Bodhi Day Culture/religion: Buddhist Date: December 8 Bodhi Day is one of the most significant events in the Buddhist faith, commemorating Buddha’s enlightenment. Bodhi means “awakening,” or as translated in English, “enlightenment.” As the story goes, the historical Buddha was a prince named Siddhartha Gautama who decided to give up his privileged life to seek … [Read more...] about Cultural and religious observances – December 6-12, 2021
Chanukah Culture/religion: Judaism Date: November 29-December 6 Chanukah is the Jewish eight-day festival of lights, celebrated each night with menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods. Chanukah means “dedication” in Hebrew and is named as such because it celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple. In second century BCE, Judah the Maccabee drove the Greeks … [Read more...] about Cultural and religious observances – November 29-December 5, 2021
Thanksgiving Day Culture/religion: National observance Date: November 25 Thanksgiving is a federal holiday in the United States and is celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of November. Originating as a harvest festival and feast between the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians, Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the fall-winter holiday season. Early … [Read more...] about Cultural and religious observances – November 22-28, 2021
International Day for Tolerance Culture/religion: International observance Date: November 16 In 1996, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 51/95 proclaiming November 16 as International Day for Tolerance. Following this, UNESCO’s member states adopted the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance, recognizing that tolerance is a respect and appreciation for the rich … [Read more...] about Cultural and religious observances – November 15-21, 2021
Kristallnacht Culture/religion: Judaism Date: November 9-10 Kristallnacht (“Crystal Night” or “Night of Broken Glass”) commemorates the violent anti-Jewish demonstrations that broke out across Germany, Austria and the Sudentenland region of Czechoslovakia. For 48 hours, violent mobs destroyed hundreds of synagogues and burned or desecrated Jewish religious … [Read more...] about Cultural and religious observances – November 8-14, 2021