Rosh Hashana is the Jewish New Year festival, marking the Jewish
month of Tishri, also celebrated as the Birthday of the World. In fact, Judaism has four “new years” which mark various legal “years”, much like 1 January marks the “New Year” of the Gregorian calendar. Rosh Hashanah is the new year for people, animals, and legal contracts. The Mishnah also sets this day aside as the new year for calculating calendar years and sabbatical (”shemitta”) and jubilee (”yovel”) years. It lasts for two days. This holiday is the first of the ”Yamim Noraim” (“Days of Awe”), the most solemn days of the Jewish year.

Taking place during the Hindu month of Sravana (13^th August 2011),
Raksha Bandhan is a very beautiful and important festival. It celebrates brotherhood and love, promoting harmonious coexistence between all. It is mainly celebrated in Northern India. Raksha Bandhan is a significant event in the Hindu Calendar and the importance of the brother-sister relationship is emphasised throughout.

Tisha b’Av is the day when those of the Jewish faith remember and
commemorate the many tragedies that have befallen them, throughout history, on the 9^th day of the month of Av in the Jewish Lunar Calendar. This year it takes place on the 28th of July.  It is a very sad day in the Jewish calendar.  As is customary in Jewish tradition, fasting denotes a sign of mourning and as such Jews fast on this day.

A little known day of celebration to most ‘Westerners’, May 24,
the Day of Saints Cyril and Methodius, is a huge festival for those in Eastern Europe: a day to celebrate cultural heritage. The peoples of Russia, Slovakia, Macedonia, Serbia, Czech Republic, Hungary, etc. venerate Saints Cyril and Methodius who created a Slavonic alphabet, translating the Bible and other writings from Greek and Latin into the language of the Slavic peoples. The invention of this ‘Cyrillic Alphabet’ is seen as the keystone that gave the Slavs access to written culture, vast sources of knowledge, and ultimately allowed them cultural independence from Muslim (as part of the Turkish Empire) and other religious or social invasions.

The festival of Paryushana Parva is celebrated by Jains (a Hindu sect)
across the world, mainly in India, in the Hindu month of Bhadrapad. It ordains them to observe the ten universal supreme virtues in daily practical life, which bring bliss into this and the next world. The main aim is the attainment of salvation, the ‘supreme ideal for a mundane soul’. The festival is for self purification and uplift, leading one on the right path away from materialism. It is for introspection and enlightenment.

On 22nd August 2011, Hindus around the world will be celebrating
Krishna Janmashmati, the birth of their deity Lord Sri Krishna. Krishna is seen as the source of joy and his birthday is one of the most important celebrations in the Hindu calendar. Sri Krishna lived in luxury throughout his life and so the festival is celebrated with great splendour. As well as celebrating the birth of Sri Krishna, the festival symbolises the lighting of the spark of the Divine power in every human being.