Cincy MultiFaith Calendar

First Night of Passover (Jewish)
2021-03-27 17:00 - 23:59 (America/New_York)
Passover, known in Hebrew as Pesach, commemorates the liberation of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt. A feast called a seder is held on the first two nights. During the seder, the Exodus story is read aloud and freedom from slavery is celebrated. This is one of the most widely observed Jewish
holidays.
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Holiday Greeting: Pesach Sameach (Happy Passover)
No food that is leavened (e.g., bread, cake) or contains wheat is eaten. Matzah (unleavened bread) is often consumed instead. Work is traditionally prohibited on the first, second, seventh, and eighth days. Absences may vary based on religious observance of the holiday.

Khordad Sal (Zoroastrian)
2021-03-26
Birth anniversary of Zarathushtra (Zoroaster), the founder of Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrians gather in Fire temples for prayers and then celebrate with a family feast.
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Jamshedi Navroze (Parsi Zoroastrian)
2021-03-21
The spring equinox festival celebrated by Parsi Zoroastrians with family and friends. Celebrations may also include the Sofreh-e-Haft Seen table.
Holiday Greeting: Navroze Mubarak
Children may miss school to celebrate with families
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Nowruz (Zoroastrian / Persian New Year)
2021-03-21
The arrival of spring is celebrated by the coming together of family in new clothes. Weeks before Nowruz, homes are given a spring cleaning and festive foods are prepared. Also, the Sofreh-e-Haft Seen table is set up.
(what follows is included in the detailed description)
The Seen table is laid out with seven foods each beginning with the letter “S”: Sabzeh (growing sprouts of wheat symbolizing rebirt); Samanoo (a wheat pudding signifying rejuvenation); Seeb (apples symbolizing fruit of the earth); Seer (garlic for health); Senjed (lotus fruit represeting love and Beauty); Serkeh (vinegar for age and patience) and Somagh (orange sumac berries symbolizing sunrise which banishes the darkness). Other items on the table include a mirror, candles, painted eggs, a bowl of water, goldfish, coins, hyacinth, pastries and a religious book.
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Holiday Greeting: Happy New Year or Nowruz Mubarak
Children may miss school to celebrate with families

Ostara – Spring Equinox (Pagan)
2021-03-20
Spring Equinox or Ostara is celebrated March 21st or 22nd. At the spring equinox, the hours of daylight are exactly equal to the hours of night. It is the middle of spring. This holiday celebrates the blooming of the earth. It was named after the German goddess of spring, Ostara, known to the Anglo Saxons as Eostre, whose symbols were the egg, the rabbit, and the chick.
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Baha / Splendor (Baha'i)
2021-03-20
Wherever they live, Baha’is gather every 19 days for what we call a Feast. This is a members-only event comprising three parts:
1. A spiritual portion that’s the time for prayer and reflection;
2. A business portion for consultation about administrative issues (plans for forming classes, organizing to perform community service, observing holy days, or any ideas or projects community members wish to discuss. It’s also a time when local members can ask their Local Assembly to forward their concerns to the National Assembly;
3. A social portion that can consist of anything from just glasses of water to a full-course dinner.

Naw-Ruz (The Bahá’í Faith)
2021-03-20
Baha’i New Year coincides with spring equinox. Ancient Persian festival celebrating “new day”. For Bahai’s it marks end of the annual 19 day Fast. Starts at sundown on the 20th and ends at sunset on the 21st.
Holiday Greeting: Happy Naw Ruz or Happy New Year

Explanation of the Baha’i calendar. Baha’i dates begin and end at sunset. Also, the first day of each month is the Feast Day (starts in the evening). The Baha’i calendar isn’t aligned with either the Gregorian or the lunar calendar.

http://– https://www.bahai.us/events/holy-days/

Feast of St. Joseph (Catholic)
2021-03-19
This is the feast day of Joseph, a carpenter who was the stepfather of Jesus and husband of Mary. He is the patron saint of the Universal Church. Traditionally it is believed he died in the presence of Jesus and Mary, before Jesus began his public ministry. For this reason, St. Joseph is also the patron saint of a holy death.
More information can be found here.

Hamaspathmaidyem Gahambar (Zoroastrian)
2021-03-16 - 2021-03-20
Commemoration and remembrance of all departed souls. Homes and temples are thoroughly cleaned; for it is believed that the souls of departed loved ones (fravashis) visit the physical world during this time, to bless and protect the living.
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Sri Ramakrishna Birth Anniv (Vedanta)
2021-03-15
March 15th marks the birth anniversary of Sri Ramakrishna. Ramakrishna (1836-1886) is regarded as an incarnation of God.
For More Information:
Sri Ramakrishna

Hola Mahalla (Sikh)
2021-03-14
Hola Mohalla takes place on the first day of the lunar month of Chet, which generally falls in March. This tradition was established by the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, in 1701 for Sikhs to demonstrate their martial skills in controlled battles. Hola Mohalla became an annual event and continues to be celebrated with martial exhibitions, music and poetry competitions, and horseback riding.
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Holiday Greeting: “Vadhaaiaa Ji” – Congratulations!
Devout Sikhs may be absent this day to celebrate with family and the community at their local Gurdwara.

Month of Fasting Begins (Baha'i)
2021-03-01
Baha’is observe a 19-day month of fasting that culminates at sunset on the day of the spring equinox, which lands either on March 20 or 21. Baha’is abstain from food and water during the day between sunrise and sunset. The Fast is a time to pray and reflect on developing our spiritual qualities.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen-Day_Fast

ala / Loftines (Baha'i)
2021-03-01

Purim (Jewish)
2021-02-26
Purim, one of the most joyous Jewish holidays, commemorates the events in the Book of Esther. It celebrates the survival of the Jews who, in the 5th century BCE, were marked for death by their Persian rulers. Traditions include costumes, retelling the story through skits and songs, festivals geared towards children, and giving care packages to those in need. It is tradition to eat special cookies called Hamentaschen
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Holiday Greeting: Purim Sameach (Happy Purim)
There are no restrictions for students/families.

Ayyam-i-Ha or Intercalary Days (The Bahá’í Faith)
2021-02-25 - 2021-02-28
Ayyam-i-Ha or ” Days of Ha” are devoted to spiritual preparation for the upcoming 19 Day Fast, hospitality, charity, and gift giving. They are celebrated during the four days (five days in a leap year) before the last month of the Baha’i year.
Holiday Greeting: Happy Ayyam-i-Ha

Saka Nankana Sahib (Sikh)
2021-02-21
The Nankana massacre (or Saka Nankana) took place in Nankana Sahib gurdwara on 20 February 1921, at that time of British India, in modern-day Pakistan. More than 260 Sikhs were killed, including children as young as seven, by the Mahant and his mercenaries. The event forms an important part of Sikh history. In political significance, it comes next only to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of April 1919. The saga constitutes the core of the Gurdwara Reform Movement started by the Sikhs in the early twentieth century.
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Jashan-e Spandarmad (Zoroastrian)
2021-02-18
Jashan-e Spandarmad is a celebration ceremony, a Jashan, performed on Spandarmad day of
Spandarmad month, in honor of Spandarmad, a Pehlavi name derived from the ancient Avestan term
‘Spenta Armaiti’ from the Gathas of Zarathushtra. Aramaiti means “tranquility, stability and serenity.”
It is peace and prosperity. When used with the adjective spenta, it means the “ever-increasing or
progressive serenity and peace”. In later Zoroastrian religious history, the wise men/priests
associated Spandarmad with being the steward/guardian of Mother Earth. So, when we see this
divine attribute from both angles, for us it stands for Peace & Serenity for all Creation on Earth!

Ash Wednesday (Catholic/ Christian Protestant / Hispanic)
2021-02-17
Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the 40-day season of Lent, when Christians prepare spiritually for the celebration of Easter. On this day, Catholics and some Protestant denominations will attend a special prayer service, where they will have ashes applied to their foreheads in the shape of a cross. This cross of ashes symbolizes penance, mourning and mortality.
This is a day of fasting and abstinence from meat for Catholics over the age of 14.
More information from the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church can be found here.
More information from the Catholic Church can be found here.

Saraswati Puja (Hindu)
2021-02-16
Saraswati Puja, also called Vasant Panchami, is celebrated to honor Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and learning. Hindu temples and households are full of activity on this day. This ‘Panchami’ is also known as Saraswati Day, because it is believed that on this day, the goddess Saraswati was born, bringing rhythm, order and knowledge into creation.
Hindu children are traditionally taught to read and write their first words on this day, because it is considered an auspicious day to begin a child’s education. Educational institutions organize special prayers for Saraswati on this day.
Further information can be found here and here.

1762 Vadda Ghalughara (Sikh)
2021-02-09
The second Sikh genocide was the mass killing of Sikhs by the Afghani Durrani Forces in February of 1762 during his sixth invasion of India in the present day state of Punjab in India. An estimated 25,000 – 30,000 Sikhs including women and children were killed, which was nearly half of the Sikh population at the time. Sikhs were persecuted for decades prior to this massacre.
More Information:
Vadda Ghallughara – Sikh Holocaust
Sikh Nation’s Sovereign: Jassa Singh Ahluvalia – Harinder Singh
Students and/or Co-Workers may visit their local Gurdwara and pay respects to Sikh Martyrs.

Mulk / Dominion (Baha'i)
2021-02-06

Feast of Saint Katharine Drexel (Catholic)
2021-02-03
Katharine Drexel is the second American-born saint to be canonized by the Catholic Church and is considered the patron saint of racial justice and philanthropists. She was an American heiress, philanthropist, religious sister, educator, and foundress of the Blessed Sacrament Sisters for Indians and Colored People (now Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament), a congregation of missionary nuns dedicated to the welfare of American Indians and African Americans.
You can learn more about her here.

Imbolg (Pagan)
2021-02-02
Imbolg falls on February 2nd midway between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Imbolg is a Gaelic word that means “in the belly” and refers to the gestation of new lambs. This holiday celebrates the return of light. It is the beginning of spring. It is also known as St. Brigid’s day, Brigid being a Celtic goddess of fire. Symbol: dairy products.
More information

Jashan-e Sadeh (Zoroastrian)
2021-01-30
Sadeh is a mid-winter celebration observed by preparing a large community bonfire. The bonfire symbolizes the victory of light over forces of cold and darkness.
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Tu B'Shvat (Jewish)
2021-01-28
New Year of the Trees. Originally celebrated as an agricultural festival marking the emergence of spring, today celebrations focus on environmental awareness. Trees are often planted in honor or memory of loved ones.
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Mahayana New Year (Buddhist)
2021-01-28
In Theravadin countries, Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Lao, the new year is celebrated for three days from the first full moon day in April. In Mahayana countries the new year starts on the first full moon day in January. However, the Buddhist New Year depends on the country of origin or ethnic background of the people. As for example, Chinese, Koreans and Vietnamese celebrate late January or early February according to the lunar calendar, whilst the Tibetans usually celebrate about one month later.

Bodhi Day- Lunar Calendar (Buddhist)
2021-01-20
Bodhi Day celebrates the day in which Siddhartha Gautama sat underneath the Bodhi tree and attained enlightenment. This one defining moment would become the central foundation upon which Buddhism has been built upon for the last 2,500 years. It is a day on which followers can renew their dedication to Buddhism; reaffirm themselves to enlightenment, compassion, and kindness to other living creatures; and also understand the relevance of this religion as it applies to the modern world. Some traditions celebrate Bodhi Day on the fixed date of December 8th; for others, Bodhi Day is based on the lunar calendar so the date changes year to year.
http://www.holidayscalendar.com/event/bodhi-day/

Sultan/Sovereignty (Baha'i)
2021-01-18
Wherever they live, Baha’is gather every 19 days for what we call a Feast. This is a members-only event comprising three parts:
1. A spiritual portion that’s the time for prayer and reflection;
2. A business portion for consultation about administrative issues: plans for forming classes, organizing to perform community service, observing holy days, or any ideas or projects community members wish to discuss. It’s also a time when local members can ask their Local Assembly to forward their concerns to the National Assembly;
3. A social portion that can consist of anything from just glasses of water to a full-course dinner.

Jashan-e Vohuman (Zoroastrian)
2021-01-16
This festival (Jashan) is dedicated to the Amesha Spenta Vohimena (the Good Mind) and celebrates the creation of animals. A glass of milk is used to represent Vohuman in prayers.
BAHMAN (1) – Encyclopaedia Iranica (iranicaonline.org)

Makar Sankranti (Hindu)
2021-01-14
The festivities associated with Makar Sankranti are known by various names in different parts of India and the Hindu world. Names include Magh Bihu, Maghi (preceded by Lohri), Thai Pongal and so on. It also marks the day of Winter Solstice as per the Hindu tradition.
Makara Sankranti is observed with social festivities such as colorful decorations, rural children going house to house, singing and asking for treats in some areas , melas(fairs), dances, kite flying, bonfires and feasts. The Magha Mela is mentioned in the Hindu epic Mahabharat. Many observers go to sacred rivers or lakes and bathe in a ceremony of thanks to the sun. Every twelve years (marking one complete revolution of Jupiter around the Sun) the Hindus observe Makar Sankranti with one of the world’s largest mass pilgrimages, with an estimated 40 to 100 million people attending the event. At this event, then they say a prayer to the sun and bathe at the Prayaga confluence of the River Ganga and River Yamuna at the Kumbha Mela.
More information can be found here and here.
