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Printed with permission from religioustolerance.org
Adrianne Ross
Lifespan Faith Development, UUA
Boston, MA
We offer a sampling of observances, January-June, both religious and
secular, for your consideration as a planning resource. It is by no means
a complete offering of all of the religious and secular holidays that
are celebrated worldwide.
January holidays that move:
National Religious Freedom Day was proclaimed by President George Bush
in 1993. It commemorates the Virginia General Assembly's adoption of Thomas
Jefferson's landmark Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom on January
16, 1786, which protected religious freedom for all persons. It promotes
religious freedom worldwide. This vital document became the basis for
separation of church and state, and led to freedom of religion for all
Americans as protected in the religion clause in the U.S. Constitution's
First Amendment. Celebrations occur on or before JAN-16.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, held on the third Monday in January celebrates
the life of the civil rights leader. He is the only American besides George
Washington to have a national holiday designated on his birthday. His
actual birthday was JAN-17.
January Fixed Holidays
JAN-1: We continue in the UN-declared Decade for a Culture of Peace
and Non-Violence.
JAN-1: New Year's Day. This is primarily a secular holiday.
JAN-1: This is the final day of the week-long, inter-faith celebration
of Kwanzaa (a.k.a. Quansa) - a cultural holiday celebrating Afro-American
heritage. "Kwanzaa" is a Swahili word for "the first,"
or "the first fruits of the harvest."
JAN-1 to 3: Shogatsu (a.k.a. Gantan-sai) is the most important
holiday in Japan. Followers of both Shinto and Buddhism celebrate it.
In Japan, each New Year is traditionally regarded as a fresh start believed
to be representative of the entire year to follow.
JAN-5: Sikhs celebrate the Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh. He was the tenth
Guru of the Sikh Panth, and particularly remembered for his battles for
religious freedom, and his teachings on the equality of all individuals.
JAN-6: The western Christian church celebrates Epiphany every year on
this day. This recalls the visitation of an unknown number of Zoroastrian
astrologers from Persia to Jesus after his birth. The day is associated
with the baptism of Jesus by the Eastern Orthodox churches.
JAN-7: Most Eastern Orthodox Churches celebrate Christmas on this day.
They continue to use the Julian calendar, which is currently off by thirteen
days from the more commonly used Gregorian calendar. The gap between the
calendars continues to grow.
JAN-18: This is the first day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
The week promotes unity within the Christian faith.
JAN-18: Tu B'shevats is a Jewish holiday, "The New Year of the Trees,"
which celebrates the coming of spring. Trees are planted, and foods native
to Israel are prepared
JAN-19: This is World Religion Day. The Baha'i World Faith created this
observance to promote interfaith understanding and cooperation. The celebrations
emphasize common factors seen in all of the world's great religions.
JAN-29: Hindus and some Muslims in Northern India celebrate the first
day of spring on this day. Yellow colored clothes are traditionally worn;
yellow is a sign of auspiciousness and spirituality.
February holidays that move:
February is Black History month
Chinese Spring Festival, referred to in the west as the Chinese New Year.
It is celebrated at the time of the second new moon after the winter solstice.
The date thus varies from year to year, and may occur in late January
to mid February.
Race Relations Sunday is the second Sunday in February. The National Council
of Churches created it in 1922, in recognition of the importance of interracial
relations and learning.
Ash Wednesday for Western Christians, Lent begins. It is a period of 40
days of fasting and spiritual pursuit, leading up to Easter.
February fixed holidays
FEB: The Hopi Holy Cycle buffalo dances, which began in January, conclude
in February. These are performed on Hopi reserves in the American southwest.
Dates differ among the various communities.
FEB-1, 2: On Imbolc (a.k.a. Oimelc), Wiccans and other Neopagans celebrate
the yearly return of life and light. This Pagan day of celebration was
originally the feast of the Celtic Goddess Brigid, the Goddess of fire,
water, healing, poetry and fertility.
FEB 2: Candlemas is celebrated by some Christian denominations.
FEB-2: Groundhog Day.
FEB-6: Hindus celebrate Vasanta Panchami, the spring festival honoring
Sarasvati, the Goddess of learning, arts, and music.
FEB-8: Many Buddhists observe Nirvana Day. This commemorates the death
of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, in the Northern Buddhist tradition.
FEB-14: This is St. Valentine's Day. Saint Valentine was a priest at Rome
in the days of Claudius II. He and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs
and secretly married couples, and for this kind deed Saint Valentine was
condemned to death. He suffered martyrdom on the 14th day of February,
about the year 270.
FEB 22: Hijrah. Muslims do not traditionally "celebrate" the
beginning of a new year, but do acknowledge the passing of time and take
time to reflect on mortality. Muslims measure the passage of time using
the Islamic (Hijrah) calendar by the sighting of the crescent moon. Years
are counted since the Hijrah, which is when the Prophet Muhammad migrated
from Mecca to Madinah (approximately July 622 A.D.)
March holidays that move:
March is Women's History Month.
Four Chaplain's Sunday is a Christian/Jewish Interfaith celebration. It
recalls an event during World War II when four Chaplains, both Jewish
and Christian, gave away their life jackets to soldiers when a troop ship
sank in the Atlantic Ocean.
Palm Sunday is observed by Western Christians as the start of Holy Week,
leading up to Easter Sunday, which celebrates Jesus' resurrection.
Holi is the Hindu springtime festival of colors.
March fixed holidays:
MAR-8: This is International Women's Day, was created by the Socialist
Party of America, on 1909-FEB-28. It has since become an international
day of celebration.
MAR-13: Muslims observe the fast of 'Ashura. It recalls an event circa
680-OCT-20 CE in Iraq when an army of the Umayyad regime martyred a group
of 70 individuals who refused to submit to the Caliph.
MAR-14: This is the Sikh New Year's Day in the Nanakshahi calendar.
MAR-20, 21: Wiccans and many other Neopagans celebrate Spring Equinox
(a.k.a. Eostre, Ostara and Vernal Equinox) on or about MAR-20, 21.. It
is a time of balance when daytime and nighttime are both 12 hours in duration.
MAR-21: Members of the Baha'i World Faith celebrate Naw Ruz ?the first
day of their year.
MAR-28: Jews observe Purim, in memory of the defeat of the genocide of
Jews in Persia, as described in the book of Esther in the Hebrew Scriptures.
April holidays that move:
Pesah (Passover): The 8 day festival recalls the story of the Exodus of
the Israelites from slavery in Egypt circa 1300 BCE.
Good Friday: The nominal date of Jesus' execution by the Roman Army circa
30 CE.
Easter Sunday: The nominal date of Jesus' resurrection.
Holocaust Remembrance Day: (Yom HaSho’ah) honors the memory of Jews,
Roma (Gypsies), Jehovah's Witnesses, and others exterminated in the Nazi
holocaust of World War II. It is observed each year on the 27th of Nissan.
Day of Silence Project is the largest single student-led action towards
creating safer schools for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender
identity, or gender expression, which was started at the University of
Virginia in 1996. Students do not speak during this day. Some hand out
"speaking cards,” stating: "I am participating in the
'Day of Silence'.”
April fixed holidays:
APR-6: Mormons celebrate the founding of their church by Joseph Smith
on this day in 1830.
APR-7: This is considered the probable anniversary of Jesus' execution,
in the year 30 CE. Another likely date was 33-APR-3 CE.
APR-8: Buddhists celebrate Buddha Day, (a.k.a. Flower Festival and Children's
Festival). This is the anniversary of the birth of Siddhartha Gautama
on 563-APR-8, BCE.
APR-14: Sikhs celebrate Baisakhi, the anniversary of the date in 1699
CE when Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa brotherhood. Their calendar
year begins on this date; the letters KE often follows the date.
APR-21: The Bahá'í World Faith celebrates Ridvan. It is
a twelve-day celebration that recalls the day on 1863-APR-21 CE when Baha'u'llah
declared that he was the prophet predicted by the Bab.
APR-14: Jains observe the Birthday of Mahavira Vardhamana Jnatrputra in
599 BCE, the sage whose teachings formed the foundation of the Jain religion.
May holidays that move:
Wesak, (a.k.a. Vaisakha Puja), A Buddhist celebration of the birth, enlightenment
and death of Buddha. It is observed at the time of the full moon in May,
and is the most important Buddhist festival.
Shavuot, the Feast of the Weeks, is the Jewish holiday celebrating the
harvest season in Israel. Shavuot, which means "weeks," refers
to the timing of the festival that is held exactly 7 weeks after Passover.
May fixed holidays:
MAY-1: Wiccans celebrate Beltane (May Day). This is one of their eight
major Sabbats (seasonal days of celebration).
MAY-13: Mawlid al-Nabi is a celebration of the birthday of the Prophet
Muhammad. It is observed in many Islamic countries.
MAY-15: International Day of Families, sponsored by the United Nations.
MAY-29: The Ascension of Baha'u'llah is celebrated by members of the Baha'i
World Faith; it is the anniversary of Baha'u'llah's death.
June holidays that move:
Pentecost is the 7th Sunday after Easter, the day when the Holy Spirit
is reported as having descended upon the Apostles and other followers
of Jesus Christ, circa 30 CE.
June fixed holidays:
JUN-4: This is the anniversary of the massacre of the peaceful pro-democracy
demonstrators (April 5th Movement) in Tiananmen Square, China. In that
country, it is called "The Tiananmen Incident."
JUN-21: Wiccans, other Neopagans, celebrate the Summer Solstice. The daytime
hours are at a maximum in the Northern hemisphere, and nighttime is at
a minimum. It is officially the first day of summer.
JUN-21: Native Canadians, Indians, Metis and Inuit and many other Canadians,
celebrate First Nations Day. Native communities hold feasts and celebrate
their heritage.
JUN-22: Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate All Saints Day.
JUN-29: This is the first day of the Zoroastrian celebration of the Divine
Spirit Haurvatat, the creator and protector of water.
JUN-30: The followers of the Japanese religion, Shinto, observe Oh-harai-taisai
(a.k.a. Oharai). It is the Grand Purification Ceremony, which is observed
twice a year. Believers attain purification from offenses committed during
the preceding six months. |
