Rosh Hashanah

• 2022: September 15th – 17th
• What is it: Jewish New Year (10 Days of Penitence – but first 2 days are observed as full holidays)
  • Concludes with Yom Kippur
• Traditions:
  • Day long services in synagogue to pray and personally reflect
  • Eating apples dipped in honey to evoke a sweet new year
  • Wine (Manischewitz – kosher certified) and pomegranates (righteousness) also symbolic
  • Blowing Shofar (ram’s horn) on both mornings of the holiday

Yom Kippur

• 2022: SEptember 24th – 25th
• What is it: Holiest day of year 
• A solemn day of atonement and repentance (has special power to cleanse our mistakes & wipe the slate clean)
• Traditions:
  • Fasting, praying, refraining from work & pleasure
  • Teshuva: theme of the week -> “to return” aka repentance
    • 4 steps: regret, cessation, confession, resolution 
  • 5 prayers in one day (Maariv, Shacharit, Mussaf, Mincha, and Neilah)

Hanukkah

• 2022: December 7th-15th
  • Observed for 8 days & nights
  • What is it: Festival of Light that celebrates recovery of Judaism 
  • Time to appreciate all we have to be thankful for

• Traditions:
  • Lighting menorah (nine-branched candelabrum with 8 candles & shamash -> helper candle)
  • Represents an eternal flame and each candle is lit at each nightfall
  • Singing many special, religious songs
    • Maoz Tzur (sung after lighting the candles, S’vivon sov sov sov, etc.)

Easter

• 2023: March 31st
• • Starts with Holy Week on Palm Sunday 
  • Spy Wednesday is when Jesus was betrayed 
• What is it: celebrates resurrection of Jesus from the dead 
• Traditions: church celebrations, gift giving, egg hunt 
  • Late night vigils 

Christmas

• 2023: December 25th (eve is the 24th)
• • **January 7th for some eastern orthodox 
• What is it: celebrating the birth of christ 
  • Arguably most observed holiday in western world 
    • All retail closes (most hospitality)
• Traditions: celebrations with family, gift giving, festivals, decorating, caroling, church services 

Vaisakhi

• 2023: April 13th
• What is it: Festival that celebrates the founding of the Sikh community
  • Celebrated by much of India, most prevalent in northern india 
  • Observed by some Hindus 
• Traditions: harvest festival, generally uplifting & celebratory 
• Religious gatherings, processions 

Holi

• 2023: March 25th
• What is it: Ancient festival of colors that celebrates the arrival of spring
  • Also celebrated by some Sikhs & Jains 
• Traditions: celebrated by dancing, greetings
  • Throwing of colored powder (gulal) 

Diwali

• 2022: Begins November 12th 
• What is it: Five day festival of lights that celebrates victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance 
  • Associated w/ lakshmi goddess of prosperity 
• Traditions: Celebrated by worship & prayer, exchanging gifts & hosting feasts 
  • Fireworks and festivities are an essential part of the occasion
  • Houses & shops decorated with small oil lamps called diyas

Ramadan

• 2023: March 10th – April 9th
  • Last 29-30 days. End of Ramadan is determined by the sighting of the next crescent moon.
• What is it: Holy month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community
• Traditions: 
  • Fasting for those able (not elderly or young) 
  • Regarded as mandatory for practicing muslims
    • Intense study of the Quran

Eid Al-Fitr

• 2023: April 10th
• What is it: “The Festival of the Breaking of the Feast” – marks the end of Ramadan
• Traditions:
  • Fitr celebrates end of fast with large meals and charity 
  • Parades, processions and outdoor celebrations
  • Greeting others with “Eid Mubarak” or “Blessed Eid”

Eid Al-Adha

• 2022: June 16th – 19th
  • Determined by the sighting of the next crescent moon
• What is it: “The Feast of Sacrifice” – the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son, Ismail as ordered by Allah
• Traditions: 
  • Starts with symbolic sacrifice of an animal (divided into threes to be shared equally among family, friends and the need
  • Followed by a large festive meal, exchanging of gifts, and donating of feast
  • Devout practitioners pilgrim to mecca

Kwanzaa

• 2022: December 26th-January 1st
• What is it?: a pan-African holiday that celebrates African family community and culture
  • Seven day celebration of traditional festivals
• Traditions:
• • • • Celebrate with feasts (karamu), music, dance, arts, etc
      • End the week with a big celebration dedicated to the reflection and recommitment to the Nguzo Saba (The 7 principles)

Lunar New Year

• 2023: February 10th
  • Lasts up to 2 weeks 
• What is it: Festival that begins with the first new moon of the new lunar calendar
  • Observed by many east & south east asian cultures
  • Superstitious and family oriented 
• Traditions:
  • “Sweeping of the Grounds”: thoroughly cleaning your houses to remove bad luck
  • Celebrating with traditional dances and fireworks (culminates in the Lantern Festival on the last day)
  • Eating traditional foods like yuanxiao (sticky rice balls that symbolize family unity), fagao (prosperity cake), and yusheng (raw fish and vegetable salad) handing out red envelopes 

Black History Month

• When: February
• What is it?:  A  month to celebrate the contributions of Black Canadians and their communities who, throughout history, have done so much to make Canada a culturally diverse, compassionate, and prosperous country.
  • Opportunity to understand histories and give visibility to the people and organizations creating change.

National Day for Truth & Reconciliation

• When 2023 : Sept 30th
• What is it?: A Day for Canada to recognize the atrocities of treatment of indigenous youth in residential schools 
  • An official statutory holiday (very new)
  • A day of reflection and learning
  • Commemorated through the wearing of orange shirts and many local events

Asian Heritage Month

• When: May
• What is it?: A time to celebrate the achievements, contribution, and history of those of Asian heritage to Canada
  • A month of learning and awareness

National Indigenous History Month

• When: June
• What is it?: A time to celebrate history and contribution of indigenous people to Canada 
  • Recognize spirit of pride and preservation 
  • Serves as means to educate masses

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

• When: December 3rd, 2022
• What is it?: Observance promoted by the UN to highlight rights and well-being of persons with disabilities at every level of society
  • Day to raise awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of political, social, economic, and cultural life.

Pride Month

• When: June
• What is it?: A month that celebrates strength, self determination of LGBT2SQ+
  • Serves to bolster awareness, as opposed to discussing differences and stigma 
  • Pride parade is large parade to celebrate empowerment 
  • Many companies may create rainbow theme/coloured products (BUT many of been criticized for doing little to help the cause and only profit, others use it as platform to voice concern)
• Manitoba Rainbow Directory: check out some local MB businesses!

Women’s History Month

• When is it?: October
• What is it?: A time to celebrate history and contribution of women who made a lasting impact to Canada
  • A month of learning and reflection

International Transgender Day of Visibility

• When is it? March 31, 2023
• What is it?: A day dedicated to celebrating transgender people and their contributions to Canadian society
  • Brings awareness to the people facing discrimination worldwide