Cincy MultiFaith Calendar

Ganesh Chaturthi (Hindu)
2023-09-18
This is a 10-day festival, also called Vinayaka Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chavithi, that celebrates the birth of Ganesha, the elephant-headed god. The festival is marked by the installation of clay idols of Ganesh privately in homes, or publicly on elaborate pandals (temporary stages) with ornate statues. Hymns, prayers, and fasting are typical practices during this festival. On the tenth day, the festival ends with a public procession to a nearby river or ocean and immersion of the idols and statues. In Mumbai alone, it is estimated that around 150,000 statues are immersed annually.
More information can be found here.

GurGaddi of Guru Angad Sahib (2nd Guru) (Sikh)
2023-09-18
Guru Angad Dev Ji was originally a humble Sikh named Lehna. Upon meeting the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, his life transformed and he never left the Guru’s side serving the community for many years to follow. When the time came, Guru Nanak approached Lehna and said you have now become a part of me, Ang, and henceforth you shall carry on the Guru’s work as Angad. Guru Angad was responsible for establishing the script of the Guru, Gurmukhi, which is commonly known today as the Punjabi script.
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Holiday Greeting: “Vadhaaiaa Ji” – Congratulations!
Students and/Co-Workers may visit their local Gurdwara at some point during the day

Autumn Equinox - Mabon (Pagan)
2023-09-23
Autumn Equinox or Mabon is celebrated September 21st or 22nd. This is second harvest and is the witches Thanksgiving. This is a time of appreciation, reflection, and preparation for winter.
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Yom Kippur (Jewish)
2023-09-24 - 2023-09-25
Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement. The focus of this holiday is on contemplation repentance. Jews are taught that sins between people can only be atoned for after personal reconciliation. It is considered to be the holiest and most solemn day of the year. Fasting begins at sundown and ends after nightfall the following day. Most Jews attend synagogue on this day and the preceding evening. This holiday closes out the period of the High Holy Days.
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Holiday Greeting: G’mar chatimah tovah (May you be sealed in the Book of Life) – AND – tzom kal (easy fast)
Commonly observed by synagogue attendance or family gatherings. Individuals may be absent from school or work. Students will likely miss school for this holiday. Many who are 13 or older, will also likely be fasting. Work is traditionally prohibited.

Feast of Mashiyyat / Will (Baha'i)
2023-09-27
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.

Sukkot (Jewish)
2023-09-29 - 2023-10-06
Sukkot is a seven-day festival marking the fall harvest in ancient Israel. This holiday is also a time in which Jews commemorate forty years of wandering in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt. Celebrated by the building of a sukkah (or temporary dwelling) outdoors, where families and friends spend time throughout the holiday. Work is traditionally prohibited on the first and second days.
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Some students may miss school, the first and second day of the festival. Commonly observed by synagogue attendance or family gatherings. Work is traditionally prohibited.

Jashan-e Mihragan (Zoroastrian)
2023-10-02
This autumnal community celebration involves prayers of thanksgiving and blessings of the community.
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Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi (Catholic)
2023-10-04
Today, Catholics celebrate Francis of Assisi, who abandoned a life of luxury for a life devoted to Christian poverty, interreligious dialogue and peacemaking. He is the founder of an order of priests, and it is Francis who originated the practice of commemorating the birth of Jesus with the nativity scene. He is the patron saint of animals and the environment.
More Information can be found here.
Some catholic parishes celebrate this feast day with prayer services held outdoors and a special blessing of animals.

Shemini Atzeret (Jewish)
2023-10-06 - 2023-10-08
Coming at the conclusion of Sukkot are the two holidays of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah . In Israel and among more liberal Jews they are combined into one holiday on the day after the conclusion of Sukkot . Among more traditional Jews outside of Israel, they are observed separately from one another on two consecutive days. Shemini Atzeret means the “Eighth Day of Assembly,” while Simchat Torah means “Rejoicing in Torah.”They mark the conclusion of the annual reading cycle of the Torah, the Five Books of Moses that make up the Jewish Bible. Jews celebrate the Torah by dancing and singing, followed by reading the last word of Deuteronomy and the first word of Genesis in one breath to represent the cyclical relationship between the Jewish People and Torah.
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There are no special customs or greetings for Shemini Atzeret, but there are additional prayers in the usual services on this day.

Simchat Torah (Jewish)
2023-10-07 - 2023-10-08
Coming at the conclusion of Sukkot are the two holidays of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah . In Israel and among more liberal Jews they are combined into one holiday on the day after the conclusion of Sukkot . Among more traditional Jews outside of Israel, they are observed separately from one another on two consecutive days. Shemini Atzeret means the “Eighth Day of Assembly,” while Simchat Torah means “Rejoicing in Torah.”They mark the conclusion of the annual reading cycle of the Torah, the Five Books of Moses that make up the Jewish Bible. Jews celebrate the Torah by dancing and singing, followed by reading the last word of Deuteronomy and the first word of Genesis in one breath to represent the cyclical relationship between the Jewish People and Torah.
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Indigenous People's Day
2023-10-09
In 1977 participants at the United Nations International Conference on Discrimination against Indigenous Populations in the Americas proposed that Indigenous Peoples’ Day replace Columbus Day. Indigenous Peoples’ Day recognizes that Native people are the first inhabitants of the Americas, including the lands that later became the United States of America. And it urges Americans to rethink history.
For More Information: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/national-museum-american-indian/2020/10/12/indigenous-peoples-day-updated2020/

Ayathrem Gahambar (Zoroastrian)
2023-10-12 - 2023-10-16
Ayathrem (literally: bring home the herds) Gahambar celebrates getting ready for winter. 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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Navaratri (Hindu)
2023-10-15 - 2023-10-24
The festival literally means “nine nights” in Sanskrit and occurs over ten days and nine nights. It is celebrated differently in various parts of India with prayer, elaborate pandals (platforms), fasting, folk dances, displays of dolls, sharing of sweets, and bonfires. The festival celebrates the triumph of good over evil and the restoration of righteousness, accomplished through the victory of the Goddess Durga over the buffalo demon Mahishasura.
More information can be found here.

Feast of 'Ilm / Knowledge (Baha'i)
2023-10-16

Durga Puja (Vedanta)
2023-10-20 - 2023-10-24
Durga is one of the names of the Divine Mother — the power of Brahman Absolute.
Learn More:
https://www.vedanet.com/the-meaning-of-durga/

Gurgaddi Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh)
2023-10-20
Commemorating the transfer of Guruship from human form to the Word, Shabad. The installation of Guru Granth Sahib, the ultimate compilation containing the Guru’s wisdom, is celebrated with great joy. The last and eternal Guru for the Sikhs is Guru Granth Sahib. It is respected not like a book, but like a true King. All Sikhs bow before the Guru signifying their humility and asking for the blessings of the Divine Creator to grant them with Divine wisdom through the Guru.
More Information
Holiday Greeting: “Vadhaaiaa Ji” – Congratulations!

Dussehra (Hindu)
2023-10-24
Dussehra (Vijaya Dashami, Dasara, or Dashain) is a Hindu festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil. It specifically commemorates when Lord Rama killed Ravana, as told in the Hindu epic Ramayana. It is a gazetted holiday in India, which is marked on the 10th and last day of Navratri, according to the Hindu calendar.
Celebrations can include burning effigies of Ravana, setting off fireworks, reenactments of segments of the Ramayana, or processions to bodies of water to dissolve clay images of deities.
More information can be found here.

Jashan-e Abangan (Zoroastrian)
2023-10-26
Jashan-e Abangan is a celebration ceremony, a Jashan, performed on Avan day of Avan month, in
honor of Abangan or Avan, a Pehlavi name derived from the ancient Avestan term “Ardvi Sura”. Avan
means Water. Water, a life-giving element for all creation in our world, is highly revered by
Zoroastrians, and we consider it our religious duty to keep the world’s waters clean and pure, and never
do any such act that would defile the waters. Avan is associated with Khordad.

Twin Holy Days (Bahá’í)
2023-10-26 - 2023-10-27
Commemorates the birth of The Bab, Herald of the Baha’i Faith & founder of the Babi Faith, in 1819.
Work is to be suspended and children excused from school.
More information:
https://www.bahaiblog.net/bahai-calendar/about-the-birth-of-the-bab/
Twin Holy Birthdays / Twin Manifestations of God

Samhain (Pagan)
2023-10-31 - 2023-11-01
Samhain is celebrated October 31st. This is the third harvest when all crops should be in. Anything not harvested was left in the fields. Samhain is a Gaelic word that means “Summer’s End”, so Samhain was the beginning of winter. For the Celtic people of Europe and the British Isles, this was the end of the year as they began and ended their calendar with Samhain. So, for Pagans, it is New Year’s Eve. Samhain is also known as “the day between the years.” The day before Samhain was the last day of the old year, and the day after Samhain is the first day of the new year, so Samhain itself is literally the day between the years. Being between the years was a very magical time when the veils between past, present, and future may be lifted. It was a time of no time, when order and structure were abolished, and chaos could reign. For three days, because all Celtic holidays lasted for three days, men dressed as women, and women as men, children knocked on neighbor’s doors for food and treats, practical jokes were pulled. For pastoral people Samhain was when the herds and flocks were moved to the lower winter pastures, and when the herds were culled and animals slaughtered – a time of great anxiety – for it was necessary to slaughter enough to provide meat for the winter months ahead, but not too many to endanger the herd. And that brings us back to Yule, the completion of one full turn on the Wheel of the Year and the beginning of another.
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1984 Anti-Sikh Pogrom (Sikh)
2023-10-31 - 2023-11-04
Over the course of three days, 8,000 – 17,000 Sikhs were killed and about 50,000 were displaced after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was killed by her two Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984. Upon public knowledge of her death, Indian citizens (primarily Hindu nationalists) determinedly murdered, raped, burned, and tortured innocent Sikhs in more than 100 cities in 18 states across India. Government officials in Delhi handed out weapons and even fuel and ordered residents to attack and kill Sikhs. Even police and army personnel stepped aside letting mobs run wild beating and burning Sikhs alive in the streets. The Indian government has yet to recognize these events as state sanctioned killing and genocide. After decades of advocacy and pursuit of justice, one then member of the Indian government, Sajjan Kumar, was sentenced for his role in these crimes against humanity. These recent assaults on the community have shocked and greatly impacted the collective conscience.
More Information:
Publications
India: No Justice for 1984 Anti-Sikh Bloodshed

Students and/or Co-Workers may visit their local Gurdwara at some point during the day

All Souls Day (Catholic)
2023-11-02
All Souls Day is a solemn celebration in the Roman Catholic Church commemorating all of those who have died and are now in Purgatory, being cleansed of their venial sins and the temporal punishments for the mortal sins that they had confessed, and being made pure before entering into the presence of God in Heaven.
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Catholics often attend prayer services today at which special prayers are said or memorials given for those loved ones who have died during the previous year. Special prayers for the dead are said throughout the month of November.

Feast of Qudrat / Power (Baha'i)
2023-11-04

Diwali (Hindu / Jain)
2023-11-12
One of the most popular festivals of Hinduism, Diwali symbolizes the spiritual “victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.” Light is a metaphor for knowledge and consciousness. During the celebration, temples, homes, shops and office buildings are brightly illuminated, often with rows (avali) of clay lamps (deepa), for which the festival is named. The preparations and observances typically last five days.
Diwali, also known as Deepawali or Mahavir Nirvana, is of special significance in Jainism, as it also marks the anniversary of Nirvana (final release or liberation) of Mahavir, the 24th and the last Jain Tirthankara. It is celebrated at the same time as the Hindu festival of Diwali or Deepawali.
More information about the Jain celebrations of this holiday can be found here.
More information about Hindu celebrations of this holiday can be found here.

Feast of Qawl / Speech (Baha'i)
2023-11-23

Martrydom of Guru Tegh Bahadur (9th Guru) (Sikh)
2023-11-24
This day commemorates the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji (1621-1675), the ninth of the Ten Sikh Gurus. He is remembered not only for his defense of the Sikh faith, but also of Hinduism and of religious liberty, the most fundamental human rights.
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Jashan-e Adargan (Zoroastrian)
2023-11-24
Jashan-e Adargan is a celebration ceremony, a Jashan, performed on Adar day of Adar month, in
honor of Adar or Atarsh, a Pehlavi name derived from the ancient Avestan term “Athro”. Adar means
Fire, which being a life-giving element for all creation in our world, is highly revered by Zoroastrians.
Fire represents the Highest Righteousness to a Zoroastrian reminding her/him to mindfully live a
righteous life. Adar is associated with Ardavahisht.

Day of the Covenant (Bahá’í)
2023-11-25 - 2023-11-26
The festival commemorates Bahá’u’lláh’s appointment of His eldest son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as the Center of His Covenant.
Work is not prohibited, children may attend school.
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Birth of Guru Nanak (1st Guru & Founder) (Sikh)
2023-11-27
“Guru Nanak came to this world in 1469 in the then-Punjab region and was the founder of Sikhism. Guru Nanak was a divinely appointed Master. His teachings are not for a particular age. His thoughts and sayings are timeless.In the person of Guru Nanak, we meet with an unparalleled completeness of religious life.Guru Nanak was a philosopher and prophet in one. His soul soared to celestial heights and brought from there armloads of Amrit, the divine food for our souls.Guru was a perfect Yogi and ideal householder. For the whole of his life, he worked for the good of others. He was a gifted, far‐sighted reformer, who advocated on behalf of the socially depressed, attacking the economic and political problems of his day. Through his Langar, no distinction of caste, race, or creed was ever observed. Such is the ideal organization which Guru Nanak designed for human society. He ever dwelt in God, and God ever dwelt in him. Guru Nanak was for the whole world. He conveyed his message of Love, Service, and Worship to all people of all places. And everywhere, he succeeded in lighting the holy flame in the hearts of the people.”
More Information
Holiday Greeting: “Vadhaaiaa Ji” – Congratulations!
Students and/or Co-Workers may visit their local Gurdwara at some point during the day.

Ascension of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá
2023-11-27 - 2023-11-28
Today Baha’is celebrate the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the eldest Son of Bahá’u’lláh, known to Bahá’ís as the Perfect Exemplar and the Mystery of God, a living embodiment of Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings. He passed away on this date in 1921.
You can learn more here.
