Filter festivals by
THE NAMING AND CIRCUMCISION OF JESUS
This day celebrates the circumcision or naming of Jesus at eight days old in accordance with Jewish custom, as recorded in Luke 2:21.
GANJITSU
New Year’s Day celebrations in Japan are sometimes extended for up to three days, during which businesses are closed, families spend time together, decorations are put up and the first visit of the year is paid to local Shinto shrines.
NEW YEAR’S DAY / HOGMANAY
A day widely observed throughout the UK, as is New Year’s Eve the preceding night, and especially in Scotland, where bagpipes, haggis and first footing are widespread. It is customary to make New Year’s Resolutions at this time.
SHUSO
For followers of Shin Buddhism, the New Year’s Day service is significant because it offers that wonderful opportunity to express our deep gratitude for the countless blessings we enjoy.
CHRISTMAS EVE AND DAY – ORTHODOX AND RASTAFARIAN
Many Orthodox and Armenian churches, and certain others related to them (including the Ethiopian and Rastafarian communities, see below) still use the Julian, rather than the Gregorian Calendar, that is currently used by Western Christians. Accordingly they celebrate Christmas and certain other festivals thirteen days after the Western churches, so that the 6th and 7th of January in the Orthodox calendar equate to the 24th and 25th December in the Western one.
EPIPHANY
This is the ‘twelfth day of Christmas’, but in the Church calendar the Epiphany season lasts until the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. The festival commemorates the first two occasions on which, according to Christian belief, Jesus’ divinity was manifested: when the three kings (also known as the wise men or Magi) visited the infant Jesus in Bethlehem, bearing symbolic gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh; and when John the Baptist baptised Jesus in the River Jordan. The Roman Catholic and Protestant churches emphasize the visit of the Magi when they celebrate the Epiphany; the Orthodox churches focus on Jesus’ baptism.
BIRTHDAY OF GURU GOBIND SINGH (1666 CE)
This day is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the tenth Guru, who instituted the Five Ks and established the Order of the Khalsa on Vaisakhi (Baisakhi).
BAPTISM OF CHRIST / BAPTISM OF THE LORD
Christians commemorate the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist; they recall how at this event the heavens were opened and a voice was heard proclaiming Jesus, while God’s spirit descended on him in the form of a dove. During this event God was manifest as three persons in one – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The first miracle of Jesus, performed at Cana in Galilee, is also remembered at this time.
THEOPHANY / BAPTISM OF CHRIST
At Theophany Orthodox Christians commemorate the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist; they recall how at this event the heavens were opened and a voice was heard proclaiming Jesus, while God’s spirit descended on him in the form of a dove. During this event God was manifest as three persons in one – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
BIRTHDAY OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA
Born Narendra Nath Datta in 1863 in Calcutta, he was an Indian Hindu monk who became the chief disciple of the 19th century saint Ramakrishna. Vivekananda, as he became known, was a key figure in the introduction of the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world and helped to develop Hinduism during the latter part of the 19th century to the stage where it held the status of a major world religion. He died in 1902. He pioneered the development of the Ramakrishna Mission and the creation of the Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre movement first in India and then throughout the world, travelling widely and emphasising the devotional and social aspects of the teaching and practice of his beloved Guru, Ramakrishna.
MAKAR SANKRANTI / LOHRI / PONGAL
Sankranti (Sangrand in Punjabi) is the start of a new zodiac sign i.e. the date is based on the solar rather than the lunar calendar.
THE PROPHET’S NIGHT JOURNEY AND ASCENT/LAILAT (LAYLAT) UL ISRA WA-L-MIRAJ
27th Rajab. This festival celebrates the journey of the Prophet Muhammad, in the tenth year of his prophethood, from Makkah to Jerusalem, and through the heavens to the presence of God, all in one night.
SHINRAN MEMORIAL DAY
Shinran Shonin (1173-1262) was the founder of Jodo Shin-shu (or Shin Buddhism), one of the schools of Pure Land Buddhism. It is celebrated by some Mahayana Buddhists.
WORLD RELIGIONS DAY
This day promotes interfaith understanding by emphasizing factors common to all faiths. It was first introduced among Baha’i communities in the 1950s, and is now celebrated by a wider spread of communities, including the Baha’i, on the third Sunday of January.
WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is an ecumenical Christian observance in the Christian calendar that is celebrated internationally.
SARASWATI PUJA/ VASANT PANCHAMI
This festival marks the beginning of Spring, and is widely celebrated in north India. In eastern India, and notably in Bengal, Hindus worship especially Saraswati, the goddess of learning and the arts. Yellow is particularly associated with the festival and so murtis of Saraswati are dressed in yellow. Another (secular) tradition is kite-flying, associated especially with the city of Lahore.
CONVERSION OF SAINT PAUL
The conversion of Paul the Apostle (also the Pauline conversion, Damascene conversion, Damascus Christophany and the “road to Damascus” event) was, according to the New Testament, an event in the life of Saul/Paul the Apostle that led him to cease persecuting early Christians and to become a follower of Jesus.
LABAJIE
The Laba is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated on the eighth day of the La Month (or Layue), the twelfth month of the Chinese calendar.
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY
This is a remembrance day for all the different categories of people who suffered at the hands of the Nazis during the second World War (1939-45). It aims to keep fresh in the mind the memory of those who suffered and died at that period, and to help ensure that no such atrocity happens again. The date was chosen as the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, but for many it is appropriate to remember others who have been victims of subsequent acts of genocide elsewhere in the world.
JASHN-E SADEH
Jashn-e Sadeh is a mid winter festival, celebrated 50 days and nights before the advent of the spring NoRuz, and signifies that the days are getting longer. On this day it is customary to pay visits to the Fire Temple to give thanks to the Creator God, to celebrate with a bonfire after sunset, to recite the Atash Niyayeesh or litany to fire, listen to stories of the legendary Iranians during the reign of King Hoshang, who discovered the art of making fire, share piping hot stew and bread, and enjoy the dancing and merry making.
IMBOLC/CANDLEMAS
Imbolc, also called Oimelc and Candlemas, celebrates the awakening of the land and the growing power of the Sun. Snowdrops, which appear at this time of the year, are seen as the heralds of spring.
THE PRESENTATION OF THE LORD/ OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE/ CANDLEMAS
This is often called Candlemas from the custom of congregations holding lighted candles during the celebration in church. It records the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and his recognition by the aged Simeon, expressed in the words of the Nunc Dimittis. The festival was formerly known as the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary – reflecting Mary’s following of Jewish tradition after the birth of a son.
TU B ‘SHEVAT
A popular minor festival which celebrates the New Year for trees. Jewish tradition marks the 15th of Shevat as the day when the sap in the trees begins to rise, heralding the beginning of spring. It is customary for Jews all over the world to plant young trees at this time and to eat fruit produced in Israel. For religious accounting purposes all trees have their anniversaries on this festival, regardless of when they were planted.
THE NIGHT OF FORGIVENESS / LAILAT-UL-BARA’AH (14th Sha’ban)
BIRTHDAY of 12th IMAM, Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Mahdi (Shi’a)
SETSUBUN/BEAN SCATTERING
The day for the Bean Scattering ceremony, performed both in homes and in temples.
PARINIRVANA
Mahayanists mark the final passing away from this world of Gautama Buddha at Kushinagara, India, at the age of 80. Pure Land Buddhists refer to it as Nirvana Day.
MAHASHIVRATRI (Great Shiva Night)
Every night of the new moon is dedicated to Shiva, but this moonless night is particularly important since it is the night on which Shiva is said to perform the cosmic dance, the Tandava Nritya, the dance of primordial creation, preservation and destruction. Many Hindus and all devotees of Shiva fast throughout the festival. All-night prayers focus on Shiva and his shrines and statues, where milk, water and honey are regularly poured on his symbol, the lingam, which is decorated with flowers and garlands. The festival is observed for one day and one night only.
NIRVANA DAY
This is a Festival commemorating Buddha’s death at 80 when he attained Nirvana – the state at which all desires and afflictions are gone, and the cycle of death and rebirth ends.
PARINIRVANA
Mahayanists mark the final passing away from this world of Gautama Buddha at Kushinagara, India, at the age of 80. Pure Land Buddhists refer to it as Nirvana Day.
SHROVE TUESDAY (Pancake Day)
Commonly known as Pancake Day, this is the day before the start of Lent. Traditionally it is a day for repentance and absolution in preparation for Lent (‘shrive’ means to receive or make confession). Pancakes were originally made to use up all the rich foods, such as butter and eggs, before Lent. In some parts of the world people celebrate Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) by holding carnivals.
NEW YEAR FESTIVAL / CHUNJIE / YUAN TAN
New Year’s Day is the most important event in the traditional Chinese calendar and marks the beginning of the first lunar month. The festival is colourfully celebrated with fireworks, dances (such as the famous Lion Dance) and the giving of gifts, flowers and sweets.
RAMADAN
During the month of Ramadan Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. Fasting (sawm) is the fourth of the five pillars of Islam, requiring self-discipline and giving everyone some experience of deprivation. Those who are not able to fast are expected to give charity to compensate for the ‘lost’ days. While children may be encouraged to fast, the full fast is not compulsory until puberty is reached, often by the age of 12, but many young people still attempt to keep some, or even all of it.
LENT
Lent is a period of forty days (not counting Sundays) that leads up to Easter. It is a time of fasting, repentance, moderation, self-denial and spiritual discipline in preparation for Easter. The purpose is to set aside time for reflection on the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus, his life, death, burial, and resurrection. Traditionally Christians give up something during this time – a habit, such as smoking, watching TV, or swearing, or a food or drink, such as sweets, chocolate or coffee – to mark the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness, which end on Easter day.
ASH WEDNESDAY
The first day of Lent when Christians remember the forty days that Jesus spent in the wilderness and the temptations he faced during this time. In Catholic and some Anglican churches, services are held where the worshipper’s forehead is marked with a cross of ash, which has been made from burning the palm crosses of the previous year – hence the name Ash Wednesday.
SONAM LOSAR
Tibetan New Year festival, but it is often celebrated in Nepal as well. Although largely a secular celebration, it also includes the rededication of the country to Buddhism. It especially celebrates the miracles performed by the historical Buddha at Sravasti, the capital city of the kingdom of Kosala.
FIRST DAY OF LENT / THE GREAT FAST
This is the beginning of the Lenten Fast, which involves abstinence from meat, fish and dairy products until Easter.
EMPEROR’S BIRTHDAY
The day for the Bean Scattering ceremony, performed both in homes and in temples.
AYYAM-I-HA
This day promotes interfaith understanding by emphasizing factors common to all faiths. It was first introduced among Baha’i communities in the 1950s, and is now celebrated by a wider spread of communities, including the Baha’i, on the third Sunday of January.
ST DAVID’S DAY
Anniversary of the death of St David, the patron saint of Wales, who lived in the 6th century CE. As monk, abbot and bishop he helped to spread Christianity among the Celtic tribes of western Britain.
THE BAHA’I FAST
Naw-Ruz is the Baha’i New Year’s Day and coincides with the spring equinox. It is an ancient Persian festival celebrating the ‘New Day’ and it marks the end of the annual nineteen day fast that concludes the old year.
HOLI
A spring festival lasting one to five days. Bonfires are lit and revellers throw coloured powders and dyes over each other. Various stories and customs are associated with the festival: the throwing of coloured dyes is linked with Krishna and his antics with Radha and the gopis (milkmaids); another story associated with Holi is that of Prahlada and Holika: Prahlada worshipped Vishnu in defiance of his father, King Hiranyakashipu’s wishes. Prahlada survived when his aunt, Holika, who was supposedly immune to fire, held him while, as instructed by the king, she sat on a bonfire intended to kill him.
HINAMATSURI / DOLLS’ FESTIVAL / GIRLS’ DAY
Clay dolls representing the Emperor and Empress of Japan, reminiscent of the ancient Heian court, are displayed in the home; and offerings of peach blossom, rice-wine and rice-cakes are placed before them, along with miniature multi-coloured sweetmeats. The dolls are intended to carry away any illness afflicting or threatening the daughters of the house. The day is widely celebrated by praying for daughters to grow up to be healthy and dutiful.
MAGHA PUJA
This festival commemorates two occasions, one that took place in the month of Magha, seven weeks after the Buddha’s enlightenment. Five of his companions from his years of austerity had joined him and he taught them the Four Noble Truths; the other occasion was 45 years later, when 1,250 enlightened personal disciples of the Buddha came spontaneously to the Bamboo Grove at Rajagaha on the full moon of Magha (usually in late February or early March). This was one of the earliest large gatherings of Buddhists. On that day the Buddha taught the main principles of the Dhamma and set out his teachings to the assembled arahats (enlightened monks) for them to learn and follow.
PURIM – FESTIVAL OF LOTS
Purim is a carnival festival which recalls how the Jewish community of Persia was saved from being massacred through the actions of a young Jewish woman, as is retold in the Book of Esther.
LANTERN FESTIVAL / YUANXIAOJIE / TENG CHIEH
This is the Lantern Festival which marks the first full moon of the year and the lengthening of the days. Strings of lanterns in various designs are hung out as decoration.
HOLA MAHALLA/HOLA MOHALLA
In 1701 Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, introduced this festival at Anandpur in Punjab, India, as an alternative to the Hindu festival of Holi. It included competitive displays of swordsmanship, horsemanship, archery and wrestling, together with displays of weapons and symposia of poetry. It was a colourful occasion, particularly for young Sikhs, and was observed on the day after the Hindu festival of Holi.
THE WOMEN’S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
This international, interdenominational prayer movement was begun in 1887. The service material is produced by a different country each year. In 2019 the theme will be ‘Jesus said to them: ‘Come – Everything Is Ready’ and the material has been prepared by Christian women in Slovenia.
FRAVARDIGAN / MUKTAD
The Fravardigan festival (the festival of the fravashis), popularly known as Muktad (All Souls), commences ten days before NoRuz and is the last festival of the old year. The Zoroastrian day commences at sunrise and not midnight, and so during sunrise on the first day of the festival the immortal souls, together with their fravashis (the guardian spirits of departed ancestors, artistically depicted as half man/half bird), are welcomed by name by the Zoroastrian Mobeds or Magi (priests).
NEW YEAR
First day of the Chet month of Nanakshahi Sammat 554 – Sikh New Year. According to Sri Guru Granth Sahib the first month of the year is called “Chet.” On the 1st Chet (14 March) the New Year starts & should be celebrated in every Gurdwara.
MOTHERING SUNDAY (Simnel Sunday)
Mid-Lent Sunday, the 4th Sunday in Lent, has now become secularised and is more popularly known as Mother’s Day. It was, traditionally, a Sunday when Christians revisited their ‘mother church’ and took gifts to their mothers, which often included a simnel cake.
HONEN MEMORIAL DAY
Honen (1133-1212 CE) is one of the outstanding figures in the history of Japanese Buddhism, and was the founder of Jodo Shinshu, one of the schools of Pure Land Buddhism.
LAILAT-UL-QADR / THE NIGHT OF POWER / HONOUR / DIGNITY
(Shi’a) This commemorates the night in 610 CE when the prophet Muhammad received his first visit from the angel Jibril (Gabriel) and his revelation of the Qur’an. Muslims believe that the date of this night is kept secret by God, but that they ‘may seek the Night of Dignity in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan’ (Bukhaari, quoting Aisha, who heard it from the Prophet). Many Muslims spend the last ten days and nights of Ramadan secluded in the mosque, praying and studying the Qur’an, to ensure they receive the special benefits promised for their prayers and devotions on Lailat-ul-Qadr. Muslims “looking for” Lailat ul Qadr tend to gather at sunset and then spend the rest of the night till dawn in the mosque or some other place of worship.
HIGAN
This is the day of the Spring equinox. As at the autumn equinox, harmony and balance are the themes, sutras are recited, and the graves of relatives are visited.
ST PATRICK’S DAY
This is a day celebrated in honour of the patron saint of Ireland, who lived in Britain in the 4th century CE. After his escape from being held hostage in Ireland, he became a priest and returned there to evangelise. His symbol is the shamrock, sprigs of which are worn on this day. Parades are held in Dublin and elsewhere, often of a secular nature.
RAMADAN ENDS
During the month of Ramadan Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. Fasting (sawm) is the fourth of the five pillars of Islam, requiring self-discipline and giving everyone some experience of deprivation. Those who are not able to fast are expected to give charity to compensate for the ‘lost’ days. While children may be encouraged to fast, the full fast is not compulsory until puberty is reached, often by the age of 12, but many young people still attempt to keep some, or even all of it.
ST JOSEPH’S DAY, HUSBAND OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
In some churches a feast day is held in honour of Joseph, who, together with Mary, was responsible for Jesus’ upbringing.
EID-UL-FITR / FEAST OF FAST BREAKING (1st Shawwal)
Celebrations of this festival may extend over the first three days of the month of Shawwal, the month following Ramadan, although only the first day’s celebration is religiously sanctioned. It is a time for making gifts to the poor (Zakat-ul-Fitr, the charity of the fast, must be paid before the Eid prayer). Now is a time for new clothes, good food, and presents for children. Families get together and contact friends, especially those who live far away. The community will assemble for Eid prayer and a sermon at the mosque or at a large place which will accommodate the whole community of the town or village. The traditional greeting is ‘Eid Mubarak’ – ‘a happy and blessed Eid’. (There is no reference in the Qur’an but there is in the Hadith, the traditions of the Prophet).
SPRING/ VERNAL EQUINOX
Now night and day stand equal. The Sun grows in power and the land begins to bloom. By the Spring Equinox, the powers of the gathering year are equal to the darkness of winter and death. The God (the Green Man) awakens during this season. Some dedicate this time to Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon Goddess of fertility.
SHUNBUN NO HI
This is the day of the Spring equinox. As at the autumn equinox, harmony and balance are the themes, sutras are recited, and the graves of relatives are visited.
NAW-RUZ
Naw-Ruz is the Baha’i New Year’s Day and coincides with the spring equinox. It is an ancient Persian festival celebrating the ‘New Day’ and it marks the end of the annual nineteen day fast that concludes the old year.
JAMSHEEDI NORUZ
The Zoroastrian NoRuz (New Year’s Day) is celebrated on the the first day of spring, and is the most important festival in the Zoroastrian year. Tradition claims it was founded by Prophet Zarathushtra himself, when, it is believed, the prophet received his first revelation from the Creator God, Ahura Mazda. It is popularly known as Jamsheedi NoRuz, since the pre Zoroastrian King Jamsheed assisted the Creator God, Ahura Mazda, by building an underground dwelling (similar to Noah’s Ark). This saved the creation from being utterly destroyed during the prolonged, bitter, snowy winter brought about by the evil spirit (Angra Mainyu).
AVA MAH PARAB (ABAN JASHAN)
Ava is short for the divinity Aredvi Sura Anahita, the guardian protector of the waters, who is associated with fertility. On the day of Ava, the 10th day of the month of Ava, the 8th month, Zoroastrians celebrate the birthday of the waters by going to the seas, rivers and streams and reciting the Aredvi Sura Niyayeesh or ‘Litany to the Waters’. They offer thanks to the great purifier who nourishes the world and offer to the waters flowers, sugar, coconuts and specially prepared flat cakes made with sweet lentils.
PASSION SUNDAY
Palm Sunday is the final Sunday of Lent and the first day of Holy Week, when Christians remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, where, later, he would be arrested and crucified. Many churches commemorate the day by processions, with the congregation carrying symbolic palm leaves (folded in the form of a cross) or branches of palm trees.
THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD / LADY DAY
Lady Day celebrates the angel Gabriel announcing to Mary that she is to bear a child, and Mary’s response in the Magnificat.
RAMA NAVAMI
This is the birthday of Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu. It is one of the most important festivals for Hindus, particularly for those of the Vaishnava sect. On this auspicious day, devotees repeat the name of Rama with every breath and vow to lead a righteous life.
KHORDAD SAL
Khordad Sal is the Birthday of Zarathushtra and falls on the sixth day following NoRuz.
PALM SUNDAY
Palm Sunday is the final Sunday of Lent and the first day of Holy Week, when Christians remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, where, later, he would be arrested and crucified. Many churches commemorate the day by processions, with the congregation carrying symbolic palm leaves (folded in the form of a cross) or branches of palm trees.
HOLY WEEK
This is the most solemn week of the Christian year, in which Christians recall the events of the final week of the earthly life of Jesus.
MAHAVIRA JAYANTI
This is a festival celebrating the birth in 540, 599 or 615 BCE of Mahavira, the last Tirthankara, the greatest teacher and model for all Jainas. The events surrounding his birth are retold and re-enacted at all Jain temples. If monks or nuns are present, they will read from the scriptures and teach about the rest of Mahavira’s life. The day is marked with processions, the sending of cards, and the bathing of images of Mahavira. At the end of the day lay people will return home to a celebratory feast with distinctive recipes.
MAUNDY THURSDAY
Maundy Thursday is the day when Christians remember the Last Supper, the meal at which Jesus blessed bread and wine and commanded his disciples to eat and drink in remembrance of him whenever they met to share food and wine. From this instruction comes the institution known under a variety of names – the Eucharist, the Mass, the Holy Communion, the Breaking of Bread, the Divine Liturgy. This celebration has become a central act of worship in almost all Christian traditions.
HANUMAN JAYANTI
Hanuman Jayanti is a Hindu festival which recalls the birth of Lord Rama’s supreme devotee, the monkey-headed Hanuman, whose feats figure in the Ramayana epic. Hanuman’s birth is celebrated at sunrise on the full-moon day of the lunar month of Chaitra.
PASSOVER/PESACH
This major Jewish festival lasts eight days and commemorates the liberation of the Children of Israel and their Exodus from slavery in Egypt. The highlight is the Seder meal, held in each family’s home at the beginning of the festival, when the story of their deliverance is recounted, as narrated in the Haggadah (the Telling, or the Story). Matzah, (unleavened bread) is eaten throughout the festival, as are other foods that contain no leaven (yeast). There is a major spring cleaning in the home shortly before the festival to ensure that no trace of leaven is left in the house during Pesach. Coconut pyramids and matza balls (which are put in soups) are foods that might be eaten at this time.
GOOD FRIDAY
This day commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus. Although essentially a sombre day, it is called ‘Good Friday’ since, for Christians, it is ‘God’s Friday’, and recalls how Jesus chose to give up his life for others. To Christians, the day is not just a historical event but commemorates the sacrificial death of Jesus, which, along with the resurrection, comprises the heart of the Christian faith.
HOLY SATURDAY (Easter Eve)
This is the last day of Lent. Special services involving the lighting of the Paschal Candle and the renewal of baptismal vows take place in the evening in preparation for Easter.
FESTIVAL OF PURE BRIGHTNESS/TOMB SWEEPING DAY/QINGMINGJIE/CH’ING MING
This is the first occasion in the year when Chinese visit their family tombs. After sweeping the tombstones, people offer food, flowers and paper replicas of favourite items dear to the dead, such as a telephone, a car or a house; they then burn incense and paper money and bow before the memorial tablets. In Chinese culture, even though a person has died, he/she may still have need of these. This practice reflects a form of belief and care for their deceased family members, who still survive in some way in the after life.
EASTER DAY
Easter Day is the most important festival of the Christian year, since this is when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus three days after his death by crucifixion in Jerusalem over 2000 years ago. For Christians, Easter is a day marked by special religious services and the gathering of family members together. Easter Candles are lit in churches on the eve of Easter Sunday, as a resurrection symbol of Christ as the light of the world, though some believe that these may have originated in the Pagan customs of lighting bonfires to welcome the rebirth/resurrection of the sun God.
HANAMATSURI
This flower festival marks the Japanese celebration of the Buddha Shakyamuni’s birthday, which Mahayana Buddhists fix at 565 BCE. The flowers accentuate the tradition that the Buddha was born in a garden, so floral shrines are made and an image of the infant Buddha is set in it and bathed.
EASTER DAY / FASKIA / PASCHA
Many Orthodox and Armenian churches, and certain others related to them (including the Ethiopian and Rastafarian communities, see below) still use the Julian, rather than the Gregorian Calendar, that is currently used by Western Christians. Accordingly they celebrate Christmas and certain other festivals thirteen days after the Western churches, so that the 6th and 7th of January in the Orthodox calendar equate to the 24th and 25th December in the Western one.
SONGKRAN
This is the traditional New Year’s Day festival in Thailand, where containers of water are thrown over those standing nearby as a symbol of washing away all that is evil. Fragrant herbs are often placed in the jug or bucket containing the water. The name Songkran comes from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘passing’ or ‘approaching’. The most common greeting is ‘Sawasdee Pee Mai!’, ‘A happy new year’ in Thai. Also spoken is, ‘Suk san wan Songkran’ (pronounced: suke sahn wahn song kran) which means ‘Happy Songkran day’.
VAISAKHI/BAISAKHI
The Sikh New Year Festival.
YOM HA-SHOAH (HOLOCAUST DAY)
A day of remembrance when Jewish people remember the six million Jews, including one and a half million children, who were victims of the Nazi Holocaust. Memorial candles are lit and special services are held. The date is chosen as the closest date (in the Jewish calendar) to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
TAMIL NEW YEAR
Hanuman Jayanti is a Hindu festival which recalls the birth of Lord Rama’s supreme devotee, the monkey-headed Hanuman, whose feats figure in the Ramayana epic. Hanuman’s birth is celebrated at sunrise on the full-moon day of the lunar month of Chaitra.
PASCHA/EASTER
Pascha is the name for Easter in Orthodox Christianity. Pascha is preceded by Great Lent, a time of prayer, fasting and penance, just as Easter in western Christianity is preceded by the Lenten season. Pascha is celebrated differently from Easter in that the service typically begins just before midnight with the Nocturne service, the Easter procession at midnight and then Easter matins, which are sung inside a church.
ADAR MAH PARAB
On the day of Adar, the 9th day, during the month of Adar, the 9th month, Zoroastrians celebrate the birthday of fire. It is customary for Zoroastrians to go to the fire temple to make offerings of sandalwood or incense at this time, and to thank the holy fire for the warmth and light it has given throughout the year. Traditionally on this day food is not cooked in the house as the fire is given a rest and the Atash Niyayeesh or litany to the fire is recited in honour of the house fire or the ceremonial oil lamp.
RIDVAN
The most important Baha’i festival. It was in these 12 days that Baha’u’llah declared himself as the Promised One prophesied by the Bab.
GROUNDATION DAY
One of the holiest days of the Rastafarian year, it celebrates Haile Selassie’s accession to the Ethiopian throne. It cements the role Ethiopia plays at the heart of Rastafarian tradition.
ST GEORGE’S DAY
St George is the patron saint of England. His particular significance to England is not clear since he lived and died in the Middle East as a martyr for his Christian faith, but it is possible that his popularity grew after the Crusades, when his red cross on a white background was adopted as the symbol of the English Crusaders.
SHOWA DAY
This is the day of the Spring equinox. As at the autumn equinox, harmony and balance are the themes, sutras are recited, and the graves of relatives are visited.
NINTH DAY OF RIDVAN
The most important Baha’i festival. It was in these 12 days that Baha’u’llah declared himself as the Promised One prophesied by the Bab.
MAY EVE / BELTAINE EVE
The wheel of the year continues to turn and spring gives way to summer’s full bloom and the fertility of the land is at its height. Many pagans celebrate Beltaine by lighting fires and leaping over them, or with maypole dances, symbolizing the mystery of the Sacred Marriage of Goddess and God.
BELTAINE
The wheel of the year continues to turn and spring gives way to summer’s full bloom and the fertility of the land is at its height. Many pagans celebrate Beltaine by lighting fires and leaping over them, or with maypole dances, symbolizing the mystery of the Sacred Marriage of Goddess and God.
TWELFTH DAY OF RIDVAN
The most important Baha’i festival. It was in these 12 days that Baha’u’llah declared himself as the Promised One prophesied by the Bab.
LAG B’OMER
The Omer is a period of 49 days, lasting from Pesach to Shavuot. It is a time of sadness, relieved on this, the 33rd day, by a break in the days of mourning. Lag b’Omer recalls the end of a plague in Roman times during the lifetime of Rabbi Akiva, and is often celebrated by out of door, fresh air activities. A large number of weddings take place on this day, since they are not usually permitted during most of the rest of the Omer period.
CHRISTIAN AID WEEK
Initiated in 1945, this week is devoted to fund raising by members of various churches, mainly through house to house collections and sales of goods of various kinds.
ASCENSION DAY (40th day after Easter)
Ascension Day commemorates the last earthly appearance of the Risen Christ, who, according to Christian belief, ascended into heaven in the presence of many witnesses. It is one of the four most important dates in the Christian calendar. Observed generally by Catholics and Anglicans, it is also known as the Feast of Ascension, and occurs on the Thursday 40 days after Easter. It marks the end of the Easter season and falls ten days before Pentecost.
ASCENSION DAY (40th day after Easter)
Ascension Day commemorates the last earthly appearance of the Risen Christ, who, according to Christian belief, ascended into heaven in the presence of many witnesses. It is one of the four most important dates in the Christian calendar. Observed generally by Catholics and Anglicans, it is also known as the Feast of Ascension, and occurs on the Thursday 40 days after Easter. It marks the end of the Easter season and falls ten days before Pentecost.
ZARATOSHT NO DISO
Zaratosht no diso is the death anniversary of the Prophet Zarathushtra and is a sorrowful occasion. Tradition records that this is when he was assassinated at the age of 77. It is customary to visit the Fire Temple, participate in special remembrance prayers to him and to the Fravashis (the guardian spirits of departed ancestors), and ponder upon the Gathas or Hymns of Zarathushtra, which embody his eternal message to humanity.
SHAVUOT / THE FEAST OF WEEKS / PENTECOST
Shavuot, also known as the Feast of Weeks or the festival of First Fruits, is a two day festival which falls seven weeks after Pesach – a period of preparation marked by the Counting of the Omer. It celebrates the supreme gift of the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai, and so to the people of Israel who covenanted to follow its teachings. It also marks the end of the spring barley crop and the time when the first wheat harvest was taken to the Temple by all male Jews, since like Pesach and Sukkot this is one of three times of year when pilgrimages to Jerusalem take place. Synagogues are decorated with greenery and flowers and for Orthodox Jews work is not permitted throughout the festival.
ANNIVERSARY OF THE DECLARATION OF THE BAB
The Bab heralded the arrival of Baha’ullah and was co-founder of the Baha’i faith. He first declared his mission in Persia in 1844. He inaugurated the Baha’i calendar which is numbered from the year of this declaration.
PENTECOST / WHIT SUNDAY
As the second most important festival in the Christian year, Pentecost is often seen as the ‘birthday’ of the Church, since this is when the disciples of Jesus first proclaimed the Gospel after receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is named after the Jewish festival (Shavuot) on which this event happened, which is celebrated 50 days after Passover. The name comes from the Greek pentekoste, “fiftieth”. Pentecost for Christians accordingly falls on the Sunday 50 days after Easter. The alternative name of Whitsuntide comes from the custom of converts presenting themselves for baptism on this day dressed in white.
BUDDHA’S BIRTHDAY
Buddha’s Birthday (also known as Buddha Jayanti, also known as his day of enlightenment – Buddha Purnima, Buddha Pournami) is a Buddhist festival that is celebrated in most of East Asia and South Asia commemorating the birth of the Prince Siddhartha Gautama, later the Gautama Buddha, who was the founder of Buddhism.
HAJJ / PILGRIMAGE TO MAKKAH (8th to 12th Dhul-Hijjah)
Hajj is an annual religious pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca) undertaken each year by 2-3 million people. All Muslims are required to make this pilgrimage once in their lifetime (although there is no prohibition on making the pilgrimage more than once). Those who cannot afford to do so, or are prevented through ill-health may be excused. A series of ritual acts are performed by the pilgrims during the first two days of Hajj, followed by the three day long festival of Eid al-Adha which is celebrated in Makkah. Umrah is a separate and smaller pilgrimage involving the events of the first two days of hajj that can be completed at any time of the year, but can be preceded or followed by the rest of hajj if pilgrims so wish.
EID-UL-ADHA/THE FESTIVAL OF SACRIFICE (10th Dhul-Hijjah)
This major festival (al-Eid al-Kabir) marks the end of the Hajj (Pilgrimage to Makkah) on the tenth day of the twelfth month of Dhul-Hijja. The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. Pilgrims performing Hajj sacrifice animals at the village of Mina on their way back to Makkah from Mount Arafat (where they have spent the first day of the festival). This commemorates Ibrahim’s (Abraham’s) willingness to sacrifice his son, Ismail. All over the world Muslims also sacrifice an animal, if they can afford it. They share out the meat among family, friends and the poor, who normally each get a third share.
ANNIVERSARY OF THE ASCENSION OF BAHA’U’LLAH
This day commemorates the death of Baha’u’llah at Bahji, near Acre, in northern Israel in 1892. His shrine there is the holiest place on earth for Baha’is and is the focus towards which all Baha’is face when praying.
PENTECOST
An important festival in the Christian year, Pentecost is often seen as the ‘birthday’ of the Church, since this is when the disciples of Jesus first proclaimed the Gospel after receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is named after the Jewish festival day on which this event happened.
TRINITY SUNDAY
Trinity Sunday, sometimes known as ‘The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity’, is celebrated in the West on the Sunday after Pentecost/Whitsunday, when Christians reflect on the mystery of God, who is seen as One but is understood in and through God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Orthodox Churches have no specific recognition of Trinity Sunday.
VESAKHA PUJA / WESAK / BUDDHA DAY / BODHI DAY
On Wesak Theravadin Buddhists celebrate the birth, the enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree in Bodhgaya in North India, and the final passing away of Gautama Buddha.
THE FESTIVAL OF THE POOL/EID UL GHADEER (or GHADIR) (18h Dhul-Hijjah)
This is a festival observed by Shi’a Muslims, for whom it is an extremely important day. It commemorates an event shortly before the death of the Prophet. While returning from Makkah to Medina after his final pilgrimage, accompanied by many thousands of his followers, the Prophet stopped at an oasis (the pool of Khumm) to deliver a sermon. While preaching, he is believed (by Shi’a Muslims) to have raised the hand of Ali, his cousin and son-in-law, and proclaimed, ‘For whoever I am his leader, Ali is his leader. O God, love those who love him, and be hostile to those who are hostile to him’.
THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (CORPUS ET SANGUIS CHRISTI)
The festival of Corpus Christi, a Latin phrase that refers to the body of Jesus, celebrates the institution of the Mass/Eucharist. It falls 60 days after Easter. The feast is celebrated in the Latin Church either on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday or it may be transferred to the following Sunday. Its purpose is to commemorate the institution by Jesus of the Holy Eucharist during the Last Supper on the day before his crucifixion, as described in the gospels. It has been celebrated by Catholic Christians ever since 1246.
SACRED HEART
The Feast of the Sacred Heart has been in the Roman Catholic Liturgical calendar since 1856, and is always celebrated 19 days after Pentecost Sunday and always falls on a Friday.
MARTYRDOM OF GURU ARJAN (1606)
This festival is one of the major Sikh gurpurbs, and as with other gurpurbs, the day is preceded by an akhand path, a continuous reading of the Sikh scriptures. It is observed for several reasons. It marks the day when the fifth Guru was put to death after severe tortures on the orders of the Moghul Emperor, Jehangir. Traditionally, a cooling drink known as a Chabeel is distributed on this day, recalling that the Guru was tortured in the extreme heat of June.
ISLAMIC NEW YEAR 1443 / AL-HIJRA/RA’S UL ‘AM (Muharram 1)
Al Hijra marks the celebration of the Islamic New Year’s Day. It is a low-key event in the Muslim world, celebrated less than the two major celebrations, Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha. The day commemorates the Hijra or migration of the Prophet Muhammad from Makkah to Medina in 622 CE, which led to the establishment of the Muslim community there. It is not universally celebrated amongst Sunni Muslims but is notable since Muslim years are dated from this time and are marked AH (Anno Hegirae – the year of the Hijrah) or After the Hijrah. In 2021 CE the Muslim year 1443 AH begins.
DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL / DUANWUJIE / TUAN YANG CHIEH
Most notable now for the great dragon boat races which take place between slim rowing boats (sometimes 100 feet long) shaped like dragons. People also go down to the rivers to picnic and celebrate on boats. Originally the festival commemorated the suicide by drowning of the poet and statesman Ch’u Yuan in about 279 BCE.
WORLD HUMANIST DAY
This is a Humanist holiday, celebrated annually around the world but especially in America, on the June solstice. It is seen as a day for spreading awareness of Humanism as a philosophical life stance and as a means for effecting change in the world. It is also seen as a time for Humanists to gather socially and promote the positive values of Humanism.
MIDSUMMER SOLSTICE
Wiccan/Pagan. The summer solstice is the festival of Midsummer, sometimes called Litha. The light of the sun is at the height of its power. It is a time of plenty and celebration.
ASHURA (10th Muharram)
For Sunni Muslims this is one of the two days of a minor fast that the Prophet kept in his lifetime. The second day of the fast may be observed either on the day preceding or the day following the 10th of Muharram. For Shi’a Muslims this is a day when they recall a great tragedy that took place on Muharram 10, AH 61 (680 CE). The Imam Husayn (son of Ali and Fatimah and therefore grandson of the Prophet) travelling with his family and many followers, was attacked by the troops of the Caliph Yazid.
SAINTS PETER AND PAUL
The festival of Corpus Christi, a Latin phrase that refers to the body of Jesus, celebrates the institution of the Mass/Eucharist. It falls 60 days after Easter. The feast is celebrated in the Latin Church either on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday or it may be transferred to the following Sunday. Its purpose is to commemorate the institution by Jesus of the Holy Eucharist during the Last Supper on the day before his crucifixion, as described in the gospels. It has been celebrated by Catholic Christians ever since 1246.
JASHN-E TIRGAN (TIR JASHAN)
Jashn-e Tirgan is an ancient quarter year summer festival, celebrated about three months after the spring NoRuz. Tirgan is devoted to the divinity Tir and is associated with the dog-star Sirius and the coming of the rains in Iran and the fertility they bring.
ENTRY TO THE VASSA
The term “Entry to the Vassa” in Buddhism refers to the commencement of the Vassa, also known as the Rains Retreat.
FRAVARDIGAN / MUKTAD
The Fravardigan festival (the festival of the fravashis), popularly known as Muktad (All Souls), commences ten days before NoRuz and is the last festival of the old year. The Zoroastrian day commences at sunrise and not midnight, and so during sunrise on the first day of the festival the immortal souls, together with their fravashis (the guardian spirits of departed ancestors, artistically depicted as half man/half bird), are welcomed by name by the Zoroastrian Mobeds or Magi (priests).
BIRTH OF THE DALAI LAMA
6th July 2026 Buddhist Dalai Lama is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or “Yellow Hat” school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and […]
ANNIVERSARY OF THE MARTYRDOM OF THE BAB
This day recalls the death of the Bab, executed by firing squad in Tabriz, Persia, at noon on July 9th in 1850. Baha’is commemorate hisdeath at noon with readings and prayers from the Baha’i Scriptures. It has become a holy day of rest when Baha’is should refrain from work.
O-BON
A Japanese festival when the spirits of the departed are welcomed back home with feasting and dancing. Fires are often lit to illuminate their arrival and departure. Celebrations in rural areas may take place one month earlier.
NAVROZE / NO RUZ
New Year’s Day on the Shenshai Calendar. In the tenth century a group of Zoroastrians fled from Iran and were given religious sanctuary by the Hindus of Western India, where they became known as Parsis (or Persians). During the twentieth century the Zoroastrians of Iran have revised their calendar to take account of the leap year, while the Parsis of India have continued following the traditional imperial or Shenshai calendar. By the twentieth century the Parsis of India had become the largest group in the world to practise Zoroastrianism, and in the twenty first century over 95% of Zoroastrians in the UK are Parsis. Like their Indian counterparts, they celebrate two new years – giving more time for making merry!
RATHA YATRA
‘Chariot journey’. This is observed most notably at Puri in the Indian state of Orissa, where processions of thousands of devotees pull huge waggons (rathas) supporting images of Krishna. He is known under the name of ‘Jagannath’, (Lord of the Universe), from which the English term ‘juggernaut’ comes. Krishna is attended on his journey by his brother and sister. The festival and others like it are celebrated in Britain with processions through various parts of London on appropriate Sundays.
KHORDAD SAL
Khordad Sal is the Birthday of Zarathushtra and falls on the sixth day following NoRuz. Khordad means perfection and the festival of Khordad Sal symbolically celebrates the birthday of Prophet Zarathushtra. It is customary on this day to visit the Fire Temple, to give thanks to Ahura Mazda for giving humanity the Prophet Zarathushtra, to participate in a jashan or thanksgiving ceremony, to listen to stories of the miraculous birth and life of Prophet Zarathushtra, and to share in a happy community meal, a drink and a dance.
BIRTHDAY OF HAILE SELASSIE I
This is one of the holiest days of the Rastafarian year. It is celebrated with Nyahbinghi drumming, hymns and prayers. Born in 1892 as Tafari Mahonnen, Ras Tafari ruled Ethiopia as regent and crown prince from 1916 to 1928, and in 1930 was crowned emperor. This was when he became his Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile Selassi I, a name that means ‘Power of the Trinity’.
TISHA B’AV
This is the saddest day of the Jewish calendar. A full day fast is held at the conclusion of three weeks of mourning, while reflecting on the destruction of the first and second Temples in Jerusalem. Other tragedies in Jewish history are also recalled, many of which have coincidentally happened on this day. The Book of Lamentations is read at this time.
ASALHA PUJA / DHAMMA DAY
Dhammacakka day – ‘The turning of the wheel of teaching’. This is aTheravada celebration of the First Proclamation by Gautama to five ascetics in the Deer Park near Benares. Although he was initially reluctant to teach, he finally rejoined his five friends, with whom he had previously spent several years travelling throughout the Ganges plain, and in their presence he gained enlightenment. He then spoke to them at length and taught them the Middle Way, the Noble Eightfold Path and the Four Noble Truths, the essence of all subsequent Buddhist teaching. He also ordained them as his followers, the first step towards the foundation of the Sangha of Buddhist monks.
LAMMAS/LUGHNASADH
Lughnasadh, otherwise called Lammas, is the time of the corn harvest, when Pagans reap those things they have sown and when they celebrate the fruits of the mystery of Nature. At Lughnasadh, Pagans give thanks for the bounty of the Goddess as Queen of the Land. Lammas is the first harvest, a time for gathering in and giving thanks for abundance; then Mabon or the Autumn Equinox is the Second Harvest of Fruit; and Samhain is the third and Final Harvest of Nuts and Berries.
FRAVARDIGAN / MUKTAD
The Fravardigan festival (the festival of the fravashis), popularly known as Muktad (All Souls), commences ten days before NoRuz and is the last festival of the old year. The Zoroastrian day commences at sunrise and not midnight, and so during sunrise on the first day of the festival the immortal souls, together with their fravashis (the guardian spirits of departed ancestors, artistically depicted as half man/half bird), are welcomed by name by the Zoroastrian Mobeds or Magi (priests).
THE TRANSFIGURATION
This festival commemorates the occasion when Jesus went up a mountain with three of his disciples, Peter, James and John; here, as his death approached, they saw in a vision how his face changed and his clothes became dazzling white; they witnessed him in conversation with Moses and Elijah, and heard a voice saying, ‘This is my own dear Son with whom I am pleased – listen to him’. For many Christians this account confirms the divine nature of Jesus.
RAKSHA BANDHAN
This festival takes place on the full moon of the month of Shravana. Raksha means ‘protection’ and bandhan means ‘to tie’. Girls and married women in families which come from a north Indian background tie a rakhi (amulet) on the right wrists of their brothers, wishing them protection from all sorts of evil influences of various kinds. The brothers in return promise to protect their sisters and offer them gifts and sweets. This ritual not only strengthens the bond of love between brothers and sisters, but also reinforces the unity of the family.
O-BON
A Japanese festival when the spirits of the departed are welcomed back home with feasting and dancing. Fires are often lit to illuminate their arrival and departure. Celebrations in rural areas may take place one month earlier.
NAVROZE / NO RUZ
New Year’s Day on the Shenshai Calendar. In the tenth century a group of Zoroastrians fled from Iran and were given religious sanctuary by the Hindus of Western India, where they became known as Parsis (or Persians). During the twentieth century the Zoroastrians of Iran have revised their calendar to take account of the leap year, while the Parsis of India have continued following the traditional imperial or Shenshai calendar. By the twentieth century the Parsis of India had become the largest group in the world to practise Zoroastrianism, and in the twenty first century over 95% of Zoroastrians in the UK are Parsis. Like their Indian counterparts, they celebrate two new years – giving more time for making merry!
ASSUMPTION (DORMITION) OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
On this day many Christians celebrate the ‘taking up’ of Mary, body and soul, to heaven. Several Catholic communities mark the festival of the Assumption with processions and fêtes.
MARCUS GARVEY’S BIRTHDAY
This is one of the holiest days of the Rastafarian year. It is celebrated with Nyahbinghi drumming, hymns and prayers. Born in 1892 as Tafari Mahonnen, Ras Tafari ruled Ethiopia as regent and crown prince from 1916 to 1928, and in 1930 was crowned emperor. This was when he became his Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile Selassi I, a name that means ‘Power of the Trinity’.
HERD BOY AND WEAVING MAID FESTIVAL / QIXIJIE / CH’I HOU CHIEH
This Double Seven festival perpetuates an ancient Chinese (and Japanese) folk tale of two stars, one on either side of the Heavenly River (the Milky Way). They are held to have been a herd boy and a heavenly weaving maid who had married but were then separated by a river (formed by the use of a magic hairpin) when the maid was summoned to return to heaven. The lovers are allowed a reunion once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, when a flock of magpies forms a bridge across the Heavenly River. But if it rains on that day, the river overflows and sweeps away the bridge, so preventing their meeting for a whole year. Women traditionally pray for clear skies on the night of the seventh day of the month.
KHORDAD SAL
The Birthday of Zarathushtra, one of the most important Zoroastrian festivals. Khordad means perfection and although the actual date of his birth cannot be accurately identified, the festival of Khordad Sal symbolically celebrates the birthday of Prophet Zarathushtra and falls on the sixth day following NoRuz.
THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD’S BIRTHDAY / MILAD UN NABI (12th Rabi’ul-Awwal)
Observed by Sunni Muslims on 12th Rabi’ Al-Awwal, and by the majority of Shi’a Muslims five days later on 17th Rabi’ Al-Awwal (though Nizari Ismaili (Shi’a) Muslims, who are followers of the Aga Khan, celebrate this on the same date as Sunnis, whereas Dawoodi Bohra Ismailis celebrate at the same time as other Shi’a).
FESTIVAL OF HUNGRY GHOSTS/ZHOHGYUANJIE/CHUNG YUAN
Chinese Buddhist and ancestral festival, often called the ‘Festival of Hungry Ghosts’. Paper objects for use in the spirit world are made and offered to aid those spirits who have no resting place or descendants. Large paper boats are made and burnt at temples to help these spirits on their journey across the sea of torment to Nirvana.
INSTALLATION OF THE GURU GRANTH SAHIB IN THE HARMANDIR SAHIB
In 1604 CE, in the place of worship where the Golden Temple now stands, Guru Arjan Dev, the Sikhs’ fifth Guru, installed the Adi Granth, a newly compiled volume of scripture. It consisted of the hymns of the first five Gurus plus those of other Indian and Persian ‘saint-poets’ from the Hindu and Muslim traditions. After the selections were made, the Guru dictated the hymns to Bhai Gurdas, who wrote down the words and music of the Adi Granth. Guru Arjan later suffered a martyr’s death, preferring to save his life rather than make alterations to the hymns, as required by Emperor Jahangir.
FRAVARDIN MAH PARAB
On the day of Fravardin, the 19th day of the month of Fravardin, the first month of the year, Zoroastrians visit the vicinity of the Towers of Silence in India (or in the UK the Zoroastrian Cemetery in Brookwood, Surrey) to participate in a jashan ceremony in memory of the departed fravashis (guardian spirits and souls of the community). Sacred food is prepared as an offering to the departed during the jashan and is later shared by the participants.
JANMASHTAMI / KRISHNA JAYANTI
The birthday of Krishna is widely celebrated throughout the Hindu world. He is the very popular eighth avatar/incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and many Hindus fast in his honour for 24 hours until midnight, the time of Krishna’s birth. For them, Vishnu and Krishna are essentially one and the same. Those unable to fast will take a little fruit and milk. Krishna is welcomed in temples with singing, dancing and the distribution of sweets. At many homes and temples an image in blue of the new-born Krishna is put in a cradle and again special sweets (e.g. panjiri, the powder given traditionally to women after childbirth) are offered and distributed.
PARYUSHAN
These are eight days of purification, devoted to study, prayer, meditation and fasting, and ending with a period of confession and forgiveness. Often monks will be invited to give teachings from the Jain scriptures. Paryushana means ‘to stay in one place’, which signifies a time of reflection and repentance. Originally the practice was monastic for the most part.
ETHIOPIAN NEW YEAR’S DAY
Ethiopian families love to celebrate their New Year, which they call Enqutatash, ‘gift of jewels’, with presents and visits. They celebrate a four year cycle, in which each year is named after an evangelist. It is claimed that the Queen of Sheba was in fact an Ethiopian, and that when she returned from her visit to King Solomon, her chiefs welcomed her back by replenishing her treasury with enku, ‘jewels’.
ROSH HASHANAH (HEAD OF THE YEAR)
(New Year’s Day, 5780 years from the creation of the world). Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of ten days of repentance and self examination, during which God sits in personal judgment on every individual. The blowing of the ram’s horn (shofar) in the synagogue is a reminder of Abraham’s sacrifice of a ram instead of his son, Isaac. Apples dipped in honey are eaten in the hope of a ‘sweet’ new year. The greeting is ‘Leshanah Tovah Tikatev’ (may you be inscribed for a good year).
SAMVATSARI (INTERNATIONAL FORGIVENESS DAY)
This is the last day of the eight day festival of Paryushana, which many regard as the most important festival of Jainism. It is the holiest day of the Jain calendar and many Jains observe it as a complete fast. The entire day is spent in prayer and contemplation, and it climaxes in the evening when people ask for forgiveness from others – and from all living creatures – for any hurt they have knowingly or unknowingly caused during the previous year.
GANESH CHATURTHI (BIRTHDAY OF GANESH)
Ganesh Chaturthi (or Vinayaka Chaturthi) is a Hindu festival that honours the birth of the beloved Hindu elephant-headed god, Ganesh, (also known as Ganesha, Ganapati and Vinayaka). He is the son of Shiva and Parvati, and is a popular god of wisdom and prosperity, worshipped for his ability to remove obstacles and bring good fortune. He is accordingly invoked by Hindus at the outset of any auspicious events, rites and rituals such as marriage, journeys, etc. This festival is particularly significant for Hindus from Maharashtra and is celebrated in a major way in Mumbai (Bombay). Celebrations last for one, five or ten days, and conclude with the immersion in water of the image of Ganesh.
HIGAN
This celebration marks the autumn equinox for Japanese people. As at the spring equinox, harmony and balance are the themes; sutras are recited and the graves of relatives are visited. September 23 is the equinox, the 24-hour period when day and night are the same length, the beginning of Autumn. On this day the sun shines at the equator for 12 hours. On the next day, days begin to become shorter than nights in the Northern Hemisphere.
YOM KIPPUR (DAY OF ATONEMENT)
This is the final day of the ten days of repentance, following on from Rosh Hashanah, and is the holiest day of the year in the Jewish calendar. The Torah calls it the ‘Sabbath of Sabbaths’, and it is marked by ‘afflicting the soul’ – chiefly expressed through a total fast that lasts for 25 hours. Jews spend the eve and most of the day in prayer in the synagogue, asking for divine forgiveness for past wrongs and resolving to improve in the future in their attempt to live a moral life. In the days before the festival they will have tried to set right any breakdown in their relationships with others. Now they ask the Almighty for forgiveness before the gates of heaven are closed and the record books are sealed, so that they may live throughout the coming year as He would wish.
HARVEST FESTIVAL
Special services are held around this time of year to give thanks for the goodness of God’s gifts in providing a harvest of crops along with all the other fruits of society. Displays of produce are often made, usually distributed afterwards to those in need. Increasingly the emphasis is on a wider interpretation than just the harvests of the fields and seas.
SHUUBUN NO HI
This celebration marks the autumn equinox for Japanese people. As at the spring equinox, harmony and balance are the themes; sutras are recited and the graves of relatives are visited. September 23 is the equinox, the 24-hour period when day and night are the same length, the beginning of Autumn. On this day the sun shines at the equator for 12 hours. On the next day, days begin to become shorter than nights in the Northern Hemisphere.
AUTUMN EQUINOX
Day and night stand hand in hand as equals. As the shadows lengthen, Pagans see the darker faces of the God and Goddess. For many Pagans, this rite honours old age and the approach of Winter.
RABBIT IN THE MOON FESTIVAL/ZHONGQIUJIE/CHUNG CH’IU
This Mid-Autumn festival celebrates the moon’s birthday. Traditionally, offerings of moon cakes are made by women to the goddess of the moon. Offerings are also made to the rabbit in the moon, who is pounding the elixir of life with a pestle. ‘Spirit money’ is bought along with incense and offered to the moon by women. They also make special ‘moon’ cakes containing ground lotus and sesame seeds or dates. These contain an image of the crescent moon or of the rabbit in the moon, and children holding brightly coloured lanterns are allowed to stay up late to watch the moon rise from some nearby high place.
SUKKOT – FEAST OF TABERNACLES OR BOOTHS
This is an eight day long harvest festival which commemorates the 40 years the Jews spent in the wilderness on the way from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land. A temporary hut or a frail booth – called a sukkah – is built outside the house each year at this time for eating meals and for visits and socialising. In hot countries families may live in their sukkah during the festival. The roof has to be open in part to the elements, so that the stars may be visible through the gaps, and is covered with branches and leaves and decorated with fruit.
CONFUCIUS’ BIRTHDAY
Confucius was born in the 22nd year of the reign of Duke Xiang of Lu (551 BCE). The traditional claim that he was born on the 27th day of the eighth lunar month has been questioned by historians, but September 28 is still widely observed in East Asia as Confucius’s birthday.
JASHN-E MEHERGAN (or MIHR JASHAN)
Jashn-e Mehergan is an Autumn festival, and like NoRuz its origins have been lost in antiquity. Mehergan is dedicated to the divinity Meher or Mithra, who is associated with the sun and with justice. The ripening of the crops and fruits at this time of the year is seen as symbolic of the ripening of the world into fullness, before the moment of the ultimate victory over evil. It evokes the physical resurrection of the body along with its immortal soul, as promised by the Lord, Ahura Mazda.
GANDHI JAYANTI
Gandhi Jayanti is an Indian nation holiday that celebrates the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, who is referred to as the ‘Father of the Nation’. He was the driving force behind the foundation of the state of India. His birthday is celebrated with services, prayers and painting and essay contests with topics that glorify peace and non-violence, and the singing of Gandhi’s favourite devotional song entitled ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram’ (Ram Dhun for short). The distribution of alcohol is banned on Gandhi Jayanti, as on other national holidays.
SIMCHAT TORAH
This festival, whose name means ‘Rejoicing in the Torah’, marks the completion of the annual cycle of reading from the Torah. As the reading of the Law in the synagogue should be continuous, a second scroll is begun again as soon as the final portion of the Torah has been read from the first scroll; so, as the reading from Deuteronomy ends, with the next breath, Genesis begins without a break – the Torah is a circle that never ends. All the Torah scrolls are paraded around the synagogue, with children dancing and singing, as do many of the adults, giving as many people as possible the honour of carrying a Torah scroll. Progressive Jews frequently celebrate this one day earlier, combining it with the eighth day of Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret.
NAVRATRI
All around the world Hindu families gather at this time to participate in circle dances associated with the goddess Durga and with Lord Krishna. Navaratri means nine nights, the length of the festival. Hindus from different areas of India, and especially from Gujarat, celebrate it in different ways: in the north the Ram Lila is performed each night, in celebration of Lord Rama’s victory over Ravana, the demon king of Sri Lanka; many Punjabis worship the goddess daily during Navaratri, and observe a strictly vegetarian diet; on the eighth day, Durga Ashtami, Punjabi Hindus fast before conducting worship of the Goddess that involves honouring young girls as the embodiment of her power.
PICNIC IN A HIGH PLACE / CLIMB A HIGH MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL / CHONGYANGJIE / CH’UNG YANG
This Double Ninth festival is the day for hill climbing or ‘going up on a high place’. It reminds of an ancient seer who foretold an imminent natural calamity and escaped by going into the hills. The rest of humanity ignored his warnings and perished. Kites are flown, family graves visited, and a ‘golden pig’ is shared by large families with fruit, wine, tea and rice.
DURGASHTAMI
Durgashtami, also known as Durga Ashtami or Maha Ashtami, is the eighth day of the Navratri festival celebrated by Hindus in honor of Goddess Durga.
CONFERRING OF GURUSHIP ON THE GURU GRANTH SAHIB BY GURU GOBIND SINGH 1708 CE
On October 6th, 1708, the day before his death, Guru Gobind Singh (the Sikhs’ tenth Guru, 1666 -1708) declared that, instead of having another human Guru, from now on Sikhs would regard the scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, as their Guru.
DUSSEHRA / VIJAYA DASHAMI
The festival of Dussehra, usually falls on the last day of the Durga Puja celebrations, which is also the tenth day after the start of Navratri. It is observed throughout India to commemorate the victory of Lord Rama over the ten-headed demon Ravana. He, Ravana, was the king of Lanka who had abducted Rama’s wife, Sita, and was subsequently vanquished in battle. Large effigies of him are burnt as the sun goes down. This day is celebrated as the ‘Victorious Tenth’ (Vijaya Dashami) and huge figures of Ravana alongside his son, Meghnada, and his brother, Kumbhakarna, are filled with fireworks and set on fire in public parks. In the UK some temples carry this out, even if on a smaller scale.
DURGA PUJA
Durga Puja is a celebration of the Mother Goddess, and the victory of the revered warrior Goddess Durga over the evil buffalo demon Mahishasura. The festival honours the powerful female force (shakti) in the Universe.
LAKSHMI PUJA
Durga Puja is a celebration of the Mother Goddess, and the victory of the revered warrior Goddess Durga over the evil buffalo demon Mahishasura. The festival honours the powerful female force (shakti) in the Universe.
PAVARANA DAY
The last day of the Rains Retreat (the Vassa) is known as Pavarana Day or ‘Leaving the Vassa’. It is also known as ‘Sangha Day’.
SAMHAIN/ SAMHUINN
For all pagan communities the wheel of the year is seen to begin at Samhain. This is the Celtic New Year, when the veil between the world of the dead and the world of the living is said to be at its thinnest. Samhain is the festival of death when pagans remember and honour those who have gone before. Fires are lit and ‘dead wood’ is burned before stepping into the darkness of winter. Pagans celebrate death as part of life. This is not a time of fear, but a time to understand more deeply that life and death are part of a sacred whole.
HALLOWEEN
Halloween is a holiday celebrated on the night of October 31. The word Halloween is a shortening of All Hallows Evening, also known as Hallowe’en or All Hallows’ Eve. Traditional activities include trick-or-treating, bonfires, costume parties, visiting ‘haunted houses’, and carving jack-o-lanterns. Irish and Scottish immigrants carried versions of the tradition to North America in the nineteenth century. Other western countries embraced the holiday in the late twentieth century including Ireland, the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom as well as of Australia and New Zealand.
ALL HALLOWS’ EVE
This day provides a chance to offer thanks for the work and witness of all Christian saints, recognising that not all are known or specially celebrated. Many churches stress this day rather than Hallowe’en, which falls the day before, by holding events especially designed for children.
ALL SAINTS’ DAY
This day provides a chance to offer thanks for the work and witness of all Christian saints, recognising that not all are known or specially celebrated. Many churches stress this day rather than Hallowe’en, which falls the day before, by holding events especially designed for children.
ANNIVERSARY OF THE CROWNING OF HAILE SELASSIE I
One of the holiest days of the Rastafarian year, it celebrates Haile Selassie’s accession to the Ethiopian throne. It cements the role Ethiopia plays at the heart of Rastafarian tradition.
ALL SOULS’ DAY
On this day in particular the departed are remembered and prayers on their behalf are offered. From earliest times Christians have prayed for the souls of the dead. In the year 998, All Souls, ‘the faithful departed’, began to be remembered in the Church calendar on this day.
ANAPANASATI DAY
Anapanasati day, which is observed by monks in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, is marked by two different ceremonies: one falls on the day after the final day of the three months long Rains Retreat; the other falls on the same day or at some time during the month that follows.
DIVALI / DEEPAVALI
Divali has a special significance for Jains, as on this day in 527 BCE Mahavira gave his last teachings and at midnight attained ultimate liberation. Today temples and shrines are decorated, often with toys and images of animals, and Jains meditate on the teaching he gave on this day. Many devout followers fast for the two days of Divali, following the example of Mahavira. Lamps are lit and children are given sweets by their parents, though the songs, dances and noise of Hindu celebrations are not common amongst the Jain communities. Jain business people traditionally start their accounting year from the day after Divali.
DIVALI (Bandi Chhor Divas)
Sikhs celebrate Bandhi Chhor Divas / Divali since Guru Hargobind, the sixth Guru, was released from Gwalior prison in Madhya Pradesh on this day in 1619 CE. The day is known as Bandhi Chhor Divas (Prisoner Release Day) because 52 imprisoned princes (Bandhi) were released (Chhor) by him on this day (Divas). It is celebrated in October-November by both Sikhs and Hindus.
DIVALI / DIWALI/DEEPAVALI
Deepawali or Diwali, the Hindu new year’s day, is the biggest and the brightest of all Hindu festivals. It is the festival of lights: deep means ‘light’ and ‘avali’ a row’, so divali is ‘a row of lights’. It coincides with the darkest night (15th) of the lunar month of Kartik, which usually falls in late October or early November.
GAVADHAN PUJA
Govardhan Puja, also known as Annakut or Annakoot, is a Hindu festival celebrated on the first lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kartika, on the fourth day of Diwali.
DIVALI / DEEPAVALI
Sikhs celebrate Bandhi Chhor Divas / Divali since Guru Hargobind, the sixth Guru, was released from Gwalior prison in Madhya Pradesh on this day in 1619 CE. The day is known as Bandhi Chhor Divas (Prisoner Release Day) because 52 imprisoned princes (Bandhi) were released (Chhor) by him on this day (Divas). It is celebrated in October-November by both Sikhs and Hindus.
MAHAVIR NIRVANI
This is a festival celebrating the birth in 540, 599 or 615 BCE of Mahavira, the last Tirthankara, the greatest teacher and model for all Jainas. The events surrounding his birth are retold and re-enacted at all Jain temples. If monks or nuns are present, they will read from the scriptures and teach about the rest of Mahavira’s life. The day is marked with processions, the sending of cards, and the bathing of images of Mahavira. At the end of the day lay people will return home to a celebratory feast with distinctive recipes.
ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF THE BAB
The Bab (the title means ‘the Gate’) was born in Shiraz, Persia in 1819. He was the prophet-herald of the Baha’i community and called people to religious renewal and to await the coming of a new messenger from God – ‘the one whom God shall make manifest’. Baha’is believe that this latter figure was Baha’u’llah (the title means ‘Glory of God’). Baha’is observe this holy day by abstaining from work. Their gatherings normally involve prayers, devotional readings, music and fellowship.
BESTU VARAS
Govardhan Puja, also known as Annakut or Annakoot, is a Hindu festival celebrated on the first lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kartika, on the fourth day of Diwali.
INTER FAITH WEEK
Held in the second week of November, Inter Faith Week aims to strengthen good interfaith relations, increase awareness of the different and distinct faith communities, and increase understanding between people of religious and non-religious beliefs.
ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF BAHA’U’LLAH
Baha’u’llah is held by many of his followers to be the founder of the Baha’i faith. He was born the eldest son of a Persian nobleman in Tehran, Persia, in 1817. For Bahá’ís, the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh is a Holy Day celebrating the rebirth of the world through the love of God.
REMEMBRANCE DAY
The Sunday nearest to Armistice Day, devoted to remembering the dead of the two World wars and subsequent wars.
SHICHI-GO-SAN (Seven-Five-Three)
Girls of seven, boys of five and girls of three are dressed up in new clothes and taken to a Shinto shrine to pray for their future well-being. As is the case with Hinamatsuri, the family’s care for children and their upbringing is a central aspect of Japanese family life.
MARTYRDOM OF GURU TEGH BAHADUR
As ordered by the Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb, the ninth Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur was beheaded in Sis Ganj, near Chandi Chowk in Old Delhi, for upholding the refusal of a number of Hindu Kashmiri Brahmins’ to convert to Islam. These Hindus had turned to him for help and the Guru told them to inform the Emperor that they would only convert if the Guru also converted. This of course he then refused to do. Guru Tegh Bahadur is accordingly honoured for sacrificing his head (sir) rather than his faith (sis) for the religious freedom of those of a different religious persuasion from himself.
BIRTHDAY OF GURU NANAK
Although the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak, was born in April 1469, his birth anniversary (one of Sikhs’ most widely celebrated gurpurbs) is still generally celebrated on the full moon day of the lunar month of Kartik. As is the case with all other gurpurbs, an akhand path (a complete, unbroken reading of the Guru Granth Sahib) commences two days earlier so that it ends on the morning of the festival. Sikhs gather at the gurdwara for hymn-singing (kirtan) and to hear kathas (homilies) and share the langar (free meal). The gurdwara may be illuminated and street processions take place too, culminating in some cases, as at Baisakhi, in the washing and redressing of the nishan, the flag and the flagpole erected outside each gurdwara.
LOY KRATONG
Loy Kratong is celebrated in most of the village and town temples in Thailand and often coincides with the local temple’s Kathina Day observance of Anapanasati. The festival takes place on the full moon night of the twelfth lunar month when the water level is high and the climate is cooler. This is usually in November when the full-moon lights up the sky, at the end of the rainy season. The festival indicates a close bond between Thai culture and the creative use of the recent heavy rainfall.
DAY OF THE COVENANT
The Day of the Covenant is the day when Baha’i’s’ celebrate the appointment of Abdu’l-Baha as the Centre of the Baha’u’llah’s Covenant. It occurs yearly on the 4th day of Speech (Qawl) which coincides with either November 25 or 26 depending on when Naw Ruz falls on that year.
ASCENSION OF ABDU’L-BAHA
The Ascension of Abdu’l-Baha is a holy day that commemorates the death of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. It is observed on 6 Qawl. Work is not suspended on this day as it is on some holy days. The typical observance consists of devotional readings and is held at 1:00 AM, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá passed away about 1:00 AM on 28 November, 1921
ADVENT SUNDAY
Advent means ‘Coming’. It heralds the start of the Christian year, and commences on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. It is often celebrated by lighting the first candle in the advent crown – a circular wreath of greenery. A further three candles are lit on subsequent Sundays, culminating with the Christmas candle on the 25th of December. Together these signify the transition from darkness to light, the light of Jesus coming into the world.
ST ANDREW’S DAY
Andrew, the apostle, was brother of St Peter, and the first disciple to follow Jesus. He was crucified at Patras in Greece and has been patron saint of Scotland since the 8th century. In the Anglican communion he is associated with missionary activity.
HANUKAH
Hanukah is the Jewish Festival of Lights, which celebrates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after it was recaptured from the Syrian Greeks by the Maccabee brothers in about 162 BCE. For the eight evenings of the festival, candles are lit from right to left in a hanukkiah, a nine-branched menorah – one candle for each evening. The ninth candle is the shamash (the servant candle) from which the other candles are lit.
BODHI DAY
Buddhists around the world celebrate Gautama’s attainment of Enlightenment in 596 BCE on this day while sitting under a Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, in Northern India. Many consider this to be the most sacred of holy places as it was the birth place of their tradition. Bodhi Day is celebrated in many mainstream Mahayan traditions, including Zen, and in Pure Land Buddhist schools in China, Japan and Korea. Buddhist commemorate the day by meditating, studying the Dharma (teaching), chanting sutras (Buddhist texts) and performing kind acts toward other beings. Some celebrate by a traditional meal of tea, cakes and readings.
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Celebrates the doctrine held mainly by Roman Catholics that Mary herself was born free from Original Sin, leaving her sinless for the conception and bearing of Jesus.
HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
In 1948 The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: ‘All human beings are born with equal and inalienable rights and fundamental freedoms.’
WINTER SOLSTICE
Yule is the time of the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, when the sun is reborn, an image of the return of all new life. Heathens celebrate Yule for twelve nights and days, starting the evening before the Winter Solstice (called Mother’s night) when they think of their female ancestors and spiritual protectors. The night heralds the beginning of the major holiday in Heathenry.
MARTYRDOM OF ADJIT SINGH AND JUJHAR SINGH
Day in memory of the Sikh Gurus Adjit Singh and Jujhar Singh.
CHRISTMAS EVE
Evening carol services, crib services and Midnight Masses inaugurate the festival of Christmas. Santa Claus (from the Dutch Sinter Klaus) is a legendary figure, based on St Nicholas of Myra, and is supposed to bring presents to children on Christmas Eve.
CHRISTMAS DAY
Christmas Day celebrates the birth of Jesus, whom Christians believe to be the son of God. Gifts are given as reminders of the offerings brought to the infant Jesus, and Christmas carols, plays and evergreens are associated with this time, while nativity sets are displayed in many churches and in some homes.
ZARATOSHT NO DISO
Zaratosht no diso is the death anniversary of the Prophet Zarathushtra and is a sorrowful occasion. Tradition records that this is when he was assassinated at the age of 77. It is customary to visit the Fire Temple, participate in special remembrance prayers to him and to the Fravashis (the guardian spirits of departed ancestors), and ponder upon the Gathas or Hymns of Zarathushtra, which embody his eternal message to humanity.
MARTYRDOM OF ZARAWAR SINGH AND FATEH SINGH
The young and innocent boys, Sahibzada (Prince) Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh attained martyrdom on 26 Dece,mber1705, when they were brutally murdered by Wazir Khan the Mughal Governor of Sirhind.
ST STEPHENS DAY
Saint Stephen’s Day, also called the Feast of Saint Stephen, is a Christian saint’s day to commemorate Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr or protomartyr, celebrated on 26 December in Western Christianity and 27 December in Eastern Christianity.
HOLY INNOCENTS
The Feast of the Holy Innocents honours the memory of the infants who were slaughtered by King Herod following the birth of Jesus. Though the Holy Family escaped Herod’s wrath by fleeing into Egypt, the innocent baby boys of Bethlehem fell victim to his manic fear of losing power.
HOGMANAY
A celebration widely observed throughout the UK, and especially in Scotland, where bagpipes, haggis and first footing are widespread. Clearing one’s debts, cleaning the house, welcoming guests and strangers and a host of other traditions feature at this time.
OMISOKA
Japanese festival which prepares for the new year by cleansing Shinto home shrines and Buddhist altars. The bells of Buddhist temples are struck 108 times to warn against the 108 evils to be overcome.