January
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Saturday
1 January
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Oshogatsu
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Shinto New Year, one of the most popular occasions for shrine visits.
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Wednesday
5 January
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Birth of Guru
Gobind Singh
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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.
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Friday
7 January
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Christmas Day
(Eastern Orthodox)
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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.
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Friday
14 January
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Makar
Sankrant
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One of the most important festivals in the Hindu calendar. It falls at a time when the Sun enters the northern hemisphere into the Zodiac sign of Makar (Capricorn), when day and night are of equal duration. Days become longer from this point on so it is a time for celebration.
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Saturday
15 January
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Seijin no hi
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Adults' Day - Japanese who have reached legal adulthood (20 in Japan) in the previous year attend a shrine to give thanks.
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Thursday
20 January
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Tu B'shvat
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Blessing of the Trees. The Jewish New Year for trees - all trees have their anniversaries on this festival, regardless of when they were planted.
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Tuesday
25 January
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St Paul's Day
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Anglicans and Catholics celebrate St Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.
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Monday
31 January
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Birth of Guru
Har Rai
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Guru Har Rai (1630-1661) was the seventh of the Sikh Gurus.
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February
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Go To Top
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Thursday
3 February
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Rissun
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A Spring festival that marks the division between Winter and Spring and is celebrated with beans.
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Parinirvana
Nirvana day
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Mahayana Buddhist festival marks the anniversary of Buddha's death. Pure Land Buddhists call the festival "Nirvana Day".
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Tuesday
8 February
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Vasant Panchami
Sarasvati-Puja
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Dedicated to Saraswati, the goddess of learning and Brahma's wife. The festival marks the beginning of Spring.
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Tuesday
15 February
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Mawlid
al Nabi
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Anniversary of the birth of the prophet Muhammad in 570AD.
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Sunday
20 February
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Mawlid
al Nabi
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Anniversary of the birth of the prophet Muhammad in 570AD. This is celebrated by Shia muslims.
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March
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Mahashivaratri
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Mahashivratri is a Hindu festival dedicated to Shiva, one of the deities of the Hindu Trinity.
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Thursday
3 March
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Hina Matsuri
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Festival of Dolls
Celebrates daughters in the family
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Saturday
5 March
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Losar
Tibetan New Year
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The most important holiday in Tibet, marking the Tibetan New Year. The celebration lasts three days from today.
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Tuesday
8 March
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Shrove Tuesday
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Also called Pancake Day and Mardi Gras. Tradition of making pancakes to use up all the food that could not be eaten during Lent.
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Wednesday
9 March
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Ash Wednesday
Lent
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First day of Lent for Western Christian churches. Lent is the season marking the time Jesus spent in the wilderness.
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Friday
11 March
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Muktad
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All Souls
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Saturday
19 March
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Holi
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Hindu Spring Festival
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Purim
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Feast of Lots. Commemorates the time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination by the courage of a young Jewish woman called Esther.
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Sunday
20 March
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Hola Mohalla
Mela
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A three day festival of military exercises and mock battles, together with religious discussions and devotional music, at Anandpur Sahib on the day after Holi.
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Shunbun sai
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Equinox Day. A day for visiting graves. Also associated with Buddhism in Japan.
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Nowruz
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New Year's Day in the Fasli calendar.
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Monday
21 March
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Nowruz
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Baha'i New Year
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Saturday
26 March
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Khordad Sal
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The birthday of the prophet Zarathustra (Zoroaster), celebrated on this date in the Fasli calendar.
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April
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Monday
4 April
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Ugadi
Chaitra
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Ugadi (literally 'the start of an era') is the New Year festival for Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka in southern India. It occurs on the first day of the month of Chaitra.
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Swaminarayan
Jayanti
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This day marks the birth of Lord Swaminarayan for followers of the Swaminarayan tradition.
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Tuesday
12 April
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Rama
Navami
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Birthday of Lord Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu and the hero of the Ramayana
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Wednesday
13 April
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Vaisakhi
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New Year Festival, which also commemmorates the founding of the Khalsa by the tenth Guru (Gobind Singh) in 1699. Falls on 13 April but once in every 36 years it falls on 14 April
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Thursday
14 April
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Birth of Guru
Nanak Dev
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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.
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Saturday
16 April
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Mahavira Jayanti
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The birth anniversary of Lord Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankar and the "founder" of modern Jainism
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Sunday
17 April
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Palm Sunday
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The sixth and last Sunday of Lent. Marks the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and the start of Holy Week.
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Hanuman
Jayanti
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This festival marks the birth of Hanuman, the Monkey God.
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Theravada
New Year
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New Year festival for Theravada Buddhists, celebrated for three days from the first full moon day in April.
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Birth of Guru
Angad Dev
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Guru Angad Dev (1504-1552) was the second of the Sikh Gurus.
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Monday
18 April
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Birth of Guru
Tegh Bahadur
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Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621-1675) was the ninth of the Sikh Gurus.
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Tuesday
19 April
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Passover
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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.
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Thursday
21 April
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Ridvan
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A twelve-day festival celebrating the day when Baha'ullah, founder of the Baha'i faith, was acknowledged as the prophet predicted by the Bab. The most important Baha'i festival
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Friday
22 April
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Good Friday
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Friday before Easter. It commemorates the execution of Jesus by crucifixion.
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Sunday
24 April
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Easter
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Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The most important Christian festival.
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May
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Monday
2 May
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Birth of Guru
Arjan Dev
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Guru Arjan Dev (1563-1606) was the fifth of the Sikh Gurus
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Tuesday
17 May
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Wesak
Buddha day
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The most important of the Buddhist festivals. It celebrates the Buddha's birthday, and, for some Buddhists, also marks his enlightenment and death.
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Declaration of
the Bab
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The Bab's declaration, in 1844, of the coming of Baha'u'llah.
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Monday
23 May
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Birth of Guru
Amar Das
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Guru Amar Das (1479-1574) was the third of the Sikh Gurus.
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Sunday
29 May
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Ascension of
Baha'ullah
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Anniversary of the death of Baha'ullah's in 1892 near Akka, Israel
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June
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Go To Top
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Thursday
2 June
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Ascension of Christ
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Last earthly appearance of Christ after his resurrection into heaven.
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Wednesday
8 June
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Shavuot
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Festival of Weeks
Marks the time when the first harvest was taken to the Temple.
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Sunday
12 June
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Pentecost
Whitsun
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The seventh Sunday after Easter, commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples and the birth of the Christian Church.
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Thursday
16 June
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Martyrdom of
Guru Arjan Dev
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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.
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Tuesday
28 June
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Lailat
al Miraj
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Commemorates the prophet's journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and thence to heaven.
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July
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Go To Top
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Tuesday
5 July
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Birth of Guru
Hargobind
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Guru Hargobind (1595-1644) was the sixth of the Sikh Gurus.
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Saturday
9 July
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Martyrdom of
the Bab
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Anniversary of the execution of the Bab in 1850 in Tabriz, Iran.
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Friday
15 July
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Asala
Dharma Day
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The anniversary of the start of Buddha's teaching - his first sermon, "The Wheel of Truth", after his enlightenment.
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Wednesday
20 uly
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Nowruz
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New Year's Day in the Qadimi calendar.
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Saturday
23 July
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Birth of Guru
Harkrishan
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Guru Har Krishan (1656-1664) was the eighth of the Sikh Gurus.
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Monday
25 July
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Khordad Sal
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The birthday of the prophet Zarathustra (Zoroaster), celebrated on this date in the Qadimi calendar.
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August
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Monday
1 August
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Ramadan
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The holy month of fasting. Devout Muslims will abstain from all food and drink from sunrise to sunset. They will also endeavour to read the entire Quran during this month. Fasting is meant to teach patience, sacrifice and humility. Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils. Considered as the most important month of the year. It is the month that saw the beginning of the revelation of the holy Quran and a time when the gates of heaven are open whilst those of hell are firmly closed.
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Tuesday
9 August
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Tisha B'av
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Fast of 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.
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Saturday
13 August
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Raksha
Bandhan
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Hindu festival that celebrates brotherhood and love. "Raksha Bandhan" means a thread for protection.
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Friday
19 August
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Nowruz
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New Year's Day in the Shenshai calendar.
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Monday
22 August
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Janmashtami
Krishna Jayanti
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The Janamashtami festival marks the birth of Krishna, the most highly venerated God in the Hindu pantheon.
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Wednesday
24 August
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Khordad Sal
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The birthday of the prophet Zarathustra (Zoroaster), celebrated on this date in the Shenshai calendar.
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Friday
26 August
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Lailat
al Qader
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Considered by Muslims as the holiest night of the year and the most important event in history. It is the night on which the prophet Muhammad received the first revelations of the Holy Quran from the angel Gabriel.
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Tuesday
30 August
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Eid
al Fitr
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Festival marking the end of Ramadan when Muslims celebrate the end of fasting and give thanks to Allah.
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September
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Thursday
1 September
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Ganesh
Chaturthi
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Hindus celebrate the birthday of Lord Ganesh, the elephant-headed God.
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Wednesday
28 September
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Navaratri
(beginning)
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Navaratri (nine nights) symbolises the triumph of good over evil and marks the start of autumn.
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Thursday
29 September
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Rosh Hashanah
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Jewish New Year
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Thursday
29 September
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Michael and
All Angels
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Mass of the Archangels
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October
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Go To Top
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Thursday
6 October
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Vijaya Dashami
Dasera
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Celebrates Lord Rama's victory over the evil demon Ravana.
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Saturday
8 October
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Yom Kippur
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Day of Atonement
The most solemn day of the Jewish year
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Sunday
9 October
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Birth of Guru
Ram Das
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Guru Ram Das (1534-1581) was the fourth of the Sikh Gurus.
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Thursday
13 October
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Sukkot
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Feast of Tabernacles
Commemorates the years that the Jews spent in the desert and celebrates the way in which God took special care of them.
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Thursday
20 October
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Birth of
the Bab
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Born in 1819 in Shiraz, Iran
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Friday
21 October
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Simchat Torah
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"Rejoicing in the Torah."
This holiday marks the completion of the yearly cycle of weekly Torah readings.
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Wednesday
26 October
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Paryushana
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The most important Jain festival, it consists of eight (Swetambara) or ten (Digambara) days of intensive fasting and repentance. A time of reflection.
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Diwali
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Diwali, the festival of lights, is the most popular of all tvhe festivals from South Asia. It is an occasion for celebrations by Hindus as well as Jains and Sikhs.
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Diwali
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Diwali, the festival of lights, is the most popular of all the festivals from South Asia. It is an occasion for celebrations by Hindus as well as Jains and Sikhs.
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Wednesday
26 October
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Diwali
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Diwali, the festival of lights, is the most popular of all the festivals. It also celebrates the release from prison of the sixth guru, Guru Hargobind, and 52 other princes with him, in 1619
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November
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Go To Top
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Sunday
6 November
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Eid
al Adha
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Festival of Sacrifice that marks the end of the annual Hajj, or pilgrimage, period. It commemorates the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God.
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Saturday
12 November
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Birth of
Baha'ullah
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Born in 1817 in Tehran, Iran
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Tuesday
15 November
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Shichi-go-san
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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.
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Wednesday
23 November
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Niinamesei
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Labour Thanksgiving Day, a national holiday in Japan and originally a harvest festival.
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Thursday
24 November
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Martyrdom of Guru
Tegh Bahadur
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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.
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Saturday
26 November
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Day of
Covenant
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Festival celebrating the covenant of Baha'u'llah.
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Saturday
26 November
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Hijra
New Year
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Islamic New Year (1431H). Marks the migration, or hijra, of the prophet Mohammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622AD.
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December
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Go To Top
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Monday
5 December
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Ashoura
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Islamic holy day. For Shi'ite Muslims it marks the martydom of the prophet's grandson, Hussein. It also has siginificance for Sunni Muslims as the prophet Mohammad was known to fast on this day each year.
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Thursday
8 December
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Bodhi Day
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On Bodhi day some Buddhists celebrate Siddhartha Gautama's (the Buddha) attainment of enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at Bodhgaya, India.
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Wednesday
21 December
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Hanukkah
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Festival of Lights
Marks the restoration of the temple by the Maccabees in 164 BCE.
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Sunday
25 December
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Christmas Day
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The day when Western Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
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