1 Jan
(Thu)
Ganjitsu (New Year's Day)
New Year's Day celebration which, in Japan, is sometimes extended for up to three days, during which businesses are closed, families are together, decorations are put up and the first visit of the year is paid to local Shinto shrines.
5 Jan
(Mon)
Twelfth Night
Twelfth Night is a holiday in some branches of Christianity and marks the eve of Epiphany. The celebration of Epiphany, the adoration of the Magi (Wise Men or Three Kings), is marked in some cultures by the exchange of gifts, and Twelfth Night, as its eve, takes on a similar significance to Christmas Eve.
5 Jan
(Mon)
Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh
Day that commemorates the birth of the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, in AD 1666. He was responsible for instituting the Five Ks and established the Order of the Khalsa on Vaisakhi (Baisakhi). The day is marked by an akhand path, which is an unbroken reading of the Guru Granth Sahib, normally lasting 48 hours.
6 Jan
(Tue)
Epiphany
The twelfth day of Christmas, Epiphany celebrates the arrival of the Magi (Wise Men or Three Kings) at Bethlehem following the birth of Jesus. The celebration of Epiphany is marked in some cultures by the exchange of gifts.
7 Jan
(Wed)
Christmas (Eastern Orthodox & Armenian)
Most Orthodox churches, and certain others related to them, retain the Julian calendar, as opposed to the Gregorian calendar used by Western churches. Consequently, these churches celebrate Christmas thirteen days later.
7 Jan
(Wed)
Christmas
Rastafarians celebrate Christmas on January 7th, a date arrived at through the Julian calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar.
14 Jan
(Wed)
Makar Sankrant/
Lohri/Pongal
This festival is known by different names in different parts of India: in the Punjab it is known as Lohri and in Tamil Nadu it is called Pongal. It is a day for almsgiving and patching up quarrels. Tamils eat a rice dish called pongal. For Panjabi families (including some Sikhs), Lohri is celebrated following the birth of a son. A fire is lit and peanuts and sesame sweets are eaten around it.
16 Jan
(Fri)
Shinran Memorial Day
Buddhist commemoration of the life of Shinran, founder of Jodo Shin-shu, one of the schools of Pure Land Buddhism.
18 -
25 Jan
(1 week)
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
An international Christian ecumenical observance kept annually between 18th and 25th January. Special services are held, dialogue on unity is encouraged and congregations listen to a preacher from a different denomination.
19 Jan
(Mon)
Martin Luther King Day
A public holiday in the USA, this day commemorates the birth of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, around the time of King's birthday, January 15th. It is the only United States federal holiday commemorating an African-American and one of only four to commemorate an individual person.
25 Jan
(Sun)
Honen Memorial Day
Buddhist commemoration of the life of Honen, founder of Jodo Shu, one of the schools of Pure Land Buddhism.
25 - 27 Jan
(3 days)
Losar
Tibetan New Year festival, often also celebrated in Nepal. Losar is celebrated for 15 days, but it is the first three days that constitute the main celebrations. Although chiefly a secular celebration, Losar includes the rededication of Tibet to Buddhism and also celebrates the miracles performed by Buddha at Sravasti.
26 Jan
(Mon)
Yuan Tan (Chinese New Year)
The most important of all the traditional Chinese holidays. The New Year season lasts for 15 days, ending with the Lantern Festival, but it is the first week of the festivities that is considered the most important. The festival is celebrated with fireworks, dances (especially Lion Dances) and the giving of gifts, flowers and sweets. Gold and red are the dominant colours — gold symbolizing the wish for prosperity, red traditionally being considered a lucky colour. On the eve of the New Year a reunion dinner is held, when members of the extended family gather together. On New Year's Day, red envelopes containing money are exchanged. Most importantly, the first day of the Chinese New Year is a time when family members, in order of their seniority, will pay a visit to the oldest and most senior member of their family.
27 Jan
(Tue)
Holocaust Memorial Day
A national event in the United Kingdom dedicated to the remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust. Held every year on 27th January, the date of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp in 1945. The day is dedicated to the memory of all those — not just Jews — who suffered at the hands of the Nazis. Many choose to extend the meaning of the day to include all those in recent history who have faced genocide and persecution on the grounds of race, religion, etc.
31 Jan
(Sat)
Vasanta Panchami/
Saraswati Puja
Widely celebrated in North India, this festival marks the beginning of spring. It is usually linked with Saraswati, the goddess of learning and the arts.
31 Jan
(Sat)
Basant
Basant is a spring festival celebrated in the Indian subcontinent by people of all religions and marks the arrival of Spring. For Namdhari Sikhs, however, it has added significance, who celebrate Basant to mark the birth of their founder, Baba (Satguru) Ram Singh. He stressed meditation and prayer, and encouraged Sikh non-cooperation with the colonial rule through non-violent means.
