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Vesak is one of the most important Buddhist festivals. It is also known as Wesak or Buddha Day. It is a celebration of Buddha’s birthday and, for some Buddhists, marks his enlightenment (when he discovered life’s meaning). It is also a time to reflect on his teachings and what it means to be Buddhist. Buddhists…

Passover or Pesach is a festival celebrated by millions of Jewish people all over the world. They celebrate it to remember when God used Moses to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, as told in the book of Exodus in the Bible. God told Moses to set aside this special week originally called “the feast of unleavened bread”. During this time, the people eat…

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and a time when Muslims across the world will fast (do not eat) during the hours of daylight. Muslims believe that the gates of Heaven (Jannah) are open and the gates of Hell (Jahanam) are locked for the duration of Ramadan. What happens during Ramadan? Muslims…

Easter, also called Resurrection Day, is a holiday. Among Christians, it is a celebration of Jesus Christ returning from the dead. Christians believe that it is the holiest day in the year. Some people who are not Christians celebrate it as the beginning of Spring. Importance to Christians Jesus died on the cross about 2000 years ago in a city called Jerusalem (most of Jerusalem…

The significance of Burning the Holika The burning of Holika (the bonfire that is burned on the night before Holi) has an effect on the coming monsoon.   There is a story of Prahlad (from where the festival of Holi originated). Prahlad was a young boy who was very devoted to God, but his father…

Mother’s Day is a holiday that celebrates mothers and motherhood. It started in the United States. The holiday was founded in 1908 by Anna Jarvis.   Mother’s Day was first made to celebrate a person’s own mother. Now it is made to celebrate all mothers and motherhood in general. It is celebrated in different times in different countries. In the United…

What is Maha Shivaratri? Maha Shivratri, or simply Shivratri, is a Hindu festival celebrated all across India. The name literally means ‘the great night of Shiva’. The auspicious time begins at sundown on the the 13th night during the month in the Hindu calendar and ends at sundown the following day. Since the date of…

World Book Day changes lives through a love of books and shared reading. The charities mission is to promote reading for pleasure, offering every child the opportunity to have a book of their own.    This year, World Book Day is on the 4th of March.  The Early Years took part in celebrating all things…

Vasant Panchami is a festival that marks the beginning of preparations for spring season. It is celebrated by people in various ways depending on the region. Vasant Panchami also marks the start of preparation for holiday and Holi which occurs forty days later. For many Hindus, Vasant Panchami is the festival dedicated to goddess Saraswati…

Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Lent – the 40 days leading up to Easter – was traditionally a time of fasting and on Shrove Tuesday, Anglo-Saxon Christians went to confession and were “shriven” (absolved from their sins). A bell would be rung to call…