Believe it or not, the new year has arrived! This is an opportunity for a fresh start, with lots of exciting new things to look forward to.
Beat those back-to-work blues by diarising some of the exciting and important upcoming events that will set this year apart.
1. Leap Day: Thursday, 29 February
This year is extra special because we get an additional day to enjoy.
That’s right, 2024 is a Leap Year so start planning something special for 29 February!
One tradition is for women to propose to men on Leap Day, although a more equal society will see this happening more and more.
We have to add a day to our Gregorian calendar because it doesn’t quite align with the astronomical seasons – the Gregorian calendar is 365 days, while the earth’s orbit around the sun is about 365.25 days.
2. Academy Awards: Sunday, 10 March (…11 March SA time)
It’s not an unusual event for the year but definitely a big one for the movie fans out there!
The 96th Oscars will see Barbie going head-to-head with Oppenheimer across a number of big categories, finally putting to rest who the big winner will be.
There are several other great films that are being touted, including Killers of the Flower Moon and Poor Things, American Fiction, The Holdovers, and Maestro.
3. Supermoons: Wednesday, 18 September and Thursday, 17 October
While we won’t get to view the total solar eclipse on 8 April as those in the northern hemisphere will, there are certain celestial events to diarise in 2024.
There will be two supermoons to look out for when the full moon coincides with being at its closest point to earth, making the moon appear larger than usual.
4. The Olympics: 26 July to 11 August and the Paralympics: 28 August to 8 September
Whether you’re a sports fan or not, there will be something to enjoy at the Olympics, which are taking place in Paris this year.
These are the first Olympics to be held in Europe since London 2012 and we can look forward to a few new additions such as breakdancing and skateboarding.
The Olympics will be followed by the highly anticipated Paralympics where 4 400 athletes will compete across 22 sporting codes.
5. South African general elections
South Africa’s Electoral Commission has announced the final voter registration weekend, with the country’s 23 296 voting stations open from 8am to 5pm on Saturday, 3 February and Sunday, 4 February.
If you haven’t already, then register to vote on the weekend.
Registered voters can visit the Electoral Commission website (www.elections.org.za) to check registration details and voting station locations.
You can also SMS your ID number to 32810 to receive an SMS containing the address of your voting station (charged at R1).
The date for the elections is yet to be announced but make sure you’re there to make your mark!
SOURCES:
www.theguardian.com
www.almanac.com
www.variety.com
www.theconversation.com
www.gov.za
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