2022 Cultural Planner Dates and PDF Download

The Happy Cultural Planner is a guide to the key holidays for the major cultures and faiths. Happy has published it for 28 years. It’s a handy way to plan for the year and an indicator of upcoming holidays (including those that may prevent people from attending your events).

This is the 2022 Cultural Planner — the 2025 Cultural Planner is now available.

Hi, we are Happy

We are leading a movement to create happy, empowered and productive workplaces.

How can we help you and your people to find joy in at least 80% of your work?

More about Happy

Click here to download the 2022 Happy Cultural Planner

Click here for a more printer friendly version

About the Happy Cultural Planner

The Happy Cultural Planner is a free document you can download, print and use. See below for a full list of the 2022 festivals, along with their meanings, to help plan for the year ahead.

Disclaimer: Happy Ltd makes no claim of allegiance to, or expertise in, any particular faith or interest group.

The aim of this Planner is to raise awareness of cultural/religious festivals and awareness days which may have significance to communities represented in your workplace. By doing this, we hope to foster interest and understanding of each other’s beliefs and encourage respect for different world views.

Whilst every effort has been made to cover as many significant events as fairly as possible, space is limited and the list is necessarily abbreviated. Significant omissions are therefore unintentional. If you feel an important event has been missed out, misrepresented or is just plain wrong, please contact hello@happy.co.uk and we will correct the online version as soon as possible and the hard copy for next year.

Celebrate – Remember – Respect

Why not sign up to our newsletter?

Secular and International Days

Date	Name of Festival
1st January	New Year's Day The beginning of the New Year in the Gregorian (Western) calendar.
25th January	Burns' Night Celebration of the works of Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns. Haggis, neeps and tatties are eaten at a 'Burns Supper', with whisky drinking and bagpipe music.
27th January	Holocaust Memorial Day Holocaust Memorial Day is the day for everyone to remember the millions of people murdered in the Holocaust, under Nazi Persecution, and in other genocides such as in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur.
February 1st-28th	LGBT History Month
14th February	Valentine's Day Based on legends of Saint Valentine, who performed secret marriages while they were banned by Emperor Claudius II. Another legend tells of an imprisoned Valentine signing secret letters to the jailer’s daughter as “your Valentine”.
1st March	St David's Day Celebration of the patron Saint of Wales.
1st March	Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras) Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. It's also known as Pancake Tuesday and Mardi Gras. Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the ritual of shriving, i.e. the process of confessing and repenting for sins and fasting and abstaining from luxuries during Lent.
8th March	International Women's Day A worldwide celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements and contributions made by women. The theme for 2019 is #BalanceForBetterInternational Women's Day is a worldwide event with a human rights theme, highlighting the social, economic, cultural and political achievements and contributions made by women.
March (Dates TBC)	Sign Language Week A week of events celebrating 'Pride in BSL' and the culture and achievements of the people who use British Sign Language, 'the UK's fourth indigenous language'.
17th March	St. Patrick's Day Celebration of the patron saint of Ireland. Secular celebrations include parades and cultural events. A festival celebrated more by the Irish diaspora than within Ireland itself.
20th March	International Day of Happiness The United Nations International Day of Happiness is coordinated by Action for Happiness, a non-profit movement of people from 160 countries, supported by a partnership of like-minded organisations, including Happy.co.uk! This year's theme is 'Share Happiness' - focusing on the importance of relationships, kindness and helping each other.
27th March	Mother's Day Mothering Sunday falls on the fourth Sunday in Lent. It is often called Mother's Day, and is a day to honour mothers and other mother figures, such as grandmothers, stepmothers and mothers-in-law.
27th March	Clocks Go Forward
22nd April	Stephen Lawrence Day National Stephen Lawrence Day was inaugurated in 2019 to celebrate the short life and legacy of Stephen Lawrence, who was killed in a racist attack at just 18 years old. The aim of the day is for events to take place that inspire young people about what they can achieve in their own lives, and to get involved in creating the kind of community they want to live in. The Stephen Lawrence Trust wants young people to have a strong voice in building a fairer and more inclusive society.
23rd April	St. George's Day Celebration of the patron saint of England.
2nd May	Deaf Awareness Week (UK) A week during which events are held to raise awareness of deaf people and the different forms of deafness. Events celebrate achievements and rights of deaf people as well as their needs and sign language.A week of events that raises awareness and challenges perceptions of hearing loss and deafness.
13th May	Mental Health Awareness Week starts A week during which events are held to highlight issues around mental health. This year's theme: nature and the environment.
19th June	Father's Day A more recent parallel to Mother’s Day for fathers, established in the early 20th Century by a daughter who wanted to express her appreciation for her single father.
22nd June	Windrush Day Following the losses of World War II, Britain was in dire need of labourers. This prompted a campaign to entice people from the countries of the British Empire and Commonwealth to migrate to the UK. On June 22, 1948, the ship HMT Empire Windrush landed at Tilbury Docks. bringing with it the first immigrants from the Caribbean. Windrush Day was introduced in 2018, on the 70th anniversary of the landing of the first Caribbean migrants, for the purpose of “encouraging communities across the
October	Black History Month A month of events celebrating the history, achievements and contributions of great black people in the UK.
30th October	Clocks Go Back
31st October	Halloween All Hallows' Eve is commonly known as Halloween and means eve of All Saints' (or Hallows') Day. 'Hallow' is an old English word for saint. Halloween rituals are believed to have evolved from the Celtic festival, Samhain (see below), which was Christianised by the early Church. It is widely accepted that the early Church missionaries held a festival at this time of year to absorb native Pagan practices into Christianity, thereby smoothing the conversion process.
5th November	Bonfire Night A celebration commemorating the failure of the Gunpowder Plot (1605); an attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament.
11th November	Armistice Day Held in the UK as a day "to commemorate the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts". The National Service of Remembrance is held on this day, as well as parades and commemorations at war memorials throughout the UK and Commonwealth. A two-minute silence is observed at 11 oclock am.
13th November	Remembrance Sunday Held in the UK as a day "to commemorate the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts". The National Service of Remembrance is held on this day, as well as parades and commemorations at war memorials throughout the UK and Commonwealth. A two-minute silence is observed at 11 oclock am.
30th November	St. Andrew's Day Celebration of the patron saint of Scotland.
1st December	World AIDS Day An opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day. Wearing the red ribbon has become a widespread way of showing solidarity with the campaign.
3rd December	International Day for People With Disabilities This UN awareness day promotes the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and increases awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.
25th December	Kwanzaa (African Diaspora) Kwanzaa is a 7 day festival celebrating Black African heritage and community.
31st December	New Year's Eve / Hogmanay New Year's Eve is celebrated at evening social gatherings, where many people dance, eat, drink, and watch fireworks to mark the new year. Celebrations continue past midnight into New Year's Day. In Scotland these parties are called Hogmanay and feature local customs and traditional music. 'New Year's Resolutions' are also made, where people make a personal commitment to making a change to an aspect of their life in the new year.

UK Bank Holidays

Date	Name of Festival
3rd January	New Year's Bank Holiday
4th January	New Year Holiday (Scotland only)
17th March	St. Patrick's Day (Northern Ireland only)
15th April	Good Friday
18th April	Easter Monday (not Scotland)
2nd May	Early May Bank Holiday
2nd June	Spring Bank Holiday
3rd June	Platinum Jubilee
12th July	Battle of the Boyne (Northern Ireland only)
1st August	August Bank Holiday (Scotland only)
29th August	August Bank Holiday (ENG, NIR, WAL)
30th November	St. Andrew's Day (Scotland only)
26th December	Boxing Day
27th December	Christmas Bank Holiday

Rastafarian

Date	Name of Festival
6th Jan	Ceremonial Birthday of Haile Selassie
21st April	Groundation Day Marks the date Haile Selassie I visited Jamaica in 1966. The visit was the only time the Emperor visited Jamaica. A Nyabingi session, inclusive of music, chanting and prayer is held to mark the occasion.Each spring, Rastafari celebrate Groundation Day, marking Selassie’s triumphant visit to Jamaica
23rd July	Birthday of Haile Selassie A celebration of the birth of Emperor Haile Selassie I, who Rastafarians recognise as Messiah and God, with music, song and prayer.
17th August	Marcus Garvey’s birthday Commemorates the Birthday of Marcus Garvey, the Jamaican politician born in 1887 who predicted the crowning of a King in Africa and instigated the 'Back to Africa' movement. Rastafarians remember the important role played by Garvey in the development of Black rights. The occasion reflects on Garvey's influential prophecy. Poetry is recited recalling the historical importance of Marcus Garvey. African dance is also encouraged.
2nd November	Crowning of Emperor Selassie Commemorates the Coronation of Ras Tafari as Emperor Haile Selassie I, King of Ethiopia, in 1930. The high priest reads Biblical passages and initiates the singing of songs to re-emphasise the importance of Haile Selassie as Messiah. A Nyabingi meeting also takes place to remember Haile Selassie

Christian – All traditions unless stated

Date	Name of Festival
2nd March	Ash Wednesday (Start of Lent; ends 14th April) Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent for Western Christian churches and is a day of penitence. In some traditions, services are held on Ash Wednesday when worshippers are marked on the forehead with a cross of ashes as a sign of penitence and mortality. Lent is the period of 40 days which comes before Easter in the Christian calendar.
15th March	Lord's Evening Meal (Jehovah's Witness) Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the bread and wine representing Jesus' last supper should be taken by only a few special Witnesses, and only once a year. All the others attend memorial events, but do not partake of the wine and bread. It is the only specific celebration in the Jehovah's Witness calendar.
10th April	Palm Sunday, Holy Week Starts Commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, following his miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead.
15th April	Good Friday Commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus. It is a Bank Holiday Holiday and observant Christians may attend special church services. One of two 'common holidays' linked to major Christian festivals, which predate the introduction of Bank Holiday Holidays.
17th April	Easter Sunday Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus and is the most important festival in the Christian calendar. Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion on Good Friday. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Sunday (also called Easter Day, Resurrection Day, Resurrection Sunday, Pascha or simply Easter).
5th June	Pentecost Pentecost occurs 50 days after Easter, and commemorates the Holy Spirit coming to earth. It is celebrated as the birthday of the Christian church.
24th July	Pioneer Day (Mormon) The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints (Mormons) celebrates Pioneer Day every year on the anniversary of the day on which the first Mormon pioneers entered the Great Salt Lake Valley in what would become the state of Utah, fleeing persecution.
22nd August	Grand Finale of Tabieorar Period End of 13 days of fasting and praying for Church of the Lord (Aladura).
24th December	Christmas Eve Christmas celebrations traditionally start on Christmas Eve with Midnight Mass. Christian tradition holds that Jesus was born at night and Midnight Mass is a commemoration of his birth.
25th December	Christmas Feast day celebrating the birth of Jesus, celebrated by Christians of almost all denominations. As one of 6 'Holy Days of Obligation', believers are required to attend church and try not to do any servile work.
31st December	Watch Night (Pentecostal) Watch Night services originated in the Methodist church, but today is of particular significance in Black churches, because it is a celebration of Emancipation. On New Year’s Eve, 1862, American slaves gathered in churches to await confirmation of their freedom through the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Eastern Orthodox Christian

Date	Name of Festival
7th January	Nativity of the Lord (Orthodox Christmas) Many Orthodox Christians annually celebrate Christmas Day on or near January 7 to remember Jesus Christ’s birth. This date works to the Julian calendar that pre-dates the Gregorian calendar.
7th March	Start of Great Lent Great Lent, or the Great Fast, corresponds to Lent in Western Christianity and ends on the Friday before Lazarus Saturday, when it runs into the Passion Week Fast, which continues until after the Paschal Vigil early in the morning of Pascha.
17th April	Palm Sunday/Start of Holy Week Commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, following his resurrection of Lazarus. It marks the start of Holy Week.
22nd April	Holy Friday (Great Friday) Great Friday is traditionally a mourning and fasting day among Orthodox Christians in the United Kingdom, particularly in the Greek Orthodox churches. The day commemorates Jesus’ death by crucifixion. It is a day of serious observance that takes place prior to Easter Sunday
24th April	Pascha (Easter Sunday) The Feast of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the greatest of the feasts of the Orthodox Church. It is not counted among the twelve major feasts of the Church since it is considered by itself as the "Feast of Feasts."
12th June	Pentecost / Trinity Sunday Also called Trinity Day or Descent of the Holy Spirit. 50 days after Pascha, it celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Neo Pagan/Wicca

Date	Name of Festival
1st February	Imbolc Pagan midwinter festival. Celebrates the land’s awakening and the growing power of the sun.
20th March	Ostara (Spring Equinox) Celebrates the renewed life of the Earth. Ostara occurs at the time of the spring equinox and is celebrated as the start of Spring. Similar to those observed at Easter, symbols for Ostara include eggs, rabbits, flowers and seeds.
1st May	Beltane Beltane means 'fires of Bel' – after the Celtic deity Belenus. Fires were lit to celebrate the return of life and the burning away of winter. These fires were thought to cleanse, purify and increase fertility. People leap over the Beltane fire to bring good fortune, fertility (of mind, body and spirit) and happiness through the coming year. The largest fire festival in the UK takes place in Edinburgh.
21st June	Litha (Midsummer's Day) At Summer Solstice neo-pagans celebrate Midsummer or Litha, which means 'standing still of the sun'. It’s the longest day of the year.
1st August	Lughnasadh-Lammas Lughnasadh, also called Lammas, is the time of the corn harvest when Pagans give thanks to the Goddess for her gifts. Lughnasadh is still celebrated as a harvest festival by modern Pagans.
22nd September	Mabon - September Equinox (9 days) A modern Pagan ritual of thanksgiving for the fruits of the earth and a recognition of the need to share them to secure the blessings of the Goddess and the God during the coming winter months. The name Mabon was coined by Aidan Kelly around 1970.
31st October	Samhain Samhain marks the Celtic New Year and the beginning of what Pagans call the Wheel of the Year. For Pagans, death is part of the natural life cycle and not to be feared. Samhain is considered by some as a time to celebrate the lives of those who have passed on, and it often involves paying respect to ancestors, family members, elders of the faith, friends, pets, and other loved ones who have died.
21st December	Yule (12 Days) Yule marks the Winter Solstice – the shortest day of the year. Pagans celebrate the rebirth of the sun and Yule also celebrates the Mother Goddess at the height of her powers. Pagans celebrate Yuletide in many ways, most will decorate a "Yuletide" tree, keep it in their homes until most of the leaves fall off then burn the Yule log.

Hindu

Date	Name of Festival
14th January	Makar Sankranti/Pongal (4 days) Makar Sankranti (like Lohri in Punjab) is a midwinter harvest festival celebrating the lengthening of days into spring. It is the first of the big and holy bathing days of Hindus. People go in huge crowds to bathe in the holy waters in places such as Allahabad, Varanasi, Haridwar, Ujjain, Nashik and The Gangasagar. Pongal is one of the most popular harvest festivals of Tamil Nadu. It marks the beginning of Uttarayana (sun's journey northwards). Celebrations include a drawing of Kolam, swinging and the cooking of delicious Pongal.
1st March	Maha Shivaratri Maha Shivaratri is a festival also known as Great Night of Shiva. Devotees observe a day and night fast.
17th March	Holi Holi is one of the major festivals of India celebrating the end of Winter and start of Spring. Also known as the ‘Festival of Colours’ due to the practice of throwing and applying coloured water and powders on friends and family.
10th April	Rama Navami A public holiday in India. Celebrates the birth of Lord Rama and is one of the most important Hindu festivals.
14th April	Vaisakhi (Hindu New Year) New Year in India is celebrated at different times in different places. Vaisakhi is a religious holiday for Sikhs and Hindus and is celebrated on 13 or 14 April every year.
16th April	Hanuman Jayanti At Hanuman Jayanti, Hindus celebrate the birth of the god Hanuman. Devotees visit the temple and apply sindoor (red powder) to their foreheads, as Hanuman’s image is always coloured red.
11th August	Rakhi/Raksha Bandhan Celebration of the bond between brothers and sisters.
18th August	Krishna Janmashtami Annual festival celebrating the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu.
31st August	Ganesh Chaturthi The birth of Ganesh, god of wisdom and prosperity. Ganesh Chaturthi lasts for 10 - 11 days, with the biggest celebrations taking place on the last day, Ananta Chaturdasi.
26th September	Navaratri (9 days) Navaratri is a nine day festival of music and dance when Hindus worship the female expression of the divine. During Navaratri the creative power of the Goddess is celebrated, personified in the forms of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati.
5th October	Dussehra Celebrating the defeat of the demon king Ravana by Lord Rama, it is part of Navaratri and is celebrated all over India but in different ways.
24th October	Diwali (Deepawali) Diwali, the festival of light, extends over five days and celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.

Buddhist – All traditions unless stated

Date	Name of Festival
15th February	Nirvana Day (Mahayana) The Buddha’s death, celebrated because he attained total Enlightenment, or Nirvana.
18th March	Cho Trul Duchen (Tibet) – full moon
21st March	Higan-e (M) The Higan-e Ceremony is a memorial service for departed ancestors. It is widely practiced in all forms of Buddhism in Japan and is conducted on vernal and autumnal equinoxes.
8th April	Hana Matsuri (M) Hana Matsuri, the Flower Festival, commemorates the birth of the Shakyamuni Buddha.
16th May	Vesak (All traditions) The date on which Buddhists celebrate the Buddha's attainment of enlightenment. Vesak is the main Buddhist festival in the UK.
14th June	Saka Dawa (T) – full moon Saka Dawa is the most important day in Tibetan Buddhism. The festival itself lasts a month but the 15th day is the most important as it coincides with three main events in the life of the Buddha: His birth, his enlightenment, and his paranirvana (death).
13th July	Dhammacakka Day (Theraveda), Chor Khor Duchen (T) A celebration of the first time the Buddha gave his teachings, Dharma.
21st September	Higan-e (M) The Higan-e Ceremony is a memorial service for departed ancestors. It is widely practiced in all forms of Buddhism in Japan and is conducted on vernal and autumnal equinoxes.
9th October	Kathina (Th) – full moon The Higan-e Ceremony is a memorial service for departed ancestors. It is widely practiced in all forms of Buddhism in Japan and is conducted on vernal and autumnal equinoxes.
8th November	Lha Bab Duchen (T) – full moon Lhabab Düchen is one of the four Buddhist festivals commemorating four events in the life of the Buddha, according to Tibetan traditions. It comemorates the return of the Buddha to earth from heaven (one of his 8 Great Deeds). It is part of Tibetan Buddhist tradition to engage in virtuous activities and prayer on this dayas the effects of positive or negative actions are believed to be multiplied ten million times.
8th December	Jodo-e/Rohatsu/Bodhi Day (M) Bodhi Day commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (Shakyamuni), experienced enlightenment, under the Bodhi tree.

Bahá’í

Date	Name of Festival
20th January	World Religion Day Observed to promote interfaith harmony and understanding.
26th February	Ayyám-i-Há (Intercalary Days) The Intercalary Days balance out the calendar (of 19 months of 19 days). A time for extra focus on hospitality, charity, giving gifts and preparing for the month of fasting.
2nd March	Feast of Ala (Start of Nineteen Day Fast) ‘Ala, the last month of the Bahá’í year, is also known as the Nineteen Day Fast. During this time, Bahá’ís do not eat or drink for 19 days , between sunrise to sunset, making time for extra prayer and meditation.
21st March	Naw Rúz Naw Rúz is the ancient Persian festival marking the beginning of spring and the start of a new year. It coincides with the Feast of Bahá’ía and the end of the Nineteen Day Fast.
21st April	Ridvan (1st, 9th and 12th are holy days) The Festival of Ridván, also called the Most Great Festival or King of Festivals, is the most important festival for Bahá’ís, when they celebrate when their founder, Bahá’íá'u'lláh, declared his mission as God’s messenger, and founded the faith.
24th May	Declaration of the Bab Commemorates the Báb foretelling the coming of a new messenger from God. It is one of nine Holy Days on which Bahá’ís do not attend work or school.
29th May	Ascension of Baha’u’llah Day of Rememrance of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’íá, the son of the founder of the Bahá’í Faith. He became well known for helping the poor and needy.
10th July	Martyrdom of the Bab The anniversary of the execution of the Báb, the herald of the Bahá’í faith. It is one of nine Holy Days on which Bahá’ís do not attend work or school.
26th October	Twin Holy Birthdays (2 days) The Festival of the Twin Birthdays or the Twin Holy Birthdays refers to two successive holy days in the Baháʼí Calendar that celebrate the births of two central figures of the Baháʼí Faith.

Zoroastrian / Persian

Date	Name of Festival
24th January	Jashn-e-Sadeh (Jashn-e) Sadeh is a Persian midwinter fire festival, celebrate 50 days before the Spring equinox to celebrate the lengthening days.
17th March	Frawardigan (5 days) A festival during which the immortal souls and the guardian spirits of departed ancestors, come down into the temple. Many Zoroastrians take time off to pray, and eat sacred food.
22nd March	Nowruz Celebration of the first day of spring. Gifts are exchanged and offerings made at the Fire Temple.
14th April	Khordad Sal Khordad Sal is celebrated by Zoroastrians and Parsis as the birthday of their founder, Zoroaster. The date is symbolic as the actual date of Zoroaster's birth cannot be accurately identified. The festival is one of the most important in the Zoroastrian and Parsi calendar, when they gather in fire temples for prayer and celebrate with feasting.
26th October	Zartosht No Diso On this day Zoroastrians remember the death of their prophet, Zoroaster.

Chinese / Taoist

Date	Name of Festival
1st February	Chinese New Year (Year of the Tiger Chinese New year is one of the most important traditional holidays in China, and the most widely celebrated by the Chinese diaspora.
2nd February	Start of Spring Golden Week
15th February	Yuan Xiao (Lantern Festival) This celebrates the first full moon of the year and the birthday of Tianguan, a Taoist god of good fortune.
4th March	Zhonghe (Blue Dragon Festival) The celebration of the waking of the dragon that brings rain.
5th April	Qing Ming Jie (Tomb Sweeping Day) Start of Spring. Tombs of ancestors are swept and tidied.
3rd June	Duanwu (Dragon Boat Festival) A celebration of masculine energy as dragons are regarded as masculine symbols. A time of respect for elders; or a commemoration of death of the poet  Qu Yuan
4th August	Qixi (Double 7th or Chinese Valentine’s Day) Traditionally the family tomb is cleaned and swept on Qing Ming day with fresh offerings laid out for the ancestors. This festival is anchored to the solar yearrather than lunar year and so always falls between April 4th to 6th. It marks the start of Spring and is associated with kite flying. It has similarities to the Christian Easter Spring festival in that eggs are prepared and eaten. In some areas boys used to wear willow wreathes on their heads to summon rain for the growing season
12th August	Zhongyuan (Ghost Festival) Buddhist/Taoist Ghost Festival also known as Zhongyuan, when it is believed the dead visit their living descendants.
2nd October	Start of Autumn Golden Week
4th October	Chonyang (Double Ninth) Festival This is a day of respect for ancestors, held on the ninth day of the ninth month in lunar calendar.
22nd December	Dongzhi Festival (Winter Solstice) Chinese Winter Solstice festival, a time during the depths of winter to enjoy a hearty, fortifying family meal that raises hopes for spring's arrival.

Japanese / Shinto

Date	Name of Festival
1st January	Gantan sai/Shōgatsu This Japanese celebration of the New Year includes prayers for the renewal of hearts, good health and prosperity. The festival lasts for a week, during which time people visit one another’s homes and offer gifts of good wishes for the coming year.
1st January	Hatsumode This Japanese festival marks the first visit of the year to Shinto shrines.
15th January	Dōsojin (Fire Festival) Held in honour of the tutelary Dōsojin. The Dōsojin are believed to fend off epidemics and other misfortunes.
3rd February	Setsubun (Bean Scattering) People nationwide throw beans outside their home to banish misfortune and invite happiness
8th April	Hana Matsuri Flower festival, celebrated as the birth of Buddha Shâkyamuni.
29th April	Shōwa no Hi (Emperor Hirohito's Birthday) Start of Golden Week when several festivals fall in quick succession.
5th May	Kodomo no Hi (Children's Day) Children's Day is a Japanese national holiday which takes place annually on May 5 and is the final celebration in Golden Week. It is a day set aside to respect children's personalities and to celebrate their happiness.
13th August	Obon (Festival of Souls) (3 days) Obon is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honour the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist-Confucian custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars.
19th September	Keirō no Hi Respect for the Aged Day is a secular Japanese public holiday celebrated annually to honour elderly citizens.
31st December	Ōmisoka New Year's Eve. Homes and workplaces are thoroughly cleaned in prepartion for the New Year. Family gatherings are popular.

Jain (London specific)

Date	Name of Festival
30th January	Meru Trayodashi Meru Trayodashi is celebrated by visiting temples, donating, listening to the fables of the past along with religious songs and stories. It is believed that regular observance of fast, donation, and sacraments will nullify the ill-deeds of the past and help attain peace and prosperity in the life of the devotee.
17th March	Phalguna Chaumasi Chaudas A festival dedicated to celebrating the manifestation of Ahimsa, or nonviolence/
25th March	Varshitapa Arambha The start of an auspicious period observed by the Jain community.
14th April	Mahavir Jayanti Mahavir Jayanti celebrates the birth of Mahavira, a contemporary of the Buddha. Mahavira was the last Tirthankara (great sage) and the most important prophet of the Jain faith.
3rd May	Varshitapa Parana Celebrated by observance of the Varshitapa – the year-long alternative-day fasting. Jains will also perform parana and break their fast by drinking the juice of sugarcane.
12th July	Ashadha Chaumasi Chaudas Chaumasi Chaudas (also known as Varsha Vras) is the most important festival of Jainism. It is a four month period in which Jains focus on their guiding principle of non-violence and charity. The main purpose of this festival is to provide an occasion to reflect on the philosophy and teachings of Lord Mahavir and to practice them for the well-being of oneself as well as the whole world.
23rd August	Paryushan (9 day fast) Paryushan means ‘coming together’ and is said to have been initiated by the founder of Jainism. It’s a 10 day festival, and for the first 9 days Jains follow a strict regime of fasting and meditating. The final day of Payushan is celebrated with a community banquet.
31st August	Samvatsari Parva Paryshan parva is an 8 day Jain festival of reflection and seeking forgiveness of sins. It culminates on the last day when Samvatsari Pratikraman is conducted, for repentance of the whole years sins.
24th October	Lakshmi Puja
26th October	Gujarati New Year
7th November	Kartika Chaumasi Chaudas Karthika Purnima marks the end of Chaumasi Chaudas.
8th November	Kartika Ratha Yatra

Sikh (Nanakshahi Calendar)

Date	Name of Festival
12th January	Lohri Harvest festival marking the end of winter solstice.
8th March	Hola Mohalla Sikh festival beginning on the first day of the lunar month of Chet, following the Hindu festival of colours.
14th March	Nanakshahi New Year
14th March	Vaisakhi At Vaisakhi, Sikhs celebrate the founding of the Khalsa, the collective body of baptised Sikhs created in 1699. Originally a harvest festival in the Punjab, it has become Sikhs' most important festival.
20th October	Guru Granth Jayanti The day before his death in 1708, Guru Gobind Singh declared that there would be no more human gurus, but henceforth Sikhs would regard their scripture Guru Granth Sahib, as their Guru.
24th October	Bandi Chhor Divas Day of liberation commemorating the day the sixth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Hargobind was released from Gwalior Fort.
8th November	Guru Nanak Jayanti (Birth of Guru Nanak Dev) Guru Nanak was the founder of the Sikh faith and the first of its 10 ten Gurus. He was born in the Punjab in 1469. Sikhs celebrate with prayers, the singing of religious songs and readings from the Guru Granth Sahib (Holy Book). Free sweets and community meals are offered to everyone at the temples. Houses and temples are lit up for the festivities

Jewish

Date	Name of Festival
17th February	Purim Purim is one of the most joyous holidays of the Jewish calendar,it celebrates the events told in the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible. Purim is a time of praise and thanksgiving, and almsgiving is an important Purim tradition. The Book of Esther is read aloud in the synagogue and the congregation use rattles, cymbals and boos to drown out Haman's name whenever it appears.
16th April	Passover (Pesach; 8 Days) The Feast of Unleavened Bread. Passover commemorates the escape of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. It is also a celebration of spring, and of taking responsibility for yourself, the community, and the world. Passover lasts for eight days.
28th April	Yom HaShoah Jewish Holocaust Memorial Day (Secular)
5th June	Shavuot Shavuot or the Festival of Weeks is a harvest festival when Jews give thanks for the first fruits of the year. Shavuot also marks the time when Moses received the Torah on Mount Sinai. It's a time to give thanks for the Holy Book and to study its texts.
7th August	Tish’a B’Av Tisha B'Av is a fast that commemorates the destruction of the two holy and sacred Temples of the Jews destroyed by the Babylonians (in 586 B.C.E) and the Romans (in 70 C.E.) and other tragedies of Jewish history.
26th September	Rosh Hashanah New Year festival and commemorates the creation of the world. Also a judgement day, when Jews believe that God balances a person's good deeds over the last year against their bad deeds.
5th October	Yom Kippur The Day of Atonement is the holiest day of the year, for nearly 26 hours, Jewish people abstain from food and drink, do not wash or apply lotions or creams, do not wear leather footwear, and abstain from sex and spend the day in synagogue, praying for forgiveness.Yom Kippur completes the annual period known in Judaism as the High Holy Days or sometimes 'the Days of Awe', which begin with Rosh Hashanah.
10th October	Sukkot Feast of Tabernacles. Sukkot celebrates the gathering of the harvest and commemorates the miraculous protection provided for the children of Israel when they left Egypt. At Sukkot Jews remember the Israelites' 40 years of exile in the desert, living in makeshift dwellings, before they reached the promised land. Sukkot is intended to be a joyful festival that lets Jews live close to nature and know that God is taking care of them.
12th October	Shemini Atzeret (2 days) Shemini Atzeret is a Jewish holiday marking the day after the end of Sukkot and is an extra day of celebration. Many religious Jews observe a rota of weekly readings from the Torah which allows them to read it through from Genesis to Deuteronomy on a yearly basis. Simchat Torah means "Rejoicing in the Torah" and is the day when this annual cycle of rereading the Torah ends and starts anew.
19th December	Chanukah (8 days) The Jewish Festival of Lights, celebrated for eight days. It commemorates the Jews’ struggle for religious freedom. During Hanukkah, Jews light one more candle each night.

Muslim

Date	Name of Festival
1st March	Isra and M'raj Also known as Shab-e-Miraj, Lailat al Miraj, Isra'a Wl Miraj, or Miraaj nabi, it is the night when Muslims celebrate the Night Journey and the Ascension of the Prophet Muhammad, when he traveled from Mecca to the Temple Mount where he was lifted up to heaven until he reached Paradise where he met all the prophets and saw the light of Allah.
3rd April	Ramadan begins (30 days) Ramadan is a time of fasting and spiritual renewal. According to the Koran, the Prophet Muhammad received the first revelations of the Koran during Ramadan. Therefore Ramadan is considered the most sacred month of the Islamic calendar. During this month, Muslims fast from early morning (before dawn) through to sunset. Fasting means no food or drink and also refraining from smoking, sex and 'sinful behaviour'.
28th April	Laylat-al-Qadr Night of power (Laylat-al-Qadr in Arabic) is the holiest night of the year for Muslims, and is traditionally celebrated on the 27th day of Ramadan. It commemorates the night that the Quran was first started to be revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. This holiday begins the evening prior to the first full day of activities
3rd May	Eid-al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) Eid al Fitr means Festival of the Breaking of the Fast. It marks the end of Ramadan. It's one of the two major holidays in the Islamic year and is celebrated with prayer and thanksgiving to God, as well as feasting and gift giving.
10th July	Eid-al-Adha This is the second Eid celebration in the Muslim year. The name means Festival of the Sacrifice. It is one of the most important Islamic holidays of the year and commemorates Ibrahim’s (Abraham's) willingness to sacrifice his son to God. Eid-al-Adha also marks the end of Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, which begins 9 September.
30th July	Muharram (29 days) (New Year) The first day of the Islamic New Year. The Islamic calendar began with the migration of the prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina, to escape persecution.
8th August	Ashura Ashura is marked by all Muslims, but it’s most important for Shia Muslims for whom it’s a solemn day of mourning, marking the anniversary of the death of the prophet’s grandson, Husain. For Sunni Muslims, Ashura marks the exodus of Moses from Egypt, and is usually observed by completing an optional fast.
8th October	Milad un Nabi (Mawlid) Mawlid (or Milad) un-Nabi means 'birth of the prophet' and refers to observance of the birthday of Muhammad. It is observed by praising Allah, fasting, public processions, poetry, family gatherings and the decoration of streets and homes