Celebrating Cultures across the University of Birmingham
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)”
World Book Day is an annual charity event that began in 1995 and is celebrated in the UK and Ireland on the first Thursday in March. On World Book Day, every child in full-time education is given a voucher to spend on whatever book they want, with the hopes of encouraging children to read more. … Continue reading “World Book Day 2 March”
Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus! Saint David is the patron saint of Wales and on the 1st of March the Feast of Saint David is celebrated. The date was chosen as it is the date of his death, with the holiday being celebrated since the canonisation of David in the 12th century by Pope Callixtus II. … Continue reading “St David’s Day (1 March)”
What is widely known as Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday in the UK, is in fact a week-long traditional Slavic celebration that takes places prior to the beginning of Lent, the Christian period of fasting and spiritual reflection leading up to Easter. Maslenitsa is often a time to indulge in rich foods before Lent in … Continue reading “Maslenitsa (20-26 February)”
Maha Shivaratri, also referred to as the “Great Night of Shiva”, is one of the biggest annual celebrations in the Hindu calendar and is held to honour Lord Shiva, who is one of the main deities in the religion. The reason behind celebrating Lord Shiva can vary slightly depending on the region that you are … Continue reading “Maha Shivaratri (February 18)”
February 16 2023 marks the 100th anniversary of one of the most significant moments in the history of archaeology – the opening of the sealed doorway to Tutankhamen’s tomb in Thebes, Egypt. The discovery of which was made by the renowned archaeologist Howard Carter, who dedicated his life to uncovering the secrets of ancient Egypt. … Continue reading “100th anniversary of British archaeologist Howard Carter opening the sealed doorway to Tutankhamen’s tomb in Thebes, Egypt“
February 12th marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of Franco Zeffirelli, an Italian film director widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time. Born in Florence, Italy on 12 February 1923, Zeffirelli was a visionary in the world of film and television, bringing a fresh, vibrant, and creative approach to each one … Continue reading “100th Anniversary of the birth of Franco Zeffirelli”
Final year Music student, Amira, tells us how she came to be involved as a Music assistant at the Birmingham Royal Ballet. “First year of university saw a challenging time. The Covid pandemic kept many of us from our friends and families, facing exacerbated mental health concerns due to isolation and for students a very … Continue reading “My role with the Birmingham Royal Ballet”
In my final year of studying History of Art, as part of a CAL work placement module called Professional Skills, I undertook a role as Creative Publication Developer at a youth arts charity in Balsall Heath called The GAP Arts Project. The role entailed working collaboratively with another student who was also on placement to … Continue reading “My work placement with the GAP Arts Project by Ellie Winter, final year BA History of Art student”
75 years ago, on February 4th 1948 in Detroit, Michigan, Alice Cooper (originally Vincent Damion Furnier) was born. He was to become an internationally renowned rock musician who pioneered a theatrical form of heavy metal music performance that allowed the fusion of onstage horror dramatics and raw, dynamic sounds – a unique style that eventually … Continue reading “4 February 75th Anniversary of the birth of rock singer Alice Cooper “
