Viewing archives for April

8th April 2026

Buddhist (Japanese)

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.

The original Japanese Flower Festival (hana, ‘flower’, matsuri, ‘festival’) was observed to encourage fruit trees to flower early; at the time, the farming community believed that the longer the blossoming, the more prosperous the harvest. Buddhism spread to Japan in the 6th century CE, and sometime around 600 CE the hanamatsuri festival became incorporated into the celebration of the Buddha’s birthday.

Nowadays a special altar—the hanamido—is erected and decorated with flowers representing the garden in Lumbini, southern Nepal, where it is said that Queen Maya went into labour. An image of the infant Buddha is placed in a pan and, in a ritual known as kanbutsu, water or sweet tea is poured over it in remembrance of the “sweet rain” that descended from heaven at the moment of the birth.

It is told that when Buddha Shakyamuni was born, birds sang and flowers bloomed in honour of his arrival. Pointing with his right hand to heaven and with his left hand to earth, the new born child took seven steps, prophesying that he would become a great sage and deliver humanity from suffering.

Hanamatsuri is predominately a Mahayana festival whereas Theravadin Buddhists observe the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and entrance into nirvana during the festival of Wesak, held in May at the time of the full moon.

While Buddhists of all traditions find meaning in these miracle stories of the events of his birth, they are also careful to point to his specific role as a wise teacher whose role was to signpost the way to enlightenment and nirvana.

14th April 2026

Jewish

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. 

14th April 2026

Sikhi

The Sikh New Year Festival.

In 1699 CE, on Vaisakhi, the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, founded the Order of the Khalsa. Five men, who later came to be known as the Panj Piare (Five Beloved Ones), were prepared to offer their lives when the Guru asked for volunteers. According to tradition this is when he initiated both these Panj Piare and many others into the Khalsa, with men taking the name ‘Singh’ and women taking the name ‘Kaur’. On this day Sikhs, both young and more mature, are nowadays initiated into the Khalsa by ‘taking amrit’; in doing so they commit themselves to a discipline that includes daily prayers and the wearing of the external markers of Khalsa identity (the Five Ks). Outside each gurdwara the Nishan Sahib (the Sikh pennant) and its flagpole are taken down, ceremonially bathed and then re-erected.

The formation of the Khalsa, the community of committed Sikhs, was the first step to prepare the Sikh people for the day when there would be no further human Gurus. Instead, after the death of Guru Gobind Singh, as they sought for further guidance and following the Guru’s clear instructions, they came to look for authority in the Guru Granth Sahib, the compilation of the writings of the earlier Gurus, and also in the tenth Guru’s writings in the Dasam Granth.

21st April – 2nd May 2025

Baha’i

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. The festival is named after the garden outside Baghdad in which he was staying. The first, ninth and twelfth days are especially significant and are celebrated as holy days, when no work is done. (This is also true of other Baha’i festival dates.) It is during this period that Baha’is elect their local, national and international governing bodies.

20th April 2026

Zoroastrian (Shenshai – Parsi)

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. 

23rd April 2026

National

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. 

2nd April 2026

Hindu

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.

Hindus believe in ten avatars of Lord Vishnu among a multitude of other gods and goddesses. One of Vishnu’s avatars is Rama, whom he became to destroy Ravana, the evil ruler of Lanka. In order to aid Rama in this undertaking, Brahma commanded some gods and goddesses to take on the avatar of ‘Vanaras‘ or monkeys. Pavana, the god of the wind, was reborn as Hanuman, the wisest, swiftest and strongest of all apes.

Hanuman, the mighty fighter who aided Lord Rama in his expedition against evil forces, has become one of the most popular deities in the Hindu pantheon. Believed to be the eleventh avatar of Lord Shiva, he is worshipped as a symbol of physical strength, perseverance, and devotion. His story in the epic Ramayana – where he is assigned the responsibility of locating Rama’s wife Sita, who had been abducted by Ravana, the demon king of Lanka – is known for its ability to equip those who read it with all the ingredients they need to face ordeals and conquer obstructions in this world.

The character of Hanuman teaches us of the unlimited power that lies unused within each of us. Hanuman directed all his energies towards the worship of Lord Rama, and his undying devotion made him such that he became free from physical fatigue. Hanuman’s only desire was to go on serving Rama. He perfectly exemplifies ‘Dasyabhava devotion’ – one of the nine types of devotion – that bonds the master and the servant. His greatness lies in his complete dedication to his Lord, which also formed the basis of his genial qualities.

Hanuman accordingly has become a model of devotion, strength, knowledge, divine power, bravery, intelligence, and the spirit of selfless service. He devoted his life to his Lord, Rama, and to Mata Sita and never displayed his bravery and intelligence without a specific purpose. He is worshipped in different ways by his many devotees: some meditate by repeating his name many times; others read the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’.

People worship Hanuman as a symbol of devotion, magical powers, strength and energy. Those who read the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ do so since it gives the ability to conquer evil spirits and provide peace to the mind. Devotees visit Hanuman temples after a holy bath in the early morning, apply a red tilak (vermillion) to the forehead of the Hanuman image, offer prasad, perform aarti by chanting mantras and songs, circulate around the temple and perform many other rituals. As Lord Hanuman was born to the Vanara community, he had a reddish/orange coloured body, and in Hanuman temples his image is also reddish/orange in colour. After puja, people apply red sindur to their own foreheads as a form of prasad and distribute laddoo prasad among others to receive a blessing from Hanuman.

20th April 2025

Christian (Orthodox)

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. The Pascha services are noteworthy for the canon hymns of St. John of Damascus. The service continues with the singing of the Easter hours and the divine liturgy and the Paschal Sermon of St. John Chrysostom. For fuller information, see: It is Pascha – not Easter!

For Orthodox Christians Easter Day is the most important festival of the Christian year, as this is when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. A vigil is kept during the preceding night, and the resurrection of Christ is greeted with the lighting of candles and the affirmation ‘Christ is risen’. Customs include colouring and decorating of hard-boiled eggs as symbols of new life – cracking them symbolises the opening of Christ’s tomb. All Orthodox Christian communities celebrate Easter and the associated cycle of festivals at the same time.

Theologians of all Christian traditions regard Easter as the lynchpin of Christian belief, and view faith in the resurrection of Jesus as the determining factor in assessing orthodoxy. The annual rejoicing that ‘Christ is risen; He is risen indeed!’ is common to Eastern and Western traditions alike throughout the world.

Matthew 28:1-11, Mark 16:1-10, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-10. 

2nd April 2026

Christian (Western Churches)

The term ‘Maundy’ comes from the Latin word mandatum, which means ‘command’ or ‘commandment’. Its use stems from the words of Jesus to his disciples in John 13:34, ‘A new commandment I give unto you’, and John 15:17 ‘These things I command you, that you love one another’ – the central precept of the Christian gospel.

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.

The night before Jesus was crucified, he shared a Passover supper with his disciples. After supper, he washed his disciples’ feet in an incredible demonstration of humility and servanthood. Finally, he gave bread and wine to his followers and told them to partake of it in remembrance of him. The sharing of bread and wine is the basis of today’s Holy Communion or Last Supper.

The original Last Supper is believed to have taken place in ‘the upper room’ of the house reputedly owned by John Mark and his mother, Mary (Acts 12:12). This room, also the site of the Pentecost, is known as the Coenaculum or the Cenacle and is referred to in St. James’ Liturgy as ‘Holy and glorious Sion, mother of all churches’. At the site of this place – the first Christian church – a basilica was built in the 4th century. It was later destroyed and subsequently re-built by the Crusaders. Underneath the place is the tomb of David.

In Roman Catholic and some Anglican churches the feet of twelve members of the congregation are washed in remembrance of Jesus’ washing the feet of the twelve disciples. The priest girds himself with a cloth and washes the feet of 12 men chosen to represent the Apostles for the ceremony.

In the days when Kings and Queens of England were Catholic, they would wash the feet of 12 subjects in Westminster Abbey, seeing the foot washing rite as an example of service and humility. They would also give money to the poor on this day, a practice said to have begun with St. Augustine of Canterbury in A.D. 597, and performed by royalty since the time of Edward II. Since 1689 the foot washing is no longer performed, but a special coin called “Maundy Money” is minted instead and given to the selected elderly of a representative city.

In Britain today, the Queen follows a very traditional role by giving Maundy Money to a group of pensioners. Every year on this day, she attends a Royal Maundy service in one of the many cathedrals throughout the country. ‘Maundy money’ is distributed to male and female pensioners from local communities near the Cathedral where the service takes place. Yeomen of the Guard carry the Maundy money in red and white leather purses on their heads on golden alms trays. The money in the red purse is money in lieu of food and clothing while the money in the white purse consists of the Maundy coins. From the fifteenth century, the amount of Maundy coins handed out, and the number of people receiving the coins, is related to the years of the Sovereign’s life.

The colours for Maundy Thursday are usually the colours of Lent, royal purple or red violet. Some traditions, however, use red for Maundy Thursday, the colour of the Church, in order to identify with the community of disciples that followed Jesus. Along the same line, some use this day to honour the apostles who were commissioned by Jesus to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world.

During the Middle Ages, the holy day was sometimes called Shere Thursday; shere means ‘pure’. In England during this time, bearded men found another reason for that name when they sheared their beards on Maundy Thursday as a symbol of the cleansing of body and soul before Easter.

Matthew 26:26-30, Mark 14:22-26, Luke 22:14-20.

13th – 15th April 2026

Buddhist

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’.

This Thai water festival in Bangkok officially runs for three days, starting on the morning of April 13th and finishing on April 15th. Although officially only three days long, many people take time off from work and stretch the festival into a six day celebration. April is the hottest month of the year, and the entire country enjoys its friendly water fights and street parties that can last nearly a week.

The real significance of the splashing with water relates to physical cleanliness, spiritual purification, and making a fresh start to daily life. Houses are cleaned and Buddha statues are carried through the streets to be rinsed with flower-scented water, so symbolically washing off all the misfortunes of the past year, and in so doing welcoming in the new year when a fresh start can be made.

Making merit is an essential part of Songkran, and visiting nine sacred temples during Songkran is considered one of the ultimate merit accumulators. Other merit-making customs in Bangkok include going to the temples to build sand stupas, which are then decorated with colourful flags and flowers. These can be seen around key temples in the Rattanokosin area.

Songkran is the occasion for family re-unions and temple visits. Many Thais observe the holidays by spending time with families and friends, and they may politely pour a bowl of water on members of the family, and as well on their close friends and neighbours. Traditional Thais perform the Rod Nam Dum Hua ritual on the first day of Songkran, which is officially the National Elderly Day. During the ritual, young people pour fragrant water into the elders’ palms as a gesture of humility and ask for their blessings. Known as ‘Songkran Day’, this first day of the festival is an exuberant celebration with processions of Buddha images taking place throughout the country. Thai people prepare themselves for the beginning of the New Year, as for other festivals, by thorough cleaning of their houses. April 13th is also when the water throwing really commences.

The second day of Songkran is officially the National Family Day. Families wake up early and give alms to the monks; then ideally the rest of the day is spent sharing quality family time together. An important religious ritual on Songkran is ‘Bathing the Buddha image’, in which devout Buddhists pour fragrant water over Buddha statues, both at the temple and at home. More religious Thais engage in Buddhist ceremonies and merit-making activities throughout the holidays.

Others may enjoy a series of cultural activities, such as the Thai-Raman flag ceremony, a ‘saba’ game, Raman dances, boat races, floral floats parade, and many more. As well as sprinkling or throwing water, a few local people may practise smearing white powder or paste on the heads of others. The paste is usually brushed gently on the forehead and symbolically wards off bad luck.

Another Songkran ritual is to tie strings to people’s wrists. If a friend or neighbour approaches with a string held by its ends, the custom is to extend the wrist with the palm facing the sky. The friend will then tie on a new bracelet (usually thin, plain strings) and say a short blessing. The tradition is to leave the strings on until they break or fall off on their own.