May 2010 | |
 2 May |
Lag B'OmerThe Omer lasting from Pesach to Shavuot, is a period of 49 days of sadness in the Jewish calendar. On the 33rd day, Lag B'Omer, this is relieved in memory of the end of a plague in Roman times. This is also the one day in the Omer when weddings are allowed to take place. More information at... |
 9 - 15 May |
Christian Aid WeekMany churches devote this week to fund raising for Christian Aid, often through house to house collections. Christian Aid works in nearly 60 countries helping people, regardless of religion or race, to improve their own lives and tackle the causes of poverty and injustice. More information at... |
13 May |
Ascension DayAscension Day, the 40th day after Easter, commemorates the last earthly appearance of the risen Christ. According to the Bible, Jesus ascended into heaven in the presence of many witnesses. It is one of the four most important dates in the Christian calendar, coming after Christmas and Easter but before Pentecost. More information at... |
19 May |
Shavuot / Festival of Weeks / PentecostShavuot, also known as Pentecost or the Festival of Weeks, comes seven weeks after Pesach. The festival celebrates the revelation of the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai and the early harvest season in Israel. Synagogues are decorated with flowers, and dairy foods are traditionally eaten. More information at... |
23 May |
Pentecost / WhitsuntidePentecost, also known as Whitsuntide, is often thought of as the 'birthday' of the Church. Christians remember the first disciples of Jesus receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, and first proclaiming the Gospel, fifty days after Jesus' resurrection. Called Pentecost after the Jewish festival day when the event took place, the name Whitsuntide comes from the custom of people presenting themselves for baptism on this day, dressed in white. More information at... |
 23 May |
Anniversary of the Declaration of the BabThe Bab was the co-founder of the Baha'i faith. Having first declared his mission in Persia in 1844. he heralded the arrival of Baha'u'llah and inaugurated the Baha'i calendar which numbers itself from the year of this declaration. More information at... |
 26 May |
Zartusht-no-disoA commemoration of the death of the prophet Zarathustra when special prayers are recited and the fire temple visited. Services focus on Zarathustra and the Fravashis - spirits of the dead. More information at... |
 27 May |
Saga DawaThis Tibetan and Nepalese festival, on the full moon day of May, celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha. The festival is a day of strict Buddhist observance, with fasting. It is also a festival of lights, as lamps are lit everywhere. When Saga Dawa is celebrated in the UK the emphasis is on the joy associated with the Buddha's birth and enlightenment. More information at... |
27 May |
Vesakha Puja / Wesak / Buddha DayBuddhists celebrate Wesak, or Vaisakha Puja, or Buddha Day, according to their tradition. This is the biggest of the Buddhist festivals, with lay people coming together at monasteries. Houses are decorated with lanterns and garlands, and temples are ringed with oil lamps. Theravadin Buddhists celebrate the life of Gautama Buddha on Wesak: his birth, enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree in Bodhgaya, and his final passing away. More information at... |
29 May |
Anniversary of the Ascension of Baha'u'llahThis day commemorates the death of Baha'u'llah in 1892, at Bahji, near Acre, in northern Israel. Baha'u'llah's Shrine there is the holiest place on earth for Baha'is, and the place which they turn towards in prayer each day. More information at... |
