Celebrating Cultures across the University of Birmingham
Vasant Panchami, also called Saraswati Puja in honour of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. It is a Hindu and Sikh festival that marks preparations for the beginning of the spring season. Vasant Panchami also marks the start of preparation for Holika and Holi, which take place … Continue reading “Vasant Panchami/Saraswati Puja 26 January”
Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January is an international day of remembrance which marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Berkenau, the largest Nazi death camp. On this annual day of commemoration, we all bear witness for those who were murdered in genocide and honour the survivors and all whose lives were changed beyond recognition. … Continue reading “Holocaust Memorial Day 27 January + event at UoB on 31 January”
Rey, a Modern Languages with English student, has kindly written this post about the recent Lunar New Year celebrations he has shared with fellow Chinese international students. Personally, I found it really interesting – the background, the food, the celebrations. Thank you for sharing with us, Rey! (Ed) Sunday 22 January 2023 was this year’s … Continue reading “Chinese International Students celebrate the Lunar New Year”
The Rabbit (兔) is the fourth in the twelve-year cycle of animals that appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Rabbit is associated with the Earthly Branch symbol 卯. As the Year of the Tiger comes to an end on 21 January and the Year of the Rabbit … Continue reading “Lunar New Year – Year of the Rabbit 22/1-5/2”
Martin Luther King Jr Day is a holiday held on the third Monday of January in the US, celebrating. the life and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill to create Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and the first year it was observed was in 1986. It took … Continue reading “Martin Luther King Jr. Day 16 January”
Hanukkah (18-26 December) celebrates the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century BC. After outlawing the Jewish religion and Jewish practices, King Antiochus IV decreed that Jews must worship Greek gods in the Temple. The word ‘Hanukkah’ means dedication and commemorates the triumph of a band of rebel Jews known as the … Continue reading “Hanukkah Sameach!”
World AIDS Day takes place on 1 December each year. It’s an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day. … Continue reading “World AIDS Day 1 December”
Rosa Parks was a civil rights activist who refused to surrender her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955. Her defiance sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott; its success launched nationwide efforts to end racial segregation of public facilities. On December 1, 1955, Parks was arrested for refusing a … Continue reading “Rosa Parks Day 1 December”
Andrew, also called Saint Andrew the Apostle, (died 60/70 ce, Patras, Achaia [Greece]) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and the brother of St. Peter. He is the patron saint of Scotland and of Russia, as well as other countries including Greece, Barbados and Romania. The celebration of Saint Andrew as a national festival is thought to originate … Continue reading “St Andrew’s Day (30 Nov)”
Charles Monroe ‘Sparky’ Schulz (1922-2000) was an American cartoonist and creator of the comic strip ‘Peanuts’ which gave us Snoopy, Charlie Brown and others. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential cartoonists of the modern era. Schulz loved drawing and sometimes drew his family dog, Spike, who ate unusual things, such as … Continue reading “Charles M Schulz 100th anniversary”
