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Cultural and Religious Observances title with an image of a man smiling, a religious stained glass window, a woman wearing a hijab and colorful Indian art made with sand and flower petals

Cultural and religious observances – August 16-22, 2021

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Ashura

A group of men and women dressed in black, some holding flags, participating in Ashura in Syria in 2017.
Ashura in Syria, 2017. Photo credit: Tasnim News Agency, Wikimedia.org.

Culture/religion: Islamic
Date: August 19

Ashura, which literally means the “tenth” in Arabic, refers to the tenth day of Muharram and is a day of remembrance for Muslims. Muharram is a holy day and well-known because of its historical significance and mourning for the murder of Hussain ibn Ali, a 7th century revolutionary leader who was killed in The Battle of Karbala and the grandson of Muhammad. Ashura is recognized across the world to remember Hussain’s dignified stand for social justice.

Mourning begins on the first night of Muharram and continues for ten night, ending on the 10th of Muharram known as the Day of Ashura.

Sources:

Muharram, Wikipedia

The Day of Ashura, Who is Hussain

Ullambana

People gathered for prayers during Ullambana Festival
Prayers during Ullambana Festival. Photo credit: Wikimedia.org

Culture/religion: Buddhist
Date: August 22

Ullambana means “deliverance from suffering,” and specifically refers to the salvation of anguished souls in Hell. This concept originates from the Buddhist legend of Maudgalyayana saving his mother from Hades. The Ullambana festival reinforces the important concept of filial piety which is deep-rooted in Asian culture.

Ullambana customs include offering prayers to the souls of deceased ancestors and welfare of their parents and taking food, medicine and clothes offerings to monks and nuns in monasteries.

Sources:

Ullambana Festival (Sangha Day), Nan Tien Temple