Days of observance 2016
Christian
Japanese
Sikh
Christian
Christian (Eastern Orthodox,
1
1
5
6
6-7
JANUARY
Naming of Jesus
Ganjitsu (New Year)
Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh
Epiphany (Coming of Magi to baby Jesus)
Orthodox Christmas Eve and Day
Armenian, Rastafarian)
Hindu
Buddhist
Christian
Jewish
Buddhist
National
Pagan
Christian
Japanese
Chinese
Buddhist
Christian
Christian
Christian
Humanist
Hindu
Chinese
Ravidassia
Christian (and Welsh
14
16
18-25
25
25
27
Lohri/Makar Sankrant (Day of almsgiving)
Shinran Memorial Day
Week of prayer for Christian unity
Tu B’Shevat (New Year for trees)
Honen Memorial Day
Holocaust Memorial Day
FEBRUARY
2
Imbolc (Festival celebrating growing power of
light)
2
Candlemas (Presentation of Jesus in the
Temple)
3-4
Setsubun (Bean Scattering ceremony)
8
Yuan Tan (New Year: Year of the monkey)
8 or 15
Parinirvana (Nirvana Day)
9
Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day)
10
Ash Wednesday
10/2-24/3 Lent
12
Darwin Day
12
Vasanta Panchami/Saraswati Puja (Festival of
Goddess of Learning)
22
Teng Chieh (Lantern Festival)
22
Birthday of Sri Guru Ravidass Ji
MARCH
1
St David’s Day
National)
Baha’i
Christian
Christian
Hindu
Humanist/Secular
Hindu
Sikh
Christian (Irish National
and Traveller Community)
Pagan
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1-20
4
6
7
8
10
14
17
20
Baha’i Fast
The Women’s World Day of Prayer
Mothering Sunday
Mahashivratri (Great Shiva Night)
International Women’s Day
Birthday of Sri Ramakrishna
Guru Nanak’s birthday (Nanakshahi calendar)
St Patrick’s Day
Spring Equinox/Ostara
1
Christian
Christian
Japanese
Zoroastrian (Fasli)
Baha’i
Hindu
Sikh
Jewish
Christian
20
20-26
21
21
21
23
24
24
24
Christian
Christian
Christian
Zoroastrian/Parsee (Fasli)
25
25
27
28
Chinese
Hindu
Buddhist, Japanese
4
8
8
Sikh
14
Hindu
Jain
Baha’i
Jewish
Christian (English
National)
Pagan
15
19
21/4 – 2/5
23-30
23
1
Christian
Muslim
Jewish
Christian
1
3
5
5 or 8
Buddhist
15
Christian
Christian
Muslim
Baha’i
Jewish
Zoroastrian (Shensai)
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15
15-21
21
24
26
26
Palm Sunday
Holy Week
Shun-bun-No-Hi/Higan (Spring equinox)
Jamshedi Noruz (New Year)
Naw-Ruz (New Year)
Holi (Festival of colours)
Hola Mohalla (Celebration of health & freedom)
Purim (Celebrates saving of Jews of Persia)
Maundy Thursday (Commemorates Last
Supper)
Good Friday (Crucifixion of Jesus)
Annunciation (Lady Day)
Easter Sunday (Resurrection of Christ)
Khordad Sal (Birth of Zarathustra)
APRIL
Qing Ming (Festival of pure brightness)
Varsha-Pratipada (Lunar New Year)
Hanamatsuri (Flower festival celebrating
Buddha’s Birthday)
Vaisakhi (New Year; celebrates founding of
Khalsa)
Rama Navami (Birth of Rama)
Mahavira Jayanti (Birth of Mahavira)
Ridván (Baha’u’llah’s proclamation of mission)
Pesach/Passover (Commemorates exodus from
slavery)
St George’s Day
MAY
Beltane (Celebrates marriage of Goddess and
God)
Pascha (Orthodox Easter)
Lailat ul Mi’raj (Prophet’s Night Journey)
Yom Ha-Shoah (Holocaust Day)
Ascension Day (Last appearance of Risen
Christ)
Wesak (Bodhi Day; enlightenment of the
Buddha)
Pentecost (Celebrates gift of Holy Spirit)
Christian Aid Week
Lailat ul Bara’h (Night of forgiveness)
Anniversary of the Declaration of the Bab
Lag B’Omer (Ending of sorrows)
Zartusht-No-Diso (Remembrance day for
Zarathustra)
2
Christian
Christian
Baha’i
Humanist/Secular
Muslim
Chinese
Jewish
Sikh
Pagan
Humanist
Muslim
Muslim
Hindu
Baha’i
Buddhist
Rastafarian
Pagan
Christian
Zoroastrian (Muktad)
Japanese
Jewish
Christian
Chinese
Hindu/Sikh
Hindu
Jain
Hindu
Rastafarian
Muslim
Chinese
Japanese
Pagan
Chinese
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26
29
29
Thanksgiving for Holy Communion (Anglican)
Corpus Christi (Catholic)
Anniversary of the Ascension of Baha’u’llah
JUNE
5
World Environment Day
6/6 – 5/7
Ramadan (Month of Fasting)
9
Tuen Ng (Dragon Boat Festival)
12-13
Shavuot (Commemorates revelation of Torah)
16
Martyrdom of Guru Arjan
21
Midsummer (Summer solstice)
21
World Humanist Day
JULY
2
Lailat-ul-Qadr (Night of power)
5
Eid-ul-Fitr (End of Ramadan)
6
Ratha Yatra (Chariot journey)
9
Martyrdom of the Bab
15
Asalha Puja (Dharma Day)
23
Birthday of Haille Selassie
AUGUST
1
Lughnasadh/Lammas (Harvest festival)
6
The Transfiguration (Confirmation of Jesus’
divine nature)
9 – 18
Farvardigan (Departed Souls Day)
13 – 16
O-Bon (Day of the Dead)
14
Tisha B’Av (Day of mourning)
15
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
17
Chung Yuan/Yue Laan (Festival of hungry
ghosts)
18
Raksha Bandhan (Festival of brotherly
protection)
25
Janamashtami/Krishna Jayanti (Birthday of
Krishna)
28
Paryushana-Parva (Renewal of faith)
SEPTEMBER
5
Ganesh-Chaturthi (Birthday of Ganesh)
11
Ethiopian New Year
11
Eid-ul-Adha (Festival of sacrifice)
15
Mid-autumn Festival
22
Shubun No Hi/Higan (Autumn equinox)
22
Mabon (Autumn equinox)
28
Birthday of Confucius
3
Hindu
1-9
Muslim
Jewish
Chinese
Muslim
2
3-4
9
11
Jewish
Jewish
Baha’i
Jewish
Hindu/Sikh/Jain
Pagan
12
17
20
25
30
31
Christian
Christian
Rastafarian
Baha’i
UK National
Sikh
Japanese
Sikh
Christian
Christian (Scottish
National)
1
2
2
12
13
14
15
24
27
30
OCTOBER
Navaratri (Nine nights)/Durga Puja/Dusserah
(Rama’s victory over Ravana)
Al-Hijra (New Year)
Rosh Hashanah (New Year)
Chung Yeung (Autumn remembrance festival)
Ashura (Sunni, fast day; Shia, martyrdom of
Hussain)
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)
Sukkot (Harvest Festival)
Anniversary of the Birth of the Bab
Simchat Torah (Rejoicing in the Law)
Divali (Festival of Lights/Mahavira’s nirvana)
Samhain (Celtic New Year and festival of the
dead)
NOVEMBER
All Saints’ Day
All Souls’ Day
Anniversary of the Crowning of Haile Selassie
Anniversary of the Birth of Baha’u’llah
Remembrance Sunday
Birthday of Guru Nanak (lunar calendar)
Shichi-Go-San (Children’s Shrine-visiting Day)
Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur
Advent Sunday (Start of the Christian year)
St Andrew’s Day
DECEMBER
Buddhist
Muslim
Bodhi Day
Milad-un-Nabi (Birthday of Muhammad)
(Shi’a 17/12)
Pagan
22
Yule (winter solstice)
Christian
24
Christmas Eve
Christian
25
Christmas Day (Birthday of Jesus)
Jewish
25/12-1/1
Hanukkah (Festival of lights)
Zoroastrian (Fasli)
26
Zartusht-No-Diso (Death of Zarathustra)
Japanese
31
Omisoka (Seeing off Old Year)
National/Scottish
31
New Year’s Eve/Hogmanay
Detailed articles about all of the mentioned festivals can be found on the on-line Days of
Observance calendar: www.egfl.org.uk/religion Please note: the dates for this calendar were
obtained from a variety of internet sources. They are as accurate as possible.
*Jewish and Muslim festivals begin at sundown on the previous day listed.
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