Celebrating Cultures across the University of Birmingham
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”
Nowruz is the Iranian or Persian New Year. It marks the first day of spring and is celebrated on the day of the March equinox, when the sun crosses the equator from south to north. The spelling and pronunciation of Nowruz varies by country – other spellings include Novruz, Navruz, Nooruz, Nevrus and Nauryz. Over … Continue reading “Nowruz (20 March)”
St. Patrick’s Day celebrated on 17 March observes of the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The holiday has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, drinking. He was born to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century and is believed to have died … Continue reading “St Patrick’s Day 17 March”
Iain Cormack, Wellbeing Officer in SHAC, has kindly written of his recent experience of celebrating his first Mardi Gras in Orlando. Thank you to Iain for his contribution – what an experience and a visual treat! Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday as it translates from French) is a colourful and worldwide carnival celebration which traditionally … Continue reading “Wellbeing Officer blog: Mardi Gras in Orlando”
