World AIDS Day
December 1 · Level 9 · #284 of 2238
World AIDS Day keeps the HIV epidemic on the world's agenda. It is a day to talk about prevention, testing and treatment, and to show support for people living with HIV.
How it is celebrated: people pin on a red ribbon, take free tests, and join talks and community events that explain, among other things, that HIV is not passed on by handshakes or hugs. Many also light candles for those who have died.
The day was first held in 1988 on the initiative of the World Health Organization, and the red ribbon was created in 1991 by artists of the New York group Visual AIDS.