Multifaith Calendar - May 2017

HUMBER INTERFAITH CALENDAR
MULTIFAITH HOLY DAYS & FESTIVALS

In the spirit of diversity and inclusion, we provide the following Multifaith Holy Days & Festivals realizing that it is not exhaustive. Should you wish your faith’s days to be included, please contact the Chaplain at x4427 or chaplain@humber.ca for due consideration.

01 Monday

  • May = Waawaaskone Giizis / Yansa’altt (Aboriginal)
    Waawaaskone Giizis is also known as the Flower Moon (Ojibwe). Yansa’altt is the season of berries and woods fragrant with blossoms (Other).
  • Beltane (Wicca)
    Beltane (Beltain or May Eve [April 30] and May Day) denotes the joining of the Earth Goddess and the Celtic God Bel in marriage as the basis of creation. In Celtic paganism, this union was celebrated by a mid-summer fertility festival. Currently, Maypole dances are held.

09 Tuesday

  • Akshaya Tritya (Jainism)
    Akshaya Tritiya, meaning Immortal Third, is to encourage the beginning of new activity and is based on the day that Lord Rishabha broke his initial year-long fast by drinking sugar-cane juice.

10 Wednesday

  • Full Moon The moon is at its greatest visibility.
  • Wesak (Buddhism)
    Wesak is the most important day of the year for Buddhists, also known as Buddha Jayanti, Buddha Purnima or Theravadin New Year. The full moon marks a triple celebration of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) in his Birth, Enlightenment and Final Demise. Buddha’s birth is celebrated on different dates in different countries.

17 Tuesday

  • Azamat (Baha'i)
    Azamat, meaning Grandeur, is the 4th month of the Baha’i year.

22 Monday

  • Victoria Day (Canada)
    Celebrates the birthday of Queen Victoria (declared a Canadian holiday in 1845 prior to confederation).

23 Tuesday

  • Declaration of the Bab (Baha'i)
    Commemorates the day in 1844 on which he announced his identity as the Bab, the herald of the new age.
  • Aboriginal Awareness Week (Aboriginal/Canada)
    Introduced in 1992 to increase awareness about Aboriginal peoples, it includes the 4 days following Victoria Day.

24 Wednesday

  • Yom Yerushalayim (Jewish)
    Marks the reunification of Jerusalem.

25 Thursday

  • New Moon The moon is at its least visibility.

27 Saturday

  • Ramadan to June 24 (Islam)
    The Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan begins, a month of fasting during which Muslims who are physically able, do not eat or drink from dawn until sunset. Note: Eastern calendars may go from May 26 to June 23

29 Monday

  • Ascension of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)
    Marks the anniversary of the death of the founder of the Baha’i faith and work is suspended on this day.

31 Wednesday

  • Shavuot (Festival/Feast of Weeks) to June 01 (Judaism)
    Shavuot, commemorating the giving of the Torah to the Israelites and the completion of God’s purpose to create a special people, is celebrated 2 days in the diaspora and 1 day in Israel and by Reformed Jews and starts at sundown. Weeks is the plural of the Hebrew word for 7 and ends 7 weeks or 50 days (hence Pentecost) after Pesah.