Japanese Calendars

We've all heard of bank holidays but here in Japan you have 'red days' or 'Akai hi', these red days are scattered across most of the months within a typical calendar year except for June and August, these national holidays occur 1 - 4 times in a single month. There are two main holidays in Japan and they are called 'Golden Week' and 'Silver Week' which take place during May and September and on these days you can have 4 - 5 consecutive days off (including the weekends) depending on his or her work schedule, however, as with most schools across the world kids here get to indulge in their summer holidays during early July to late September. During the new year period it is common to have a rest on the 31st, 1st, 2nd and 3rd of January where people countdown in their local shrines and eat traditional new year Bentos called Osechi. Just like in the western world Christmas is also a national holiday and it is highlighted red in the Japanese calendar. If you want to greet a Japanese person during Christmas then you ought to know how to pronounce 'Merry Christmas', and it goes something like this: 'Merii Kurisumasu'!

Useful info.
-Day = Nichi
-Month = Gatsu
-Year = Nen
For example: "Watashi no tanjoubi wa 12 gatsu 23 nichi 1933 nen desu"

Japanese calendar