Celebrating Cultures across the University of Birmingham
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 November”
Guru Nanak, also referred to as Baba Nanak, was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. These Gurus were responsible for shaping the beliefs of the Sikhs. Guru Naka’s birthday, which is one of the most important festivals in the Sikh calendar, is commemorated on the Full Moon Day (Pooranmashi … Continue reading “Guru Nanak’s birthday 30 November”
Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on November 20 that honours the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. Transgender Day of Remembrance was started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honour the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender … Continue reading “Transgender Day of Remembrance”
18 November to 18 December is Disability History Month and the University will be exploring the theme of ‘Accessibility: How far have we come? How far have we to go?’ with a comprehensive programme of events. https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/events/disability-history-month/index.aspx Each day during Disability History Month, on the LCAHM Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LCAHM/ we will be looking at disabled artists … Continue reading “Disability History Month 18 November-18 December”
Diwali is the five-day festival of lights, celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains across the world. The festival, which coincides with the Hindu New Year, celebrates new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness which is why Diwali is also known as the festival of lights. People … Continue reading “Diwali 14 November”
Remembrance Day The British grave of the Unknown Warrior (often known as ‘The Tomb of The Unknown Warrior’) holds an unidentified British soldier killed on a European battlefield during the First World War. He was buried in Westminster Abbey on 11 November 1920, simultaneously with a similar interment of a French unknown soldier at the … Continue reading “At the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month”
Intersex Day of Remembrance (8 November), also known as Intersex Solidarity Day, is an internationally observed civil awareness day designed to highlight issues faced by intersex people. It marks the birthday of Herculine Barbin, a French intersex person whose memoirs were later published by Michel Foucault in Herculine Barbin: Being the Recently Discovered Memoirs of … Continue reading “Intersex Day of Remembrance”
8 November marks 100 year since Rupert Bear made his debut in the ‘Daily Express’ newspaper. Rupert is a children’s comic strip character created by British artist Mary Tourtel. In 1935 the stories were taken over by Alfred Bestall who worked on the Rupert stories and artwork into his 90s. A Rupert Annual has been … Continue reading “Rupert Bear centenary”
The Rubik’s cube was invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. He initially created a cuboid model with moving blocks to test how structures with integrated parts can move independently without falling apart. He only realised that his contraption could be used as a puzzle when he attempted to reassemble … Continue reading “The Rubik’s cube is 40!”
El día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican holiday celebrated in Mexico and elsewhere associated to the Catholic celebrations of All Saints’ Day (1 November) and All Souls’ Day (2 November). It is both a remembrance and celebration for the dearly departed. The day involves family and friends gathering to pray for and remember friends … Continue reading “El día de Muertos”
