When is Arbor Day? An introduction to the specific dates

Arbor Day is a holiday in some countries established by law to promote the protection of trees and to mobilize the public to take part in tree-planting and reforestation activities. By length it can be divided into Arbor Day, Arbor Week, or Arbor Month, collectively known as International Arbor Day. Through such activities, people's enthusiasm for loving and planting trees is inspired. In China, Arbor Day falls on March 12. Let's take a look below!

The ecological value of Arbor Day

Arbor Day exists to protect and encourage people to plant trees, to encourage people to love trees, and to remind people to value trees. Trees play a very important role in human survival and in the Earth's ecological environment. Professor Des of the University of Agricultural Sciences in Calcutta, India, calculated the ecological value of a tree: for a 50-year-old tree, the cumulative value of oxygen produced is about 31,200 US dollars, the value of absorbing harmful gases and preventing air pollution is about 62,500 US dollars, the value of increasing soil fertility is about 31,200 US dollars, the value of water conservation is 37,500 US dollars, the value of providing breeding sites for birds and other animals is 31,250 US dollars, and the value of producing protein is 2,500 US dollars, creating a total value of about 196,000 US dollars.

Fun facts about tree planting on Arbor Day

1. Planting trees for newlyweds: Several hundred years ago, Yugoslavia enacted a law requiring every newly married couple to first plant 70 olive trees. Some areas of Japan, such as Kagoshima, also have rules that newlyweds must plant trees, with a stone monument beside the tree recording their names and wedding date; the trees may only be cut down after 50 years, at which point the couple who planted them can hold a celebration for their 50th wedding anniversary. On the island of Java in Indonesia, legal provisions state that for a first marriage, 2 trees must be planted; for a divorce, 5 trees must be planted; and for a second marriage, 3 trees must be planted, otherwise the marriage will not be registered.

2. Planting trees when adding a car: In Japan there is a special rule that anyone who adds a private car must plant one tree. This is because each car emits a large amount of toxic hydrocarbons every year and also produces noise, while trees are natural "disinfectors" and "noise removers", so trees must be planted.

3. Planting trees when adding a child: In many places in Tanzania, Africa, there is a custom of "planting a tree when a child is added", that is, when a family has a baby, the placenta is buried in the ground outside the door and a tree is planted there, expressing the hope that the child will grow up strong like the tree. Some places in Poland stipulate that any family that has a child must plant 3 trees, called "family trees".

4. Tree banks: To prevent construction projects from destroying trees, Japan has established "tree banks". Any construction unit must promptly deposit the rooted trees dug up while clearing the site into the "tree bank", and after the project is completed, the unit must promptly take the trees out and replant them, so as to maintain the original green area.

5. Planting trees to court a lover: In the city of Bonn, Germany, during the annual tree-planting season, a young man gives a carefully selected birch sapling to a young woman and plants it himself to express his affection. People call it a "courtship tree".

When is Arbor Day?

1. China: China's Arbor Day is March 12. In 1928, March 12, the anniversary of Sun Yat-sen's death, was designated for tree-planting ceremonies and afforestation campaigns, and in February 1979 the Sixth Session of the Standing Committee of the Fifth National People's Congress decided that March 12 would be the national Arbor Day.

2. Korea: Korea's Arbor Day is April 6. Since 1947, April 6 has been Korea's national Arbor Day each year, with April and October as tree-planting months, and each province and county sets its own tree-planting week according to its climate.

3. Thailand: Thailand's Arbor Day is September 24, the same day as its National Day.

4. Myanmar: Myanmar's Arbor Day is in June. The Myanmar government decided that starting in June 1954, an Arbor Day activity would be held once a year.

5. The Philippines: The Philippines' Arbor Day is the second Saturday of September. A 1947 decree designated the second Saturday of September each year as Arbor Day.

6. Indonesia: Indonesia's Arbor Day is December 19-24. Starting in 1960, a national tree-planting week has been held every year, and on December 17, 1981, President Suharto presided over the opening ceremony of the 21st National Afforestation Week.

7. Pakistan: Pakistan's Arbor Day is August 4. Starting in 1949, August 4 was designated as the national Arbor Day.

8. India: India's Arbor Day is the first week of July. The first national Arbor Day activity was held in July 1950, and after 1951 the first week of July each year was designated as Arbor Day.

9. Iraq: Iraq's Arbor Day is March 6.

10. Syria: Syria's Arbor Day is the last Thursday of December. This was stipulated by a 1952 decree.

11. Lebanon: Lebanon's Arbor Day is the first week of December. Arbor Day was established starting in the 1940s, and later the first week of December was designated as Arbor Day.

12. Jordan: Jordan's Arbor Day is January 15. The Ministry of Forestry designated January 15 each year as the national Arbor Day.

13. Yemen Arab Republic: The Yemen Arab Republic's Arbor Day is March 6.

14. Algeria: Algeria's Arbor Day is every Friday during the afforestation season. The government stipulated that every Friday during the annual afforestation season would be a voluntary tree-planting day, and from 1980 to 1981, 560,000 volunteers planted 12 million trees.

15. Australia: Australia's Arbor Day is the first Friday of May.

16. New Zealand: New Zealand's Arbor Day is the first Wednesday of August.

17. Egypt: Egypt's Arbor Day is from September to November. Starting in 1980, September to November was designated as Arbor Day.

18. Tunisia: Tunisia's Arbor Day is November 18.

19. Senegal: Senegal's Arbor Day runs from early August to mid-October. After the rainy season each year, nationwide tree-planting activities begin. The government calls for "one person, one tree" and "one village, one hectare of forest" campaigns, lasting as long as half a year, making it the country with the longest Arbor Day in the world.

20. Yugoslavia: Yugoslavia's Arbor Day is in autumn. Since 1947, "Forest Festivals" have been held in spring and "Afforestation Weeks" in autumn, with dates varying by place.

21. Greece: Greece's Arbor Day is in autumn. Each year in mid-autumn or late autumn, Arbor Day is held at the start of the afforestation season.

22. Italy: Italy's Arbor Day is November 21, beginning in 1899.

23. Spain: Spain's Arbor Day is February 1. Arbor Day began to be held at the end of the last century, and the city of Madrid treats the first week starting from February 1 each year as "Arbor Week".

24. The United Kingdom: The UK's Arbor Day is November 6-12. Starting in 1977, a nationwide tree-planting week campaign has been carried out from November 6 to 12 each year.

25. Ireland: Ireland's Arbor Day is March 17. From 1934 to 1938, the Department of Education, together with the Department of Lands, arranged for schools to carry out Arbor Day activities; it was interrupted in 1939, and in 1950 the Irish Tree Society initiated the restoration of Arbor Day activities, designating March 17 each year as Arbor Day.

26. France: France's Arbor Day is March 31. On the initiative of the President of the Republic in 1977, March 31 each year was designated as Tree Day and March as Greening Month.

27. Czechoslovakia: Czechoslovakia's Arbor Day is in spring.

28. Colombia: Colombia's Arbor Day is October 12.

29. Ecuador: Ecuador's Arbor Day is October 12. An administrative regulation issued by the government on June 7, 1920, designated October 12 each year as Arbor Day.

30. Venezuela: Venezuela's Arbor Day is May 23. A decree passed in April 1905 designated May 23 each year as Arbor Day.

31. Bolivia: Bolivia's Arbor Day is August 20. A decree issued in 1939 designated August 20 as the national tree-planting day.

32. Argentina: In 1940, it was stipulated by law that an Arbor Day activity be held once a year, but the specific time is not uniform across the country.