Advent 2024

Advent, (from Latin adventus, “coming”), in the Christian church calendar, the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas and also of preparation for the Second Coming of Christ. In Western churches, Advent begins on the Sunday nearest to November 30 (St. Andrew’s Day) and is the beginning of the liturgical year. In many Eastern churches, the Nativity Fast is a […]

Bodhi Day (Rohatsu)

Bodhi Day is being observed by Buddhists worldwide. The word "bodhi" originates from a verb that means "to awaken" or "awakened" in Pali and Sanskrit, two ancient Indian languages. It is commonly considered to indicate "enlightenment" in Buddhism. Bodhi Day honours the moment 2,600 years ago when Siddhartha Gautama became enlightened, or awakened, to become the Buddha. Sourced from […]

Unduvap Poya (Sanghamitta Day)

Unduvap Poya is the last Full Moon Poya day of the year and commemorates the arrival of Sangamitta Theri in Sri Lanka during the month of Unduwap with a Bo […]

Winter Solstice

Winter solstice, the two moments during the year when the path of the Sun in the sky is farthest south in the Northern Hemisphere (December 21 or 22) and farthest north in […]

Christmas

Christmas, Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus. The English term Christmas (“mass on Christ’s day”) is of fairly recent origin. The earlier term Yule may have derived from the Germanic jōl or the Anglo-Saxon geōl, which referred to the feast of the winter […]

Zartosht No-Diso

On this important day (Zartosht No-Diso), Zoroastrians mark the death anniversary of the prophet Zoroaster, founder of their faith. Falling on the 10th of the month of Dae, it is […]

Wounded Knee Massacre (Day of Reflection)

Wounded Knee Massacre, (December 29, 1890), the slaughter of approximately 150–300 Lakota Indians by United States Army troops in the area of Wounded Knee Creek in southwestern South Dakota. The massacre was the climax of […]

Maidyarem

The midwinter festival of Maidyarem celebrates the evolution of animals. The fifth Gahambar falls on days 286 through 290, typically December 31 to January 4. Zoroastrians observe six seasonal festivals […]

Feast Day of St. Basil

Saint Basil the Great, (born AD 329, Caesarea Mazaca, Cappadocia—died Jan. 1, 379, Caesarea; Western feast day January 2; Eastern feast day January 1), Early church father. Born into a Christian family […]

World Braille Day

Each year, we work to get Braille into the hands of more blind people. January 4 marks World Braille Day in celebration of its creator, Louis Braille. Every day, thousands of […]