2018 Calendar – Cultural and Religious Dates Date Event Index Notes 1-Jan-18 New Year's Day Festival 1-Jan-18 Liberation Day Cuba 1-Jan-18 Independence Day Haiti 1-Jan-18 National Day Sudan St Basil was one of the greatest leaders and thinkers of the Orthodox Christian church. In Orthodox 1-Jan-18 Feast of St Basil many Greek homes, a special cake is baked on the eve of St Basil's Day with a gold or Christian silver coin hidden inside. Myanmar 4-Jan-18 Independence Day (Burma) Birth of Guru Gobindh On this day people of Sikh faith honour the birth of the founder of the Khalsa who lived 5-Jan-18 Sikh Singh, 10th Guru from 1666 - 1708 (Khalsa refers to the collective body of all baptised Sikhs). 6-Jan-18 Epiphany Christian Epiphany commemorates the manifestation of God in human form as Jesus Christ. Armenian Armenian Christmas 6-Jan-18 Orthodox The Armenian Church celebrates Christmas on this day. Day Christian The Holy Nativity Feast Orthodox 7-Jan-18 Eastern Orthodox Churches that use the Julian Calendar celebrate Christmas on this day. (Nativity of Christ) Christian Coptic 19-Jan-18 Coptic Epiphany Epiphany commemorates the manifestation of God in human form as Jesus Christ. Orthodox Schützenfest, Adelaide Schützenfest is a festival celebrating German culture and featuring competitive shooting, 19-Jan-18 Festival (to 20 January) music, dancing, food and drink. Australia’s first Schützenfest was held in Adelaide in 1865. Observed in over 80 countries, the aim of World Religion Day is to foster interfaith 21-Jan-18 World Religion Day Interfaith understanding and harmony by emphasising the common elements underlying all religions. On this night, Scots everywhere honour Robert Burns, poet, balladeer and for many, 25-Jan-18 Burns Night Festival Scotland's favourite son. Burns Night is a night for all Scots to celebrate their heritage. On Australia Day we come together as a nation to celebrate what's great about Australia and being Australian. Australia Day celebrations are held in communities across the 26-Jan-18 Australia Day Australia country. Order of Australia awards are announced on Australia Day and the Queen’s Birthday each year. 26-Jan-18 Republic Day India 31-Jan-18 National Day Nauru Independence 4-Feb-18 Sri Lanka Commemoration Day 6-Feb-18 Waitangi Day New Zealand Accessed 15 December 2017 from: <https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/settlement-and-multicultural- affairs/programs-policy/a-multicultural-australia/government-building-social-cohesion/calendar-of-cultural-and- religious-dates#2018> 1 | P a g e 2018 Calendar – Cultural and Religious Dates Date Event Index Notes 7-Feb-18 Independence Day Grenada Lonsdale Street 10-Feb-18 Festival, Melbourne (to Festival This popular festival takes over Lonsdale Street to celebrate all things Greek. 11 February) Victory of the Islamic 11-Feb-18 Iran Revolution in Iran This event marks the anniversary of the Apology to Australia’s Indigenous peoples in the House of Representatives on 13 February 2008 by former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, apologising for past laws, policies and practices that have impacted on Australia’s First Nations Peoples, particularly members of the Stolen Generations. The motion was 13-Feb-18 National Apology Day Australia supported by the Opposition and passed through both houses of Parliament; Brendan Nelson (former Leader of the Opposition) gave a formal response. Many members of the Stolen Generations were present in the Chamber to hear the Apology and thousands more filled the Great Hall of Parliament House and flowed out onto the lawns to watch it on big screens. The Apology was broadcast across Australia. 13-Feb-18 Shrove Tuesday Christian Shrove Tuesday is the day before Lent. Pancakes are traditionally eaten on this day. Ash Wednesday - Lent Lent is the period of 40 days which comes before Easter in the Christian calendar, 14-Feb-18 Christian begins traditionally a time of fasting and reflection. It begins with Ash Wednesday. 15-Feb-18 Parinirvana Day Buddhist This day is an observance of the death of the Buddha (Mahayana tradition). 15-Feb-18 National Day Serbia Vietnamese people celebrate Tet with family reunions, special foods and gifts. This Tet (Vietnamese Lunar 15-Feb-18 Festival festival is also an opportunity for Vietnamese Australians to share their cultural heritage New Year) with the wider Australian community. Tibetan New Year Losar is an occasion to dispel the obstacles and negativities of the old year and is marked 16-Feb-18 Buddhist (Losar) with activities that symbolise purification. 16-Feb-18 Independence Day Lithuania Chinese New Year The Year of the Dog is eleventh in the Chinese zodiac. The Dog represents loyalty and 16-Feb-18 Festival (Year of the Dog) sincerity. National Multicultural The National Multicultural Festival features local, national and international music, dance, 16-Feb-18 Festival - Canberra (to Festival food and creative arts. 18 February) 17-Feb-18 Independence Day Kosovo Greek Festival of The Greek Festival of Sydney, one of Australia's largest and longest running annual 17-Feb-18 Sydney (to 18 Festival cultural events, is a celebration of Greek-Australian lifestyle, culture and heritage. February) 18-Feb-18 National Day Gambia International Mother The United Nations' (UN) International Mother Language Day annually celebrates 21-Feb-18 Festival Language Day language diversity and variety worldwide on February 21. Accessed 15 December 2017 from: <https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/settlement-and-multicultural- affairs/programs-policy/a-multicultural-australia/government-building-social-cohesion/calendar-of-cultural-and- religious-dates#2018> 2 | P a g e 2018 Calendar – Cultural and Religious Dates Date Event Index Notes 22-Feb-18 National Day Saint Lucia Brunei 23-Feb-18 National Day Darussalam 23-Feb-18 National Day Guyana 24-Feb-18 Independence Day Estonia Pako Festa is a celebration of cultural diversity and attracts thousands of people to enjoy 24-Feb-18 Pako Festa, Geelong Festival food, folk dancing, art exhibitions, films, craft, activities for children and the Pako Parade. 25-Feb-18 National Day Kuwait Dominican 27-Feb-18 Independence Day Republic Purim - begins at Purim commemorates the time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from sunset on 28 February 28-Feb-18 Jewish extermination by the courage of a young Jewish woman called Esther and her uncle and and ends at sunset on 1 adviser, Mordechai. March St David is the patron saint of Wales. St David's Day has been a national day of 1-Mar-18 St David's Day Wales celebration for Welsh people since the 18th century, featuring parades, festivities and singing. Holi is a boisterous festival with people smearing each other with coloured water and 2-Mar-18 Holi Hindu bright powders. Originally a festival to celebrate good harvests and fertility of the land, Holi also commemorates some key figures in Hindu mythology. 3-Mar-18 National Day Bulgaria 6-Mar-18 Independence Day Ghana 12-Mar-18 National Day Mauritius Every year people are encouraged to hold their own event on National Close the Gap Day to raise awareness about the 17-year life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non- National Close the Gap Indigenous 15-Mar-18 Indigenous Australians. Since 2006, the Close the Gap campaign has achieved an Day Australians enormous amount with community support. More than 150,000 people took part in 1298 separate National Close the Gap Day events across Australia in 2014. Five Holy Days of Banja is the purest day of the year for Mandaeans. On the Five Holy Days of Pronia, the 16-Mar-18 Pronia (Banja) (to 20 Mandaean Haii Rabbe Ghadmayee created the Angels and the Universe. March) This day is Ireland's National Day. St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and brought 17-Mar-18 St Patrick's Day Ireland Christianity to Ireland in the early days of the faith. Geelong Highland Features pipe bands, Scottish culture, livestock, merchandise, music, dancing and haggis 18-Mar-18 Festival Gathering hurling. 20-Mar-18 Anniversary of the Tunisia Independence of the Accessed 15 December 2017 from: <https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/settlement-and-multicultural- affairs/programs-policy/a-multicultural-australia/government-building-social-cohesion/calendar-of-cultural-and- religious-dates#2018> 3 | P a g e 2018 Calendar – Cultural and Religious Dates Date Event Index Notes Republic of Tunisia Norouz means ‘new day’ in Persian and is a traditional festival of spring that has been Norouz (various celebrated for more than 3000 years. The ancient celebration of Nowruz is shared by 21-Mar-18 Iran, Kurd spellings) New Year many peoples from Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, and others in the Black Sea basin, the Balkans, the Caucasus and western, central and southern Asia. Naw-Ruz - begins at This is the Baha’i New Year, marking the first day in the Baha’i calendar. Work is 21-Mar-18 Baha'i sunset on 20 March suspended on this day. 21-Mar-18 Independence Day Namibia Harmony Day celebrates the cohesive and inclusive nature of our nation and promotes the 21-Mar-18 Harmony Day Australia benefits of cultural diversity. Schools, community groups and organisations across Australia host Harmony Day events. http://www.harmony.gov.au The Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that “all human beings are born free International Day for the and equal in dignity and rights”. The International Day for the Elimination of Racial 21-Mar-18 Elimination of Racial United Nations Discrimination reminds us of our collective responsibility for promoting and protecting this Discrimination ideal. 23-Mar-18 National Day Pakistan 25-Mar-18 Independence Day Greece This Hindu festival celebrates the birth of Lord Rama, hero of the religious epic poem, 25-Mar-18 Ramanavami Hindu ‘The Ramayana’.