Spiritual Development and Faith Awareness

Important cultural and religious holidays 2026

January

January 1 | Solemnity of Mary | Christian – Catholic | Feast to honour Mary (Mother of God)
January 1 | Feast of St Basil | Christian – Orthodox | Church forefather from 329–379 CE
January 2 | Feast of St Basil | Christian – Catholic | Church forefather from 329–379 CE
January 3 | Full Moon
January 3 | Mahayana New Year | Buddhist | New Year
January 3 | Mindfulness | Zen Buddhism | International Mind–Body–Wellness Day
January 5 | Guru Gobind Singh Birthday | Sikh | Birth of the 10th Guru in 1666
January 6 | Epiphany of the Lord | Christian – Western | 12th day of Christmas, commemorating the manifestation of Jesus, particularly the visit of the Magi
January 7 | Christmas | Christian – Orthodox | Celebrating the birth of Jesus according to the Julian calendar
January 11 | Baptism of Jesus | Christian | Commemorates the baptism of Jesus
January 13 | Maghi–Lohri | Sikh | Harvest festival
January 14 | Thai Pongal (Tamil) | Hindu | Harvest festival honouring the Hindu sun god Surya and the sun’s transition into Capricorn
January 14 | Makar Sankranti (Pan-Indian) | Hindu | Festival marking the sun’s transition into Capricorn
January 16 | Lailat al Miraj | Islam | Prophet Muhammad’s night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem
January 18 | World Religion Day | Third Sunday of January, promoting interfaith understanding and dialogue
January 19 | New Moon
January 19 | Epiphany of the Lord | Christian – Orthodox | 12th day of Orthodox Christmas, commemorating the manifestation of Jesus
January 23 | Vasant Panchami | Hindu | Arrival of Spring and celebration of Goddess Saraswati, deity of knowledge, wisdom, music and arts
January 29 | Jaya Ekadashi | Hindu | Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, a day for fasting and prayers
January 31 | Guru Har Rai Birthday | Sikh | Birth of the 7th Guru in 1630

February

February 1 | Thaipusam | Hindu | Honouring Lord Murugan, son of Shiva
February 1 | Full Moon
February 2 | Tu B’Shevat | Jewish | New Year for trees
February 2 | Candlemas | Christian | Presentation of Jesus into the Temple
February 2 | Lammas / Lughnasadh | Pagan | First harvest festival
February 3 | Lailat al Bara’ah | Islam | Night of forgiveness and seeking forgiveness for sins
February 10 | Losar | Buddhist | Tibetan New Year
February 12 | Makha Bucha | Buddhist | Buddha began teaching his disciples
February 13 | Kumbha Sankranti | Hindu | Sun transfers into the Aquarius zodiac
February 14 | St Valentine’s Day | Christian | A day of expressing love, friendship and admiration
February 15 | Nirvana Day | Buddhist | Commemorates the death of Buddha
February 15 | Maha Shivaratri | Hindu | The great night of Shiva
February 16 | New Moon
February 17 | Chinese New Year | Chinese | New Year, Year of the Fire Horse
February 17 | Shrove Tuesday / Pancake Day | Christian – Catholic | Feast before Lent
February 17 | Ramadan (Starts) | Islam | Beginning of a period of fasting and reflection (until March 20)
February 18 | Ash Wednesday (Lent begins) | Christian – Catholic | Start of Lent, a 40-day fasting period before Easter
February 22 | Founder’s Day | Scouts | Birthdays of Lord Robert Baden-Powell and Lady Olave Baden-Powell
February 23 | Great Lent | Christian – Orthodox | Start of Orthodox Lent, a 40-day fasting period before Easter
February 24 | Maslenitsa | Pagan (Eastern Slavic) | Farewell to winter
February 25 | Ayyám-i-Há | Bahá’í | Festival of gift-giving lasting until March 1
February 26 | Maha Shivaratri | Hindu | Festival honouring Shiva

March

March 1 | St David’s Day | Christian | Patron Saint of Wales
March 1 | Bahá’í Month of Fasting | Bahá’í | Period of fasting until March 20
March 2 | Purim | Jewish | Festival celebrating the events of the Book of Esther
March 2 | Full Moon
March 2 | Lantern Festival | Chinese | End of Chinese New Year (Spring) celebrations
March 3 | Holika Dahan | Hindu | Celebration of good over evil, Holika is burnt while Prahlad survives through devotion to Lord Vishnu
March 3 | Magha Puja (Sangha Day) | Buddhist | Commemorates 1,250 monks coming together to listen to the Buddha
March 4 | Holi | Hindu | Festival celebrating the end of winter and the triumph of good over evil
March 4 | Hola Mohalla | Sikh | Three-day festival celebrating spiritual strength alongside physical prowess (until March 6)
March 14 | Sikh New Year | Sikh | New Year
March 15 | Meena Sankranti | Hindu | Sun transfers into the Meena (Pisces) zodiac
March 16 | Laylat al Qadr | Islam | Holiest night in Islam, commemorating the Qur’an being revealed to Prophet Muhammad
March 17 | St Patrick’s Day | Christian | Patron Saint of Ireland
March 17 | New Moon
March 17 | St Joseph’s Day | Christian | Honouring the earthly father of Jesus
March 19 | Ugadi / Gudi Padwa / Telugu | Hindu | Hindu New Year
March 19 | Chaitra Navratri | Hindu | Nine-day festival dedicated to Goddess Durga as part of the Hindu New Year (until March 27)
March 20 | Eid al Fitr | Islam | Marks the end of Ramadan
March 21 | Harmony Day | | Celebrating inclusiveness, respect and belonging
March 21 | Nowruz | Bahá’í / Persian | New Year
March 22 | Autumn Equinox
March 22 | Mabon (Southern Hemisphere) | Pagan / Wicca | Festival of gratitude, reflection and balance
March 25 | Annunciation | Christian | Mary is told by the Angel Gabriel that she will be the mother of Jesus
March 27 | Ramanavami | Hindu | Birth of Lord Rama
March 29 | Palm Sunday | Christian (Western) | Jesus enters Jerusalem, marking the start of Holy Week leading to Easter
March 31 | Mahavir Jayanti | Jainism | Birth of Lord Mahavira, the 24th and last spiritual master of Jainism

April

April 1 | Kha b’Nisan / Akito | Assyrian | Assyrian New Year 6776
April 1 | Full Moon
April 2 | Pesach | Jewish | Passover, a biblical festival commemorating the Jews’ exit from Egypt (week-long until April 9)
April 2 | Hanuman Jayanti | Hindu | Birth of Lord Hanuman
April 2 | Maundy (Holy) Thursday | Christian – Western | Commemoration of the Last Supper
April 3 | Good Friday | Christian – Western | Crucifixion of Jesus
April 5 | Easter Sunday | Christian – Western | Resurrection of Jesus
April 5 | Qingming | Chinese | Tomb-sweeping festival
April 10 | Good Friday | Christian – Orthodox | Commemoration of the crucifixion of Jesus
April 12 | Easter Sunday | Christian – Orthodox | Resurrection of Jesus (Orthodox tradition)
April 13 | Theravada New Year | Buddhist | New Year
April 14 | Tamil New Year | Hindu | New Year
April 14 | Vaisakhi | Sikh | Spring harvest festival
April 14 | Mesha Sankranti | Hindu | Solar New Year, sun transitions into the Aries zodiac
April 17 | New Moon
April 18 | Guru Angad Dev Birthday | Sikh | Birth of the 2nd Sikh Guru
April 18 | Guru Tegh Bahadur Birthday | Sikh | Birth of the 9th Sikh Guru
April 21 | Ridván | Bahá’í | Commemorates the founding of the Bahá’í Faith
April 23 | St George’s Day | Christian | Patron Saint of England, Georgia, Portugal, Catalonia and Bulgaria
April 24 | ANZAC Day | Australian | Remembering those who died at Gallipoli in WWI and in all wars
April 30 | Guru Amar Das Birthday | Sikh | Birth of the 3rd Sikh Guru

May

May 1 | Vesak / Buddha Day / Budh Purnima | Buddhist | Most sacred day in Buddhism, commemorating the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha
May 1 | Pesach Sheni | Jewish | Biblical second Passover
May 1 | Samhain (Southern Hemisphere) | Pagan / Wicca | Autumn and end of harvest festival
May 1 | Full Moon
May 2 | Guru Arjan Dev Birthday | Sikh | Birth of the 5th Sikh Guru
May 2 | Twelfth Day of Ridván | Bahá’í | Commemorates Bahá’u’lláh and his family travelling to Istanbul
May 5 | Lag B’Omer | Jewish | Festival on the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer between Passover and Shavuot
May 14 | Ascension of Jesus | Christian | Jesus ascends to heaven, as recorded in the Gospels of Luke and Mark
May 15 | Vrishabha Sankranti | Hindu | Sun transfers into the Taurus zodiac
May 17 | New Moon
May 21 | Shavuot | Jewish | Biblical harvest festival and celebration of the giving of the Torah
May 24 | Pentecost | Christian | The Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus’ disciples, 50 days after Easter
May 24 | Declaration of the Báb | Bahá’í | The Báb announces his mission
May 26 | Waqf al Arafah (Hajj) | Islam | Second day of the Hajj pilgrimage, supported worldwide
May 26 | National Sorry Day | Aboriginal | Commemorates the Stolen Generations and marks the start of National Reconciliation Week (until June 3)
May 29 | Ascension of the Báb | Bahá’í | Commemorates the passing of the Báb
May 31 | Saga Dawa Düchen | Buddhist | Tibetan holy day commemorating the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha
May 31 | Trinity Sunday | Christian | Celebrates the first Sunday after Pentecost and the central doctrine of the Trinity

June

June 3 | Mabo Day | Aboriginal | Anniversary of the High Court Mabo decision recognising native title
June 4 | Corpus Christi | Christian – Catholic | Feast celebrating the reality of the Eucharist
June 14 | Mithuna Sankranti | Hindu | Sun transitions into the Gemini zodiac
June 15 | New Moon
June 16 | Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev | Sikh | Commemorates the martyrdom of the 5th Sikh Guru
June 16 | Hijra | Islam | Islamic New Year
June 19 | Duanwu Festival | Chinese | Dragon Boat Festival
June 21 | Yule | Pagan / Wicca | Winter solstice
June 29 | Saints Peter and Paul Day | Christian | Honouring the martyrdom of the apostles Peter and Paul
June 30 | Full Moon

July

July 2 | 17th of Tammuz | Jewish | Fast day commemorating the breach of Jerusalem’s walls leading to the destruction of the Second Temple
July 5 | NAIDOC Week | Aboriginal | National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee Week (until July 11)
July 5 | Guru Hargobind Birthday | Sikh | Birth of the 6th Sikh Guru in 1595
July 10 | Martyrdom of the Báb | Bahá’í | Commemorates the execution of the central prophet of the Bahá’í Faith in 1850
July 14 | New Moon
July 15 | Saint Vladimir | Christian | Saint from Kiev, Ukraine
July 16 | Puri Rath Yatra | Hindu | Major festival for Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra
July 16 | Karka Sankranti | Hindu | Sun transitions into the Cancer zodiac
July 23 | Tisha B’Av | Jewish | Fast day commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples and other tragedies in Jewish history
July 23 | Guru Har Krishan Birthday | Sikh | Birth of the 8th Sikh Guru in 1656
July 25 | St James the Great Day | Christian | Patron Saint of Spain
July 26 | Ashura | Islam | Commemorates the parting of the Red Sea by Moses
July 29 | Tu B’Av | Jewish | Day of romance and unity
July 29 | Guru Purnima | Hindu | Honours teachers, gurus and mentors
July 29 | Asala Dharma Day | Buddhist | Commemorates the Buddha’s first sermon
July 30 | Full Moon

August

August 1 | Imbolc | Pagan / Wicca | First signs of Spring
August 1 | Birth of Guru Granth | Sikh | Establishment of the Guru Granth Sahib as the eternal Guru in 1708
August 13 | New Moon
August 13 | Obon | Buddhist | Ancestor day in Japan
August 15 | Assumption of Mary | Christian | Commemorates Mary, mother of Jesus, being taken into heaven
August 15 | Ullambana | Buddhist | Ancestor Day
August 17 | Nag Panchami | Hindu | Honours serpent deities
August 17 | Simha Sankranti | Hindu | Sun transitions into the Leo zodiac
August 19 | Qixi | Chinese | Chinese Valentine’s Day
August 25 | Milad un Nabi | Islam | Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad
August 25 | Raksha Bandhan | Hindu | Celebrates the bond between siblings
August 28 | Full Moon
August 28 | Varalakshmi Vrat | Hindu | Celebration in honour of Goddess Lakshmi

September

September 4 | Krishna Janmashtami | Hindu | Birth of Lord Krishna
September 8 | Paryushana | Jainism | Eight-day festival of reflection (until September 15)
September 8 | New Moon
September 11 | Enkutatash / Nayrouz | Ethiopian / Coptic | New Year
September 12 | Rosh Hashanah | Jewish | Jewish New Year 5787
September 14 | Holy Cross Day | Christian | Commemorates the discovery of Jesus’ cross by St Helena in 326
September 15 | Ganesh Chaturthi | Hindu | Birth of Lord Ganesha
September 15 | Samvatsari | Jainism | Festival of forgiveness
September 15 | Daslakshana | Jainism | Ten-day festival honouring the ten cardinal virtues (until September 25)
September 17 | Vishwakarma | Hindu | Honours the deity of architects, craftsmen and engineers
September 17 | Kanya Sankranti | Hindu | Sun transitions into the Virgo zodiac
September 21 | Yom Kippur | Jewish | Day of Atonement
September 22 | Ostara | Pagan / Wicca | Spring Equinox
September 25 | Mid-Autumn (Mooncake) Festival | Chinese | Mid-Autumn harvest festival
September 25 | Tsukimi | Japanese | Harvest (Autumn) moon festival
September 26 | Sukkot | Jewish | Week-long Festival of Tabernacles (until October 2)
September 27 | Kshamavani | Jainism | Day of forgiveness
September 29 | Full Moon
September 29 | Michaelmas | Christian – Western | Feast of Archangel Michael and all angels

October

October 1 | Guru Angad Dev | Sikh | Installation of the 2nd Sikh Guru in 1539
October 3 | Shemini Atzeret | Jewish | Eighth day of Sukkot
October 4 | Simchat Torah | Jewish | Rejoicing in the Torah
October 5 | Guru Nanak Dev | Sikh | Founder of Sikhism, born in 1539
October 5 | Mahalaya Amavasya | Hindu | End of an ancestral worship fortnight
October 5 | New Moon
October 11 | Navratri | Hindu | Nine-day festival honouring Shakti (until October 19)
October 17 | Tula Sankranti | Hindu | Sun transitions into the Libra zodiac
October 19 | Durga Puja | Hindu | Ten-day festival honouring the goddess Durga (ending October 29)
October 20 | Conferment of Guru Granth Sahib | Sikh | Second stage of accepting the ongoing scriptures of Sikhism
October 20 | Dussehra | Hindu | Triumph of Lord Rama over the demon king Ravana, symbolising good over evil
October 25 | Kathina | Buddhist | Thanksgiving
October 25 | Sharad Purnima | Hindu | Festival marking the end of the monsoon
October 26 | Full Moon
October 27 | Guru Ram Das Jayanti | Sikh | Birth of the 4th Sikh Guru in 1534
October 27 | Kathina | Buddhist | End of the monsoon
October 29 | Karwa Chauth | Hindu | Festival where wives pray for their husbands
October 31 | Halloween | Pagan | End of summer harvest
October 31 | Beltane (Southern Hemisphere) | Pagan | Festival marking the start of summer

November

November 1 | All Saints’ Day (All Hallows’ Day) | Christian | Honours all saints, known and unknown
November 2 | All Souls’ Day | Christian | Solemn day to remember ancestors and the faithful departed
November 8 | Diwali | Hindu / Sikh | Festival of lights
November 8 | Michaelmas | Christian – Eastern | Feast of Archangel Michael and all angels
November 9 | New Moon
November 10 | Birth of the Báb | Bahá’í | Birth of the Báb, prophet of the Bahá’í Faith, in 1819
November 11 | Remembrance Day | Australian | Remembering Australians killed in war
November 11 | Bhai Dooj | Hindu | Festival celebrating the bond between siblings
November 11 | Birth of Bahá’u’lláh | Bahá’í | Birth of the founder of the Bahá’í Faith in 1817
November 15 | Chhath Puja | Hindu | Four-day festival dedicated to Surya and Chhathi Maiya
November 16 | Vrishchika Sankranti | Hindu | Sun transitions into the Scorpio zodiac
November 22 | Christ the King Day | Christian – Catholic | Feast marking the end of the Christian liturgical year before Advent
November 22 | Guru Nanak Birthday | Sikh | Birth of the 1st Sikh Guru in 1469
November 24 | Kartik Purnima | Hindu / Sikh / Jain | Commemorates Lord Shiva’s victory over the demon Tripurasura
November 25 | Full Moon
November 26 | Day of the Covenant | Bahá’í | Establishment of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as successor to Bahá’u’lláh
November 28 | Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá | Bahá’í | Commemorates the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1921
November 29 | Advent | Christian | Start of the Christian liturgical year and preparation for Christmas
November 30 | St Andrew’s Day | Christian | Patron Saint of Scotland

December

December 5 | Chanukah | Jewish | Eight-day Festival of Lights (ends December 12)
December 6 | St Nicholas Day | Christian | Honours St Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop known for generosity
December 8 | Bodhi Day | Buddhist | Commemorates the day the Buddha achieved enlightenment
December 9 | New Moon
December 16 | Dhanu Sankranti | Hindu | Marks the sun’s entry into the Sagittarius zodiac
December 20 | Geeta Jayanti | Hindu | Commemorates the first reading of the Bhagavad Gita
December 22 | Litha | Pagan | Summer Solstice
December 24 | Full Moon
December 25 | Christmas | Christian (Western) | Birth of Jesus Christ

Spotlight Days

Saints Days
What is a Saints day? Saints Day are annual commemoration day for significant people in Christianity (predominantly Catholic) usually on the anniversary of their death or other significant day. Other religions Bahai, Hindu, Sikh etc. also commemorate significant days of people in their religion.

Vesak
There are different ways of celebrating the holiday. Often the festivities begin with a good 'spring clean' and homes are freshened up and decorated. In the morning, Buddhists visit their temples and give offerings to the monks of food, candles and flowers. There is chanting and praying, incense, music and colour. There may be exciting parades through the streets.

In some areas, there will be a 'Bathing the Buddha' ceremony, with water poured over a statue of Buddha. Special lanterns of paper and wood (sometimes homemade) are hung from houses and trees, along with electric lights and exciting light displays. Caged birds may be released, symbolising the release of sorrows. In China, there may be dragon dances.

Activities for your Units

- Make a Chinese lantern
- Make a bean mandela

September – What’s in a name?
September like many of our month's names is actually Latin. It means the seventh month. The Roman calendar started with the northern spring in March (ie. September is 7 months from March). Later January and February were added.

However, it’s the eighth month in the Chinese lunar year (used by many Asian countries). To confuse things even more, the Jewish holy days are usually in September which the Bible’s book of Numbers calls the seventh month, but this year they will be in October, meaning that this September is the sixth month. It is the third month of the year in the Muslim calendar.

Confused? There are two factors affecting an annual calendar: A. the day of the New Year and B. how months/years are calculated.

The Western world starts the calendar on 1 January (a random date) and consists of 365 and a quarter days, the period for the earth to rotate around the sun giving us our seasons. (known as a solar calendar)
The Muslim calendar follows a lunar calendar where a new month starts on every new moon and lasts 12 months. Because the lunar year is around 354 days long, New Year is 11 days earlier than the solar year and consequentially Muslim holy days migrate through the year. The calendar started on July 16, 622.
The Chinese (Asian) and Jewish calendars are Lunar/Solar calendars. They use the Muslim calendar of changing months every new moon but have a leap year (add a month every so often) to keep the year aligned with the solar year.

Coptic Church

One of the oldest Christian denominations in the world, tracing its roots back to St. Mark the Evangelist, who is believed to have founded the church in Alexandria, Egypt, around 42 A.D. It’s the largest Christian community in Egypt and a major branch of Oriental Orthodoxy, distinct from both Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy due to theological differences that emerged after the Council of Chalcedon in 451 A.D.

Core Beliefs

The Holy Trinity: One God in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ: Fully divine and fully human, united in one nature (a key point of divergence from Chalcedonian Christianity).
Salvation: Achieved through the grace of God and human cooperation—faith, sacraments, good works, and asceticism all play a role.

Scripture and Tradition

The Bible is central, but interpreted through the lens of apostolic tradition and patristic writings.
Sacraments: Seven major sacraments are practised, including Baptism, Eucharist, Confession, and Marriage. The Eucharist is considered the “Crown of Sacraments”.
Liturgy: Rich, ancient liturgical tradition using the Coptic Rite, often in Coptic and Arabic.
Fasting: Copts observe numerous fasts, including the Great Lent and the Fast of the Apostles.
Monasticism: Deeply rooted in Coptic spirituality—Egypt is the birthplace of Christian monasticism.
Icons and Hymns: Visual and musical expressions of faith are central to worship.

Leadership and Structure

Pope of Alexandria: The spiritual leader of the church, currently Pope Tawadros II, seen as successor to St. Mark.
Holy Synod: Governs church doctrine and practice.
Global Presence: Though centered in Egypt, the Coptic Church has expanded worldwide, especially in diaspora communities across North America, Australia, and Europe

Structure of the Coptic Calendar

13 months total:
12 months of 30 days each
1 epagomenal month (called Pi Kogi Enavot or Nasie) of 5 days, or 6 days in a leap year

For more information, to join the team or to learn more contact Peter Moore at sl.faithawareness@scoutsvictoria.com.au

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