Cincy MultiFaith Calendar

Ostara – Spring Equinox (Pagan)
2024-03-20
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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Naw-Ruz (The Bahá’í Faith)
2024-03-20
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. End of Fast and is all day on March 20.
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/

Nowruz (Zoroastrian / Persian New Year)
2024-03-20
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

Jamshedi Navroze (Parsi Zoroastrian)
2024-03-20
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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Feast of Baha / Splendor (Baha'i)
2024-03-21
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.

Purim (Jewish)
2024-03-23 - 2024-03-24
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.

Palm Sunday (Christian Protestant/ Catholic/ Hispanic/ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)
2024-03-24
Palm Sunday is the final Sunday of Lent, the beginning of Holy Week, and commemorates the triumphant arrival of Christ in Jerusalem, days before he was crucified. In the Gospels, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a young donkey, and to the lavish praise of the townspeople who threw clothes, or possibly palms or small branches, in front of him as a sign of homage. This was a customary practice for people of great respect.
More Information:
Palms for the Lord – from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
From the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church

Holi (Hindu)
2024-03-25
This is the “festival of colors” or the “festival of love.” Holi signifies the victory of good over evil and the arrival of spring. It is also celebrated as a thanksgiving for a good harvest. People celebrate this day by meeting together and tossing colored powders or colored water on each other.
More information can be found here.

Hola Mahalla (Sikh)
2024-03-25 - 2024-03-27
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.

Khordad Sal (Parsi Zoroastrian)
2024-03-26
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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Holy Thursday (Catholic/ Christian Protestant/ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
2024-03-28
Holy Thursday is the commemoration of the Last Supper of Jesus Christ, when, prior to his arrest and crucifixion, he established the practice of communion, which is considered a sacrament among most Christian communities. Later that evening, he prays in the Garden of Gethsemane.
More information from the Catholic Church
More information from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
More information from the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church

Good Friday (Christian Protestant/ Catholic/ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
2024-03-29
Good Friday is the day on which Christians commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ.

More information from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
More information from the Catholic Church
More information from the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church

This is a day of fasting and abstinence from meat for Catholics over the age of 14.

Holy Saturday/The Great Vigil of Easter (Catholic/ Protestant/ Episcopal)
2024-03-30
On this most holy night, in which our Lord Jesus passed over from death to life, the Church invites her members, dispersed throughout the world, to gather in vigil and prayer. For this is the Passover of the Lord, in which, by hearing God’s Word and celebrating the Sacraments, we share in Christ’s victory over death. (From the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer)

Easter Sunday (Catholic / Christian Protestant/ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)
2024-03-31
A festival and holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. After He died on the cross, his body was placed in a tomb, where it remained for three days, separated from His spirit, until on Sunday, when he was resurrected. It is the most important day of the Christian calendar.
More information from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
More information from the Catholic Church
More information from the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
Holiday Greeting: Happy Easter!

Feast of Jalal / Glory (Baha'i)
2024-04-07 - 2024-04-08
Wherever they live, Baha’is gather every 19 days for what we call a Feast. Observance begins at midnight on April 7th. 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 Fravardegan (Zoroastrian)
2024-04-08
Jashan-e Fravardegan is a celebration ceremony, a Jashan, performed on Fravardin day of
Fravardin month, in honor of fravashis, the souls of all the righteous people who have ever lived in our world. In Zoroastrianism, we have special prayers dedicated to honoring and remembering with respect and love the souls of our beloved departed as well as all the righteous souls in the universe.
Righteous people with their righteous actions throughout their lives help in progressing our world further. Hence, in this Jashan especially, we show our respect to all such righteous souls who have helped in the progress of our world so far, and we seek their blessings so we too can follow in their footsteps and perform righteous actions to further the progress of our world in our lifetime.

Ramadan Ends (Islam)
2024-04-09
This marks the the holy month where Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset for 30 days abstaining from food and drinks.
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Holiday Greeting: Ramadan Mubarak
There are evening prayers that some students may attend at the mosque during this month. Mostly middle and high school students will be fasting.

Eid al-Fitr (Islam)
2024-04-09 - 2024-04-10
This holiday marks the end of Ramadan, the fasting month. It is a time of celebration and thankfulness of the self control practiced during the month.
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Holiday Greeting: “Eid Mubarak! (Happy Eid)”
Students will miss school to attend congregational prayers at the mosque and celebrate the holiday with their families/friends.

Puthandu (Hindu)
2024-04-13
Today is Puthandu (also called Puthuvarudam or Tamil New Year). Many Hindus consider today the solar new year and mark the occasion by thanking God/Universe for another new year and new beginnings.
Traditional celebrations include an elaborate feast with 6 different tastes – sweet, sour, spice (hot), salt, bitter and ‘thuvarpu’ (like Umami). This is to symbolize that our life is filled with different experiences and emotions and remember to embrace and enjoy them all. Celebrants will typically make one dish with all of these tastes in it. The recipe is all about balancing each of the ingredients, like the recipe to a balanced life.
You can learn more about this holiday here.
Traditional Tamil greetings include: “Puthāaṇdu vāazhthugal!” or “Iṉiya puthaandu nalvāazhthugal!”, which is equivalent to “Happy new year”.

Vaisakhi – Khalsa Day (Sikh)
2024-04-13
On Vaisakhi in 1699, the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, established the initiated community of Sikhs, the Khalsa, through the Amrit ceremony and became initiated himself too. Vaisakhi holds great significance in the history of the community. Sikhs acquire their formal, distinct identity from this day onward. The identity includes the unique physical appearance and the names of Singh and Kaur. This new community of equals were to dedicate their lives to the service of others and pursuit of justice for all faiths. Vaisakhi has a deep spirit of equality, unity, identity, and commitment for the Sikhs. Sikhs celebrate Vaisakhi by organizing religious services, martial arts exhibitions, parades, etc.
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Holiday Greeting: “Vaisakhi di Lakh Lakh Vadhaaiaa Ji” – Infinite Congratulations for Vaisakhi
Students and Co-Workers may be absent this day to celebrate at home with their family and with the entire community at their local Gurdwara

Birth of Guru Arjan Sahib (5th Guru) (Sikh)
2024-04-15
The fifth Master, Guru Arjan, built the Golden Temple of Amritsar to emphasize that the Sikh way was open to all, regardless of caste; the gurdwara was constructed with doors facing all four directions. He compiled the hymns of Sikh Gurus and created the Adi Granth – the foundation of the Guru Granth Sahib – and installed it. He was also the first Sikh Guru to be martyred.
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Traditional Greeting: “Vadhaaiaa Ji” – Congratulations!

First Day of Ridvan (The Bahá’í Faith)
2024-04-20
1st Day of Festival of Ridvan-**(There are three holy Days as part of the Festival, the first day, the ninth and the twelfth.) The annual Baha’i Festival commemorates the 12 days when Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Faith, publicly proclaimed his mission as God’s messenger. Begins at sundown on April 19 and ends at sunset on April 20.
Holiday Greeting: Happy Ridvan
Work is to be suspended and children excused from school.
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Mahavir Jayanti (Jain)
2024-04-21
Mahavir Jayanti is the anniversary of birth of the 24th and last Tirthankara for the followers of Jain religion and culture, or Lord Mahavir. The festival is celebrated to champion the cause of peace and harmony, and also spread the teachings of Lord Mahavira. A procession is carried out in the form of “rath yatra” with Lord Mahavira’s murti placed on the top. Jain temples are decorated with flags, while the Jains offer food and clothes to the needy. Also, prayers are offered in temples dedicated to Lord Mahavira and some devotees often engage in meditation—a practice championed by Mahavir.
More information can be found here.
Typical greetings would be as follows: “May Lord Mahavir bless you abundantly and fill your life with the virtue of Truth, Nonviolence and External compassion. Happy Mahavir Jayanti,” or “Prayers for Peace and Harmony for all humankind on this auspicious day of Mahavir Jayanti.”

Jashan-e Ardavahisht (Zoroastrian)
2024-04-22
Jashan-e Ardavahisht is a celebration ceremony, a Jashan, performed on Ardibehest day of
Ardibehest month, in honor of Ardavahisht or Ardibehest, a Pehlavi name derived from the ancient Avestan term “Asha Vahishta” from the Gathas of Zarathushtra. Asha stands for “truth, order, righteousness.” Vahishta means ‘the Best’ or ‘the Highest’. So, Asha Vahishta is the Best or the Highest Righteousness which Zarathushtra attributes to Ahura Mazda. Asha is the universal law of righteous precision. It may best be explained by stating that it means “to do the right thing, at the right time, in the right place, and with the right means in order to attain the right result.” It should result in constructive and loving good not only for oneself but also for one’s fellow creatures and for God. It is the positive, beneficial and unselfish precision par excellence. In later Zoroastrian religious history,
the wise men/priests associated Ardavahisht with being the steward/guardian of all those forces that give light, and warmth to our world. To us, Fire is that symbol of light and warmth, and represents God’s Righteousness to us, that’s why a Zoroastrian prefers to pray in front of any form of light. In our temples, the priest keeps an eternal Fire burning on a large urn, adding wood to it five times a day. That holy fire in our temples serves as the medium of one’s concentration and communication with God. Zoroastrians are wrongly believed by many as Fire-Worshippers, when in fact, Fire is an element of great reverence to a Zoroastrian and reminds her/him of God’s Righteousness, and is beneficial to have in some form in front of the devotee, to use as a medium of meditative focus and
concentration, as the devotee worships God/communicates with God, through her/his prayers.

Passover (Jewish)
2024-04-22 18:00 - 2024-04-30 18:00 (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.

Feast of Jamal/ Beauty (Baha'i)
2024-04-26 - 2024-04-27
Wherever they live, Baha’is gather every 19 days for what we call a Feast. Observance begins at midnight April 26. 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.

9th Day of Festival of Ridvan -(The Bahá’í Faith)
2024-04-29
9th Day of Ridvan. There are three holy Days as part of the Festival, the first day, the ninth and the twelfth. The annual Baha’i Festival commemorates the 12 days when Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Faith, publicly proclaimed his mission as God’s messenger.
Holiday Greeting: Happy Ridvan
Work is to be suspended and children excused from school.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ridv%C3%A1n

Maidyozarem Gahambar (Zoroastrian)
2024-04-30 - 2024-05-04
Maidyozarem (literally: midgreening) Gahambar is a seasonal festival celebrated in mid-spring. It is considered a religious duty to participate in a communal jashan prayer ceremony; as well as, fraternize and share a simple meal with fellow co-religionists from all walks of life, rich and poor.
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12th Day of the Festival of Ridvan (The Bahá’í Faith)
2024-05-01
12th Day of Ridvan. There are three holy Days as part of the Festival, the first day, the ninth and the twelfth. The annual Baha’i Festival commemorates the 12 days when Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Faith, publicly proclaimed his mission as God’s messenger.
Holiday Greeting: Happy Ridvan
Work is to be suspended and children excused from school.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ridv%C3%A1n

Beltane (Pagan)
2024-05-01
Beltane: is celebrated on May 1st halfway between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. It is the beginning of summer. Among pastoral people this was when the flocks and herds were moved from the lower winter pasture to the higher summer pasture. To ensure fertility, the livestock was herded between two fires. This holiday celebrates fertility and sexuality. This is a time for fun and frolic. Jumping over the fire is part of the ritual.
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