1 Oct
Simchat Torah
Simchat Torah is a Hebrew term meaning "rejoicing with/of the Torah". It is one of the happiest days in the Jewish calendar and is marked with festivities in synagogues that include singing, dancing and a moderate consumption of alcohol. The day marks the completion of the annual cycle of reading from the Torah and on this day all the Torah scrolls are paraded around the synagogue.
8 - 16 Oct
(9 days)
Navaratri
A Hindu festival of devotion and dance worshipping Durga. The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti (metaphor for the goddess Durga) are worshipped. The last three days of this festival are the most important.
15 Oct
Durga Puja
Part of the Hindu festival of Navaratri (see above), this day commemorates when Rama invoked the goddess Durga in her battle against Ravana, the demon king, and Rama’s subsequent victory.
16 Oct
Chung Yuan (Festival of Hungry Ghosts)
Chinese Buddhist and ancestral festival. During this festival paper objects for use in the spirit world are made and offered to aid the spirits who have no resting place or descendants. Large paper boats are made and burnt at temples to help spirits on their journey across the sea of torment to Nirvana.
17 Oct
Dussehra
This festival forms the grand culmination of the 10-day annual festival of Navaratri (see above). The legend underlying this festival, and the form the celebration takes, varies vastly by region, but all festivities celebrate the victory of the forces of Good over Evil. It is also considered to be an auspicious day to begin new things in life.
20 Oct
Anniversary of the Birth of the Bab
Bahá'í holy day commemorating the birth of Siyyid 'Alí-Muhammad, the Bab, on 20th October, 1819, in Shiraz, Persia. This anniversary is observed between sundown on 19th October and sundown on 20th October, work being suspended during this period.
20 Oct
Conferring of Guruship on Guru Granth Sahib
Day commemorating an event that took place in AD 1708, when Guru Gobind Singh conferred guruship on Guru Granth Sahib.
22 Oct
Pavarana
Buddhist holy day celebrated on the full moon of the eleventh lunar month. It marks the end of the month of Vassa (Rains Retreat), sometimes called "Buddhist Lent." On this day monks who have completed the Retreat invite their fellows to admonish them for their failings. Most Mahayana Buddhists do not observe Vassa.
31 Oct
All Hallows' Eve
The traditional name for the Christian festival now commonly known as Hallowe'en.
31 Oct
Halloween
Halloween or Hallowe'en is celebrated on the night of October 31st, most notably by children trick-or-treating — dressing in costumes and going door-to-door collecting sweets, fruit, and other treats. The term Halloween, and its older rendering Hallowe'en, is shortened from All-hallow-even, as it is the evening before All Hallows' Day (also known as All Saints' Day). Many European cultural traditions hold that Halloween is one of the liminal times of the year when spirits can make contact with the physical world and when magic is most potent.
31 Oct
Samhain (Pagan)
Pagan festival with Celtic origins. Samhain is the Celtic New Year and the festival marks the ending of the summer season. Samhain is a festival of the dead, when Pagans remember those who have gone before and acknowledge the mystery of death. Elements of the festival became incorporated into the traditions of All Souls' Day and Halloween.
