Category: Annual Celebration

This year marks the 5th national Windrush Day and 74 years since more than 500 Commonwealth citizens from the Caribbean, upon the request of the British Government, arrived at Tilbury Docks, Essex, to help rebuild Britain after World War II. An estimated half a million people made their way to England. Since the SS Empire Windrush … Continue reading “Windrush Day 22 June”

Shavuot is one of the Jewish harvest festivals, also known as the festival or feast of ‘Weeks’. It takes place seven weeks (fifty days) after the first day of the spring festival of Passover and this year starts on the evening of 4 June, ending on the evening on 6 June. Originally an agricultural festival, … Continue reading “Shavu’ot”

Festa della Repubblica is celebrated on 2 June each year and marks the referendum of 1946, which resulted in the creation of the Italian republic. Italy became a nation on 17 March 1861, when most of the states of the region were united under King Victor Emmanuel II, hitherto king of Sardinia. On 2 June … Continue reading “Festa della Repubblica”

Vesak (also Wesak or Buddha Day) 6 May is considered the holiest day in the Buddhist calendar. It is celebrated annually on the full moon of the ancient lunar month of Vesakha in May and commemorates the birth, enlightenment and the death of Buddha. The day is observed as a public holiday in many Southeast … Continue reading “Vesak – Buddha Day 6 May”

The Lusophone world celebrates 5 May as the International Day of the Portuguese language and culture. The language is spoken by over 250 million people in nine countries and is the third most widely spoken European language, after English and Spanish. World Portuguese Language Day highlights the important role this language plays in preserving human civilization … Continue reading “World Portuguese Language Day 5 May”

From the evening of 2 May to the evening of 3 May Eid al-Fitr, also called the “Festival of Breaking the Fast”, is a religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan, as well being as a time for spiritual reflection and prayer. This religious Eid … Continue reading “Eid al-Fitr”

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.  Saint George is most widely known for slaying a dragon. According to legend, the only well in … Continue reading “St George’s Day 23 April”

Pesach (Passover), which begins at sundown on 15 April, ending on the evening of 23 April, is a festival of freedom commemorating the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt and their transition from slavery to freedom. It is one of the most important Jewish holidays. Passover, called Pesach, gets its name from when the Israelites were enslaved … Continue reading “Pesach (Passover)”

Vaisakhi is celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs and marks the beginning of the Hindu solar New Year. It was originally a harvest festival in the Punjab until it became Sikhism’s most important festival. Vaisakhi, also called Baisakhi, is the festival which celebrates the founding of the Sikh community, the Khalsa. In 1699, Sikhs from all over the … Continue reading “Vaisakhi 14 April”

Rama Navami is a spring Hindu festival celebrates the birth of Lord Rama, son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya. Rama was an incarnation of Vishnu and the hero of the Ramayana, the Sanskrit epic of 24,000 stanzas. A continuous recital of the book takes place for about a week prior to the celebration and, on … Continue reading “Rama Navami 10 April”