Download Main Religious Festivals

CULTURAL AWARENESS TRAINING
MAIN RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS
Below is a summary of the main festivals for some of the major world faiths
represented in this country: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism
and Sikhism. Each faith has many festivals, the information given is for the
more important ones, and is for general information only. Religious
observance can vary by groups and by individuals. Some further information
can be found by clicking on the title of each faith.
Buddhism
All Buddhist Festivals are celebrated on full moon days.

Shinran Memorial Day. Shinran was the founder of Jodo Shin-shu, one
of the schools of Buddhism.

Parinirvana/Nirvana Day. Marks the final passing away from this world
of the Guatama Buddha.

Honen Memorial Day. Honen was the founder of Jodi-Shin, one of the
schools of Pure Land Buddhism.

Hanamatsuri. A flower festival marking the Japanese celebration of the
Buddha Shakyamuni’s birthday.

Vaisakha Puja/Wesak. This is the biggest of the Buddhist festivals. It
celebrates the birth, enlightenment and the final passing away of
Guatama Buddha. (Mahayanist Buddhists have separate days for each
of these occasions. On this day the enlightenment of the Buddha is
celebrated).

Asala. Celebrates the First Proclamation by Guatama Buddha, this
taught the Middle Way, the Noble Eightfold Path and the Four Noble
Truths.

Kathina Day. At the end of the three month Rains Retreat of monks (an
important feature of monastic life), new Kathina robes are offered to the
monks by members of the lay Buddhist community (the date varies
according to when the rainy season falls in different countries).

Bodhi Day. Some Buddhists celebrate Guatama’s attainment of
Enlightenment.
Christianity
The Christian holy day is Sunday, when congregations gather for worship.
The chief festivals of the Christian year are:
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
Shrove Tuesday. The day set-aside for repentance and absolution in
preparation for Lent. More popularly, it is a day for eating and
enjoyment - ‘Pancake Day’ - as pancakes were originally made to use
up all the rich foods before Lent.

Ash Wednesday. The first day of Lent when Christians remember the
forty days that Jesus spent in the wilderness and the temptations he
faced during this time.

Lent. A forty day preparation for Easter, starting on Ash Wednesday,
during which time some Christians impose restrictions on themselves,
such as eating less or "giving something up".

Palm Sunday. The first day of Holy Week, the week which recalls the
last week of Jesus’s earthly human life. Christians remember his
triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Maundy Thursday. The Last Supper is commemorated when Jesus
blessed bread and wine and ordered his disciples to remember him
whenever they did this.

Good Friday. Commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus

Easter. This commemorates the death (on Good Friday) and
resurrection (on Easter Sunday) of Jesus. The exact dates, in March or
April, vary from year to year.

Ascension Day. This celebrates Jesus’s ascension into Heaven, 40
days after Easter.

Whitsun or Pentecost. This falls seven weeks after Easter and marks
the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the first followers of Jesus.

The Assumption. This celebrates the ‘taking up’ of Mary, body and
soul, to heaven. Most Catholic communities mark the festival with
processions and fetes.

Christmas. This celebrates the birth of Jesus. This is held on the 25th
December in Western Christendom and on 6th January in Eastern
Christendom.
Hinduism
The principal festivals of the Hindu year are:

Holi. An exuberant festival of colours, fire and water associated with
Krishna. It takes place over two days and marks the end of winter and
the appearance of spring.

Desera /Navaratri/Durga Puja/Dusserah. Known by different names
this is one of the few festivals celebrated across India. It is a festival
lasting nine days in honour of Rama.
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
Diwali (or Divali/Deepavali). The Hindu New Year festival lasting from
one to five days. It is a festival of lights and often celebrated with
fireworks.

Mahashivratri. A sacred night festival held in honour of Lord Shiva.

Varsha Pratipada. The Spring new year festival for some Hindus to
mark the start of the Hindu lunar year.

Rama Navami. A major festival celebrating the birth of Lord Rama, an
incarnation of Vishnu.

Janamashtami. The birthday of Krishna.

Ganesh-Chaturthi. The birthday of the elephant-headed deity Ganesh.
Islam
People who follow this faith are known as Muslims. The Islamic holy day of
the week is Friday and communal prayers are said at midday.
Islamic festival dates depend on the sighting of the lunar crescent. There is no
universally agreed system for working this out, and the dates tend to vary
around the world.

Eid-Ul Adha. A major festival marking the end of Haji (Pilgrimage to
Mecca). Pilgrims sacrifice animals in commemoration of Abraham’s
willingness to sacrifice his son.

Al-Hijra - New Year’s Day. This commemorates the Hijra or migration
of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina.

The Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday commemorates the birthday of the
prophet Muhammad. It is a time for teaching people about Islam, and
for giving to charity.

The Prophet’s Night Journey and Ascension. This celebrates the
journey of the Prophet Muhammad, in the tenth year of his
prophethood, from Mecca to Jerusalem and through the heavens to the
presence of God.

Lailat-Ul -Bara’h - The night of forgiveness. Two weeks before
Ramadan begins, Muslims seek forgiveness for their sins.

Ramadan. The month of fasting from dawn to sunset. Fasting is one of
the five pillars of Islam. It is an exercise in self-discipline and enables
everyone to have some experience of deprivation.

Lailat-Ul-Qadr - The Night of Power. Commemorates the night in which
the Prophet Muhammad received the first revelation of the Qur’an
(pronounced Koran).

Eid-Ul-Fitr. The end of the period of Ramadan. It is a time of alms
giving. The festival is a time for family get-togethers and contact with
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friends and also of new clothes, good food and presents for the
children.
Judaism
The Jewish holy day is Saturday, the Sabbath, which runs from sunset on
Friday to nightfall on Saturday. It is a day of rest and prayer, and is strongly
family-centred. Jews who observe the Sabbath strictly need to be able to
leave the work place on Friday in time to be home before sunset.
The main festivals of the Jewish year are:

Tisha B’Av. The start of a three-week period of mourning to
commemorate the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.

Rosh Hashana. New Year’s Day in the Jewish calendar. It is marked by
two days of reflection and prayer.

Yom Kippur. Day of Atonement. This follows ten days after the New
Year and is the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar. It is spent in
prayer and a 25-hour fast.

Sukkot. Five days after Yom Kippur, a Harvest Festival
commemorating the Biblical story of the Jews wandering for 40 years in
the wilderness.

Hanukah (sometimes spelt Chanukah). A festival of lights which
commemorates the rededication of the temple in ancient times. For the
eight evenings of the festival, candles are lit from right to left in a
hanukkiah, one candle for each evening. The ninth candle is the
Shamash (the servant candle) from which the other candles are lit.

Purim. Celebrates the saving of the Jewish community of Persia. A
happy time, Hamantashen cakes (cakes filled with poppy seeds) are
eaten.

Passover (Pesach). A spring festival which commemorates the Exodus
from slavery in Egypt.

Yom Ha-Shoah. A day of remembrance for the victims of the Nazi
Holocaust.

Shavuot. The Festival of Weeks to mark the end of the 7-week period
of mourning after Passover. Celebrates the revelation of the Torah on
Mount Sinai and the early harvest season in Israel.
Sikhism

The Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth and last guru.

Vaisakhi/Baisakhi marks the beginning of the Sikh New Year.

Birthday of Guru Nanak. The first Sikh Guru.
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
Martyrdom of Guru Arjan. The fifth Guru was executed for refusing to
pay a fine arising from a charge of treason.

Diwali (or Divali) is a similar festival to that of the Hindus, with central
themes of light and joy.

Birthday of Guru Nanak. The first Sikh Guru.

Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur. The Guru was executed for
upholding an individual’s right to worship in the manner of their choice.
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