Cincy MultiFaith Calendar

Hola Mohalla (Sikh)
2020-03-10
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

Holi (Hindu)
2020-03-09
This is the “festival of colors” or the “festival of love. The festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, and a festive day to meet others and plaster each other with colored powders and colored water. It is also celebrated as a thanksgiving for a good harvest.

Saint Katharine Drexel (Catholic)
2020-03-03
Feast day of the patron saint of racial justice and of philanthropists. St. Katharine Drexel is the second American-born saint to be canonized by the Catholic Church. She was an American heiress, philanthropist, religious sister, educator, and foundress. She was the American founder 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.
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Ash Wednesday/Beginning of Lent (Christian)
2020-02-26
The beginning of the 40-day season of Lent. Catholics and Protestants will have ashes applied to their foreheads in the shape of a cross, symbolizing penance, mourning and mortality
A day of fast and abstinence from meat for Catholics over the age of 14.

Tu B'Shvat (Jewish)
2020-02-10

1762 Vadda Ghallughara (Sikh)
2020-02-08
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

Jashan-e Sadeh (Zoroastrian)
2020-01-30
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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Saraswati Puja (Hindu)
2020-01-29

Makar Sankranti (Hindu)
2020-01-15
This is one of the few holidays observed according to the solar calendar and marks the end of the winter solstice. It is celebrated differently across India with kite flying, bonfires, fairs, sun worship, ceremonial cooking in special pots, sweets based on sesame seeds, dance, etc. It is also a harvest festival.

Buddhist New Year (Buddhist)
2020-01-08
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.

Christmas (Christian Orthodox)
2020-01-07

Epiphany of the Lord (Catholic)
2020-01-06
Celebrated 12 days after Christmas, the Epiphany of the Lord is the time when Christians remember the Wise Men (also sometimes called the Three Kings) who visited Jesus.

Three Kings (Hispanic)
2020-01-06
The Feast of Reyes (Fiesta de Reyes or Los Reyes) is celebrated in Spain/Portugal and Latin America on January 6th. The feast celebrates the passage in the Bible in which the Three Wise Men safely arrive to Jerusalem thanks to the guidance of the Star and bring gifts to Jesus. The level of celebration varies from a family gathering to a huge city wide and very anticipated parade depending on the culture/country. For example, both Spain and Puerto Rico celebrate with large parades, and many argue that Reyes is more festive/a larger celebration than Christmas. Despite the differences in the level of “Community Celebration”, all cultures/countries share some traditions around this feast: 1. Family gathering the night before and/or the day of Reyes. 2. Eating the Rosca/Roscon de Reyes, a sweet bread in the shape of a large oval “doughnut” with dried fruit on top. This is a very time consuming sweet to make. Inside the bread there is one (or more than one depending on the size of the Rosca) figurine of “Baby Jesus”. Based on each family’s traditions (mostly guided by the cultural traditions of the country of origin) the person that receives the piece of bread with the figurine will be responsible for hosting the party the next year, bringing tamales for the feast of Candelaria/Candlemas Day (Mexican Tradition), or doing/not doing the dishes, first one to other presents, etc. 3. All kids (and grown up kids) leave their shoes by the window the night before Reyes (Jan 5th) or under the Christmas Tree so the Reyes (Kings) can fill them with gifts during the night. Usually, kids select their favorite shoes, “Church” shoes or the shoes that better represent them (soccer shoes, dance shoes, flip-flops, etc). 4. Kids also leave water outside their home for the camels to drink. (The Three Wise Men travel on camels). It is important also to mention that this feast brings much attention to the idea of the star that guided the Three Wise Men to Jesus and how we should always follow God’s light and path and trust that we will be safe.
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Parkash - Guru Gobind Singh Ji (Sikh)
2020-01-05
The tenth and last human-form Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, was in 1667 as Gobind Rai. He became the Guru in 1675 following the martyrdom of his father and the ninth Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur. He was a brilliant poet, philosopher, and warrior. Guru Gobind Singh shaped the Sikh community into a community of equals and gave the Sikhs their mandated physical identity. He charged the Khalsa to restore justice, fight exploitation, and be the wardens of humanity.
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Holiday greetings: “Vadhaaiaa Ji” – Congratulations!
Students and/Co-Workers may visit their local Gurdwara at some point during the day

The Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God (Catholic)
2020-01-01
A feast day of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the aspect of her motherhood of Jesus Christ.
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Christmas (Christian)
2019-12-25
Birth of Jesus Christ. Christians believe that He is the Son of God, the Messiah, and Savior of the world.
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Holiday Greeting: Merry Christmas

Hanukkah (Jewish)
2019-12-22 - 2019-12-30
Hanukkah, also known as Hanukah, Chanukah, and Chanukkah can be spelled many different ways in English. It is an eight-day celebration known as the Festival of Lights marked by the lighting of candles using a special candle holder called a menorah or chanukiah. This holiday commemorates the victory of a small group of Jewish rebels, the Maccabees, over the ruling power, the Greco-Syrians, who wanted to destroy Jewish culture. Traditions include a game involving spinning dreidels (tops), eating potato latkes (pancakes), and giving gifts.
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Holiday Greeting: Happy Hanukkah!

Yule (Wicca/Paganism)
2019-12-21
Winter Solstice, celebrating the longest night and the blessings of darkness as well as the rebirth of the sun god.

Shaheedi-Vaddey Sahibzaadey (Sikh)
2019-12-21
The word “Sahibzaada” means “son” in Punjabi and these two final events of the year refer to the martyrdom of all four of Guru Gobind Singh’s sons. All four of his sons gave up their lives fighting tyranny and oppression like their father, Guru Gobind Singh, and grandfather, Guru Tegh Bahadur, before them. The elder two sons, Baba Ajit Singh and Baba Jujhar Singh, died fighting in the Battle of Chamkaur at the age of 18 and 14 years old in 1705. The martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh’s all four sons is an integral part of the Sikh history and it is commemorated with great energy at the end of the year.
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Students and/or Co-Workers may visit their local Gurdwara at some point during the day

Our Lady of Guadalupe (Catholic)
2019-12-12
A popular Catholic feast that celebrates the belief that a man, Juan Diego, encountered the Virgin Mary, Mexico’s patron saint, in Mexico City on December 9 and 12, 1531.
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Bodhi Day (Buddhism)
2019-12-08
In the northern tradition, this is the anniversary of the Buddha’s Enlightenment, ca 596 BCE. In the southern tradition, the Buddha’s Enlightenment is celebrated during Wesak. The dates and names of the Buddhist celebrations vary significantly among cultures and communities.

Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Catholic)
2019-12-08
Immaculate means without stain. Mary was conceived without original sin or its stain.
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Advent (Christian)
2019-12-01 - 2019-12-24
For Catholics, the new Liturgical Year commences with the first Sunday of Advent. In this new liturgical year, the Church not only wishes to indicate the beginning of a period, but the beginning of a renweed commitment to the faith by all those who follow Christ, the Lord. Advent is the period of four Sundays and weeks before Christmas. Advent means ‘Coming’ in Latin. This is the coming of Jesus into the world.
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Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Bahá’í)
2019-11-27
Bahá’ís observe the anniversary of the death of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, son of Bahá’u’lláh and His appointed successor, on Nov 27, 1921 in Haifa, in what is now northern Israel.
Work is to be suspened and children excused from school.
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Martydom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji (Sikh)
2019-11-23
The ninth Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, made the ultimate sacrifice to defend the freedom of religion. The geo-political conditions under the Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb, allowed for forceful conversion of religion. Many innocents were exploited and killed for refusing to convert to Islam. They were denied a fundamental human right. A group of Hindu pundits were being religiously persecuted and approached Guru Tegh Bahadur for assistance. They had been given two options: convert to Islam or be killed. Guru Tegh Bahadur heard their pleas and told the pundits to let the Emperor know that he could convert him, he could convert them all. Soon after, he set off to Delhi. He was asked to convert to Islam, perform a miracle, or face death. The other Sikhs were also executed in an effort to waiver Guru Tegh Bahadur’s commitment and faith. Guru Tegh Bahadur was beheaded in a public square in broad daylight under the allegations of preventing the spread of Islam in the Indian subcontinent. Guru Bahadur chose to sacrifice his life and demonstrated the level of deep moral commitment that Sikhs have to be the shield for all of humanity and defend the basic, fundamental human rights.
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Students and/or Co-Workers may visit their local Gurdwara at some point during the day

All Souls Day (Catholic)
2019-11-02
Catholic Christian observance in memory of all the faithful who are deceased. In some Latin cultures, this day is referred to as “The Day of the Dead”.
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All Saints Day
2019-11-01
Christian celebration of the lives of all the saints, especially those not having a special day; Orthodox churches observe the day in mid-summer.
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Birth of Baha'u'llah (Baha'i)
2019-10-29 - 2019-10-30
Commemorates the birth of the Founder of the Baha’i Faith November 1817 (lunar calendar)
Work is to be suspended and children excused from school.

More Information about Baha’u’llah
Learn more about the Baha’i calendar
Learn more about Bah’ullah’s Bicentenary

Birth of the Bab
2019-10-28 - 2019-10-29
Twin Holy Birthdays: The Birth of the Báb (October 20, 1819) and the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh (November 12, 1817) occurred on consecutive days according to the Islamic lunar calendar (1 and 2 Muharram, respectively). However these dates have been adjusted to the Gregorian calendar. Baha’i dates begin and end at sunset. These Holy Days are celebrated on the first and second days of the eighth lunar month after Naw-Rúz, and may fall as early as October 20-21 and as late as November 11-12.
More information on the Birth of Báb
ABOUT THE BAHÁ’Í CALENDAR AND HOLY DAYS
The Baha’i Faith has its own calendar, called the Badí’ Calendar. It is a solar calendar consisting of 19 months of 19 days each (361 days), plus “Intercalary Days” (four in ordinary years and five in leap years) to adjust the calendar to the solar year. The days and months are named after the attributes of God. The Nineteen Day Feast, the primary community gathering for Baha’is in each town and city, is held on the first day of each Baha’i month. Eleven Holy Days mark significant events in Baha’i history.https://www.bahai.us/event/birth-of-the-bab-2/ –
More information on Baha’i Calendar

Diwali (Hindu)
2019-10-27
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. The preparations and observances typically last five days.
