Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Festivals and Events Calendar

Cultural Calendar Celebrating Festivals, Events & EDI Awareness 2021 University of Lincoln Cultural Calendar 2021

The Cultural Calendar is designed to celebrate the University schools and departments are The UoL Cultural Calendar has been developed by diversity and inclusion of students and staff across encouraged to use this calendar as a resource the Joint Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) the University and the wider community of Lincoln, when planning the academic year, including Partnership. JEDI brings together the Eleanor in line with the University’s One Community Values: events, assignment submission, and exam Glanville Centre, EDI experts in HR, the dates. This is to ensure that students and staff Organisational Development team, the Students' • Equality are not negatively impacted, and that religious Union, Student Services, the Multi-Faith • Understanding festivals and celebrations are taken into Chaplaincy and the Communications, Development & Marketing team. Its role is to • Listening consideration where possible. rethink EDI at Lincoln – to work • Kindness When planning events please consider: together…differently – building, driving and • Acceptance implementing the University's EDI agenda. • Scheduling events to avoid particular times or days that may disadvantage some groups To learn more about EDI at Lincoln, awareness As part of our commitment to promoting equality, • Representing a diverse range of backgrounds campaigns and staff support networks please email diversity and inclusion, the University recognises and identities [email protected] or visit the JEDI website. and celebrates a diverse range of religious & • Accessibility of material, location and cultural festivals, EDI awareness days and making resources available online To learn more about faith events, groups and holidays. • Inclusive catering including fasting, dietary celebrations please visit the Chaplaincy website. restrictions and alcohol alternatives • Location of Quiet Spaces for prayer and To learn more about student networks and reflection campaigns please contact [email protected] 4 World Braille Day January 2021 6 Epiphany | Christian End of the 12 days of Christmas; celebrates visit of the three kings to baby Jesus; especially important to Eastern M T W T F S S Orthodox and Roman Catholics.

14 Makar Sankranti | Hindu 1 2 3 Celebrates the sun’s journey into the northern hemisphere. One of the most important festivals of the Hindu calendar. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 17 World Religion Day

20 Bodhi Day | Buddhist 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Celebration of the enlightenment of Buddha, ca. 596 BCE

27 Holocaust Memorial Day 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 January Cervical Health Awareness Month | Love your Liver Month / Dry January February 2021 1 World Hijab Day

M T W T F S S 4 World Cancer Day

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 6 Time to Talk Day

12 Chinese New Year | Confucian, 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Taoist, Buddhist People gather together for festive meals. 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 15 Parinirvana (Nirvana Day) | Buddhist Mahayana Buddhist festival marking the anniversary of Buddha’s death. Pure Land Buddhists call the festival 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 'Nirvana Day'. 16 Shrove Tuesday | Christian Many Christian churches in the United Kingdom observe Shrove Tuesday as the last day before the fast for the Lent period.

17 Ash Wednesday | Christian The first day of Lent for Western Christian churches. There are special church services on this day. Some Christians abstain from eating meat. 17feb− LENT | Christian Period of preparation for Easter, usually 40 days before. 29apr Christians around the world observe in different ways. Some have strict fasting dedicating time for prayer and devotion and having very limited food diet.

February LGBT History Month | National Heart Month 1 United Nations Zero Discrimination Day 4 Departed Souls Day | Orthodox

8 International Women’s Day

14 Mothering Sunday

St. Patrick’s Day | Christian 17 Saint Patrick’s Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is a cultural and religious celebration − the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland. March 2021 20 Spring Equinox | Pagan Celebration of a renewal of life in spring. M T W T F S S 20 NAW-RUZ | Baha’i Baha’i and Iranian New Year International Day of Happiness 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

21 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

25 The Annunciation of the Mother of God | Orthodox 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 26 Epilepsy Awareness Day 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 31 International Transgender Day of Visibility 29 30 31 March Women’s History Month | Prostate Cancer Awareness Month | Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month 27mar– Pesach (Passover) | Jewish The start of the season of Passover when Jews commemorate 4apr the liberation of the Children of Israel, who were led out of Egypt by Moses.

1 Maundy Thursday | Christian Also known as Holy Thursday, this day celebrates the institution of the Eucharist (or Holy Communion) at Jesus’ Last Supper. 2 Good Friday | Christian World Autism Awareness Day

Easter Sunday | Christian 4 The most important Christian festival celebrating the April 2021 resurrection of Jesus Christ. Also OrthodoxChristian Easter on 28th.

M T W T F S S 7 World Health Day 1 2 3 4 8−9 Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance) 11 World Parkinson’s Awareness Day 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12apr– Ramadan | Muslim The ninth month in the Islamic calendar; 30 days of strict 11may fasting from sunrise to sundown in honour of the first 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 revelations to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him).

Vaisakhi |Sikh 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 14 Sikh new year and harvest festival.

26 27 28 29 30 22 World Earth Day April Bowel Cancer Awareness Month | Stress Awareness Month | Parkinson's Awareness Month 4 World Asthma Day May 2021 4−9 Deaf Awareness Week 8 Vesak, (‘Buddha Day’) | Buddhist The most important of the Buddhist festivals. It celebrates the M T W T F S S Buddha’s birthday, and, for some Buddhists, also marks his enlightenment and death. 12−13 Eid al-Fitr | Muslim 1 2 Eid al-Fitr means “break the fast”, and is the last day of Ramadan, marking the end of a month of fasting. Muslims often pray, exchange gifts, feast, and celebrate with 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 friends and family. 13 The Ascension of the Lord | Christian The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord is one of the great 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 solemnities in the Christian liturgical calendar, and commemorates the bodily ascension of Jesus into heaven.

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 16−18 Shavuot | Jewish Shavuot is the second of three pilgrim festivals and follows the Passover by 50 days. 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 17 International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia

31 18−24 Mental Health Awareness Week 21 World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development

23 Pentecost (Whitsun) | Christian The seventh Sunday after Easter, commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples, and the birth of the Christian Church.

May National Walking Month | Action on Stroke Month | National Osteoporosis Month 5 World Environment Day

8−13 National Carers Week Diabetes Awareness Week

12 World Day Against Child Labour

15−20 Men’s Health Week

16 Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev | Sikh (Nanakshahi calendar) June 2021 Guru Arjan Dev was the fifth Sikh Guru and the first Sikh martyr. He also compiled all of the past Gurus’ writings into one book, which is now the Sikh holy scripture: the Guru Granth Sahib. M T W T F S S 20 Father’s Day World Refugee Day 1 2 3 4 5 6

21 Summer Solstice | Pagan, Wiccan, Druid 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 World Humanist Day World Humanist Day is a Humanist holiday celebrated annually around the world on the June solstice 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

23 International Women in Engineering Day 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

June Motor Neuron Disease Awareness Month | Gypsy, 28 29 30 Roma and Traveller History Month | Stillbirth & Neonatal Death Awareness Month | Pride Month July 2021 9 Martyrdom of the Bab | Baha’i

11 St Benedict Patron of Europe | Catholic M T W T F S S Christian

1 2 3 4 15 St. Vladimir the Great Day | Orthodox Christian 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 17 World Day for International Justice 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20−23 Eid al Adha - Sacrifice Day | Islam 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 23 Emperor Haile Selassie birthday | Rastafaria 26 27 28 29 30 31 24 Pioneer Day | Mormon Christian Asalha Puja Day | Buddhist

25 St. James Apostle | Christian

28 World Hepatitis Day

July Sarcoma Awareness Month | International Women with Alopecia Month 1 Lammas | Christian Lughnassad | Imbolc

1−7 World Breast-feeding Week

Transfiguration of the Lord | 6 Orthodox Christian and Catholic

9 International Day of the World’s Indigenous People August 2021 10 Hijra - New Year begins | Islam 12 International Youth Day M T W T F S S 15 Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary | Catholic Christian 1 Dormition of the Theotokos | Orthodox Christian

17−18 Shavout | Jewish 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 18 Ashura | Islam 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 19 World Humanitarian Day

22 Raksha Bandhan | Hindu 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

September Sickle Cell Awareness Month | Childhood Cancer Awareness Month | International Blood Cancer Awareness Month | World Dementia Awareness Month 1 International Day of Older Persons 2 International Day of Non Violence

7−14 Navratri | Hindu Hindu Festival of the divine mother honouring Durga, wife of Shiva, and seeking her blessings. Also observed as a celebration recalling the days of Lord Krishna

10 World Mental Health Day October 2021 11 International Day of the Girl Child 12 Ada Lovelace Day

M T W T F S S Mawlid Al -Nabi | Muslim 19−20 Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon 1 2 3 4 Him), ca. 570 CE MAWLID AL-NABI Sukkot | Jewish 20−27 A week-long celebration which begins withthe building of 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Sukkah.

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 22 Eckankar Spiritual New Year 26 Intersex Awareness Day 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

October Black History Month | Breast Cancer Awareness 26 27 28 29 30 31 Month | Down Syndrome Awareness Month | Lupus Awareness Month | Global Diversity Awareness Month 1 All Saints Day | Christian Celebration of lives of all the saints, especially those who do not have a special day. November 2021 All Souls Day | Christian 2 The Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed. M T W T F S S 3 National Stress Awareness Day 4 Diwali (Deepavali) | Hindu 1 A five day festival of Lights, celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains.

Birth of Baha’u’llah | Baha’i 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 6−7 Commemorates the birth of the founder of the Baha’i faith in 1817. 11 Remembrance Sunday & Armistice Day 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 13−20 Transgender Awareness Week 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 14 World Diabetes Day 19 Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Sahib | Sikh Birthday of the founder of the Sikh religion. 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 20 Transgender Day of Rememberance 30 21 Entry of the Mother of God in the Temple | Orthodox

Day of the Covenant | Baha’i 24−25 Celebration of the covenant given in the last will and testament of Baha’u’llah. 25 International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

November Lung Cancer Awareness month | Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month | Mouth Cancer Awareness Month | Men’s Health Awareness Month 28nov– Hanukkah | Jewish Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights and marks the 6dec restoration of the temple by the Maccabees in 164 BCE.

28nov– Advent | Christian Period of four weeks in which Christians prepare 24dec for Christmas.

1 World Aids Day

2 International Day for the December 2021 Abolition of Slavery

M T W T F S S 3 International Day of People with Disability 1 2 3 4 5 6 18 International Migrants Day 21 Winter Solstice | Pagan 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 25 Christmas Day | Christian The day when western Christians celebrate the birth of 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Jesus Christ. Celebrated by Orthodox Christians on 7th January.

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 31 New Year’s Eve / Hogmanay 28 29 30 31 December Universal Month for Human Rights | Spiritual Literacy Month National and Independence Days 2021

January April June

1 Cuba Revolution Day 1 Iran 12 Philippines and Russia 26 Australia Day 4 Senegal 19 Kuwait 26 India Republic Day 9 Georgia 25 Mozambique and Croatia 16 Denmark, Birthday of HM Queen Margrethe II 26 Madagascar 17 Syria 27 Djibouti February 18 Zimbabwe 30 Democratic Republic of Congo 24 Ireland Holy See (Vatican City) Coronation Day of Pope Bendict XVI 4 Sri Lanka Independence day July 11 Iran- Anniversary of the Islamic Revolution 26 Union Day (Tanganyika and Zanzibar) 15 Serbia National day 27 South Africa Freedom Day 16 Lithuania Statehood Restoration Day Netherland’s King’s Day 1 Rwanda and Somalia 24 Estonia Independence day Sierra Leone 3 Belarus Togo 4 United States 5 Venezuela March Algeria National Day May 7 Soloman Island 1 Bosnia, Herzegovina and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) 9 South Sudan 3 Bulgaria Liberation Day 4 Latvia 12 Sao Tome and Principe 6 Ghana 5 Netherlands 17 Slovakia 20 Tunisia 9 Romania 28 Peru 23 Pakistan Republic Day 14 Israel 30 Vanuatu 25 Greece 15 Paraguay 26 Bangladesh National Day 20 Cuba 21 Timor-Leste 21 Montenegro 24 Ecuador and Eritrea 25 Jordan 26 Georgia and Guyana 28 Azerbaijan National and Independence Days 2021 October August 1 Cyprus, Nigeria, Tuvalu 3 Niger 2 Guinea 4 Pakistan 3 Iraq 6 Jamaica 4 Lesotho 9 Singapore (National day) 5 Bulgaria 15 South Korea Liberation Day 9 Uganda 19 Afghanistan 10 Fiji Day 24 Ukraine 12 Equatorial Guinea Day December 25 Uruguay 18 Azerbaijan 31 Trinidad and Tobago 23 Hungary 1 Restoration of Independence Day for Portugal 24 Zambia Central African Republican Day September 26 Austria Romania National Day 27 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2 Lao 28 Czech Republic UAE National Day 1 Uzbekistan 6 Finland Independence Day 2 Vietnam Myanmar National Day 6 Eswatini Somhlolo Day November 12 Jamhuri Day (date when Kenya was established as a Republic) 7 Brazil 16 Bahrain Independence Day 8 North Macedonia 1 Antigua and Barbuda Kazakhstan Independence Day 9 Tajikistan 2 Tonga Constitution Day 17 Bhutan National Day 15 Costa Rica 4 Dominica Independence Day 18 Qatar National Day Guatemala 9 Cambodia 20 Macau SARE Day Honduras 11 Angolan and Poland 24 Libya Mexico 15 Palestine Nicaragua 18 Latvian National Day 16 Papua New Guinea Oman National Day 18 Chile Morrocan Independence Day 19 Saint Kitts and Nevis 19 Monaco 21 Armenia, Belize, Malta 22 Lebanon 22 Mali 28 Albanian Independence Day 23 Saudi Arabia National Day Congo Republican Day 24 Guinea-Bissau Mauritania Independence Day 30 Yemen Independence Day Barbados Independence Day Staff Support Networks

Disabilities Staff Network iCAN — Living with Cancer International Staff Network LGBTQI+ Staff Network People of Colour (POC) The Carers and Parents (CaP) Club Women in Science, Engineering & Technology (WiseLincoln)