Commemorative Days
In November the Baha'i'' have several Holy Days: 12 - Birth of Baha'u'llah , 26- Day of the Covenant, commemorating Baha'u'llah's appointment of His son, Abdu'l-Baha, as the One to whom His followers should turn after His passing, and, 28 -: Ascension of Abdu'l-Baha, marking the passing of Abdu'l-Baha in 1921.
October 18: Persons Day (Canada) The official day in Canada when women were legally defined as "persons" under the British North America Act (BNA).
November 20: National Childs Day (International) A shared commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
December 1: Beginning of the Canadian Holiday Season.
December 6: St. Nicholas Day (International) - Celebrates the life of St. Nicholas the Bishop. He was from Turkey and known for his generosity. Many European countries exchange gifts with loved ones on this day instead of Christmas.
December 8: Bodhi Day (Buddhists) On this day, December 8, 566 BC, Siddhartha Gautama, as he meditated under the Bodhi Tree, attained Enlightenment at the age of 35, and became the Sakyamuni Buddha.
December 9: Eid ul-Adha (Islamic) - This is the second in the series of Eid festivals that Muslims celebrate. It is celebrated by Muslims all over the world as a tribute to those who are completing their pilgrimage in Mecca on that day.
December 13: Luciadagen - St. Lucia's Day (Sweden) - Also known as the "Queen of Light." A candlestick parade takes place in her honor.
December 15: Navidades (Puerto Rico) - Marks the beginning of Christmas season and ends with Three Kings Day, January 6.
December 16: Posadas (Mexico) - A nine-day celebration throughout Mexico commemorating the search by Mary and Joseph for shelter. Three Kings Day.
December 21: Chanukah or Hanukkah (Jewish) - An eight-day festival marked by the kindling of lights on a candle stand called a menorah. *Begins at sundown of previous day. Hanukkah is a Hebrew word meaning "dedication."
St. Thomas Day - Also known as the Winter Solstice. Winter officially begins on the shortest day of the year. Solstice means "the sun stands still".
Sun Festivals - (Native American/First Nations) - Hopi and Pueblo cultures celebrated the return of the sun after the Winter Solstice. Special clothing and ceremonies are ways in which the tradition is carried on today. The Kwakiutl's of British Columbia also celebrate in similar ways.
December 22 - First day of Hanukkah for 2008.
December 24: Wigilia (Poland) - The eve of Christmas, celebrated with elaborate Polish dishes.
December 25: Christmas (Christian) - An observance of the birth of Jesus Christ. Also celebrated as a religious and a secular holiday where family feasts occur and gifts are exchanged. Also known as a day, when Santa Claus (derived from the Dutch, Sinterklaas and from Saint Nicholas), brings presents to all of the good girls and boys.
December 26: Kwanzaa (African American) - Invented in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga during the Black Freedom Movement of the 1960s. It is a cultural holiday based on the first harvest celebrations widely practiced in Africa. Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa symbolizes one of the Seven Principles: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.)
Boxing Day (Canada, Bahamas) - Celebrated with variation according to location (Jamaica, UK), the origins of this holiday are uncertain. One common variation is that it is the day the servants are given gifts after spending Christmas waiting on their employers and their guests. Another variation believes that this was the day that priests opened collection boxes and distributed the money to the poor.
The Twelve Days of Christmas - The days from Boxing Day to Epiphany. These days have long been considered to be a time when "odd" things can happen. In Canada, we celebrate 6 of these days; Boxing Day, Holy Innocents Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Twelfth Night and the Epiphany.
Wren Day (Ireland) - On this day, boys in wren costumes go house to house with a captured wren, singing songs and gathering coins. These coins help to pay for a big celebratory feast in the evening.
December 28: Day of the Holy Innocents- This day is observed as the day when Herod tried to kill the baby Jesus by ordering all baby boys to be slain. It is observed as a day of trickery in some cultures (Latin) and a day of blessing on children in others.
December 29: Chanukah or Hanukkah (Jewish) - This is the last day of the eight-day festival.
December 31: Hogmanay (Scotland) - The name given to the Scottish New Year, the celebration of hogmanay dates back to pagan times when people burned fires in the depth of winter to ward off evil spirits.
December 31: Omisoka (Japan) - To usher in the new year, families clean their homes and eat toshi-koshi buckwheat noodles in the hope that one's life will be stretched out as long as the noodles.
New Year's Eve (International) -The day before the ushering in of a new year.
January 1: New Year's Day.
Shogatsu (Japanese New Year) - The most significant and elaborate event in Japan. Many visit shrines to pray for good health and fortune. Year 2665 begins.
January 1: St. Basil's Day (Greece) - The Greeks call New Year's St. Basil's Day. Traditionally, gifts are exchanged.
January 4: Shabbat - The Jewish Sabbath, or weekly day of rest and spiritual enrichment. It is observed the seventh day of the week from before sunset on Friday until nightfall on Saturday.
January 5: Twelfth Night - Considered the twelfth night of Christmas. Europeans and French Canadians celebrate with activities and by wassailing, drinking to the health of their neighbors and singing songs.
January 6: Epiphany- The twelfth day of Christmas. It comes from a Greek word referring to the baptism of Jesus and the arrival in Bethlehem of the Three Wise Men who came to worship Jesus.
Carnival Season begins (Christian) - An age-old festival observed in parts of Europe and the Americas, from the Christian observances of Epiphany to Ash Wednesday, is called Carnival and culminates in Mardi Gras.
Old Christmas Day (Armenia) - Celebrated in the Armenian Church, the oldest Christian national church (founded 301 CE).
Three Kings Day (Christian) - A day of celebration in many parts of Europe, Latin America and South America that is the traditional time of gift giving and the culmination of the Christmas season.
January 7: Christmas (eastern Orthodox, Ethiopian) - Celebrations take place in and outside of ancient churches. On the eve of this day there is prayer and chanting, and in the morning a colorful procession makes its way to a hilltop for mass. After the service the day is spent dancing, playing sports and feasting.
January 18: Ashura (Islam) - The first day of the first month of the Islamic year .1425 CE commemorates the migration in 622 CE of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina, where the first Islamic community was established. Muharram lasts for 10 days.
Solnal (Korean New Year) - This is the biggest event of the year. Fifteen days after Solnal on the first full moon day, Koreans eat a five-grain meal and pray for a bountiful harvest. (Jan. 18-20)
January 26, 2009: Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year, celebration of the new year in Asian communities around the world. The date of the new year is determined by the lunar calendar, so festivities begin with the new cycle of the moon that falls between January 21 and February 19. Each year is named for one of 12 symbolic animals in sequence. 2009 is the Year of the Ox.
February: Black History Month (International) This initiative was an acknowledgement of the long and rich history of Black persons and their contributions to Canada and the world.
March 21: International Day for the Elimination of Racism (International) This day was chosen by the General Assembly of the United Nations to commemorate the March 21st, 1960 massacre of 69 young student shoe were demonstrating peacefully in Sharpeville, South Africa, against the apartheid "pass laws."
On behalf of the Diversity in Action Project, we thank you for taking the time to appreciate the variety of celebrations during this time of year. However you honor your families and your culture, please know that we also honor and celebrate you.
Happiest of many holidays!
