EmbRACE Update - Worldwide Festivals - June & July Special!🌍

4^th June - Trinity Sunday – Christian, Pentecost – Orthodox Christian

 

Trinity Sunday is a Holy Day in Christianity. It is also known as the Feast of the Holy Trinity. It is a joyous celebration where Christians come together to honour the Holy Trinity. This day is an opportunity for Christians to worship and to thank the Holy Trinity for all they have done.

 

8^th - Corpus Christi – Catholic Christian

 

The name 'Corpus Christi' is Latin for 'the body of Christ'. This jubilant festival is celebrated by Roman Catholics and other Christians to proclaim the truth of the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the actual body of Christ during Mass.

 

12^th - The Fast of the Holy Apostles – Orthodox Christian

 

The Apostles Fast is not as strict as Great Lent or the Dormition Fast, but entails fasting from red meat, poultry, meat products, eggs, dairy products, fish, oil, and wine. For many Orthodox, fish, wine, and oil are allowed on all days except Wednesdays and Fridays.

 

16^th - Sacred Heart of Jesus – Catholic Christian

 

Sacred Heart, also called Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Roman Catholicism, the mystical-physical heart of Jesus as an object of devotion. In addition to a feast, now celebrated on the Friday of the third week after Pentecost, devotion includes acts of consecration and honour given to the image of the Sacred Heart.

 

16^th - Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev – Sikh

 

The Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib is observed on June 16 every year in India. It’s the day to commemorate and celebrate the life of religious figure Guru Arjan Dev who sacrificed his life for the Sikh people. This holiday is annually celebrated usually by reading the Sikh holy book from cover to cover. In some years, processions are held where sweets are distributed to people after a day of worship.

 

21st - Summer Solstice, Litha – Yule – Wicca/Pagan Northern and Southern hemispheres

 

Solstice, known by Wiccans as “Litha” occurs this year on June 21st, marking the astronomical first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Summer solstice celebrations are also celebrated beyond the Western world, with many ancient cultures and communities observing their own unique traditions on the longest day of the year. It has long been a special time of celebration, rituals, stories and magic, a time to give thanks for the blessings of the Goddess and God.

Pagans celebrate the Solstice with torchlight processions and giant bonfires to ritually strengthen the Sun. Leaping over the bonfire was thought to set the height your crops would grow and keep you safe from malevolent spirits or Fae folk.

 

Stonehenge was built to align with the sun on the solstices. On the summer solstice, the sun rises behind the Heel Stone in the north-east part of the horizon and its first rays shine into the heart of Stonehenge. Thousands led by the Druids, recognisable in their white robes; gather to celebrate the rising of the sun and give thanks to the Divine and mark the season.

 

 

24^th - Nativity of Saint John the Baptist – Christian

 

Each year on June 24 the Catholic Church honors the birth of John by reflecting on his unique role as the precursor of Jesus. The solemnity held on that date praises John as a worthy example of what it means to be a follower of Christ. A solemnity is the most significant feast the Church can establish.

 

26^th - Hajj – Islam

hajj, also spelled ḥadjdj or hadj, in Islam, the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, and all able-bodied Muslims are required to perform it once in their lifetime. The Hajj is seen as a chance to wipe clean past sins and start fresh.

The Hajj pilgrimage is performed over five to six days, from the 8th to 12th or 13th of Dhul Hijjah. When the new crescent moon is sighted, Eid al-Adha begins, which lasts for four days. The pilgrimage is comprised of a series of rites and rituals, some of which must be performed in order.

 

28^th - Eid al Adha – Islam

 

Also known as the 'Feast of the Sacrifice', Eid al-Adha is the second-most important event in the Islamic calendar. During the three-day celebrations, Muslim families around the world come together to honour Prophet Ibrahim's devotion to Allah with gifts and feasting.

Muslims usually start the day by performing ghusl, a full-body purification ritual. They then dress in their best clothes and attend a prayer service at an outdoor prayer ground or the local mosque.

 

 

29^th - Feast of Saints Peter and Paul – Christian

 

St. Peter and Paul's day is the feast day that honors the martyrdom of the two saints, sometime between AD 64 and 68. While the church recognizes that they may not have died on the same day, tradition says that this is the day that they were both martyred in Rome by Emperor Nero.

Looking forward to July, check out what’s coming next month…

3^rd - Asalha Puja (Dharma Day) – Buddhism

 

Asalha Puja Day also marks the start of a three-month mandatory retreat for monks. Buddhist people visit temples on this day to pray, meditate, listen to sermons, and give offerings. This is a day of new beginnings, renewal, and recommitment to the faith for Buddhists.

 

5^th - Birthday of Guru Hargobind – Sikh

 

In 2023, Guru Hargobind Ji's birthday will fall on the 5th of July, marking that day of July as a public holiday in Jammu and Kashmir.

 

15^th - Saint Vladimir the Great Day – Orthodox Christian

 

The Eastern Orthodox, Byzantine Rite Lutheran and Roman Catholic churches celebrate the feast day of St. Vladimir on 15/28 July. The town Volodymyr in north-western Ukraine was founded by Vladimir and is named after him.

 

18^th - Nelson Mandela International Day

 

We celebrate Nelson Mandela International Day every year to shine light on the legacy of a man who changed the 20th century and helped shape the 21st. This is a moment for all to renew with the values that inspired Nelson Mandela.

 

19^th - Al-Hijra/Muharram – New Year – Islam

 

The Islamic New Year is observed as a public holiday in the majority of Islamic countries. The customs and traditions are different in various sects of the Islamic religion but generally involve religious recitals and religious acts of worship.

Muslims will often attend prayer sessions at their mosque and spend time with their friends and family. Much like New Year's celebrations in January, Al-Hijra is a time of remembrance, gratitude, and self-reflection.

 

22^nd - Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene – Christian

 

Mary Magdalene, also called Mary of Magdala, (flourished 1st century ce, Palestine; feast day July 22), one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, famous, according to Mark 16:9–10 and John 20:14–17, for being the first person to see the resurrected Christ.

 

23^rd - Birthday of Emperor Haile Selassie – Rastafari

 

Haile Selassie I born July 23, 1892 was emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He is revered by many and his birthday is one of the significant celebrations in Rastafari communities.

 

27th - Tish’a B’av – Judaism

 

Tisha B'Av, which literally means the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, is a 24-25-hour period of fasting in remembrance of the destruction of the First and Second temples in Jerusalem.

 

28^th - Ashura – Islam

 

Ashura is a holy day for Muslims all over the world, observed on the 9th and 10th day of Muharram, according to the Islamic calendar. This year, Ashura begins on July 27. The Shia Muslims see it as the climax of the Remembrance of Muharram and the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali (the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad) at the battle of Karbala.

For the Sunnis,  Ashura is the day Moses fasted to show his gratitude for the freedom of the Israelites. Today is also a holy day of mourning observed primarily by Shia Muslims. Other Muslim sects spend the day fasting and meditating.