freedom. Even with nowhere to go\, they felt that leaving the plantation would be their first breath of freedom. Moving North was logical; for many it represented true freedom\, while the desire to reach family members in neighboring states drove some into Louisiana\, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Settling into these new areas as free men and women brought on new realities and the challenges of establishing a heretofore non-existent status for black people in America. Recounting the memories of that great day in June of 1865 and its festivities would serve as motivation as well as a release from the growing pressures encountered in their new territories. The celebration of June 19th\, coined “Juneteenth” but also called “Freedom Day\,” “Liberation Day” and “Jubilee Day\,” began the next year and grew yearly with participation from abolitionists and family of former slaves. The Juneteenth celebration became a time to reassure each other\, to gather with family\, and to hear speakers recount the abuses of the past. Decades after Emancipation\, Juneteenth continued to be revered in Texas with many former slaves and descendants making an annual pilgrimage back to Galveston on the date. Modern American secularists can mark this day by educating themselves about this stain on our history. A good starting point is The Middle Passage by Dr. John Henrick Clarke (https://www.juneteenth.com/middlep.htm).
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/juneteenth/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260620
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260624
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201457Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201457Z
UID:225005-1781913600-1782259199@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Solstice (June)
DESCRIPTION:Called Summer Solstice in the northern hemisphere\, Winter Solstice in the southern\, people have marked the June Solstice in some way or another for thousands of years. Many religions have seasonal holy days linked to this day. It is the day when the Northern Hemisphere has more daylight than at any other time of the year. In the Southern Hemisphere\, the least daylight occurs this day in June. The precise date of the June Solstice varies from year to year\, but usually it is between the 20th and 23rd of June. “Solstice” comes from two Latin words: “sol” (meaning sun) and “sistere\,” (to cause to stand still). At noon in either hemisphere the sun will be high in the sky during summer\, low during winter. On the day with the greatest number of daylight hours\, the sun reaches its maximum elevation; we call this the Summer Solstice. Likewise\, the day with the least daylight is the Winter Solstice. In the Northern Hemisphere\, the June Solstice is officially the first day of summer\, also called Midsummer because it comes roughly during the midst of the growing season in Europe.
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/solstice-june/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260621
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260622
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201456Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201456Z
UID:225004-1782000000-1782086399@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:World Humanist Day
DESCRIPTION:(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Humanist_Day)World Humanist Day is a day to spread information and combat misinformation about humanism as a life-philosophy and a means to affect change in the world. This secular holiday dates back to the 1980s\, when several local state chapters of the American Humanist Association (http://www.humanist.net/) (AHA) began celebrating World Humanist Day. Different chapters had different ideas as to when that day should be\, however. In the late 1980s and early 1990s\, the AHA and then the International Humanist Ethical Union passed resolutions declaring the Summer Solstice to be World Humanist Day. The American Humanist Association (http://www.humanist.net/)\, the International Humanist and Ethical Union (http://www.iheu.org/)\, the Council for Secular Humanism (http://www.secularhumanism.org/)\, the Campus Freethought Alliance (http://www.campusfreethought.org/) and the Secular Student Alliance (http://www.secularstudents.org/) currently celebrate World Humanist Day. Use this secular holiday to educate the public in your area about humanism\, and to gather and celebrate as a humanist community that continues to contribute to the progress and education of the world. A picnic\, is a particularly good way to celebrate World Humanist Day. Read your favorite humanist texts aloud; spend time socializing with your fellow humanists in a relaxed\, natural environment.
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/world-humanist-day/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260626
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260627
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201457Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201457Z
UID:225006-1782432000-1782518399@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Torture Victims' Day
DESCRIPTION:In 1997\, the United Nations General Assembly passed resolution 52/149\, establishing June 26 as the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Day_in_Support_of_Victims_of_Torture). The goal is the eradication of torture and the effective functioning of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel\, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (resolution 39/46\, annex\, 26 June 1987). This day gives us all an opportunity to stand united against cruelty\, and remind the world that torture is a violation of basic human rights. Clearly the abolition of torture is a key issue to freethinkers and humanists\, and too often the worst perpetrators of this atrocity are highly religious societies. But secular societies have been far from innocent of it.  This is a cause where we can often join hands with our religious brothers and sisters. Take a moment on this day to visit the United Nations webpage (https://www.un.org/en/observances/torture-victims-day) for this secular holiday. “At a time when the legitimate aspirations of people in many regions of the world for greater freedom\, dignity and a better life are too often met with violence and repression\, I urge States to respect the fundamental rights of all people. Torture and other forms of cruel\, degrading and inhuman treatment and punishment\, wherever they occur and whatever the circumstances\, can never be justified.” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Message for the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture\, 2011  
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/torture-victims-day/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260628T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260628T160000
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201457Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201457Z
UID:225008-1782655200-1782662400@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:SMUD
DESCRIPTION:A presentation from the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (https://www.smud.org/)\, undoubtedly about SMUD-ish issues.  Details TBA.
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/smud/
LOCATION:Reason Center\, 1300 Ethan Way\, Ste 675\, Sac.\, map (https://goo.gl/maps/S5MR1e8ZodBzb4TG8).
CATEGORIES:Feature Event
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260701
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260702
DTSTAMP:20260404T065159
CREATED:20260310T201458Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T201458Z
UID:225009-1782864000-1782950399@wp.aofonline.org
SUMMARY:Chevalier de la Barre Day
DESCRIPTION:Mainly a French observance\, Chevalier de la Barre Day is for all who opposes religious oppression\, marking the execution of the Chevalier de la Barre for impiety. On July 1\, 1766\, church authorities tortured and killed young Jean-Francois de la Barre (the “Chevalier de la Barre” because he held the title of Chevalier or “knight”) for impiety. His reputed “crimes” included not doffing his hat at a religious procession\, singing bawdy songs\, and the possession of banned books by Voltaire\, a famed writer of his day and a leading critic of the Catholic Church. An outraged Voltaire made the execution a cause célèbre\, haunted by “this sentence so execrable\, and at the same time so absurd\, which is an eternal disgrace to France\,” because a key piece of evidence used against La Barre was La Barre’s possession of Voltaire’s Philosophical Dictionary. The Chevalier and two young friends had been accused of defacing a crucifix in the French town of Abbeville. None saw this happen\, but local clergy harassed and harrangued the villagers until a few\, fearing excommunication\, vaguely recalled three youths who had not removed their hats at a recent Catholic procession. They pointed out La Barre and his friends. Once charged\, one of the youths fled to Holland\, and one (only 15 years old) was simply fined. Only the 19 year old La Barre remained. A search of his home turned up three forbidden books. The courts and the church decided they had their ideal suspect. Mercilessly they tortured him\, cut out his tongue\, then decapitated him. Eventually they burned his body on a pyre along with his copy of Voltaire’s book. In 1905\, a statue of Jean-Francois\, Chevalier de la Barre was built in Montmartre\, on the outskirts of Paris. In 1941\, Nazi collaborationists removed it and melted down for munitions for the war effort – while leaving statues of saints and kings intact. In France\, Chevalier de la Barre Day often features demonstrations in his memory. Today\, freethinkers in France and the West experience great freedom in their lives\, but in other cultures still torture and kill freethinkers and disidents for their beliefs. Chevalier de la Barre Day is therefore a day to remember all those men and women persecuted by religion\, and to campaign for the rights of those persecuted today. For more information\, see: Chevalier de la Barre (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Fran%C3%A7ois_de_la_Barre).
URL:https://wp.aofonline.org/event/chevalier-de-la-barre-day/
CATEGORIES:Secular Holiday
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR