Equality and Diversity Calendar 2017 · Equality and Diversity Calendar 2017 This calendar...

Equality and Diversity Calendar 2017

This calendar highlights significant days and

festivals during 2017. You can use this calendar to

plan your work activities around important events.

It is important to remember that people practice

their faith in different ways and it is best not to

make assumptions. For example:

• There are a wide variety of Christian churches

and organisations all of which have their own

specific needs, rituals and observations.

• Some Jewish holy days have specific

observations such as people not working,

driving, writing, or switching on or off electric

devices.

• In some Muslim and Baha’i homes running water

is required for prayer.

Information in this calendar may be useful for staff

to consider when visiting or working in customer s

homes and to note when home visit may not be

appropriate. Remember though religious and

cultural observances vary so, if in doubt it’s best

to ask!

We have highlighted in grey days which may be

significant when managing staff. For example,

days when staff may be fasting or request leave.

January National Braille Literacy Awareness Month

1st New Years Day (Bank Holiday)

4th World Braille Day

5th Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh – Sikh

6th Epiphany – Christian This is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God the son as a human being in Jesus Christ.

7th Christmas Day – Rastafarian Rastafarians worldwide celebrate Christmas on this day to coincide with Christmas celebrations in Ethiopia.

8th Fast of the 10 Tevet

11th Human Trafficking Awareness Day

12th – 15th Mahayana New Year - Buddhism14th Makar Sankranti – Hindu One of the most important festivals of the Hindu calendar. Sankranti marks the termination of winter season and beginning of a new harvest or spring season. 15th World Religion Day – Baha’i

19th Timkat – Ethiopian Orthodox Christian

21st Saint Agnes Day – Christian

25th Robert Burns NightRobert Burns was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is an internationally acclaimed literary genius and political radical and is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide on this day.

27th Holocaust Memorial Day (Yom Ha Shoah) – (Multifaith)Anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.

28th Chinese New Year

31st Birthday of Guru Har Rai - Sikh

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

1New

Year’s

Day

2Bank

Holiday

3Bank

Holiday

(Scotland)

4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28Chinese

New Year

29

30 31

Many Christians have congregational prayer on a Sunday.

Jewish Sabbath begins at sunset on Fridays and ends at sunset on Saturdays. It is a day of rest and prayer.

The Muslim day is from sunset to sunset, Friday is a day of congregational prayer (usually after noon).

“Live without seeing, but be what you are.” – Louis Braille

February Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Month

1st Vasant Panchami – Hindu

2nd Candlemas – Christian

4th World Cancer Day

11th Tu B’Shvat (New Year for Trees)

14th Saint Valentine’s Day – Christian

Saint Valentine’s Day has its origin from the

February fertility festival celebrated in

pagan times during mid-February. Later,

the feast turned into a Christian celebration

and named Valentine’s Day to honour the

date of the martyrdom of Saint Valentine.

15th Parinirvana – Buddhist, Jain

This is a Mahayana Buddhist festival that

marks the death of the Buddha. It is also

known as Nirvana Day. Buddhists celebrate

the death of the Buddha, because they

believe that having attained Enlightenment

he achieved freedom from physical

existence and its sufferings.

20th World Day of Social Justice

20th – 26th LGBT Adoption week

24th

Maha Shivaratri – Hindu Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the god Shiva.

25th Intercalary Days (start) - Baha'I

28th Shrove Tuesday

Also called Pancake Day and Mardi Gras.

The British name of "Pancake Day" comes

from the tradition of making pancakes to

use up all the food that could not be eaten

during Lent.

28th Intercalary Days (end) – Baha’i


1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15Buddhist

16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24Hindu

25 26

27 28




“Diversity is not about how we differ.

Diversity is about embracing one another's uniqueness.” - Ola Joseph

March International Women’s History Month

1st Ash Wednesday The first day of Lent for Western Christian churches. Lent is the season marking the time Jesus spent in the wilderness.

1st Saint David's Day – ChristianDay to commemorate the patron saint of Wales.

1s – 19th Nineteen Day Fast – Baha’iAdult Baha'i is a fast from sunrise to sunset for 19 days. It is a time of spiritual preparation and regeneration for new year's activities.

5th Saint Piran’s Day – Christian

8th International Women’s Day

9th Fast of Esther – Judaism

12th Purim – Judaism 12th Magha Puja (Sangha Day) - Buddhism

13th Holi – HinduThe colourful festival is celebrated in February end or early March. It celebrates the triumph of 'good' over 'bad'.13th Hola Mohalla – Sikh

17th Saint Patrick's Day – ChristianThe patron saint of Ireland. It is celebrated with parades, "wearing of green,“ music and songs, Irish food and Drink.

20th Spring Equinox

20th Naw-Ruz (New Year) - Baha‘i20th Norooz (New Year) - Persian/Zoroastrian

21st International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination This day aims to remind people of racial discrimination's negative consequences.

26th Mothering Sunday

28th Khordad Sal - Zoroastrian


1Baha’i –

Fast begins

2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13Hindu/Sikh

14 15 16 17 18 19Baha’i –

Fast ends

20New Year

Baha’i /

Zoroastrian

21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31




“A gender-equal society would be one where the word 'gender' does not exist:

where everyone can be themselves.” - Gloria Steinem

April National Autism Awareness Month

2nd World Autism Awareness Day

5th Ram Navami – Hindu

7th World Health Day

8th Lazarus Saturday – Orthodox Christian

9th Palm Sunday – Christian/Orthodox This is the Sunday before Easter. This commemorates Christ s triumphal entrance to Jerusalem.

10th –18th Pesach (Passover) – Judaism (May not work on the first two and the last two days of Passover). This is when Jewish people commemorate the liberation of the Children of Israel who were led out of Egypt by Moses.

11th Theravada New Year – Buddhism11th Hanuman Jayanti – Hindu

11th Lord’s Evening Meal – Jehovah’s Witness Christian

13th Maundy Thursday – Christian

14th Good Friday – Christian/Orthodox

14th Vaisakhi New Year – Sikh

16th/17th Easter Sunday/Monday – Christian, Orthodox Christian

20th Ridvan Festival begins Baha’i (may notWork on the 20th, 28th and 1st).Commemorating the prophet Baha u llah sproclamation as god s messenger. From sunset 20th to sunset 1st May.

23rd Saint George’s Day – Christian

24th Yom HaShoah – Judaism 24th Lailat al Miraj – Islam

28th Akshaya Tritiya – Hindu, Jain


1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9Christian/

Orthodox

10Jewish

11 12 13 14Christian,

Sikh

15 16Christian

17Christian

18 19 20Baha’i

21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30




“Diversity is the one true thing we all have in common. Celebrate it every day.”

May Mental Health Awareness Month

1st Beltane – Wicca/PaganPagans celebrate Beltane with maypole dances, symbolizing the mystery of the Sacred Marriage of Goddess and God.

1st Twelfth Day of Ridvan – Baha’I1st Yom HaZikaron (Israeli Memorial Day)

2nd Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Israeli Independence Day)

8th World Ovarian Cancer Day

10th Vesak (Buddha Day) – Buddhism The most important day in the Buddhist calendar celebrated on the full moon in May, Buddha's birthday and some believe the day of his enlightenment and death.

11th Lailat al Bara’ah – Islam

14th Lag B’Omer – Judaism

17th International Day against Homophobia

21st World Cultural Diversity DayThe Day will provide us with an opportunity to deepen understanding of the values of Cultural Diversity and to learn to live together better.

23rd - Declaration of the Báb - Baha'I

25th Ascension Day – Christian/Orthodox

27th Ramadan begins – IslamStarts the most significant month of the year for Muslims. A time of fasting from dawn to sunset and greater devotion to Allah. Start date may vary as it is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon.

28th Ascension of Baha'u'llah - Baha'i

29th Bank Holiday

31st - 1st June Shavuot (Pentecost) - Judaism (may not work on these days)


1Bank

Holiday

2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10Buddhist

11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23Baha’i

24 25 26 27Islam

28

29Bank

Holiday

30 31Jewish




Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down

and got back up again. – Nelson Mandela


1Jewish

2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25Islam

26 27 28 29 30

4th Pentecost – Christian/Orthodox

5th World Environment Day5th Whit Monday – Christian

11th Trinity Sunday – Christian 11th All Saints – Orthodox Christian

12th – 18th Carers WeekCarers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK.

14th World Blood Donor Day

15th Corpus Christi - Catholic Christian 16th Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev - Sikh

18th Father’s DayFather’s Day is a day honouring fathers, celebrated on the third Sunday of June.

20th World Refugee DayThis marked the 50th anniversary of the convention relating to the status of refugees. Each year activities take place raising awareness of the situation of refugees throughout the world.

21st Summer Solstice Wicca21st Litha – Yule – Wicca/Pagan21st Laylat-al-Qadr - Islam

23rd Sacred Heart of Jesus - Catholic Christian 23rd Quds Day – Islam

25th Eid al-Fitr (Ramadan ends) - Islam Eid is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. The Holiday symbolises the breaking of the fasting period. People mark the end of Ramadan with morning congregational prayer, visiting friends and family and making charitable donations.

29th Feast of Saints Peter and Paul - Christian

June Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month




"We are all different, which is great because we are all unique.

Without diversity life would be very boring."

July National Ice Cream Month

5th Birthday of Guru Hargobind - Sikh

9th Dharma Day – BuddhismCommemorates Buddha's first teaching to the five ascetics. Dharma day is usually celebrated with readings from the Buddhist scriptures, and is an opportunity to reflect deeply on their content.

9th Martyrdom of the Bab - Baha‘i(May not Work) Commemorates the Báb's execution in 1850, after which his teachings continued to spread.

11th Fast of 17 Tammuz – Judaism

11th Saint Benedict Day - Catholic Christian

13th Obon (Ulambana) – Buddhist/Shinto Obon is an annual Japanese and Buddhist-Confucian event for remembrance and commemoration of one’s ancestors.

16th Disability Awareness Day

22nd Feast Day of Saint Mary Magdalene -Christian

23rd Birthday of Haile Selassie - Rastafari A holy day of commemoration for Rastafarians. Haile Selassie, who claimed to be a direct descendant of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, is the object of veneration in the religion of Rastafarianism. Selassie was also known as "The Lion of Judah" and "King of Kings”.

23rd Birthday of Guru Har Krishan - Sikh

24th Pioneer Day - Mormon Christian

25th Saint James the Great Day - Christian

30th International Friendship Day


1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9Buddhist

Baha’i

10 11 12 13Buddhist

14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23Rastafari

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31




“Be the change you want to see in the world” – Mohandas Gandhi

August1st Lammas - Christian 1st Lughnassadh - Imbolc - Wicca/Pagan

1st Tish'a B'Av (Fast of 9 Av) - Judaism Tisha B'Av is an annual fast day in Judaism which commemorates the anniversary of a number of disasters in Jewish history, primarily the destruction of both the First Temple by the Babylonians and the Second Temple by the Romans in Jerusalem.

6th Transfiguration Sunday - Orthodox Christian

7th Raksha Bandhan - Hindu

9th International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples

12th International Youth Day

15th Krishna Janmashtami - Hindu

17th Birthday of Marcus Garvey – RastafarianRastafari has its roots in the philosophy of

Marcus Garvey. Born on the 17th of August 1887, in Jamaica. His teachings of black self-empowerment are credited as being the sources behind the founding of the religion.

18th Paryushana-Parva - Jain This is the most important annual holy events for Jains and is usually celebrated in August or September. It lasts 8–10 days and is a time when Śrāvakas (lay people) increase their level of spiritual intensity often using fasting and prayer/meditation to help.

19th World Humanitarian Day

23rd International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and its Abolition

25th Ganesh Chaturthi - Hindu 25th Samvatsari - Jain

31st Waqf al Arafa (Hajj Day) - Islam


1 2 3 4 5 6

7Bank

Holiday(Scotland &

ROI)

8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15Hindu

16 17 18Jain

19 20

21 22 23 24 25Hindu

Jain

26 27

28Bank

Holiday

29 30 31




A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing,

the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken. – James Dent.


1Islam

2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9Islam

10

11 12 13 14Islam

15 16 17

18 19 20Jewish

21 22Islam

23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30Jewish

1st Eid al Adha - Islam Eid-al-Adha is one of the most important Islamic holidays and commemorates Ibrahim’s (Abraham's) willingness to sacrifice his son to God.

5th International Day of Charity

5th Kshamavani - Jain

8th International Literacy Day

10th World Suicide Prevention Day

11th Ethiopian New Year - Rastafari Both Ethiopian New Year's Day and the Feast of Saint John the Baptist. The day is called 'Enkutatash' meaning the "gift of jewels.“

20th – 22nd Rosh Hashanah – JewishRosh Hashana is celebrated as the Jewish New Year among many Jewish communities worldwide. It starts 163 days after the first day of Passover. Rosh Hashana lasts for up to two days in many communities. Rosh Hashana is a day of rest and prayer so Jewish people are limited from performing many activities that are regarded as “work”.

21st International Day of Peace

21st World Alzheimer's Day

21st - 29th Navaratri - Hindu

22nd Autumn Equinox – Wicca22nd Al-Hijra/Muharram - New Year - Islam

24th Fast of Gedaliah - Judaism

30th Yom Kippur – Jewish (may not work)Yom Kippur, the most sacred and solemn day of the Jewish year brings the Days of repentance to a close. On Yom Kippur, God makes the final decision on what the next year will be like for each person.

September Older Persons’ Month




As we grow older, we must discipline ourselves to continue expanding, broadening,

learning, keeping out minds active and open. – Clint Eastwood.

October Black History Month

1st Ashura - Islam Ashura is a solemn day of mourning the martyrdom of Hussein in 680 AD at Karbala in modern-day Iraq. It is marked with mourning rituals and passion plays re-enacting the martyrdom.

1st International Day of Older Persons

2nd Feast of the Guardian Angels - Christian 2nd International Day of Non-Violence

4th – 11th Sukkot (Tabernacles) - Judaism Commemorates the years that the Jews spent in the desert on their way to the Promised Land, and celebrates the way in which God protected them under difficult desert conditions. Sukkot begins at sundown and work is not permitted on the first two days.

12th Shmini Atzeret - Judaism Shmini Atzeret is a Jewish holiday and begins at sundown on Wed, 11 October 2017. Work is

not permitted on this day.

13th Simchat Torah - Judaism Simchat Torah is a Jewish holiday that celebrates and marks the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and the beginning of a new cycle.Work is not permitted on this day.

17th International Day for the Abolishment of Poverty

19th Bandi Chhor Divas – Sikh

19th – 23rd Diwali - Hindu, Sikh, JainDiwali or Deepavali is the Hindu festival of lights celebrated every year in autumn in the northern hemisphere

19th New Year - Jain

20th Birth of the Báb - Baha'i

31st All Hallows' Eve (Halloween) - Christian 31st Samhain – Pagan


1Islam

2 3 4Jewish

5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12Jewish

13Jewish

14 15

16 17 18 19Hindu, Sikh,

Jain

20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31




“It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there

is beauty and there is strength.” – Maya Angelou

November Men’s Health Awareness Month

1st All Saints' Day – Christian1st National Stress Awareness Day

2nd Coronation of Haile Selassie - RastafariWas the Emperor of Ethiopia. Rastas believe Haile Selassie is God, and that he will return to Africa members of the black community who are living in exile.

2nd All Souls' Day - Christian

4th Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev - Sikh

11th Remembrance Day/Armistice Day Commemorates the armistice signed between the allies of World War 1 and Germany. This day is a national holiday in many countries and is a time to remember those that have died in the many wars and conflicts around the world.

12th Remembrance Sunday

13th World Kindness Day

14th World Diabetes Day

15th Nativity Fast begins - Orthodox Christian

16th International Day of ToleranceIn 1996, the General Assembly invited Member States to observe the International Day for Tolerance, with activities directed towards both educational establishments and the wider public.

19th International Men's Day

20th Universal Children’s Day

25th Day of the Covenant - Baha'I

25th International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

27th Ascension of Abdul'l-Baha - Baha'i

30th Saint Andrew's Day - Christian


1Christian

2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30Bank

Holiday

(Scotland)




“Diversity is the one true thing we all have in common. Celebrate it every day.”

December Universal Human Rights Month

1st World AIDS Day 1st Mawlid al-Nabi - Islam

2nd International Day of the Abolition of Slavery This day is to remind people that modern slavery works against human rights. The day encourages people to put meaning to the words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that "no one shall be held in slavery or servitude" through their actions.

3rd International Day of Persons with Disabilities3rd Advent Sunday - Christian

6th Saint Nicholas' Day

8th Rohatsu (Bodhi Day) – Buddhism

10th Human Rights DayCommemorates the day in 1948 when the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

12th – 19th Chanukah - Judaism Adherents go to work as usual, but may leave early in order to be home to kindle the lights at nightfall. Marks the rededication of the holy temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BCE.

20th International Human Solidarity Day

21st Winter Solstice

24th Christmas Eve – Christian25th Christmas – ChristianChristmas Day is an annual holiday celebrated on 25 December that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The day marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days.

28th Fast of 10 Tevet - Judaism

31st Hogmanay/ New Year’s Eve Is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year.


1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12Jewish

13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25Christian

26Bank

Holiday

27 28 29 30 31Hogmanay




SEASON’S GREETINGS

FROM HDN

For more information or to make

suggestions for the calendar please

contact Carla Olfin at:

[email protected]

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Equality and Diversity Calendar 2017 · Equality and Diversity Calendar 2017 This calendar...

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