Official "Important Religious Days" Thread

In the interest of sharing information between faiths, I wanted to create a thread so that the members of Non-Christian Religions can share their Holy Days, Holidays, days of importance, and so on. Maybe the ones directly upcoming?

Christians:
Christmas - December 25th (Annual event)
Christian - Advent Sunday - November 30th (Annual, date changes)

Christian (Catholic) - Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Dec 8th
Christian (Catholic) - St. Thomas the Apostle - Dec 21st
Christian (Catholic) - The First Martyr, St. Stephen - Dec 26th
Christian (Catholic) - St. John the Apostle - Dec 27th
Christian (Catholic) - The Holy Innocents, Martyrs - Dec 28th

Baha'i:
(Some further information posted here and here)

Birth of Baha'u'llah ([the] Founder) - November 11-12
Day of the Covenant - November 25/26
The Ascension (death) of 'Abdu'l-Baha - November 27/28

Eudaimonist:

[No "official" holidays, please see this note by Eudaimonist.]

Hindus:

[These are the important Hindu festivals. However, because Hindus use a different calendar from the Gregorian Calendar, the dates vary every year. These are the dates for 2009. There may also be a one or two day difference depending on location (I'm giving the dates for Malaysia or India). (posted by MichaelArchangelos)]

Thai Ponggal - 14 January/1 Thai
Thaipusam - 8 February/Full moon of Thai
Maha Shivaratri - 26 February/14 Phalguna
Holi - March 11/Full moon of Phalguna
Gaura Purnima - 11 March
Rama Navami - 3 April/9 Chaitra
Hanuman Jayanti - 9 April/15 Chaitra
Nrisimha Caturdasi - 8 May/29 Vaisakha
Appearence of Lord Balarama - 5 August/full moon of Sravana
Krishna Janmashtami - 14 August/eighth day of the dark half of Sravana
Ganesh Chaturthi - 23 August/4th day of waxing moon of Bhadrapada
Radhastami - 27 August/15 days after Krishna Janmashtami
Navaratri - 19 September/first day of the bright fortnight of Ashwin
Dipavali/Diwali - 18 October/29 Ashwin
Govardhana Puja - 19 October/day after Dipavali

Muslim: (Muslim holy days are on the Lunar Calendar which is 355 days long; each year these holidays will arrive 10 days closer as a result*)

Eid al-Adha/the Sacrifice Bairam is coming soon for muslims, (in ten days from posted info here by anatolian)

Pagan: (please note that every event may not be celebrated by every Pagan )

Esbat (full moon) - Every month recurring (celebrated by some) - December 12th upcomming
Winter solstice (or Midwnter / Yule) - December 21st.

Wiccan:

[Wiccan Sabbats. These are shared by a number of other Pagan and Neopagan traditions (Greater Sabbats are marked by an asterisk here, lesser Sabbats are not) -- (posted by KatAutumn)]

Samhain* - October 31st
Yule (Winter Solstice) - It's date varies from year to year in the month of December
Imbolc* - February 1st
Eostre/Ostara (or Spring Equinox) - date varies from year to year in March
Beltane* - May 1st (also known as May Day)
Litha (or Summer Solstice) - date varies from year to year in June
Lughnasadh* (also known as Lammas) - August 1st
Mabon (Autumn Equinox) - varies from year to year in September



General important days:

Thanksgiving - (United States - November 27 this year).










Rules:

• You can't promote your faith, that is in the rules. But you are allowed to inform. Example: Posting a day and saying "This is the birth of a prophet" is simply information. However, saying something like: "This is an opportunity for you to come and see the truth", you can't do that (assuming it's not talking about Christianity). That is promotion.
• Do not belittle anyone else's Day or Faith.
• Any posts that are off topic or causing trouble will be removed.
• Debate is not to happen here, please make a new thread to discuss anyone else's holidays in-depth. This is strictly about information.

Credit: Thread was inspired by BruceDLimber

Upcoming days for Baha'i (posted by Bruce and Arthra)

So, we had some excellent information posted in another thread (which has been replaced by this one) about a couple of upcoming Baha'i holidays, so I'll repost that information now


----

Baha'i - Day of the Covenant - November 25/26 - Baha'is observe the Day of the Covenant November 26th as it reminds us that we like Muslims, Christians and Jews are a people of the Covenant... We recognize the covenants of God's people made in the past and our current Covenant when we became Baha'is.

Baha'i - The Ascension (death) of 'Abdu'l-Baha - November 27/28 - The Ascension of Abdul-Baha is usually held in the early morning hours on November 28th the actual time when Abdul-Baha ascended so be sure to check with the Baha'i community where you live if you decide to attend.

(information compiled from members Arthra and BruceDLimber)

On an off-note, feel free to post a holiday even if you think it is INSANELY obvious For instance: Christians obviously celebrate Christmas typically on December 25th. (There are some denominations who celebrate it on a different day!)

So *ahem*:

Christian - Christmas - December 25th - Annual holiday to mark the birth of Jesus Christ.


Edit: Oh I have another one November 30 this year is the first day of Advent.

Christian - Advent Sunday - November 30th (date changes each year) - Fourth Sunday prior to Christmas Day. It marks the season of Advent (waiting / preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus), and begins the new Liturgical year for many churches in the Western world.

Christian (Catholic) - Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Dec 8th
Christian (Catholic) - St. Thomas the Apostle - Dec 21st
Christian (Catholic) - The First Martyr, St. Stephen - Dec 26th
Christian (Catholic) - St. John the Apostle - Dec 27th
Christian (Catholic) - The Holy Innocents, Martyrs - Dec 28th

I worship in a Catholic church but I am no good at remembering all those days so THANK YOU *adds*

For many Pagans, the winter solstice (or Midwnter / Yule) is coming up on December 21st this year.

Some may celebrate the December 12th Esbat (full moon).

added

Well thanks for starting this thread Morning Glory..

The reason our Holy Days involve two days on Gregorian calendar is that for us the day begins at sunset and is completed the sunset of the next day:

Day of the Covenant - November 25/26
The Ascension (death) of 'Abdu'l-Baha - November 27/28

For Baha'is Holy Days mean the observance is open to anyone.. Friends and relatives of Baha'is or anyone is welcome.

Usually the observance for the Ascension of Abdul-Baha takes place around 1:00 AM of November 27th so it would be a good checking with the Baha'is when and where this obsevrance starts. November 27th is also Thanksgiving in the United States..

- Art

Ooo hey that's neat Thanks for the info!

Thanksgiving, hmm that's an important date I'll put that under some non-religious category

These are the important Hindu festivals. However, because Hindus use a different calendar from the Gregorian Calendar, the dates vary every year. These are the dates for 2009.

There may also be a one or two day difference depending on location (I'm giving the dates for Malaysia or India)

Thai Ponggal (14 January/1 Thai) - Harvest festival. Celebrated in South India, Malaysia and Singapore.
Thaipusam (8 February/Full moon of Thai) - Festival in honour of Lord Murugan, the patron deity of Tamil Nadu. Celebrated in South India, Malaysia and Singapore.
Maha Shivaratri (26 February/14 Phalguna) - Festival in honour of Shiva, the (deva) god of destruction
Holi (March 11/Full moon of Phalguna) - spring festival celebrating the defeat of the demoness Holika. Children throw coloured powders at each other. Celebrated mainly in North India.
Gaura Purnima (11 March) - birth of Lord Chaitanya, Krishna incarnate for this age.
Rama Navami (3 April/9 Chaitra) - birthday of Lord Rama, an incarnation of Lord Krishna.
Hanuman Jayanti (9 April/15 Chaitra) - birthday of Hanuman, the monkey god who aided Lord Rama in his search for His wife Seeta.
Nrisimha Caturdasi (8 May/29 Vaisakha) - appearence of Lord Nrisimha, the half-man, half-lion form of Lord Krishna
Appearence of Lord Balarama (5 August/full moon of Sravana) - birth of Lord Balarama, Lord Krishna's brother
Krishna Janmashtami (14 August/eighth day of the dark half of Sravana) - birth of Krishna, the Supreme Lord, upon earth
Ganesh Chaturthi (23 August/4th day of waxing moon of Bhadrapada) - Birth of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed god. Lasts for ten days
Radhastami (27 August/15 days after Krishna Janmashtami) - appearence of Srimati Radharani, Krishna's eternal consort
Navaratri (19 September/first day of the bright fortnight of Ashwin) - festival in honour of goddess Durga, the consort of Shiva. Lasts for nine days.
Dipavali/Diwali (18 October/29 Ashwin) - celebrates return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya, and the birth of the goddess Lakshmi, among other things. Devotees place rows of oil lamps in front of their houses.
Govardhana Puja (19 October/day after Dipavali) - celebrates Krishna lifting Govardhana Hill to protect the villagers from a torrential rainstorm. A hill is made in the temple out of prasadam (sanctified food), worship is offered to the hill and it is then eaten.

Thank you so much for posting this thread! I wanted to share the Wiccan Sabbats. These are shared by a number of other Pagan and Neopagan traditions (Greater Sabbats are in bold, lesser Sabbats are in regular font):

Samhain - October 31st: It is the starting point of the Wiccan Wheel of the Year. It symbolizes the death of the God of the Harvest and the return of Winter.

Yule (Winter Solstice) has been briefly mentioned. It's date varies from year to year in the month of December. Represents the longest night of the year, at which point Winter reaches its peak and the seasons begin to shift back toward Spring and a time of fertility. The rebirth of the God into the world is the focus of this Sabbat.

Imbolc (was observed by the early Christian Church by the name Candlemas) - February 1st: Represents the quickening of life, of looking forward to the fertility of spring in regards to animals and plants. The Goddess is depicted during this time in her Maiden phase.

Eostre/Ostara (or Spring Equinox) - date varies from year to year in March: The joyous return of Spring. Eostre represents balance in nature, as the day and night are equal in length on this day.

Beltane - May 1st (also known as May Day): The observance of the beginning of the Celtic Summer. It is a day known for celebrating love and fertility. Many hanfasting (wedding) ceremonies were performed on Beltane.

Litha (or Summer Solstice) - date varies from year to year in June: The longest day of the year. Litha was another Sabbat where it was considered lucky to be wed. The full moon in the month of June was referred to as the Honey Moon (and in some regions, the Mead Moon). This is where the term "honeymoon" comes from, as many couples were handfasted on this day.

Lughnasadh (also known as Lammas) - August 1st: Celebration of the first harvest.

Mabon (Autumn Equinox) - varies from year to year in September: Represents the completion of the harvest and the impending renewal of the Wheel of the Year.

Thank you Morning~Glory, for starting this thread. This is exactly the kind of context that I was trying to explain to Arthra and BruceDLimber from the two threads with them. This post has a context and theme that is non proselytizing and can be enjoyed by all. Great idea!

Glad this is going well, some great information posted, certainly things I'm learning which is always good

Updated the main list, and I'm realizing that the extended information is -really- good but I want to keep the main post as brief as possible when listing days so what I'll start doing is maybe keep a running tab on helpful posts in the thread and link to them in the main thread, I've done that in a couple of places now.

Morning~Glory said:

Ooo hey that's neat Thanks for the info!

Thanksgiving, hmm that's an important date I'll put that under some non-religious category

Click to expand...

I wouldn't say that Thanksgiving is entirely in the secular non-religious category though as many churches and temples in the US are holding special services for this and also there are many inter-faith gatherings being held. Our Baha'i community will be involved in a gathering on the 23rd Niovember with Christains, Muslims and Jews.

In a Forum that is truly inter-faith there's also no issue about "proselytizing" when someone posts information about a special Holy Day.

- Art

Morning~Glory said:

In the interest of sharing information between faiths, I wanted to create a thread so that the members of Non-Christian Religions can share their Holy Days, Holidays, days of importance, and so on. Maybe the ones directly upcoming?

Click to expand...

Eudaimonists don't really have "official" holidays. We tend to co-opt cultural holidays and reinterpret them with our own meanings.

For example, Christmas is seen as a holiday in which parents celebrate their children, and in which everyone celebrates and values their family. It is also a celebration of commerce. Christmas is a day for joy and good cheer.

Thanksgiving is a time to mentally focus on what is good in one's life, and to honor productive people for bringing prosperity to the world.

Etc.


eudaimonia,

Mark

Arthra said:

I wouldn't say that Thanksgiving is entirely in the secular non-religious category though as many churches and temples in the US are holding special services for this and also there are many inter-faith gatherings being held. Our Baha'i community will be involved in a gathering on the 23rd Niovember with Christains, Muslims and Jews.

Click to expand...

You make a good point I changed the listing to "General" instead, seemed a bit more accurate and listed the Nov. 27 date as attached to the US's general holiday.

In Canada, our general Thanksgiving is in October The date changes from year to year because it's on a set day of the week, not sure if the US one works like that or not.

Eudaimonist said:

Eudaimonists don't really have "official" holidays. We tend to co-opt cultural holidays and reinterpret them with our own meanings.

For example, Christmas is seen as a holiday in which parents celebrate their children, and in which everyone celebrates and values their family. It is also a celebration of commerce. Christmas is a day for joy and good cheer.

Thanksgiving is a time to mentally focus on what is good in one's life, and to honor productive people for bringing prosperity to the world.

Etc.

Click to expand...

Makes sense I'll mark this in the OP with a link to your post, under a heading for Eudaimonist!

To specify, there's an Esbat EVERY month. It's primarily a wiccan and Dianic thing: celebrate the goddess on the night of the full moon.

So, under pagan:

Esbat: Night of the Full Moon every month.

gotcha I know the Pagan and Wiccan stuff can get a little confusing because I know there are so many varying traditions within those headings, so I'll just do my best with regard to keeping that as accurate as possible

As I understand it the esbat thing should go under "wicca" and paganism is too vast to list all pagan holidays. You can't even use the eight wiccan holidays under there, but regardless I guess its all a matter of opinion.

Cool thread and I'm glad to see the listed holidays.

Eid al-Adha/the Sacrifice Bairam is coming soon for the muslims, in ten days.We sacrifice animals (lambs,cows,camels) as a worship to God which God created for us according to Quran.