Centre Support’s
Calendar of Events for 2015
NOTE: This calendar will have to be updated yearly, as many of the dates, particularly
regarding religious traditions and festivals change every year.
January
Date
1st
Event
New Years Day (Gantai-sai)
3rd
Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday (Islamic Tradition. This day marks the birthday of
Prophet Muhammad. Muhammad is regarded as a messenger and prophet of God.)
National Bird Day
Epiphany (Christian & Orthodox Tradition. This day commemorates the manifestation of
Jesus Christ.)
Orthodox Christmas – Nativity of Christ (Eastern Orthodox religions mark their dates by
the Julian calendar as opposed to the Gregorian calendar)
World Religion Day (A day to promote understanding and harmony between all
religions)
Vasant Panchami (Hindu Tradition. Dedicated to Saraswati, The Goddess of Learning.
During this festival, children are taught to write their first words; ancestor worship (Pitrtarpan) is performed and the colour yellow is widely used.)
Australia Day
5th
6th
7th
18th
24th
26th
February
Date
All month
3rd
4th
6th
7th
13th -15th
14th
15th
17th
18th
19th
20th –24th
Event
Dental Health Month
Setsubun-sai (Japanese Bean Throwing Festival – welcoming Spring)
World Cancer Day
Waitangi Day
Magha Puja (Fourfold Assembly or Sangha Day. Marks the day Buddha addressed a
meeting of 1250 arahants.
National Multicultural Festival
Valentine’s Day
Nirvana Day. (Buddhist tradition. This day commemorates the death of Buddha).
Shrove Tuesday (Christian Tradition. Day before Lent begins. Traditionally pancakes are
eaten on this day.)
Ash Wednesday (Christian Tradition. First day of Lent. Lent lasts for 40 days and involves
fasting and reflection.)
Chinese New Year
TET Lunar New Year
March
Date
1st
1st – 7th
2nd
4th -5th
5th
5th
6th
9th
9th
9th
9th
12th -15th
13th
17th
17th
21st
21st
21st
28th
Event
Clean Up Australia Day
Sea Week. (Promotes conservation of the world’s oceans and marine life.)
Labour Day – WA only
Purim (Jewish Tradition. Purim celebrates Queen Esther's saving of the Jewish people
from Haman, advisor to King Ahasuerus of Persia. The traditional practices of Purim
include public readings of the Book of Esther, feasting, gifts of charity to the poor and
gifts of food amongst friends.)
Lantern Festival (Chinese Tradition)
Magha Puja Day – Buddhist – Full Moon Day
Holi (Hindu Tradition. Originally Holi was a festival to commemorate good harvests.
People paint each other with bright colours and splash coloured water. )
Canberra Day (ACT)
Eight Hours Day
March Public Holiday – SA only
Labour Day – VIC Only
World’s Greatest Shave
Red Nose Day
Saint Patrick’s Day (Irish Tradition. Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and bought
Christianity to Ireland in the early days of Christianity.)
Maha Shivaratri (Hindu Tradition. Celebrates Lord Shiva’s marriage to Goddess Parvati.
The festival is principally celebrated by offerings of Bael (Bilva) leaves to the Lord Shiva,
all day fasting and a night-long vigil.)
Harmony Day. (Celebrates Australia’s cultural diversity in all aspects of society.)
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (United Nations)
Naw Ruz (New Year) – Baha’i – Traditional Iranian Holiday
Ramanavami – Hindu celebration of the birth of Lord Rama, hero of the religious epic
poem, The Ramayana.
April
Date
3rd
3rd
4th -11th
4th
4th
4th
5th
5th
6th
Event
Mahavir Jayanti – Jain - celebrates the birth of Mahavira
Good Friday (Christian Tradition. This day remembers the suffering and crucifixion of
Jesus Christ.)
Pesach (Passover) – an important Jewish festival celebrating the liberation of the Jews
from slavery 3,000 years ago by God, under the leadership of Moses.
Hanuman Jayanti. (Hindu Tradition. This day celebrates Hanuman, who was an
embodiment of Lord Rama. Devotion and selfless work are encouraged.)
Easter Saturday (Christian Tradition)
Hanuman Jayanti — Hindus celebrate the birth of Hanuman the Monkey God.
Easter Sunday (Christian Tradition. Easter commemorates the resurrection (return to
life) of Jesus Christ following his death by crucifixion.)
Daylight savings time ends
Easter Monday. (In addition to its religious significance, Easter in Australia is enjoyed as
a four-day holiday weekend starting on Good Friday and ending on Easter Monday. This
12th
13th
14th
15th-17th
16th
23rd
24th
25th
27th
long weekend is an opportunity for Australians to take a holiday or get together with
family and friends.)
Orthodox Easter
Easter Tuesday (TAS only)
Baisakhi – in India, is the beginning of a new solar year and harvest season
Theravada New Year (Buddhist tradition)New Year festival for Theravada Buddhists,
celebrated for three days from the first full moon day in April
Yom HaShoah — Jewish Holocaust Day. Established to remember the six million Jews
killed by the Nazis during 1933-1945.
St George’s Day – commemorates the Patron Saint of England.
Yom Ha’atzmaut – the national day of Israel, commemorating the Israeli Declaration of
Independence in 1948.
ANZAC day
Freedom Day — an annual celebration of South Africa’s first non-racial democratic
elections of 1994.
May
Date
1st
2nd
3rd-9th
4th
4th
15th
21st
21st
22nd
24th -25th
24th
27th May
-3rd June
29th
28th
Event
Beltane – Wicca celebration of the conjoining of the goddess with the energy of the god
in the sacred marriage which is the basis of all creation.
Ascension of Jesus – Christian recognition of the departure of Jesus from earth after the
resurrection. It is perhaps the earliest observed celebration in Christianity.
International Composting Awareness Week
May Day
Visakha Puja – Buddha Day
Lailat al-Miraj – Islamic observance of Mohammed’s night journey from Mecca to
Jerusalem and his ascension to heaven
World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development – an opportunity to
increase understanding of cultural diversity and the positive impact it can have.
Declaration of the Bab – Baha’i - commemorates the 1844 revelation by the faith's
prophet-herald
Walk Safely to School Day
Shavuot (Jewish Tradition. Celebrates Moses’ descent from Mount Sinai and the reading
of the 10 Commandments.)
Pentecost – All Christians
National Reconciliation Week. (Focuses on lessening the gap between Australia’s
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and Non-Indigenous Australians. )
Ascension of Baha’u’llah – Baha’i - founding of the Baha'i Faith
Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea
June
Date
1st
5th
8th
14th-20st
Event
Western Australia Day - WA
Vesak or Budda Day
Queen’s Birthday (except Western Australia)
Refugee Week
18th
20th
Ramadan beings (Islamic Tradition. This date begins the Islamic holy month. Participants
fast during daylight hours and only eat at night. Charity to those in need is encouraged.)
World Refugee Day
July
Date
2nd
7th- 14th
13th
18th -21st
24th
25th -26th
Event
Asalha Puja Day – Buddhist - Buddha’s first sermon
National NAIDOC Week
Obon – Shinto - (Buddhist Tradition. Buddhists visit cemeteries to make offerings to
departed family members. Obon celebrates the reunion of family ancestors with the
living.)
Eid-al-Fitr (Islamic Tradition. This day marks the end of Ramadan. Participants feast and
give gifts.)
Schools National Tree Day
Tisha B'Av (Jewish Tradition. On this day Jewish people fast in order to remember the
sufferings of the Jewish people throughout history.)
August
Date
3rd
3rd
4th
7th
9th
12th
24th -30th
28th
29th
Event
NSW Bank Holiday
Picnic Day
National Aboriginal and Islander Children’s Day (NAICD)
Jeans for Genes Day
International Day for World Indigenous People
Royal QLD Show (Brisbane Area)
Keep Australia Beautiful Week
Daffodil Day
Raksha Bandhan (Hindu Tradition. Celebrates the love between brothers and sisters.
Sisters will tie a rakhi thread on their brother’s wrist as a form of protection against evil
spirits.)
September
Date
1st
5th
7th
14th -15th
17th
19th
22nd
Event
Wattle Day. This is a day to celebrate Australia and being Australian.
Krishna Janmashtami – (Hindu Tradition. Celebrates the birth of Krishna. This is a two
day festival. On the first day, participants fast. This is broken at midnight by eating sweet
dairy products.)
National Threatened Species Day
Rosh Hashanah (Jewish Tradition. Commemorates the creation of the world.)
Ganesh Chaturthi. (Hindu Tradition. This is a celebration of the elephant god Ganesh.)
International Talk Like a Pirate Day
World Car-Free Day
23rd
23rd-26th
28th -4th
oct
28th
28th
Yom Kippur (Jewish Tradition. This day is considered the holiest day of the Jewish year.
Participants fast and many do not attend work/school and attend synagogue services.)
Eid al Adha (Islamic Tradition. The Feast of Sacrifice commemorates the ordeal of
Abraham who was asked to sacrifice his only son to prove his faith to Allah (God). As he
was on the point of slaying his son, Allah stopped him and told him that it was a test of
his faith and to sacrifice a ram instead.)
Sukkot. (Jewish Traditions. Commemorates the 40 years the Jewish people spent
wandering the desert.)
Queen’s Birthday (Western Australia only)
Family & Community Day (ACT)
October
Date
All
Month
4th
5th
13th -21st
13th- 12th
Nov
14th
16th
16th
22nd
23rd
31st
31st
Event
Energy Awareness Month
Daylight savings time starts
Labour Day (ACT, NSW)
Navaratri – Hindu – Worship of Durga
Muharram (Islamic New Year)
National Ride to Work Day.
World Food Day
Loud Shirt Day
Dasara – Indian Festival "remover of bad fate"
Vijaya Dashami. (Hindu Tradition. This day marks the triumph of good over evil.)
Halloween
Samhain – Festival marking the end of the Harvest Season
November
Date
3rd
8th
9th-15th
11th
11th
15th
25th
Event
Melbourne Cup Day - VIC
World Walk to Work Day
National Recycling Week
Remembrance Day
Diwali – Hindu – Festival of Lights (Hindu and Sikh Tradition. This festival celebrates
knowledge over ignorance. The festival is very colourful, with fireworks and sweets
involved, and is a great favourite of children.)
Steve Irwin Day
Guru Nanak Dev Sahib Birthday – Sikh - founder of the religion of Sikhism
December
Date
3rd
Event
International Day of People with Disabilities.
6th -14th
8th
18th
21st
24th
25th
26th
31st
Chanukah (Jewish Tradition. Chanukah celebrates the recapture and rededication of the
Jerusalem Temple. It lasts for eight days and nights, with the eight candles of a Menorah
being progressively lit.)
Immaculate Conception. (Catholic Tradition. Feast day in honour of Mary, mother of
Jesus was preserved from original sin.)
International Migrants Day (United Nations)
Litha – Marks the ancient middle of Summer, astronomical beginning of Summer, and
the nativity of St. John the Baptist.
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day (Christian Tradition.)
Boxing Day
New Years Eve according to the Gregorian calendar.
NOTE: This calendar will have to be updated yearly, as many of the dates, particularly
regarding religious traditions and festivals change every year.