Celebrating Cultures across the University of Birmingham
Shavuot is one of the Jewish harvest festivals, also known as the festival or feast of ‘Weeks’. It takes place seven weeks after the first day of the spring festival of Passover and this year starts on the evening of 25 May, ending on the evening on 27 May. Originally an agricultural festival, marking the … Continue reading “Shavu’ot 25-27 May”
The theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is ‘Anxiety’. Anxiety is an emotion that affects us all. Whether you’re worried about passing an exam, concerned about money or trying something new that you’ve not done before, it’s normal to feel some level of anxiety at stressful times in life. However, anxiety can become … Continue reading “Mental Health Awareness Week 15-21 May”
On 12 May, the Mass Observation Archive will be repeating its annual call for day diaries, capturing the everyday lives of people across the UK. The written diaries will be stored in the Archive at The Keep in Brighton and be used by a wide range of people for research, teaching and learning. In 1937 … Continue reading “Mass Observation Day 12 May”
King Charles III is set to be crowned alongside Camilla Queen Consort this weekend, marking a new era for the Royal Family. The weekend will be filled with events including the investiture at Westminster Abbey, a concert at Windsor Castle and the Coronation Big Lunch in communities across the country. The coronation service will, according … Continue reading “Coronation of King Charles III”
Wesak, or Vesak, is the most important celebration in Buddhism. It commemorates Buddha’s birthday, this year on the 5th of May. It is the Day of the Full Moon, as the month of May usually has only one full moon. However, if there are two full moons in May, some countries (including Sri Lanka, Cambodia … Continue reading “Wesak”
World Portuguese Language Day is set for the 5th of May. The observance was first established on July 20th, 2009. The date of 5th May was set to coincide with the date of the first meeting of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLC) in 2005. In 2019, the 40th session of the UNESCO General … Continue reading “World Portugese Language Day”
Deaf Awareness Week runs from the 1st to the 7th of May this year, and the theme is access to communication. Approximately 12 million people in the UK suffer from deafness or hearing loss, and Deaf Awareness Week works to shine a light on how we can all support the deaf community through the challenges … Continue reading “Deaf Awareness Week”
St George’s Day is celebrated on 23 April by various Christian churches and by the several nations, kingdoms, countries and cities of which Saint George is the patron saint, including England and regions of Spain and Portugal in particular. St George is most widely known for slaying a dragon. According to legend, the only well in … Continue reading “St George’s Day (23 April)”
Rama Navami is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birthday of Rama, the seventh avatar of the deity Vishnu. It falls on the ninth day of the bright half of Chaitra, the first month in the Hindu calendar. By the Gregorian calendar, this is usually in March or April – this year the festival occurs … Continue reading “Rama Navami (30 March)”
The month of Ramadan is expected to begin on the evening of 22 March, following the sighting of the moon over Mecca. Lasting for 30 days, this year Ramadan will end on the evening of 21 April, depending on the sighting of the moon. The auspicious month of Ramadan is a time for reflection, contemplation … Continue reading “Ramadan 22/3-21/4”
