Maidyoi-shema

Believers observe the midsummer festival of Maidyoi-shema on days 101 to 105 of the year, typically June 29 to July 3. It celebrates the creation of water, the spring harvest’s end, and the start of the summer harvest. Zoroastrians observe six seasonal festivals (Gahambar) that celebrate the sanctity of God’s universal creations. Each Gahambar lasts […]

Islamic New Year

The Islamic New Year takes place during the first month of the Hijrī, or Muslim lunar calendar. Though majority-Islamic countries are governed by the solar Gregorian calendar, the lunar calendar is used to calculate the dates of religious feasts and important observances such as the Hajj pilgrimage. Because the Hijrī relies on the movements of […]

Ashura

Ashura marks the death anniversary of Hussain ibn Ali, a 7th-century revolutionary leader who was killed in The Battle of Karbala. The Day of Ashura is recognized by millions across the world to remember Hussain’s dignified stand for social justice. Hussain ibn Ali was the grandson of Muhammad (the last prophet of Islam), born in […]

Asalha Puja

Asalha Puja Day, also referred to as Dharma Day, is one of the most important holy days for Buddhists. This day of celebration and new beginnings typically falls in July, on the full moon of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. Asalha Puja Day commemorates the establishment of Buddhism. It represents the day that […]

St. James the Greater Day

St. James, also called James, son of Zebedee, or James the Greater, (born, Galilee, Palestine—died 44 CE, Jerusalem; feast day July 25), one of the Twelve Apostles, distinguished as being in Jesus’ innermost circle and the only apostle whose martyrdom is recorded in the New Testament (Acts 12:2). Sourced from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-James-son-of-Zebedee

Feast of the Transfiguration

Transfiguration, in the New Testament, the occasion upon which Jesus Christ took three of his disciples, Peter, James, and John, up on a mountain, where Moses and Elijah appeared and Jesus was transfigured, his face and clothes becoming dazzlingly bright. The Transfiguration is recorded in all three of the Synoptic Gospels (Mark 9:2–13; Matthew 17:1–13; Luke 9:28–36) and is understood to have been the revelation of the eternal glory of the […]

Muktad (Fravardeghan Days)

Zoroastrians following the Shenshai calendar observe Muktad during the last 10 days of the religious year. During this time, they believe, the fravashis (spirits) of the righteous departed return to Earth. Believers welcome them with special rituals and offerings. Families dress in white and cover their heads before visiting the fire temple. Each day, they […]

Tisha B’av 2024

Tisha B’av (The Ninth of Av) is a day of mourning and fasting. The holiday commemorates various tragedies that befell the Jewish people throughout history, particularly the destruction of the two temples in 586 BCE and 70 CE. It is believed that many of the tragedies remembered on Tisha B’Av actually occurred on this date. Tisha […]

Dormition of the Theotokos

The feast of the Dormition or Falling-asleep of the Theotokos is celebrated on the fifteenth of August, preceded by a two-week fast. This feast, which is also sometimes called the Assumption, commemorates the death, resurrection and glorification of Christ’s mother. It proclaims that Mary has been “assumed” by God into the heavenly kingdom of Christ […]

Janmashtami

Janmashtami, Hindu festival celebrating the birth (janma) of the god Krishna on the eighth (ashtami) day of the dark fortnight of the month of Bhadrapada (August–September). The number eight has another significance in the Krishna legend in that he is the eighth child of his mother, Devaki. The occasion is observed especially in Mathura and Vrindavan (Brindaban), the scenes of Krishna’s childhood and early youth. […]