2018 2019 18-month interfaith calendar - Diversity Awareness Partnership
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2018 - 2019
18-month
interfaith calendar
18-Month Interfaith Calendar To foster and support inclusive communities, Diversity Awareness Partnership is pleased to present the 2018-2019 18-Month Interfaith Calendar. This publication is a handy guide to observances celebrated across 25 religious traditions in the St. Louis region. When planning your organization’s schedule, refer to our Interfaith Calendar to honor the holidays your friends, neighbors, and colleagues celebrate. Considerations In order to be more accommodating for people who practice different religions, consider the following: FOOD Food and drink are central to many traditions’ rituals and practices. Consider vegetarian, vegan, non-alcoholic, and decaf options, which can accommodate a wide variety of religious and ethical choices. HOURS Some holidays may require individuals to worship or pray during different hours than they may the rest of the year. Consider flexibility that takes into account the work and objectives of your student or employee, rather than the typical time frame when this is normally accomplished. TIME OFF Many organizations have standard holidays for all employees or students that are built around the worldview of a particular religion - Christianity, for example. Consider allowing practitioners of other religions to float these holidays or make shifts in their schedules. Again, the priority should be the quality of the work, not where or when it takes place. DEADLINES/WORK FLOW During holidays that require prayer at late/early hours or that require fasting, some individuals may experience decreased stamina. Examine project schedules or work deadlines to see if they can be adjusted, if need be. PRAYER Some religions require daily or periodic prayer that requires solitude and quiet. Consider designating a space for individuals to pray that is clean, well-furnished, and accessible. ATTIRE For some religions, dress is part of an outward and ongoing commitment to that faith tradition. Make sure that your organization’s attire policy is communicated clearly to employees. 2
Online resources
oca.org/fs/paschal-cycle
interfaith-calendar.org/2018.htm
drexel.edu/provost/policies/religious_observances_calendar/
scouting.org/Home/Media/Relationships/ReligiousCalendar.aspx
Notes
This calendar strives to be as inclusive as possible. However, we are always open to adding
more holidays and more religions. Please contact us directly if there’s something you’d like
for us to consider adding for next year’s calendar.
All content in this calendar represents information that was available at the time of
production. To the greatest extent possible, holidays based on lunar phases or other variables
that change every Gregorian calendar year have been factored into observance dates. The
spelling of certain observances may vary as well, based on different ways of representing
words from other languages.
All Baha’i, Jewish, and Muslim holidays begin at sunset unless otherwise noted.
We encourage all places of worship to be accessible to persons with disabilities by making
necessary accommodations. Contact DAP for additional information on how your organization
can become more inclusive in this way.
Color Key
Baha’i Muslim
Buddhist Orthodox Christian
Catholic Christian Pan-African
Christian Protestant Christian
Confucian Rastafarian
Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Scientologist
Hindu Shinto
Hispanic Christian Sikh
Interfaith Swedenborgian Christian
Jain Taoist
Jehovah’s Witnesses Wiccan/Pagan
Jewish Zoroastrian
Mormon
3
January 2018
1 Monday 8 Monday 19 Friday
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of Seijin no Hi | Shinto Timkat | Ethiopian Orthodox
God | Catholic Christian Holiday honoring those who have Christian
Celebration of the Blessed Virgin reached, or will reach, the age of Commemorating the baptism of
Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ twenty within the current year Jesus in the Jordan River by
St. John the Baptist
Shogatsu/Gantan-sai | Shinto
13 Saturday
New Year’s Day celebration
Maghi | Sikh 21 Sunday
Commemoration of a battle in World Religion Day | Baha’i
Day dedicated to the unity and
2 Tuesday which forty Sikhs died for Guru
Gobindh Singh oneness of the world’s religions
Mahayana New Year | Buddhist
(until 1/4/2018) Triodion begins | Orthodox
Buddhist New Year, as celebrated 14 Sunday Christian (until 4/8/18)
in Mayahana countries Makar Sankranti | Hindu Time period leading up to Lent
Celebration marking the turning of
5 Friday the sun toward the north; festival
Twelfth Night | Christian
in reverence to deity Surya, god of
the sun
22 Monday
Conclusion of the Twelve Days of Vasant Panchami | Hindu
Christmas and marking the coming Festival of spring honoring the
of the Epiphany
17 Wednesday goddess of learning
Blessing of the Animals |
The Birth of the Tenth Sikh
Master | Sikh Christian/Hispanic Christian 25 Thursday
Honoring the birth of Guru Gobind Observance of showing respect Conversion of St. Paul | Christian
Singh for domestic animals that are Event in the life of Paul the Apostle,
significant to people after which he became a follower
of Jesus
6 Saturday
Epiphany/Three Kings’ Day | 18 Thursday
Christian Week of Prayer for Christian 30 Tuesday
Feast to celebrate the visit of the Unity | Christian (until 1/25/2018) Tu Bishvat | Jewish (until 1/31/18)
Three Wise Men to baby Jesus Ecumenical observance focused on Celebration of the coming of spring
prayer for church unity
7 Sunday
Orthodox Christmas | Orthodox
Christian The Birth of the Tenth Sikh Master
Celebration of the birth of Jesus
Christ “During the second part of the 17th Century, Guru Gobind
Singh inspired the realization of the Khalsa: pure-hearted
Ethiopian Christmas | Rastafarian saint-soldiers focused on a life of truth and spiritual freedom.
Celebration of the birth of Jesus Imbued with selfless service towards all of Creation, humanity
Christ is to be celebrated through the guru’s word, embodying
values of oneness and guiding one to embrace an unyielding
Baptism of the Lord Jesus | Divine Love. Gobind’s clarity of thought and conviction
Christian of deep-seated faith demonstrates a timeless, universal
Commemorating the baptism of approach towards spirituality. Donning the turban and flowing
Jesus in the Jordan River by beard like his forefathers, Guru Gobind’s legacy lives on
St. John the Baptist through the identity of every Sikh today.”
-Jaipal Singh
4
February 2018
2 Friday 12 Monday 18 Sunday
Presentation of Christ in the Clean Monday | Orthodox National Founding Day United
Temple | Christian Christian States | Scientology
Remembrance of the infant Jesus Start of Lent for Orthodox Founding of the first Church of
being brought to the temple in Christians, refers to the leaving Scientology in the U.S., the Church
Jerusalem behind of sinful attitudes and of Scientology of Los Angeles in
non-fasting foods 1954
Imbolc | Wiccan/Pagan
Halfway between the Winter
Solstice and the Spring Equinox,
13 Tuesday 25 Sunday
celebrates the passage from Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday) | Orthodox Sunday | Orthodox
winter to spring Christian Christian
Carnival day on the eve of Ash First Sunday of Lent, at which time
Wednesday restoration of icons in the church is
3 Saturday celebrated
Setsubun-Sai | Shinto Maha Shivaratri | Hindu
Celebration of the traditional Festival honoring Lord Shiva and his
beginning of spring and the end of marriage to the goddess Parvati 26 Monday
winter Intercalary Days | Baha’i (until
3/1/18)
14 Wednesday Insertion of days into the calendar
4 Sunday St. Valentine’s Day | Christian in order to maintain the solar
Four Chaplains Sunday | Feast day of St. Valentine, calendar, considered ‘days outside
Interfaith celebrating love and affection of time’
Commemoration of U.S. Army
chaplains who gave their lives to Ash Wednesday | Christian
save others during World War II Observance to begin the 40-day
28 Wednesday
season of Lent; ashes are marked Ta’anit Esther | Jewish
on worshipers’ foreheads as a sign Fast on Purim eve, commemorating
8 Thursday of repentance the fast of the Jewish people in the
Nirvana Day | Buddhist story of Purim
Also known as Parinirvana Day, Race Relations Day | Christian
remembering the death of Buddha Purim | Jewish (until 3/1/18)
Day recognizing the importance of Celebration of the deliverance of
when he reached Nirvana; Nirvana interracial relations and learning
day is believed to be the festival the Jewish minority in Persia from
that marks the end of the cycle of genocide
birth and rebirth. 16 Friday
Chinese New Year | Buddhist,
11 Sunday Confucian, Taoist
New Year’s celebration marking the
Transfiguration Sunday |
start of the lunar new year; begins
Christian a fifteen-day festival for Chinese
Feast day celebrating the people of all religions, who give
transfiguration of Jesus thanks for family and remember
ancestors
5
March 2018
2 Friday 20 Tuesday 29 Thursday
Nineteen Day Fast | Baha’i (until Ostara | Wiccan/Pagan Maundy Thursday | Christian
3/20/18) Welcoming of spring and Remembrance of Jesus’ last meal
Fast to be observed by adults of celebration of the goddess-as- with his disciples
the Baha’i faith in good health from maiden (Vernal Equinox)
sunrise to sunset
Naw-Ruz | Baha’i, Zoroastrian 30 Friday
Also known as the Persian New Good Friday/Holy Friday |
Hola Mohalla | Sikh
Created by Guru Gobind Singh as Year, marks the start of the New Christian, Orthodox Christian
an occasion for Sikhs to show their Year Remembrance of the crucifixion
martial arts skills and host mock and death of Jesus
battles
25 Sunday Pesach/Passover | Jewish (until
Annunciation of the Blessed 4/7/18)
Spring Lantern Festival | Taoist
Marks the final day of the Chinese Virgin Mary | Christian 8-day celebration of the deliverance
New Year celebrations Feast day commemorating Mary of the Jews from slavery in Egypt
being told by the angel Gabriel that
she would be the mother of Jesus
3 Saturday 31 Saturday
Holi | Hindu Palm Sunday | Christian Lord’s Evening Meal | Jehovah’s
Spring festival known as the Celebration of the entry of Jesus to Witnesses
“festival of colors” or the “festival Jerusalem, which marks the start Memorial commemoration of the
of love.” The festival signifies the of Holy Week death of Jesus Christ
victory of good over evil
Magha Puja Day | Buddhist
26 Monday Celebration of the teachings by
13 Tuesday Rama Navami | Hindu Lord Buddha to an assembly of holy
L. Ron Hubbard’s Birthday | Celebration of the birth of Lord men
Scientology Rama
Marks the birth of L. Ron Hubbard, Hanuman Jayanti | Hindu
founder of Scientology
28 Wednesday Celebration of Hanuman, an
embodiment of Lord Rama,
Khordad Sal | Zoroastrian
17 Saturday Remembrance of the birth of the
devotion and selfless works are
encouraged
St. Patrick’s Day | Christian prophet Zarathustra
Feast Day of St. Patrick who
brought Christianity to Ireland Lazarus Saturday | Orthodox
Christian
Ramayana Week | Hindu (until Celebration of the resurrection of
3/26/18) Lazarus by Jesus
Nine-day festival that marks the
auspicious celebration of the
appearance of Hindu Lord, Sri Ram
6
April 2018
1 Sunday 12 Thursday 29 Sunday
Easter | Christian Yom HaShoah | Jewish Ninth Day of Ridvan | Baha’i
Holy day commemorating the Holocaust Day, established to Day of recognition for the historic
resurrection of Jesus Christ remember the six million Jews and symbolic event of Baha’u’llah’s
killed by the Nazis during the 1930s exile from Baghdad
Palm Sunday | Orthodox and 1940s
Christian Visakha Puja (Buddha Day) |
Celebration of the entry of Jesus to
Jerusalem which marks the start of 13 Friday Buddhist
Commemorates the birth,
Holy Week Lailat al Miraj | Muslim enlightenment, and death of
Commemorates the Prophet Guatama Buddha in the Theravada
Muhammad’s nighttime journey tradition
3 Tuesday from Mecca to ‘the farthest
Mahavir Jayanti | Jain mosque’ in Jerusalem
Celebration of the birth of 30 Monday
Mahavira, founder of Jainism as a Theravada New Year | Buddhist
religion 14 Saturday (until 5/2/18)
Baisakhi/Vaisakhi | Sikh, Hindu Buddhist New Year
In Sikhism the day commemorates
5 Thursday the founding of the Khalsa, a
Qingming Festival | Taoist, distinctive Sikh brotherhood
Confucian
Also known as Tomb Sweeping Day,
commemorates the onset of spring 21 Saturday
and is an occasion to remember First Day of Ridvan | Baha’i (until
ancestors 4/21/18)
Commemorates the beginning
of the Baha’i faith in 1863 when
6 Friday Baha’u’llah first declared his
Founding of the Church | mission, marks first of a twelve-day
Mormon period
Commemoration of the appearance
of the angel Moroni in 1830 to Grounation Day | Rastafarian
Joseph Smith, who subsequently Holy day celebrated in honor
founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Haile Selassie’s 1966 visit to
of Latter-day Saints Jamaica
8 Sunday
Easter/Pascha | Orthodox
Christian
Holy day commemorating the
resurrection of Jesus Christ
Star of David
Symbol of Judaism or Jewish
symbol
Image credit: Wikimedia
7
May 2018
1 Tuesday 10 Thursday 21 Monday
Beltane | Wiccan/Pagan Ascension of Jesus | Christian World Day for Cultural Diversity
Celebration of the conjoining of the Remembrance of the departure for Dialogue & Development |
goddess with the energy of the of Jesus from Earth after his Interfaith
god in sacred marriage, the basis resurrection, celebrated 40 days United Nations-sactioned
of all creation after Easter international holiday that celebrates
the richness of the world’s cultures
Lailat al Bara’ah | Muslim while promoting intercultural
Also known as the Night of Records
13 Sunday dialogue
and the Night of Forgiveness, World Falun Dafa/Falun Gong
commemorating when God Day | Buddhist
descends from heaven and forgives Celebration of the spiritual 23 Wednesday
the people of their sins discipline introduced in China in Declaration of the Bab | Baha’i
1992 Celebration of the Bab, Ali
Muhammad’s, announcement in
2 Wednesday 16 Wednesday 1844 that he was the “gate” to the
Twelfth Day of Ridvan | Baha’i coming of the promised one of all
Ramadan begins | Muslim (until religions
Final day of the twelve-day festival
6/15/18)
which celebrates the beginning of
Month devoted to the
the Baha’i faith
commemoration of Muhammad’s 25 Friday
reception of the divine revelation African Liberation Day | Pan-
Lag B’Omer | Jewish recorded in the Qur’an African
Holiday that occurs on the 33rd day Commemoration of the formation
of the Omer, the 49-day period of the Organization of African
between Passover and Shavout 17 Thursday Unity/African Union
Ascension of Jesus | Orthodox
Christian
3 Thursday Remembrance of the departure 27 Sunday
National Day of Prayer | of Jesus from Earth after his Trinity Sunday | Christian
Interfaith resurrection, celebrated 40 days Celebrates doctrine of the Trinity,
U.S. day of observance encouraging after Easter remembering and honoring God the
prayer among all faiths Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
19 Saturday Pentecost | Orthodox Christian
Shavuot | Jewish (until 5/21/18) Commemorates the Descent of the
6 Sunday Celebration of the descent of Holy Spirit upon the Apostles
Chongmyo Taeje | Confucian Moses from Mt. Sinai with the Ten
Confucian memorial ceremony to Commandments
honor the kings and queens of the 29 Tuesday
Yi, or Joseon, Dynasty Ascension of Baha’u’llah | Baha’i
20 Sunday Remembrance of the death of
Pentecost | Christian Baha’u’llah, founder of the Baha’i
9 Wednesday Commemorates the Descent of the faith
Observance of the Publication of Holy Spirit upon the Apostles
Dianetics | Scientology
Observance of the publication of 31 Thursday
Dianetics: the Modern Science of Corpus Christi | Catholic
Mental Health in 1950 which was Christian
the forerunner of Scientology Celebration of the presence of the
body and blood of Jesus Christ
in the Eucharist- also known as
transubstantiation
8
June 2018
8 Friday 18 Monday 20 Wednesday
Feast of the Sacred Heart of Dragon Boat Festival | Taoist Waqf al Arafa- Hajj Day | Muslim
Jesus | Catholic Christian Chinese festival commemorating Observance during Hajj, the Islamic
Occasion to pay homage to Christ’s fealty and filial piety and pilgrimage to Mecca, when pilgrims
all-encompassing love for humanity recognizing the life and death of pray for forgiveness and mercy
Chinese Scholar, Qu Yuan
10 Sunday 21 Thursday
Race Unity Day | Baha’i
Day to promote racial harmony and
19 Tuesday Litha | Wiccan/Pagan
Celebration of the sacred
New Church Day |
understanding marriage, in which the energy
Swedenborgian Christian of the gods is poured into the
Annual commemoration of the services of life (Summer Solstice)
Laylat al Qadr | Muslim (until vision document “The True Christian
6/11/18) Religion,” in 1770
Also known as the ‘Night of
Power’ or ‘Night of Destiny’,
commemorates the night the
Qur’an was first revealed to the
Prophet Muhammad
15 Friday
Eid al Fitr | Muslim (until 6/17/18)
Festival that marks the end to the
fasting month of Ramadan
16 Saturday
Guru Arjan Dev’s Martydom |
Sikh
Honoring the first Sikh martyr
whose death resulted in changes in
the faith’s tradition
Ramadan
“Every year, fasting in the month of Ramadan is spiritually
uplifting. The daily routines are drastically changed: waking
up in the wee hours, cooking special dishes every night
for breaking fast, and praying late in the nights. Eid al Fitr,
celebrating with family and friends, always reminds me of my
cherished childhood memories of this holiday. Festive meals
are the hallmarks of Eid al Adha, the day after Hajj. On these
holidays, congregational prayers are the hallmark of the day.
Being with thousands of people just simply multiplies the
celebratory mood. I also see many Muslims wearing exquisite
dresses from different countries. I can never get used to the
grin on the faces of children when I give them monetary gifts.”
-Ghazala Hayat
9
July 2018
9 Monday
Martydom of the Bab | Baha’i
Observance of the day Ali
Muhammad was executed in 1850
by Persian political and religious
powers
13 Friday
Obon/Ulambana | Buddhist,
Shinto (until 7/15/18)
Also known as Ancestor Day, a
time to relieve the suffering of
ghosts by making offerings to
deceased ancestors
21 Saturday
Tish’a B’av | Jewish (until
Roman Catholicism
7/22/18) “I love being rooted in my Roman Catholic faith tradition!
Day of fasting in the remembrance Knowing that I am not on my journey as an individual but
of the destruction of the Temple in
rather in a community that expands around the globe and
586 BCE and 70 CE
across 20 centuries is truly powerful. The long tradition - both
in theory and practical action - of Catholic Social Teaching,
23 Monday has been incredibly formative for me in wrestling with the
Birth of the Emperor Haile question of how I am to move through the world. The rhythms
Selassie | Rastafarian of the liturgical calendar, the embodied experience of the
Birthday of the revered Messianic sacraments, the beauty of liturgy have shaped and continue to
figure among Rastafarians shape me. The mystical and intellectual writings of our saints
connect me to those who have gone before me in faith.”
-Rhonda Miska
24 Tuesday
Pioneer Day | Mormon
Observation of the arrival of the
first settlers at Great Salt Lake,
USA
27 Friday
Asalha Puja Day | Buddhist
Also known as Dhamma Day, the
day that marks the beginning of
Buddhism
10August 2018
1 Wednesday 17 Friday 25 Saturday
Lammas | Wiccan/Pagan Marcus Garvey’s Birthday | Chinese Ghost Festival | Taoist,
Celebration of the early harvest Rastafarian Buddhist
Celebration of the birth of Marcus Celebration in which the deceased
Fast in Honor of Holy Mother of Garvey are believed to visit the living
Jesus | Orthodox Christian
Beginning of the 14-day period
19 Sunday 29 Wednesday
of preparation, leading up to the Beheading of St. John the Baptist
Dormition of Mary Waqf al Arafa/Hajj Day | Muslim
(until 8/21/18) | Christian
Observance during Hajj, the Islamic Remembrance of the death of John
6 Monday pilgrimage to Mecca, when pilgrims the Baptist
Transfiguration of the Lord | pray for forgiveness and mercy
Orthodox Christian Raksha Bandhan | Hindu
Observance of the transfiguration Festival honoring the loving ties
of Jesus on Mt. Tabor in the 22 Wednesday between brothers and sisters in
family
presence of his disciples Eid al Adha | Muslim (until
8/25/18)
Also known as the Sacrifice Feast,
15 Wednesday commemorating the Prophet
Assumption of the Blessed Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice
Virgin Mary | Catholic Christian his son as an obedience to God
Commemorating the assumption of
Mary, mother of Jesus, into heaven
Dormition of the Virgin Mary |
Orthodox Christian
Observance of the death, burial,
and transfer to heaven of the Virgin
Mary
OM
Sacred sound and spiritual
symbol of Hinduism
Image credit: Wikimedia
11September 2018
1 Saturday 13 Thursday 24 Monday
Religious year begins | Orthodox Ganesh Chaturthi | Hindu Sukkot | Jewish (until 9/31/18)
Christian Festival honoring the god of Feast Tabernacles, which
Start of the religious calendar year prosperity, prudence, and success celebrates the harvest and the
protection of the people of Israel as
they wandered in the wilderness
2 Sunday 14 Friday dwelling in tents
Krishna Janmashtani | Hindu Paryushana Parva | Jain
Festival signifying human
Commemoration of the birth of
Krishna emergence into a new world of 27 Thursday
spiritual and moral refinement, Meskel | Ethiopian Orthodox
and a celebration of the natural Christian
8 Saturday qualities of the soul Commemoration of the discovery of
the True Cross by St. Helen
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin
Mary | Christian 18 Tuesday
Celebration of the birth of Mary,
the mother of Jesus
Yom Kippur | Jewish (until 28 Friday
9/19/18) Confucius’ Birthday | Confucian
Also known as the Day of Observance of the birth of
9 Sunday Atonement with central themes of
atonement and repentance
Confucius
Auditor’s Day | Scientology
Scientology Auditors are 29 Saturday
acknowledged on this day for their
dedication in helping their fellow
21 Friday Hoshanah Rabbah | Jewish (until
men and women Ashura | Muslim 10/30/18)
Optional one-day fast marking Commemoration of the last of the
the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali reading of the Torah
10 Monday (Shi’a Islam) and marking the day
that Moses fasted in graditude for
Rosh Hashanah | Jewish (until
9/11/18)
liberation of the Israelites (Sunni 30 Sunday
Islam) Shemini Atzeret | Jewish (until
Jewish New Year, marked by a call
to repentance 10/2/18)
Completion of the annual cycle of
22 Saturday the reading of the Torah
11 Tuesday Mabon | Wiccan/Pagan
Observance of the Autumnal
Ethiopian New Year’s Day |
Equinox
Rastafarian
First day of the new year for the
Ethiopian calendar
12 Wednesday
Hijri-New Year | Muslim
Marks the beginning of the new
Islamic calendar year
12October 2018
1 Monday 19 Friday 28 Sunday
Simchat Torah | Jewish (until Dussehra/Durga Puja | Hindu Milvian Bridge Day | Christian
10/2/18) Commemoration of the last of the Day of solemn reflection on
Day to celebrate the reading of the Days of Judgment the relationship of the spiritual
Law community and the powers of the
civil government
20 Saturday
4 Thursday Birth of the Bab | Baha’i
St. Francis Day/Blessing of the Honoring of the founder of the Babi 31 Wednesday
Animals | Catholic Christian religion, forerunner to Baha’u’llah All Hallow’s Eve | Christian
Feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, and the Baha’i faith Praying and fasting prior to the
patron saint of animals and ecology, feast day of All Saints Day
often celebrated with special Guru Granth Sahib Installation |
blessing of animals Sikh Reformation Day | Protestant
Remembrance of the eternal Christian
installation of the holy books by Anniversary of the tradition of
7 Sunday Granth Sahib Protestantism, marked by Martin
Founding of the International Luther’s nailing of his 95 Theses
Association of Scientologists | on a church door in Wittenberg,
Scientology Germany
Scientologists rededicate
themselves to the aims of
Scientology: a world without
criminals, suffering, and war
8 Monday
Thanksgiving- Canada | Interfaith
Celebration of the harvest and
other blessings in the past year
9 Tuesday
Navratri | Hindu (until 10/17/18)
Festival of the divine mother
(lasting 9 nights) honoring Durga, Days of Awe
wife of Shiva, and seeking her
blessing “The Jewish holidays that are most meaningful for me are the
10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, also known
Birthday of Guru Ram Das | Sikh as the Days of Awe. This is a time when I take responsibility
Commemoration of the birth of one for any words or action I may have taken during the year
of the foremost 10 gurus of Sikhism that may have hurt or offended anyone. On Yom Kippur, I
hope that my transgressions will be forgiven by God and
that I will be granted a happy healthy new year. But first, I
must ask forgiveness of any individual I may have offended
or mistreated before I can approach God for forgiveness.
These 10 days become a time of introspection with the goal
of recognizing how I can improve my behavior and treat
everyone with dignity and respect.”
-Jean Cavender
13November 2018
1 Thursday 15 Thursday 24 Saturday
All Saints Day | Christian Nativity Fast Begins | Orthodox Martyrdom of Guru Tegh
Day for honoring and remembering Christian (until 12/24/18) Bahadur | Sikh
Christian saints Period of abstinence and penance Commemoration of the death of
in preparation for the birth of Jesus Guru Tegh Bahadur
Samhain | Wiccan/Pagan
Celebration of endings and
beginnings 16 Friday 25 Sunday
International Day for Tolerance | Christ the King Sunday |
Interfaith Christian
2 Friday United Nations observance day to Feast celebrating the all-embracing
All Souls Day | Catholic Christian generate public awareness of the authority of Christ, over and above
Commemoration of the souls of dangers of intolerance governmental authority
Christians who have died
Coronation of Emperor Haile 20 Tuesday 26 Monday
Selassie | Rastafarian Mawlid an Nabi | Muslim Day of the Covenant | Baha’i
Celebration of the coronation of the Celebration of Prophet Celebration of the covenant given
messianic figure of the Rastafari Muhammad’s birthday in the last will and testament of
movement Baha’u’llah
22 Thursday
7 Wednesday Thanksgiving | Interfaith 28 Wednesday
Diwali | Sikh, Jain, Hindu (until Celebration of the harvest and Ascension of Abdu’l-Baha | Baha’i
11/10/18) community Celebration of the rising of the
The Festival of Lights marking the spirit of Abdu’l’Baha to heavenly
end of the Hindu year dwelling
23 Friday
Guru Nanak Dev Sahib’s birthday
8 Thursday | Sikh
Jain New Year | Jain Honoring of the birth of the founder
of Sikhism
Beginning of the Jain year
Vikram New Year | Hindu
Beginning of the Hindu year
12 Monday
Birth of Baha’u’llah | Baha’i
Celebration of the birth of the
founder of the Baha’i faith
Image credit: Freepik
14December 2018
2 Sunday 21 Friday 28 Friday
Advent | Christian (until Yule | Wiccan/Pagan Holy Innocents | Christian
12/24/18) Celebration of the Winter Solstice Day of solemn memory of male
Season observed as a time to children killed by King Herod in the
prepare for the birth of Jesus same attempt to destroy Jesus
Christ 24 Monday
Christmas Eve | Christian
Day before Christmas, often
30 Sunday
3 Monday celebrated with a midnight Mass/ Holy Family’s Day | Catholic
Hanukkah | Jewish (until Liturgy of Jesus’ birth Christian
12/10/18) Celebration honoring Jesus, his
Festival of Lights commemorating mother Mary, and her husband
the recapture and rededication of 25 Tuesday Joseph as a family
the Jerusalem Temple Christmas /Feast of Nativity |
Christian, Orthodox Christian Freedom Day | Scientology
Celebration of the birth of Jesus Day celebrating the official
6 Thursday Christ recognition of the Church of
St. Nicholas Day | Christian Scientology in the United States in
Celebration of St. Nicholas, patron 1974
saint of children and role model for 26 Wednesday
gift-giving Zarathosht Disco | Zoroastrian
Anniversary of the death of Prophet 31 Monday
Zarathustra Watch Night | Christian
8 Saturday Occasion to thank God for bringing
Bodhi Day | Buddhist people safely through another year,
Kwanzaa | Pan-African (until
Celebration of the Enlightenment of and to prepare for the next year
Buddha 1/1/19)
Holiday celebrating family,
community, and culture among
Immaculate Conception of Mary | people of African descent
Catholic Christian
Celebrates the belief in the
Immaculate Conception of the
Blessed Virgin Mary
Zoroastrianism
12 Wednesday
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe | “Zoroastrianism, the worship of Ahura Mazda, is considered
Catholic Christian the first monotheistic religion. An element of the doctrine
Honoring of legendary appearance that really resonates with me is the concept that every
of the Virgin Mary near Mexico City person has free will to support either Spenta Mainyu (good)
in 1531 or Angra Mainyu (bad). Thus, we are all part of the cosmic
struggle between right (justice) and wrong. It is a choice
every individual must make. The moral code developed by
16 Sunday Zarathustra resonates in many of the other religions that
Posadas Navidenas | Hispanic followed, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Another
Christian (until 12/25/18) central tenet of the religion is peace with nature and
Nine-day religious observance
during which families participate in
protecting the earth, water, air, plants, and animals. This
nightly Christmas processions that tenet holds greater symbolism to me as environmental issues
re-create the Holy Pilgrimage of have become paramount in our time.”
Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus -Soonu Dhunjisha
on their way to Bethlehem
15January 2019
1 Tuesday 13 Sunday 19 Saturday
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of Maghi | Sikh Timkat | Ethiopian Orthodox
God | Catholic Christian Commemoration of a battle in Christian
Celebration of the Blessed Virgin which forty Sikhs died for Guru Commemorating the baptism of
Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ Gobind Singh Ji Jesus in the Jordan River by
St. John the Baptist
Shogatsu/Gantan-sai | Shinto
14 Monday
New Year’s Day celebration
Makar Sankranti | Hindu 20 Sunday
Celebration marking the turning of World Religion Day | Baha’i
5 Saturday the sun toward the north; festival
in reverence to deity Surya, god of
Day dedicated to the unity and
oneness of the world religions
Twelfth Night | Christian the sun
Conclusion of the Twelve Days of
Christmas and marking the coming Tu B’Shvat | Jewish (until 1/21/19)
of the Epiphany Seijin no Hi | Shinto Celebration of the coming of spring
Holiday honoring those who have
or will reach the age of twenty
The Birth of the Tenth Sikh
Master | Sikh
within the current year 21 Monday
Honoring the birth of Guru Gobind Mahayana New Year | Buddhist
Singh 17 Thursday (until 1/23/19)
Buddhist New Year, as celebrated
Blessing of the Animals |
in Mayahana countries
Hispanic Christian
6 Sunday Observance of showing respect
Epiphany/Three Kings Day |
Christian
for domestic animals that are
significant to people
25 Friday
Feast to celebrate the visit of the Conversion of St. Paul | Christian
Three Wise Men to Baby Jesus Event in the life of Paul the Apostle,
18 Friday after which he became a follower
of Jesus
Week of Prayer for Christian
7 Monday Unity | Christian (until 1/25/19)
Orthodox Christmas | Orthodox Ecumenical observance focused on
Christian prayer for church unity
Celebration of the birth of Jesus
Christ
Ethiopian Christmas | Rastafarian
Celebration of the birth of Jesus
Christ
Baptism of the Lord Jesus |
Christian
Commemorating the baptism of
Jesus in the Jordan River by
St. John the Baptist
Image credit: Freepik
16February 2019
2 Saturday 14 Thursday 19 Tuesday
Presentation of Christ in the Race Relations Day | Christian Spring Lantern Festival | Taoist
Temple | Christian Day recognizing the importance of Marks the final day of the Chinese
Remembrance of the infant Jesus interracial relations and learning New Year celebrations
being brought to the temple in
Jerusalem St. Valentine’s Day | Christian
Feast day of St. Valentine, 26 Tuesday
Imbolc | Wiccan/Pagan celebrating love and affection Intercalary Days | Baha’i (until
Halfway between the Winter 3/1/19)
Solstice and the Spring Equinox, National Founding Day United Insertion of days into the calendar
celebrates the passage from in order to maintain the solar
States | Scientology calendar, considered ‘days outside
winter to spring
Founding of the first Church of of time’
Scientology in the U.S., the Church
3 Sunday of Scientology of Los Angeles in
1954
Setsubun-sai | Shinto
Celebration of the traditional
beginning of spring and the end of 15 Friday
winter Nirvana Day | Buddhist
Also known as Parinirvana Day,
Four Chaplains Sunday | remembering the death of Buddha
Interfaith when he reached Nirvana; Nirvana
Commemoration of U.S. Army day is believed to be the festival
chaplains who gave their lives to that marks the end of the cycle of
save others during WWII birth and rebirth.
5 Tuesday
Chinese New Year | Confucian,
Taoist, Buddhist
New Year’s celebration marking the
start of the lunar new year, begins
a fifteen-day festival for Chinese
people of all religions, who give
thanks for family and remember
ancestors
Vasant Panchami | Hindu
Festival of spring honoring the
goddess of learning
12 Tuesday
Triodion begins | Orthodox
Christian
Time period leading up to Lent
Image credit: Freepik
17March 2019
2 Saturday 13 Wednesday Hola Mohalla | Sikh
Created by Guru Gobind Singh as
Nineteen Day Fast | Baha’i (until L. Ron Hubbard’s Birthday |
an occasion for Sikhs to show their
3/20/19) Scientology martial arts skills and host mock
Fast to be observed by adults of Marks the birth of L. Ron Hubbard,
battles
the Baha’i faith in good health from founder of Scientology
sunrise to sunset
Magha Puja Day | Buddhist
17 Sunday Celebration of the teachings by
4 Monday St. Patrick’s Day | Christian Lord Buddha to an assembly of holy
Maha Shivaratri | Hindu Feast Day of St. Patrick who men
Festival honoring Lord Shiva and his brought Christianity to Ireland
marriage to the goddess Parvati Lord’s Evening Meal | Jehovah’s
Witness
20 Wednesday Memorial commemoration of the
5 Tuesday Ostara | Wiccan/Pagan death of Jesus Christ
Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday) | Welcoming of spring and
Christian celebration of the goddess-as-
Carnival day on the eve of Ash maiden (Vernal Equinox) 25 Monday
Wednesday Annunciation of the Blessed
Ta’anit Esther | Jewish Virgin Mary | Christian
Fast on Purim eve, commemorating Feast day commemorating Mary
6 Wednesday the fast of the Jewish people in the being told by the angel Gabriel that
Ash Wednesday | Christian story of Purim she would be the mother of Jesus,
Observance to begin the 40-day the son of God
season of Lent, ashes are marked Purim | Jewish (until 3/21/19)
on worshipers’ foreheads as a sign Celebration of the deliverance of
of repentance the Jewish minority in Persia from 28 Thursday
genocide Khordad Sal | Zoroastrian
Remembrance of the birth of the
10 Sunday prophet Zarathustra
Orthodox Sunday | Orthodox 21 Thursday
Christian Naw Ruz | Baha’i, Zoroastrian
First Sunday of Lent, at which time Also known as the Persian New
restoration of icons in the church is Year. Marks the start of the New
celebrated Year
Holi | Hindu
11 Monday Spring festival known as the
Clean Monday | Orthodox “festival of colors” or the “festival
Christian of love”. The festival signifies the
Start of Lent for Orthodox victory of good over evil.
Christians, refers to the leaving
behind of sinful attitudes and
non-fasting foods
18April 2019
2 Tuesday Palm Sunday | Christian
Celebration of the entry of Jesus
21 Sunday
Laylat al Miraj | Muslim (until Easter | Christian
into Jerusalem which marks the
4/3/19) Holy day commemorating the
start of Holy Week
Commemorates the Prophet resurrection of Jesus Christ
Muhammad’s nighttime journey
Rama Navami | Hindu
from Mecca to ‘the farthest First Day of Ridvan | Baha’i (until
Celebration of the birth of Lord
mosque’ in Jerusalem 5/2/19)
Rama
Commemorates the beginning
of the Baha’i faith in 1863 when
5 Friday 18 Thursday Baha’u’llah first declared his
Qingming Festival | Taoist, Maundy Thursday | Christian mission, marks first of a twelve-day
Confucian Remembrance of Jesus’ last meal period
Also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, with his disciples
commemorates onset of spring Lailat al Bara’ah | Muslim
and is an occasion to remember Also known as the Night of Records
ancestors 19 Friday and the Night of Forgiveness,
Theravadin New Year | Buddhist commemorating when God
(until 4/21/19) descends from heaven and forgives
6 Saturday Buddhist New Year the people of their sins
Founding of the Church |
Mormon Good Friday/Holy Friday | Grounation Day | Rastafarian
Commemoration of the appearance Holy day celebrated in honor
of the angel, Moroni, in 1830 Christian, Orthodox Christian
Remembrance of the crucifixion of Haile Selassie’s 1966 visit to
to Joseph Smith, subsequently Jamaica
founding the Church of Jesus Christ and death of Jesus
of Latter-day Saints
Passover/Pesach | Jewish (until
4/27/19)
28 Sunday
Ramayana Week | Hindu (until Easter/Pasca | Orthodox
4/14/19) 8-day celebration of the deliverance
of the Jews from slavery in Egypt
Christian
Nine-day festival that marks the Holy day commemorating the
auspicious celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ
appearance of Hindu Lord, Sri Ram Lord’s Evening Meal | Jehovah’s
Witness
Memorial commemoration of the 29 Monday
9 Tuesday death of Jesus Christ Ninth Day of Ridvan | Baha’i
Mahavir Jayanti | Jain Day of recognition for the historic
Celebration of the birth of Hanuman Jayanti | Hindu and symbolic event of Baha’u’llah’s
Mahavira, Founder of Jainism as a Celebration of Hanuman, an exile from Baghdad
religion embodiment of Lord Rama,
devotion and selfless works are
14 Sunday encouraged
Baisakhi/Vaisakhi | Sikh, Hindu
In Sikhism the day commemorates 20 Saturday
the founding of the Khalsa, a Lazarus Saturday | Orthodox
distinctive Sikh brotherhood
Christian
Celebration of the resurrection of
Lazarus by Jesus
19May 2019
1 Wednesday 13 Monday 25 Saturday
Beltane | Wiccan/Pagan World Falun Dafa/Falun Gong African Liberation Day | Pan-
Celebration of the conjoining of the Day | Buddhist African
goddess with the energy of the Celebration of the spiritual Commemoration of the formation
god in sacred marriage, the basis discipline introduced in China in of the Organization of African
of all creation 1992 Unity/African Union
Yom HaShoah | Jewish
Holocaust Day established to 18 Saturday 29 Wednesday
remember the six million Jews Visakha Puja (Buddha Day | Ascension of Baha’u’llah | Baha’i
killed by the Nazis during the 1930s Buddhist Remembrance of the death of
and 1940s Commemorates the birth, Baha’u’llah, founder of the Baha’i
enlightenment, and death of faith
Guatama Buddha in the Theravada
2 Thursday tradition
Twelfth Day of Ridvan | Baha’i 30 Thursday
Final day of the twelve-day festival Ascension of Jesus | Christian
which celebrates the beginning of 21 Tuesday Remembrance of the departure
the Baha’i faith World Day for Cultural Diversity of Jesus from Earth after his
for Dialogue & Development | resurrection. Celebrated 40 days
National Day of Prayer | after Easter
Interfaith
Interfaith United Nations-sactioned
U.S. day of observance encouraging
prayer among all faiths
international holiday that celebrates
the richness of the world’s cultures
31 Friday
while promoting intercultural Laylat al Qadr | Muslim (until
dialogue 6/1/19)
5 Sunday The Night of Destiny, the first
revelation of the Qur’an to Prophet
Chongmyo Taeje | Confucian
Confucian memorial ceremony to 22 Wednesday Muhammad
honor the kings and queens of the Lag Ba’Omer | Jewish
Yi, or Joseon, Dynasty Holiday that occurs on the 33rd day
of the Omer, the 49-day period
between Passover and Shavout
6 Monday
Ramadan begins | Muslim (until Declaration of the Bab | Baha’i
6/4/19) Celebration of the Bab, Ali
Month devoted to the Muhammad’s, announcement in
commemoration of Muhammad’s 1844 that he was the “gate” to the
reception of the divine revelation coming of the promised one of all
recorded in the Qur’an religions
9 Thursday
Observance of the Publication of
Dianetics | Scientology
Observance of the publication of
Dianetics: the Modern Science of
Mental Health in 1950 which was
the forerunner of Scientology
20June 2019
5 Wednesday 19 Wednesday 23 Sunday
Eid al Fitr | Muslim (until 6/7/19) New Church Day | All Saints Day | Christian,
Festival that marks the end to the Swedenborgian Christian Orthodox Christian
fasting month of Ramadan Annual commemoration of the Celebrating the memory of all
vision document “The True Christian saints
Religion,” in 1770
7 Friday
Dragon Boat Festival | Taoist
20 Thursday 28 Friday
Chinese festival commemorating Feast of the Sacred Heart of
fealty and filial piety and Corpus Christi | Catholic
Jesus | Catholic Christian
recognizing the life and death of Christian Occasion to pay homage to Christ’s
Chinese Scholar, Qu Yuan Celebration of the presence of the all-encompassing love for humanity
body and blood of Jesus Christ
in the Eucharist- also known as
9 Sunday transubstantiation
Pentecost | Christian, Orthodox
Christian
Commemorates the descent of the 21 Friday
Holy Spirit upon the Apostles Litha | Wiccan/Pagan
Celebration of the sacred
Race Unity Day | Baha’i marriage, in which the energy
Day to promote racial harmony and of the gods is poured into the
services of life (Summer Solstice)
understanding
Shavuot | Jewish (until 6/10/19)
Celebration of the descent of
Moses from Mt. Sinai with the Ten
Commandments
16 Sunday
Guru Arjan Martyrdom | Sikh
Honoring the first Sikh martyr
whose death resulted in changes in
the faith’s tradition
Trinity Sunday | Christian
Celebrates doctrine of the Trinity,
remembering and honoring God the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
Star and Crescent
Islamic symbol
Image credit: Wikimedia
21About DAP Diversity Awareness Partnership is a catalyst to increase awareness, facilitate engagement and provide education about diversity and inclusion. DAP achieves this through these engagement opportunities: EDUCATION AND TRAINING Diversity & Inclusion education and training is delivered through presentations, workshops, seminars, community forums and roundtables. D&I trainings raise awareness around the importance of diversity and inclusion among employees by exposing challenges, facilitating dialogue, and providing tangible resources needed to create a more inclusive workplace. YOUTH ENGAGEMENT We offer youth diversity programs for students in K-12: • Give Respect, Get Respect Program • EXPLORE Career Immersion Program • Diverse-City Art Competition AWARENESS INITIATIVES Diversity Awareness Partnership provides educational publications addressing a variety of diversity topics. Through the use of digital media and print publications, the message of appreciating and understanding differences is promoted in organizations, schools, corporations and throughout the community. DAP CONNECT DAP Connect brings together people interested in diversifying and expanding their professional and social networks. Call (314) 246-3146 or visit www.dapstl.org for more information. 22
Mission
Diversity Awareness Partnership is a catalyst to increase
awareness, facilitate engagement and provide education
about diversity and inclusion.
Vision
Diversity Awareness Partnership’s vision is inclusive
communities where diversity is respected and embraced,
and equity is the norm.
Diversity Awareness Partnership
40 N. Rock Hill Road
Webster Groves, MO 63119
www.dapstl.org
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