Celebrating Faith and Culture March 2016 DATE CELEBRATION FAITH AND CULTURE March Xsaak Aboriginal Spirituality Sunset March 1 to 20 Alá (Fasting month) Bahá'í March 4 World Day of Prayer Christianity March 7 Mahashivratri Hinduism March 13 or 24 Hola Mohalla Sikhism March 14 Clean Monday (J) Christianity March 14 New Year Sikhism March 16 to 20 Ghambar Hamaspath-meadem Zoroastrianism March 17 St. Patrick's Day Christianity March 20 Shunki-sorei-sai Shinto March 20 Palm Sunday Christianity March 20 Lady Day (Ostara) Wicca March 20 to 27 Holy Week begins Christianity March 20 or 21 Naw Ruz Bahá'í and Zoroastrianism March 21 Eid e-navroz Islam March 22 or 23 Holi Hinduism March 23 Sakyamuni Buddha s Nirvana Day Buddhism Eve of March 23 to 24 Purim Judaism March 25 Good Friday (Holy Friday) Christianity March 26 Khordad Saal Zoroastrianism March 27 Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva s Buddhism Birthday March 27 Easter or Pascha Christianity March 28 Easter Monday Christianity Celebrating Faith and Culture Backgrounder March 2016 The Peel District School Board is a mosaic of many cultures and faiths from all over the world. To commemorate this diversity, the board recognises special faith and culture days of our communities. March 2016 has several special faith and culture days to celebrate and remember:
March - Xsaak in Aboriginal Spirituality Xsaak is celebrated by Nisga'a people of the Nass Valley in Northwest British Columbia. It is the season when they fish for swarming Oolichan also known as candle fish (dried fish burnt and used for light). The fish is dried, smoked and rendered into oil for trade and use in winter. Sunset March 1 to 20 - Alá (Fasting month) in Bahá'í In the Bahá'í calendar, there are 19 months of 19 days each. The Bahá'í day starts and ends at sunset. Alá signifying loftiness is the nineteenth month of the Bahá'í year, and it is a month of fasting. Members of the Bahá'í faith who are over the age of 15 abstain from food and drink each day from sunrise to sunset. March 4 - World Day of Prayer in Christianity World Day of Prayer is observed on the first Friday in March by Christian women of diverse traditions and countries. They come together in prayer on this day to affirm their faith. March 7 Mahashivratri in Hinduism The festival of Mahashivratri is dedicated to Lord Shiva, who is one of the three most important deities in Hinduism, along with Brahma, the creator, and Vishnu, the preserver. Lord Shiva is the destroyer and reproducer of life. During Mahashivratri, adherents fast, chant, meditate, visit the temple and offer group prayers. March 13 or 24 - Hola Mohalla in Sikhism Hola Mohalla is a festival of mock battles where followers practice martial arts known as gatka. The festival is celebrated on the day following Holi. Guru Gobind Singh started it as a gathering of Sikhs for military preparedness against the ruling Moguls in Anandpur Sahib (in Punjab, India). Today it is a celebrated by holding competitions and display of
martial skills. The day of observance varies for followers of revised and old Nanak Shahi Calendar. March 14 - Clean Monday (J) in Christianity Clean Monday also known as the Great Fast or Pure or Ash Monday is the first day of Lent for adherents of the orthodox faith. March 14 - New Year in Sikhism March 14 is the first day of the new Sikh Calendar Year. This is year 546 in the Sikh Nanakshahi calendar. The years in the Sikh calendar start with the birth of Guru Nanak Dev in 1469. March 16 to 20 - Ghambar Hamaspath-meadem in Zoroastrianism Zoroastrian followers celebrate six seasonal festivals, known as the Gahambars. These are associated with agricultural seasons, and each Gahambar is celebrated by performing a Jashan (festivity) and thanking Ahura Mazda (the omniscient and omnipresent creator) for the seasons and the beautiful creations. Ghambar Hamaspath-meadem is also known as "All Souls" feast where departed relatives are remembered. March 17 - St. Patrick's Day in Christianity This feast day commemorates the anniversary of St. Patrick's death in the 5 th century CE. The Irish observe this day as a religious holiday. Multi-day celebrations feature parades, concerts, outdoor theatre productions and fireworks shows. One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. March 20 - Shunki-sorei-sai in Shinto Known also as Shubun-no-hi, on this holy day, ancestors are given reverence on home alters, as kami (god), and are considered active members of the living family. Grave sites are cleaned and purified. March 20 Palm Sunday in Christianity
Palm Sunday is the first day of Holy Week leading up to Easter for Eastern Orthodox churches who follow the Julian calendar. It celebrates the story of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, where people spread palm branches and clothing before him. During Palm Sunday services, many churches distribute cut palm leaves, sometimes woven into the shape of a cross. March 20 - Lady Day (Ostara) in Wicca The spring equinox is "Lady Day." To followers of Wicca, it is a time of conception and new growth. It is celebrated by undertaking activities like planting seeds in the garden, collecting wild flowers, decorating and eating eggs, and cleaning the home that lead to prosperity. Green and yellow are colours specific to this feast. March 20 March 27 - Holy Week begins in Christianity Holy Week is the period from Holy Monday to Easter Sunday. In Eastern Orthodox Christianity it is also known as Great Week. It is the last week of Lent. Each of the days of Holy Week has its own traditions of services. March 20 or 21 - Naw Ruz/Navroze in Zoroastrianism, and Bahá'í The spring equinox marks the New Year for members of the Zoroastrian community (following Fasli Calendar). The New Year s Day will be observed on March 21 by followers of the faith. People from Persia or Iran who also celebrate Naw Ruz (Noruz) will observe it on 20th. The traditional Naw Ruz table called "Sofreh haft-seen" consists of seven kinds of food each beginning with the letter "s" or "sin" in Farsi symbolising life, health, wealth, abundance, love, patience and purity. sabzeh, wheat or lentil sprouts, symbolizes rebirth samanu, a creamy pudding made from wheat germ, represents holiness seeb, an apple, stands for health and beauty senjid, the dried fruit of lotus tree, signifies love sir, garlic (which is considered medicinal), represents health somagh, sumac berries, stands for the colour of sun and the victory of good over evil serkeh, vinegar, indicates old age and patience Other things associated with this celebration: a book symbolizing wisdom (holy texts or books of Iranian poetry)
sekeh, coins, representing wealth sonbol and laleh, hyacinth and tulips, symbolizing spring painted eggs to reflect the fertility of the people and the land a mirror to symbolize reflection of life candles, indicating happiness goldfish to represent life From the first to the 12th day of the New Year, people visit each other. On the 13th day, called Sizdeh bedar, everyone goes on picnics, as it is considered unlucky to stay indoors on the 13th day. The Bahá'í people have adopted the Iranian custom of beginning the New Year in the spring equinox. The day begins at sunset, and the New Year celebrations are held during the evening of March 20th. It is one of the nine Bahá'í holy days on which work is suspended. It is generally observed with a meeting for prayer and celebration. March 21 - Eid e-navroz in Islam Shia followers of Islam observe this Eid. The day is associated with significant religious milestones for observers of the faith. Adherents believe that on this day the Prophet received his first revelation and also named his successor. This feast is an important celebration for Ismaili Muslims. March 22 or 23 - Holi in Hinduism Holi is the Hindu festival that welcomes spring and celebrates new life and energy of the season. It has religious roots (burning of Prahalaad by Hiranyakashyap), but the festival is also filled with fun and good humour. On the evening of Holi, large fires are lit and prayers and offerings are made. The next day is celebrated with colours, so Holi is also called the "Festival of Colours." People celebrate the festival by daubing each other with paint and throwing coloured powder (gulaal) around in an atmosphere of fun and frolic. The religious significance of the festival of Holi is to mark the burning of self-conceit, selfishness, greed, lust, hatred, in fact all the undesirable tendencies, thoughts and behaviours. March 23 - Sakyamuni Buddha's Nirvana Day in Buddhism Nirvana Day, also known as Parinirvana, is an annual Buddhist festival celebrating the death of Buddha after achieving Nirvana (liberation from cycle of rebirth and suffering)
at the age of 80. Followers of the faith visit temples, offer prayers, meditate and read scriptures describing the last days of Gautama Buddha. Eve of March 23 to 24 - Purim in Judaism Purim is one of the most joyous holidays in the Jewish calendar. It commemorates the story of Esther and how she saved the Jewish people who were living in Persia from extermination at the hands of an oppressive ruler and his advisor. This festival is celebrated through feasting, carnivals and group celebrations. Followers of the faith send food to friends and neighbours. Like all Jewish holidays, it begins at sundown and ends the next night. March 25 - Good Friday (Holy Friday) in Christianity and Canada Good Friday commemorates the execution of Jesus by crucifixion. It is a day of mourning for followers of the faith. During special Good Friday services, Christians meditate on Jesus' suffering and death on the cross, and what this means for their faith. March 26 - Khordad Saal in Zoroastrianism Zarathushtra (Zoroaster in Greek; Zarthosht in India and Persia) is the founder of Zoroastrian religion. Historians and religious scholars generally date his life sometime between 1500 and 1200 BCE. This day is recognised by members of the Zoroastrian faith following the Fasli calendar as Zarathushtra s birth anniversary. March 27 - Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva's Birthday in Buddhism This day is celebrated by followers of Mahayana Buddhism as the birthday of the enlightened one who is most compassionate like Buddha and is known as Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. The celebrations include visiting the temples and offering prayers. March 27 - Easter or Pascha in Christianity and Canada Easter, also known as Pascha, commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christians attend special church services to celebrate the resurrection. In Eastern Christianity, the oldest and most important festival of the Christian year, it initiates the fifty-day period culminating in Pentecost. In Eastern Orthodox churches, the
church year begins with Pascha. The holiday's name is derived from Pesach, the Hebrew name of Passover. While its origins are religious, many Easter customs are less serious and have more to do with celebrating the beginning of spring: Some of the traditional celebrations include: painting eggs in bright colours and pretty designs arranging/participating in Easter egg hunts giving and receiving chocolate Easter bunnies March 28 - Easter Monday in Christianity and Canada Easter Monday is the day following Easter and is celebrated as a holiday by followers of Christianity. Adherents celebrate it with many traditions depending on their country of origin. Egg rolling competitions and dousing each other with water are a few of the traditional celebrations. If you have a colleague who celebrates one of these days, don't forget to offer them best wishes! If you have students in your school who are followers of any of the listed religions: - Make sure the dates are included on your school calendar - Have your principal announce the day over the PA system - Hold an assembly to talk with students about the importance of these days - Include a mention of these days in your school newsletter - Include information on your school website - Display student artwork announcing these days or depicting their ideas about these days - Invite a member of a local faith group to come in and discuss the significance of this day with students - Have class discussions about these days - Ask some of your students who celebrate certain holidays to write a short essay on how they celebrate this day at home. Have them read it to the class to share this celebration with the other students. - Have parents offer a cultural session Questions: If you would like any more information on how to celebrate these days, please call Varsha Naik, Community Liaison Coordinator at 905-890-1010, ext. 2573 or e-mail her varsha.naik@peelsb.com