? Sep/Oct
Harvest Festival
Traditionally, harvest festivals are held on or near the Sunday of the Harvest Moon, which is the full moon occurring in the month of September. Hence, the festival usually occurs in September, but occasionally takes place on the first Sunday of October. The festival is normally marked by the displaying of various foods in churches, with services being held to give thanks for the goodness of God's gifts of nature. After such services, tradition holds that the food should be distributed amongst the elderly and the needy.
1 Sep
(Tue)
Installation of Sikh Scriptures in Harimandir Sahib
Day that commemorates the installation of Sikh scriptures in the Harimandir Sahib (commonly called the Golden Temple) at Amritsar in 1604.
11 Sep
(Fri)
Ethiopian New Year's Day
Rastafarians celebrate New Year's Day on 11th September, with each new year being named after one of four evangelists (i.e. in a four-year cycle). This day is the beginning of the year of Mark.
16 Sep
(Wed)
Lailat-ul-Qadr
Lailut ul-Qadr literally means the Night of Destiny or Night of Measures and commemorates the night on which the Prophet Muhammad received the first revelation of the Qur'an. Muslims believe that this night is kept secret by God, but that Muhammad told them to seek it in the last ten days of Ramadan. Many Muslims spend the night at their local mosque praying and studying the Qur'an.
19 Sep
(Sat)
Rosh Hashanah
Festival marking the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah occurs over two days, starting and ending at sunset on successive days. It begins ten days of repentance and self-examination, during which God sits in judgement of every individual. Shofars (ram's horns) are blown in synagogues as a reminder of Abraham's sacrifice of a ram instead of Isaac, his son. Traditionally, apples dipped in honey are eaten in the hope of a "sweet" new year.
19 - 27 Sep
(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.
20 Sep
(Sun)
Eid-ul-Fitr
Islamic holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. Fitr means "to break" and therefore symbolizes the breaking of the fasting period and of all sinful habits. On the day of the celebration, a typical Muslim family gets up very early and attends special prayers held only for the occasion in mosques. Festivities, merriment, gift-giving and feasting start after the prayers. This festival is traditionally a time for family get-togethers and contact with friends. Charity donations collected during Ramadan, called Zakat, are given to those in need before the Eid prayer. The traditional greeting on this day is "Eid Mubarak (happy and blessed Eid)".
21 Sep
(Mon)
Mabon (Autumn Equinox) (Pagan)
Also called Harvest Home, the Feast of the Ingathering, or simply Autumn Equinox, this Pagan festival is a ritual of thanksgiving for the fruits of the earth and a recognition of the need to share them to secure the blessings of the Goddess and God during the winter months.
23 Sep
(Wed)
Shubun No Hi (Higan)
Japanese festival marking the Autumn Equinox. Its full name is Higan No Chu-Nichi and many of the customs associated with this day resemble those practice at the Spring Equinox festival of Higan No Chi-Nichi.
26 Sep
(Sat)
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.
28 Sep
(Mon)
Yom Kippur
Jewish Day of Atonement, marking the end of the ten-day period of repentance begun at Rosh Hashanah. It is regarded as the holiest day in Judaism, being referred to in the Bible as the "Sabbath of Sabbaths". The day is marked by a 25-hour long fast and most of the day is spent in prayer, asking for forgiveness for past wrongs and resolving to improve in the future.
28 Sep
(Mon)
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.
