Two unrelated topics in one post! Hey! How do I do that? Why do I do that?

Today, because I wanted to give the link that has all the low down on the "Final Rule" of the USCIS Application and Petition fee schedule, which also has information about the public comments collected on the proposal. It makes for interesting, if depressing, reading.

And I'm sorry to be getting to this a bit late in the month, but although the occasions of Gawai Dayak (Borneo), the Red Earth Fair (Native American) , Dano (Korea), and D-Day (USA) are behind us, there are holidays ahead that I wanted to pass along for international adoptive, multicultural and multiracial families who may choose to acknowledge, honor or celebrate. Also, anyone following an international adoption or getting ready to travel for their child may want to know when the public holidays are falling in June.

The 10th is the anniversary of Federal tax withholding. (Let's PARTY! It is deductible, isn't it?) Also, it's Corpus Christi in Columbia.

June 11th is King Kamehameha Day in Hawaii, a date set to honor the first ruler of the United Hawaiian Islands.

Philippines Independence Day is on the 12th, and in Russia they celebrate national unity with "Russia Day" marking the day in 1990 when the Russian parliament formally declared it's sovereignty.

In all of the US, Father's Day is on the 18th, and has been marked since 1909 thanks to the efforts of one Louise Dodd of Spokane, Washington. It is also the birthday of former Queen Norodom Monineath Sihanouk of Cambodia and the celebration of Sagrado Corazon (The Sacred Heart) in Columbia.

National Freedom Day, also known as Juneteenth, is on the 19th. This celebrates the date in 1865 which is considered the day slavery ended official in America. Many states had acknowledged and welcomed the passing of the institution of the ownership of other human beings as of April, but the slaves of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma weren't told they were free until the 19th of June.

The 20th of June sees the Dragon Boat Festival in China ... on the 19th in Taiwan. An ancient holiday, it pays homage to the poet Chu Yuan who drowned himself in 277 B.C. as a protest to political injustice ... for all the good that did. Makes for a cool event, though. In Eritrea, it's Martyr's Day.

June 21st marks the Summer Solstice and is the 11th annual Aboriginal Day in Canada.

Holidays in India are often religion-specific. Hindus celebrate Vat Pournima on the 22nd, the day women pray for the prosperity of their husbands by tying threads around banyan trees, while the Zoroastrians fete Maidyarem Gahamber, the Mid-winter Festival.

The 24th is St. Jean Baptiste Day in Quebec, Dia de San Juan in Puerto Rico and Inti Raymi in Peru, the second biggest celebration in Latin America which marks the winter solstice Incan Festival honoring the Sun God, Wiracocha.

On the 25th in 1945 the United Nations Charter was adopted in San Francisco.

June 27th, Canada celebrates Multiculturalism Day by acknowledging contributions and honoring diversity.

World War I officially ended on the 28th of June, 1919 when the Treaty of Versailles was signed by Germany and the Allied powers. Ukraine marks Constitution Day, too.

On the 29th in 1950, the first US ground forces arrived in Korea. The date also sees the commemoration of San Pedro y San Pablo in Columbia. Romanians might sing a lot, as this is their National Anthem Day.

A big day with a big bang in Russia is remembered every June 30th since 1908 when the Tunguska Comet exploded above Siberia. It's also Army Day in Guatemala.

A busy month, heh?