Ridvan Festival Culture/religion: Bahá’í Date: April 21-May 2 Ridvan is a 12-day festival, celebrated as the most holy festival in the Bahai’ faith. The festival marks the anniversary of the days Bahá’u’lláh spent along the River Tigris in Baghdad. During those twelve days, in a garden he called “Ridvan,” meaning “paradise,” Bahá’u’lláh announced that he was God’s … [Read more...] about Cultural and religious observances – April 18-24, 2022
Holy Thursday Culture/religion: Christianity Date: April 14 Holy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter and commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ, when he established the sacrament of Holy Communion prior to his arrest and crucifixion, as well as his institution of the priesthood. Jesus celebrated the dinner as a Passover feast. The Last Supper was the final … [Read more...] about Cultural and religious observances – April 11-17, 2022
Qingming Festival Culture/religion: Chinese heritage Date: April 5 With a history of over 2,500 years, Qingming, also known as Tomb Sweeping Day is an important day of sacrifice for most people in honoring their ancestors. One of the most popular activities on this day is to show respect to one’s ancestors by visiting their graves, offering food, burning incense … [Read more...] about Cultural and religious observances – April 4-10, 2022
Irish American Heritage Month Culture/religion: National observance Date: March Irish American Heritage Month celebrates the contributions Irish Americans have made to the United States. The first celebration dates back to 1792 with the first St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York City. In October 1990, Congress passed Public Law 101-418 establishing March 1991 as … [Read more...] about Cultural and religious observances – February 28-March 6, 2022
New Year's Day Culture/religion: National observance Date: January 1 The earliest celebrations of a new year go back 4,000 years to ancient Babylon. The Babylonians marked the new year with the first new moon following the vernal equinox, which would have been a day with equal sunlight and darkness in late March. As time went on, more sophisticated calendars were … [Read more...] about Cultural and religious observances – December 27, 2021-January 2, 2022