Celebrating Cultures across the University of Birmingham
Black Country Day 14 July – this day was chosen as it is considered to be the date of the inception of the Newcomen engine, the first commercially successful engine. Invented by Thomas Newcomen in 1712, it was first installed at Coneygree Coal Works in Tipton and was used to pump water out of mines. A replica … Continue reading “Black Country Day 14 July”
Bastille Day celebrates the storming of the Bastille – a military fortress and prison – on July 14, 1789, in a violent uprising that was a turning point in the French Revolution. Holding gunpowder and other supplies valuable to revolutionaries, the Bastille also symbolized the callous tyranny of the French monarchy, especially King Louis XVI … Continue reading “Bastille Day – le quatorze juillet”
World Chocolate day is actually a relatively new event, first celebrated back in 2009. The date July 7th was specifically chosen because it was on this day in the year 1550 that chocolate arrived in Europe. Chocolate comes from the seeds of the Theobroma cacao tree, an exotic tree that’s been cultivated for over three … Continue reading “World Chocolate Day 7 July”
Asalha Puja is a Theravada Buddhist festival, one of the most important festivals in Theravada Buddhism. The celebration takes place on the full moon day of the eighth lunar month, which is typically in July. It celebrates the Buddha’s first sermon – the “Sermon in the Deer Park” at Sarnath in India. In this sermon, … Continue reading “Asalha Puja”
Windrush Day celebrates the sea voyage of the MV Empire Windrush and the rich culture and heritage the passengers brought with them from the Caribbean. HMT Empire Windrush arrived in Britain on 22 June 1948. On board there were more than 800 passengers from the Caribbean. However, on arrival in the UK people were often … Continue reading “Windrush Day 22 June”
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”
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”
