Multi-faith Calendar for 2012*
All dates shown are based on the (Western)
Gregorian calendar. Some dates may vary regionally as they are
determined by the lunar calendar. Jewish festivals usually commence
at sunset on the previous day.
January
Sunday 1 January
- (Secular) New Years Day
- (Christian) Circumcision; Festival of
St. Basil the Great
- (Shinto) Oshogatsu (or
Shogatsu). Shinto New Year, one of the most
popular occasions for shrine visits.
Thursday 5 January
- (Sikh) Birthday of Guru Gobind
Singh (Nanakshahi calendar) Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708)
was the tenth and last of the Sikh Gurus. He instituted the Five Ks
and established the Order of the Khalsa.
Friday 6 January
- (Christian) Epiphany.
Celebrates the visit of the wise men (the magi) to the infant
Jesus. In the East, where it originated, the Epiphany celebrates
the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the River Jordan.
(Catholics and Episcopalians celebrate this separately: see Baptism
of the Lord) Also known as Dia de los Reyes (Three Kings Day).
- (Christian) Christmas Day
(Armenian Orthodox). Armenian Christians celebrate Christ's birth
at Epiphany, except for Armenians in the Holy Land, who celebrate
Christmas on January 19th.
- (Christian) Theophany.
Orthodox churches mark the baptism of Jesus on this day.
Saturday 7 January
- (Rastafari) Christmas Day
(Ethiopian) Rastafarians believe Ethiopia to be their spiritual
homeland, and a place to which they want to return.
- (Christian) Christmas Day
(Orthodox) Most Orthodox churches use the Julian rather than the
Gregorian version of the Western calendar. As a result, they
celebrate Christmas 13 days later than other Christian
churches.
Sunday 8 January
- (Christian) First Sunday after
Epiphany. Epiphany takes place on the 6th of January, but
most Christians celebrate it on the first Sunday after that
date.
- (Christian) Baptism of the
Lord. Commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the River
Jordan by John the Baptist. Occurs on the first Sunday after
Epiphany. Catholics and Episcopalians celebrate this holy day, but
Eastern Christianity celebrates the baptism of Jesus at
Epiphany.
Friday 13 January
- (Christian) St Hilary's Day.
According to tradition, "St. Hilary's is the coldest day of the
year." St. Hilary was a fourth century Bishop of Poitiers.
Saturday 14 January
- (Hindu) Makar Sankranti.
Makar Sankranti is one of the most important festivals of the Hindu
calendar and celebrates the sun's journey into the northern
hemisphere.
Sunday 15 January
- (Shinto) Seijin Shiki
(Adults' Day). Japanese who have reached legal adulthood (20 in
Japan) in the previous year attend a shrine to give thanks.
- (Multifaith) World Religion
Day. World Religion Day was instituted by the Baha'i
community in 1950 to help foster interfaith understanding and
harmony.
Wednesday 18 January
- (Christian) Week of Prayer for
Christian Unity (start). First celebrated in 1908. The
days of 18-25 January (regardless of the days of the week involved)
were originally chosen because they covered the days between the
feast of St Peter and the feast of St Paul. Some churches and
regions use a different week.
Saturday 21 January
- (Christian) St Agnes. Patron
saint of girls, martyred at the age of 13.
Monday 23 January
- Chinese New Year or Spring
Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese
holidays. It is often called the Lunar New Year, especially by
people in mainland China and Taiwan. 23 January 2012 - 21
February 2013 will be year of the Dragon.
Wednesday 25 January
- (Christian) St Paul's Day.
Anglicans and Catholics celebrate St Paul's conversion on the road
to Damascus.
- (Christian) Dydd Santes
Dwynwen or St. Dwynwen’s Day. St. Dwynewn
was the Welsh patron saint of lovers. Some Welsh people celebrate
St. Dwynwen’s Day instead of or in addition to Valentine’s
Day.
Friday 27 January
- (Secular) International Holocaust
Rememberance Day. The UK Holocaust Memorial Day was first
held in January 2001. The date was chosen as the anniversary of the
liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Saturday 28 January
- (Christian) St Thomas
Aquinas. Doctor of the Church and patron saint of students
and theologians.
- (Hindu) Vasant Panchami.
Dedicated to Saraswati, the goddess of learning and Brahma's wife.
The festival marks the beginning of Spring.
Tuesday 31 January
- (Sikh) Birthday of Guru Har
Rai (Nanakshahi calendar). Guru Har Rai (1630-1661) was
the seventh of the Sikh Gurus.
February
Thursday 2 February
- (Christian) Candlemas. This
is often called The Presentation of Christ in the
Temple and commemorates the day Mary took Jesus to the
Temple at Jerusalem to present him to God. Coincides with
Groundhog Day (USA).
- (Pagan) Imbolc. Also called
Oimelc and Candlemas, Imbolc celebrates the awakening of the land
and the growing power of the Sun.
Friday 3 February
- (Shinto) Rissun (Setsubun).
A Spring festival that marks the division between Winter and Spring
and is celebrated with beans.
Saturday 4 February
- World Cancer Day. World
Cancer Day is marked on 4 February to raise awareness of cancer and
to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment.
- (Muslim) (Sunni) Milad un
Nabi. Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad.
Tuesday 7 February
- (Buddhist) Magha Puja. Magha Puja is an
important religious festival celebrated by Buddhists in Thailand,
Cambodia, and Laos. The spiritual aims of the day are: not to
commit any kind of sins; do only good; purify one's mind.
Wednesday 8 February
- (Buddhist) Parinirvana -
Nirvana day. Mahayana Buddhist festival marking
the anniversary of Buddha's death. Pure Land Buddhists call the
festival "Nirvana Day". Parinirvana is celebrated by some Buddhists
on February 8th.
- (Jewish) Tu B'Shevat. The Jewish 'New Year for
Trees'. It is one of the four Jewish new years (Rosh Hashanahs). On
Tu B'Shevat Jews often eat fruits associated with the Holy Land,
especially the ones mentioned in the Torah.
Thursday 9 February
- (Muslim) (Shia) Milad un Nabi. (Birthday of
the Prophet Muhammad). Shia Muslims celebrate this 5 days later.
Some Muslims do not approve of celebrating the birthday.
Saturday 11 February
- (Christian) Our Lady of
Lourdes. Marks the day in 1858 when St Bernadette had her
first vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Tuesday 14 February
- (Secular/Christian) St Valentine's
Day. Now more a secular festival than a religious one.
There are at least three different saints named Valentine.
Wednesday 15 February
- (Buddhist) Nirvana day
(alternative date). Nirvana Day is also known as
Parinirvana and is celebrated by some Buddhists on
February 8th. Nirvana Day is the celebration of Buddha's death when
he reached total Nirvana, at the age of 80.
Monday 20 February
- (Hindu) Mahashivratri.
Mahashivratri (also known as Shivaratri) is a Hindu festival
dedicated to Shiva, who destroys the universe, one of the deities
of the Hindu Trinity.
Tuesday 21 February
- (Christian) Shrove Tuesday. Also called
Pancake Day and Mardi Gras. The
British name of "Pancake Day" comes from the tradition of making
pancakes to use up all the food that could not be eaten during
Lent.
Wednesday 22 February
- (Christian) Ash Wednesday. The first day of
Lent for Western Christian churches. Lent is the season marking the
time Jesus spent in the wilderness.
Monday 27 February
- (Christian) Clean Monday - beginning of Lent.
The start of the "Great Lent" for Orthodox Christians.
March
Thursday 1 March
- (Christian) St David's Day.
Saint David, or Dewi Sant as he's called in Welsh, is the patron
saint of Wales.
Friday 2 March
- (Bahai) Nineteen Day Fast
(start). Ends 20 March. During this period Baha'is go without food
or drink from sunrise to sunset.
Saturday 3 March
- (Shinto) Hina-matsuri - Festival of
Dolls. Celebrates daughters in the family.
Monday 5 March
- (Christian) St Piran's Day.
Piran is regarded as the patron saint of Cornwall and tin miners.
He was born in Ireland. The Cornish flag may have been inspired by
the legend that Piran discovered the process for smelting tin:
black rock with a white cross of pure metal.
Thursday 8 March
- International Women’s Day.
International Women’s Day is a major day of global celebration for
the economic, political and social achievements of women.
- (Jewish) Purim. Purim
commemorates the time when the Jewish people living in Persia were
saved from extermination by the courage of a young Jewish woman
called Esther.
- (Hindu) Holi. Holi was
originally a spring festival of fertility and harvest. Now it also
marks some Hindu legends, which provide some of the ingredients for
the celebrations.
Friday 9 March
- (Sikh) Hola Mohalla.
Guru Gobind Singh started this festival as a day for Sikhs to
practise their military exercises and hold mock battles. Today,
Sikhs celebrate by watching and partaking in martial arts parades,
led by the nishan sahibs of the Gurdwaras. These are followed by
poetry readings and music.
Saturday 17 March
- (Christian) St Patrick's
Day. St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland.
Sunday 18 March
- (Christian) Mothering Sunday. Mothering Sunday
is the fourth Sunday of Lent. Not the same as Mothers' Day in the
USA.
Monday 19 March
- (Christian) St Joseph,
husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Tuesday 20 March
- (Pagan) Spring Equinox -
Eoster. Spring Equinox celebrates the renewed life of the
Earth that comes with the Spring.
Wednesday 21 March
- (Bahai) Naw-Ruz.
Baha'i New Year.
- (Zoroastrian) (Fasli) Jamshedi
Noruz. Zoroastrian New Year's Day in the Fasli
calendar.
- (Shinto) Shubun-sai -
Equinox day. A day for visiting graves. Also associated with
Buddhism in Japan.
- International Day for the Elimination
of Racial Discrimination. International Day for the
Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on 21
March. On that day, in 1960, police opened fire and killed 69
people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa,
against the apartheid "pass laws". Proclaiming the Day in 1966, the
United Nations General Assembly called on the international
community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial
discrimination.
Sunday 25 March
- (Christian) Annunciation.
Marks the angel Gabriel's message to the Virgin Mary that she would
give birth to the incarnation of Christ. It also celebrates the
incarnation itself as the date falls 9 months before
Christmas.
- International Day of Remembrance of
the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave
Trade
Monday 26 March
- (Zoroastrian) Khordad Sal
(Fasli). The birthday of Zoroaster, celebrated on this date in the
Fasli calendar. Also known as the Greater Noruz.
April
Sunday 1 April
- (Hindu) Rama Navami. Rama Navami celebrates
the birth of Lord Rama, son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya.
- (Christian) Palm Sunday. The sixth and last
Sunday of Lent. Marks the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and the
start of Holy Week.
- (Hindu) Swaminarayan Jayanti. Swaminarayan
Jayanti celebrates the birthday of Lord Swaminarayan (1781-1830),
the founder of the Swaminarayan tradition.
Monday 2 April
- World Autism Awareness Day. The United Nations
established World Autism Awareness Day in September 1989 in order
to raise awareness of Autism at all levels in society.
Wednesday 4 April
- International Day of Reflection on
the 1994 Rwanda Genocide.
Thursday 5 April
- (Christian) Maundy Thursday. Christians
remember Maundy Thursday as the day of the Last Supper, when Jesus
washed the feet of his disciples and established the ceremony known
as the Eucharist.
Friday 6 April
- (Christian) Good Friday. Good Friday is the
Friday before Easter. It commemorates the execution of Jesus by
crucifixion.
- (Hindu) Hanuman Jayanti. This festival marks
the birth of Hanuman, the Monkey God.
- (Buddhist) Theravada New Year. New Year
festival for Theravada Buddhists, celebrated for three days from
the first full moon day in April.
- (Jewish) Fast of the Firstborn. This fast
commemorates the salvation of the Israelite firstborn sons during
the Plague of the Firstborn (the tenth of the ten plagues wrought
upon Ancient Egypt prior to the Exodus of the Children of Israel).
Unlike most Jewish fast days, only firstborns are required to fast
on the Fast of the Firstborn.
Saturday 7 April
- World Health Day. World
Health Day is celebrated annually on 7th April to create
“awareness of a specific health theme to highlight a priority area
of concern for the World Health Organization (WHO)”. World
Health Day 2012 focuses on how good health can add life to years,
enabling older men and women to not only live longer, but also to
extend their active involvement in all levels of
society.
- (Jewish) Passover (1st day).
The start of the season of Passover when Jews commemorate the
liberation of the Children of Israel who were led out of Egypt by
Moses. Work is not permitted on the first two and the last two days
of Passover.
Sunday 8 April
- (Christian) Easter Sunday (Western).
Christians celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ - his return
from death after the Crucifixion. The most important Christian
festival. Most years Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter on a
different date (Sunday 15 April in 2012).
Friday 13 April
- (Sikh) Vaisakhi. The Sikh
New Year Festival, which also commemmorates the founding of the
Khalsa by the tenth Guru (Guru Gobind Singh) in 1699. Also spelled
Baisakhi.
Saturday 14 April
- (Sikh) Birthday of Guru
Nanak (Nanakshahi calendar). The founder of the Sikh
religion was born on 14 April 1469. This festival is also currently
celebrated according to the Lunar Calendar, but this may
change.
- (Sikh) Hola Mohalla
(Nanakshahi Calendar). Hola Mohalla is currently celebrated
according to the Lunar Calendar, but this may change.
- (Jewish) Passover (final
day). The eighth and final day of Passover. Note that Passover
lasts for seven days in Israel.
Sunday 15 April
- (Christian) Easter (Orthodox)
Tuesday 17 April
- World Hemophilia Day. Recognised by the United
Nations.
Wednesday 18 April
- (Sikh) Birthday of Guru Tegh
Bahadur (Nanakshahi calendar). Guru Tegh Bahadur
(1621-1675) was the ninth of the Sikh Gurus.
- (Sikh) Birthday of Guru Angad
Dev (Nanakshahi calendar). Guru Angad Dev (1504-1552) was
the second of the Sikh Gurus.
Thursday 19 April
- (Jewish) Yom Hashoah. Yom
Hashoah is a day set aside for Jews to remember the Holocaust. The
name comes from the Hebrew word 'shoah', which means 'whirlwind'.
The date is chosen as the closest date (in the Jewish calendar) to
the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
Saturday 21 April
- (Bahai) Ridvan -
first day. The start of a 12 day festival when
Baha'is celebrate the day when Baha'u'llah said that he was the
prophet predicted by the Bab.The most important Baha'I
festival.
- (Rastafari) Anniversary of Haile
Selassie's visit to Jamaica. Marks the date Haile Selassie
I visited Jamaica in 1966. Haile Selassie was the Emperor of
Ethiopia. Rastas believe Haile Selassie is God, and that he will
return to Africa members of the black community who are living in
exile.
Monday 23 April
- (Christian) St George's Day.
Saint George is the patron saint of England.
Saturday 28 April
- International Workers' Memorial
Day. An international day of remembrance and action for
workers killed, disabled, injured or made unwell by their
work.
Sunday 29 April
- (Bahai) Ridvan -
ninth day.
May
Tuesday 1 May
- (Pagan) Beltane. Pagans
celebrate Beltane with maypole dances, symbolizing the mystery of
the Sacred Marriage of Goddess and God.
- May Day/Labour Day is an
annual holiday celebrated all over the world that resulted from
efforts of the labour union movement, to celebrate the economic and
social achievements of workers. The majority of countries celebrate
Labour Day on May 1, and it is also popularly known as May Day and
International Workers' Day.
Wednesday 2 May
- (Bahai) Ridvan - twelfth
day. Marks Baha'u'llah's departure from the Ridvan
garden.
- (Sikh) Birthday of Guru Arjan
Dev (Nanakshahi calendar). Guru Arjan Dev (1563-1606) was
the fifth of the Sikh Gurus.
Saturday 5 May
- (Buddhist) Wesak or Buddha day. The most
important of the Buddhist festivals. It celebrates the Buddha's
birthday, and, for some Buddhists, also marks his birth and
death.
Thursday 17 May
- (Christian) Ascension Day. Ascension Day marks
the last earthly appearance of Christ after his resurrection.
Christians believe Christ ascended into heaven. It is celebrated 40
days after Easter.
Sunday 20 May
- (Christian) Ascension Day
(Catholic Church in England and Wales). Ascension Day is normally
celebrated 40 days after Easter. The Catholic Church in England and
Wales celebrates it on the following Sunday instead.
Wednesday 23 May
- (Bahai) Declaration of the
Bab. The Bab was the Forerunner of Baha'u'llah, founder of
the Baha'i faith. His mission was to prepare the world for the
coming of Baha'u'llah and he declared it in the evening of May 22
1844.
- (Sikh) Birthday of Guru Amar
Das (Nanakshahi calendar). Guru Amar Das (1479-1574) was
the third of the Sikh Gurus.
Sunday 27 May
- (Christian) Pentecost -
Whitsun. The seventh Sunday after Easter, commemorating
the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples and the birth of
the Christian Church.
- (Jewish) Shavuot (1st day).
Shavuot is a two-day festival that marks the time when the first
harvest was taken to the Temple. Also known as the Festival of
Weeks. Work is not permitted for the duration of the festival.
Tuesday 29 May
- (Bahai) Ascension of
Baha'u'llah. Anniversary of Baha'u'llah's death in in 1892
near Akka, Israel.
June
Friday 1 June
- International Children's
Day
Sunday 3 June
- (Christian) Trinity Sunday.
The first Sunday after Pentecost. Christians meditate on the nature
of God as "Three in one".
Thursday 7 June
- (Christian) Corpus Christi.
The festival of Corpus Christi celebrates the Eucharist as the body
of Christ. The name 'Corpus Christi' is Latin for 'the body of
Christ'.
Sunday 10 June
- (Christian) All Saints' Day
(Orthodox). This day honours all saints, known and
unknown, of the Christian church. Western churches celebrate All
Saints Day on November 1.
- (Christian) Corpus Christi
(Catholic Church in England and Wales) Corpus Christi falls on the
Thursday after Trinity Sunday. The Catholic Church in England and
Wales celebrates it on the following Sunday instead.
Saturday 16 June
- (Sikh) Martyrdom of Guru Arjan
Dev (Nanakshahi calendar). Guru Arjan Dev was the fifth
Sikh Guru and the first Sikh martyr. He also compiled all of the
past Gurus' writings into one book, which is now the Sikh holy
scripture: the Guru Granth Sahib.
Wednesday 20 June
- World Refugee Day. In 2000
the United Nations General Assembly decided that as from 2001, 20
June will be celebrated as World Refugee Day to mark the 50th
anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of
Refugees.
- (Pagan) Summer Solstice -
Litha. Longest day of the year.
Tuesday 26 June
- International Day in Support of Torture
Victims. The United Nations General Assembly selected June
26 to honor the day in 1987 when the Convention against
Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment came into effect. The convention was created to reaffirm
that the equal and inalienable rights of the human family are the
foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world.
Friday 29 June
- (Christian) St Peter's Day.
Observed by Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches. One of
the oldest saints' days.
July
Tuesday 3 July
- (Buddhist) Asala - Dharma Day. The anniversary
of the start of Buddha's teaching - his first sermon ,"The Wheel of
Truth", after his enlightenment.
Thursday 5 July
- (Sikh) Birthday of Guru
Hargobind (Nanakshahi calendar). Guru Hargobind
(1595-1644) was the sixth of the Sikh Gurus.
Sunday 8 July
- (Jewish) 17th Tammuz. The Seventeenth of
Tammuz is a minor Jewish fast day commemorating the breach of the
walls of Jerusalem before the destruction of the Second
Temple. It falls on the seventeenth day of the Hebrew month of
Tammuz and marks the beginning of the three-week mourning period
leading up to Tisha B'Av.
Monday 9 July
- (Bahai) Martyrdom of the
Bab. Anniversary of the Bab's execution in 1850 in Tabriz,
Iran.
Sunday 15 July
- (Christian) St Swithin's
Day. Swithin (or Swithun) was a Saxon bishop in the 9th
century. Legend has it that the weather on his feast day, 15 July,
will determine the weather for the next 40 days.
Thursday 19 July
- (Zoroastrian) Jamshedi Noruz (Qadimi).
Zoroastrian New Year's Day in the Qadimi calendar.
Friday 20 July
- (Muslim) Ramadan (start).
Ramadan is the Muslim month of fasting.
Sunday 22 July
- (Christian) St. Mary Magdalene
Monday 23 July
- (Rastafari) Birthday of Haile
Selassie I. Haile Selassie was the Emperor of Ethiopia.
Rastas believe Haile Selassie is God, and that he will return to
Africa members of the black community who are living in exile.
- (Sikh) Birthday of Guru Har
Krishen (Nanakshahi calendar). Guru Har Krishan
(1656-1664) was the eighth of the Sikh Gurus.
Tuesday 24 July
- (Mormon) Pioneer Day.
Commemorates the arrival in 1847 of the first Latter Day Saints
pioneers in Salt Lake Valley.
- (Zoroastrian) Khordad Sal
(Qadimi). The birthday of Zoroaster, celebrated on this date in the
Qadimi calendar.
Sunday 29 July
- (Jewish) Tisha B'Av. A
solemn day that commemorates a series of tragedies that have
befallen the Jewish people over the years, many of which have
coincidentally happened on this day.
August
Wednesday 1 August
- (Pagan) Lughnasadh - Lammas.
A harvest festival and one of the Pagan festivals of Celtic origin
which split the year into four.
Thursday 2 August
- (Hindu) Raksha Bandhan. Raksha Bandhan is the
Hindu festival that celebrates brotherhood and love. "Raksha
Bandhan" means a thread for protection.
Monday 6 August
- (Christian) Transfiguration.
Orthodox Christian feast commemorating the sudden emanation of
radiance from the person of Jesus that occurred on the
mountain.
Friday 10 August
- (Hindu) Janmashtami - Krishna
Jayanti. The Janamashtami festival marks the birth of
Krishna, the most highly venerated God in the Hindu pantheon.
Sunday 12 August
- International Youth Day.
International Youth Day is an awareness day designated by the
United Nations. It is meant as an opportunity for governments and
others to draw attention to youth issues worldwide.
Tuesday 14 August
- (Muslim) Lailat al Qadr.
Lailat al Qadr, the Night of Power, marks the night in which the
Qur'an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by Allah.
Wednesday 15 August
- (Christian) Assumption of the Blessed
Virgin Mary. A largely Roman Catholic festival celebrating
their belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken body and
soul into heaven.
- (Christian) Dormition of the
Theotokos. An Orthodox festival that commemorates the
death, resurrection, and glorification of Christ's mother.
Dormition means "falling asleep".
Friday 17 August
- (Rastafari) Birthday of Marcus
Garvey. Commemorates the Birthday of Marcus Garvey, the
Jamaican politician born in 1887 who predicted the crowning of a
King in Africa, and instigated the 'Back to Africa' movement.
Saturday 18 August
- (Zoroastrian) Jamshedi Noruz (Shenshai).
Zoroastrian New Year's Day in the Shenshai calendar.
Sunday 19 August
- World Humanitarian Day. Established in
December 2008 by the United Nations, World Humanitarian Day
recognises all who have worked and who have lost their lives whilst
promoting humanitarian causes.
- (Muslim) Eid-Ul-Fitr. The end of Ramadan when
Muslims celebrate the end of fasting and thank Allah for His help
with their month-long act of self-control.
Thursday 23 August
- International Day for the Remembrance
of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. Designated by
UNESCO, the date is significant because, during the night of August
22 to August 23, 1791 on the island of Saint Domingue (now known as
Haiti), an uprising began which set forth events which were a major
factor in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.
- (Zoroastrian) Khordad Sal
(Shenshai) The birthday of Zoroaster, celebrated on this date in
the Shenshai calendar.
September
Saturday 8 September
- (Christian) Nativity of the
Theotokos. Orthodox Christians celebrate the birth of the
Virgin Mary.
- (Christian) Birthday of the Blessed
Virgin Mary. Roman Catholics celebrate the birth of the
Virgin Mary.
Tuesday 11 September
- (Rastafari) Ethiopian New
Year. The start of the New Year in Ethiopia is recognised
because Rastafarians believe Ethiopia to be their spiritual
homeland, and a place to which they want to return.
Saturday 15 September
- International Day of
Democracy. In 2007 the United Nations General Assembly
decided to observe September 15 as the International Day of
Democracy and invited all member states and organizations to
commemorate the day in an appropriate manner that contributes to
raising public awareness.
Monday 17 September
- (Jewish) Rosh Hashanah (1st day) Jewish New
Year. A two-day festival during which work is not permitted.
Wednesday 19 September
- (Jewish) Fast of Gedalliah. Fast in memory of
the assassination of Gedalliah Ben Achikam, the Governor of Israel
during the days of Nebuchadnetzar, King of Babylonia.
Friday 21 September
- International Day of Peace.
International Day of Peace is observed by many nations, political
groups, military groups, and peoples. To inaugurate the day, the
"Peace Bell" is rung at UN Headquarters. The bell is cast from
coins donated by children from all continents. It was given as a
gift by the Diet of Japan, and is referred to as "a reminder of the
human cost of war."
Saturday 22
September
- (Pagan) Autumn Equinox. This
day is celebrated when day and night are of equal duration.
Wednesday 26 September
- (Jewish) Yom Kippur. Day of
Atonement - the most solemn day of the Jewish year.
Saturday 29 September
- (Christian) Michaelmas/St Michael's
Day. A feast day in honour of the archangel Michael.
Michael is one of only two angels mentioned by name in the Bible
(the other being Gabriel.)
October
Monday 1 October
- International Day of Older
Persons. International Day of Older Persons is celebrated
by raising awareness about issues affecting the elderly, such as
senescence and elder abuse. It is also a day to appreciate the
contributions that older people make to society.
- (Jewish) Sukkot. Sukkot or The Feast of
Tabernacles, commemorates the years that the Jews spent in the
desert on their way to the Promised Land, and celebrates the way in
which God took special care of them under impossible conditions.
Sukkot lasts for seven days, and work is not permitted on the first
two days.
Tuesday 2 October
- International Day of
Non-Violence. International Day of Non-Violence is
observed on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. This day is
referred to in India as Gandhi Jayanti.
Friday 5 October
- International Volunteer Day.
International Volunteer Day is marked by many non-governmental
organizations, including Red Cross, scouts and others. It is also
marked and supported by United Nations Volunteers. The declared aim
is to thank volunteers for their efforts and increase public
awareness on their contribution to society.
- World Teachers’ Day. World
Teachers’ Day, held annually on October 5 since 1994, commemorates
teachers’ organisations worldwide. Its aim is to mobilise support
for teachers and to ensure that the needs of future generations
will continue to be met by teachers.
Sunday 7 October
Monday 8 October
- (Jewish) Shemini Atzeret. Shemini Atzeret can
be translated as "the assembly of the eighth (day)." In Israel the
festival is combined with Simchat Torah.
Tuesday 9 October
- (Sikh) Birthday of Guru Ram
Das (Nanakshahi calendar) Guru Ram Das (1534-1581) was the
fourth of the Sikh Gurus.
- (Jewish) Simchat Torah.
Simchat Torah means "Rejoicing in the Torah." This holiday marks
the completion of the yearly cycle of weekly Torah
readings.
Wednesday 10 October
- World Mental Health Day. World Mental Health
Day is a day for global mental health education, awareness and
advocacy.
Saturday 13 October
- (Christian) St Edward's Day.
Edward the Confessor was King of England 1042 - 1066. He built
Westminster Abbey where there is a shrine to him - and where the
saint is also celebrated on January 5 each year, the anniversary of
his death.
Tuesday 16 October
- World Food Day. The Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations celebrates World
Food Day each year on 16 October, the day on which the Organization
was founded in 1945.
- (Hindu) Navaratri (start).
Navaratri (nine nights) symbolises the triumph of good over evil
and marks the start of autumn.
Wednesday 17 October
- International Day for the Eradication
of Poverty. International Day for the Eradication of
Poverty was officially recognised by the United Nations in 1992,
but the first commemoration of the event took place in Paris,
France, in 1987 when 100,000 people gathered on the Human Rights
and Liberties Plaza at the Trocadéro to honour victims of poverty,
hunger, violence and fear.
Saturday 20 October
- (Bahai) Birth of the Bab.
Celebrates the birth of the precursor of the founder of the Baha'i
faith.
Wednesday 24 October
- (Hindu) Dussera. Celebrates
Lord Rama's victory over the evil demon Ravana.
Friday 26 October
- (Muslim) Eid-Ul-Adha. Festival of Sacrifice
marking the day after Arafat. The Day of Arafat is the most
important day in the Hajj ritual. This is a four day holiday.
Wednesday 31 October
- (Christian) Hallowe'en (All
Hallows' Eve). The night before All Saints' Day (All Hallows' Day).
Its origins date back over 2000 years to the ancient Celtic
festival of Samhain. It was celebrated as a Christian festival by
the 8th Century.
- (Pagan) Samhain
(Hallowe'en). Samhain (pronounced 'sow'inn') marks the Feast of the
Dead. Many Pagans also celebrate it as the old Celtic New Year
(although some mark this at Imbolc).
November
Thursday 1 November
- (Christian) All Saints' Day
(Hallowmas, All Hallows'). All Saints' Day (also known as All
Hallows' Day or Hallowmas) is when Anglicans and Roman Catholics
honour all saints, known and unknown, of the Christian church.
Orthodox churches celebrate it on the first Sunday after
Pentecost.
Friday 2 November
- (Christian) All Souls' Day.
All Souls' Day is an opportunity for Roman Catholic and
Anglo-Catholic churches to commemorate the faithful departed. They
remember and pray for the souls of people who are in Purgatory. All
Souls' Day is celebrated on 3 November if the 2nd is a Sunday.
- (Rastafari) Coronation of Emperor
Haile Selassie I.
Sunday 11 November
- Armistice Day. Armistice Day
marks the end of the First World War on the eleventh hour of the
eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. At 1100 on this day
people in the UK pause for 2 minutes of silence to remember those
who gave their lives in past conflicts.
- Remembrance Sunday. The
second Sunday of November is marked by ceremonies at war memorials
and cenotaphs to remember those who gave their lives in
conflicts.
Monday 12 November
- (Bahai) Birth of
Baha'u'llah. Celebrates the birth in 1817 of the founder
of the Baha'i faith.
Tuesday 13 November
- (Hindu) Diwali. Diwali, the festival of
lights, is an occasion for celebrations by Hindus as well as Jains
and Sikhs.
- (Jain) Diwali. Diwali, the festival of lights,
is the most popular of all the festivals from South Asia.
- (Sikh) Diwali. For Sikhs, Diwali is
particularly important because it celebrates the release from
prison of the sixth guru, Guru Hargobind, and 52 other princes with
him, in 1619.
Thursday 15 November
- (Shinto) Shichigosan (7-5-3
festival). A festival to give thanks for children. Often celebrated
on the nearest Sunday to the 15th to allow working parents to take
part.
- (Muslim) Al-Hijira. Islamic
New Year. Marks the migration of the Prophet Mohammad and his
followers from Mecca to Medina
Tuesday 20 November
- Universal Children’s Day.
Universal Children’s Day was first proclaimed by the United Nations
General Assembly in 1954, it was established to encourage all
countries to institute a day, firstly to promote mutual exchange
and understanding among children and secondly to initiate action to
benefit and promote the welfare of the world's children. It was
also chosen as the day to celebrate childhood.
- Transgender Day of Remembrance. Transgender
Day of Remembrance is a day to remember those who have been killed
as a result of transphobia.
Friday 23 November
- (Shinto) Niinamesei. Labour
Thanksgiving Day, a national holiday in Japan and originally a
harvest festival.
Saturday 24 November
- (Sikh) Martyrdom of Guru Tegh
Bahadur (Nanakshahi calendar). Guru Tegh Bahadur was the
ninth Sikh Guru and is honoured as a champion of religious freedom.
He was executed in 1675 for refusing to convert to Islam.
- (Muslim) Ashura. Islamic
holy day observed on the 10th of the Islamic month of Muharram.
Shi'ite Muslims regard it as a major festival marking the martydom
of the Prophet's grandson, Hussein.
Sunday 25 November
- International Day for the Elimination
of Violence Against Women. In 1999, the United Nations
General Assembly designated 25 November as the International Day
for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The UN invited
governments, international organizations and NGOs to organize
activities designated to raise public awareness of the problem on
this day as an international observance.
Monday 26 November
- (Bahai) Day of the Covenant.
This minor festival celebrates the covenant of Baha'u'llah. Baha'is
also mark the life of 'Abdu'l-Bahá on this day.
Wednesday 28 November
- (Bahai) Ascension of Abdu'l-Baha. Marks the
death of the son of Baha'u'lláh. This is a minor holy day and work
is not suspended.
- (Sikh) Birthday of Guru Nanak (Lunar
Calendar). This festival may be celebrated by some on the date
fixed by the Nanakshahi calendar: April 14.
Friday 30 November
- (Christian) St Andrew's Day.
Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, Greece and Russia.
The flag of Scotland is the Cross of St. Andrew. St Andrew, the
brother of Simon Peter, was originally a fisherman and became the
first Apostle.
December
Saturday 1 December
- World AIDS Day. World AIDS
Day is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused
by the spread of HIV infection.
Sunday 2 December
- (Christian) Advent Sunday. The beginning of
the ecclesiastical year on the Sunday closest to November 30.
Advent is the season before Christmas - In Western Christendom,
four Sundays are included. In Eastern Christendom, the season is
longer and begins in the middle of November.
Monday 3 December
- International Day of Disabled
Persons. International Day of Disabled Persons is an
international observance promoted by the United Nations since
1992.
Saturday 8 December
- (Christian) Feast of the Immaculate
Conception. Celebrated by Roman Catholics who remember
Mary's conception as being without sin, therefore, immaculate.
- (Buddhist) Bodhi Day. On
Bodhi day some Buddhists celebrate Gautama's attainment of
enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at Bodhgaya, India.
Sunday 9 December
- (Jewish) Hanukkah. Hanukkah is the Festival of
Lights and marks the restoration of the temple by the Maccabees in
164 BCE. Hanukkah is celebrated at roughly the same time as
Christmas, but there is no connection at all between the
festivals.
Monday 10 December
- Human Rights Day. The date
was chosen to honour the United Nations General Assembly's adoption
and proclamation, on this day in 1948, of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights.
Thursday 13 December
- (Christian) St Lucy's Day.
Saint Lucy's feast day is marked by Roman Catholics and Greek
Orthodox. Lucy is the patron saint of the blind. She was a virgin
martyr who lived in Sicily during the third
century.
Tuesday 18 December
- International Migrants Day. This day is
observed in many countries, and intergovernmental and
non-governmental organizations through the dissemination of
information on human rights and fundamental freedoms of migrants,
and through sharing of experiences and the design of actions to
ensure the protection of migrants.
Friday 21 December
- (Pagan) Winter Solstice -
Yule. Yule is the time of the winter solstice, when the
sun child is reborn, an image of the return of all new life born
through the love of the Gods. Within the Northern Tradition Yule is
regarded as the New Year.
Monday 24 December
- (Christian) Christmas Eve.
The day before Christmas Day
Tuesday 25 December
- (Christian) Christmas Day.
The day when Western Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus
Christ.
Wednesday 26 December
- (Secular) Boxing Day. The
day after Christmas Day. A secular festival.
- (Christian) St Stephen's
Day. St Stephen, the first Christian martyr, is celebrated
on this day by Roman Catholics. The day is also called the Feast of
Stephen.
* All dates are sourced
from bbc.co.uk and Wikipedia.