Category: Annual Celebration

This year Muhammad’s birthday, Mawlid or Eid Milad un Nabi, derived from the Arabic ‘to give birth’, is observed on sundown of 7 October to sundown on 8 October. The date varies each year as it is governed by the lunar calendar. Prophet Muhammad’s birthday is commemorated by Muslims during the month of Rabi’ al-awwal, … Continue reading “Mawlid 7-8 October 2022”

National Poetry Day is a UK-wide celebration of poetry and this year’s theme is The Environment. Libraries and bookshops across the country are celebrating National Poetry Day. Pop in to see what is going on. National Poetry Day was founded in 1994 by the charity Forward Arts Foundation, whose mission is to celebrate excellence in poetry and … Continue reading “National Poetry Day 6 October 2022”

The theme for this year’s Black History Month is ‘Time for Change: Action Not Words’, which means working to tackle racism, reclaim Black history and ensure Black people, their pasts and their stories are included and represented all year round. Started in the US as a week-long celebration in 1926 by Carter G Woodson, a … Continue reading “Black History Month”

Navratri (meaning ‘nine nights’) is a Hindu festival celebrated every autumn. It is usually held at harvest time. Lasting for nine days, Navaratri celebrates good triumphing over evil. During the festival, three goddesses are worshipped: Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. The first three nights are dedicated to Durga (the mother goddess representing power), the next three … Continue reading “Navratri (26/9-5/10)”

Krishna Janmashtami also called Gokulashtami is an annual Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Vishnu. Devotees keep fast on the day of Krishna Janmashtami and offer prayer to the deity for good health and happiness. Hindus believe that on this day, Lord Vishnu, the preserver or sustainer of life, was incarnated … Continue reading “Krishna Janmashtami (18-19 August)”

Raksha Bandhan (or Rakhi) is a Hindu festival, taking place on the full moon in the month of Sravana, which celebrates brotherhood and love. The word Raksha means protection, whilst Bandhan is the verb to tie. On this day, sisters tie rakhi (a bracelet made of interwoven red and gold threads) on the wrists of their brothers to protect … Continue reading “Raksha Bandhan 11 August”

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 “Le quatorze juillet”

Asalha Puja falls on the sixth lunar month (typically July), and commemorates Buddha’s first sermon after enlightenment which took place in the Deer Park in Benares (Varanasi), India. The festival offers a chance for Buddhists to reflect on the sermon’s four noble truths: there is suffering, suffering is caused by attachment, there is a plane … Continue reading “Asalha Puja (13 July)”

World Chocolate Day is an annual global celebration of chocolate, taking place on 7 July, which is thought to be the anniversary of the introduction of chocolate to Europe in 1550. (Personally, every day is World Chocolate Day for me. We used to regularly use the machine below as children, pestering our Mum and Dad … Continue reading “World Chocolate Day (7 July)”