Celebrating Cultures across the University of Birmingham
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”
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”
8th of March marks International Women’s Day (IWD), a day for celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievement of women all across the globe. The other purpose of the day is to recognise the challenges women face, and draw more attention to the inequalities faced by women and other marginalised genders. The earliest reported … Continue reading “International Women’s Day (8 March)”
Holi, also called the festival of sharing and love or the festival of colours, is a Hindu two-day festival in the Spring. This year Holi is on 8 March, with Chhoti Holi or Holika Dahan happening on 7 March. The holiday is officially celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Phalguna of … Continue reading “Holi 8 March”
Hinamatsuri is a Japanese festival that is celebrated every year on the 3rd of March. It is also known as the doll festival, and it celebrates female children where people pray for their continued health and happiness. During the holiday, families display ceramic dolls dressed in the decorative robes of the ancient imperial court. This … Continue reading “Hinamatsuri (3 March)”
