EmbRACE Update - Worldwide Festivals 🌍

Each month we will be sharing information on the many celebrated Worldwide Festivals. Developed by our very own EmbRACE Working Group Colleague, Mandy Kaur, have a read of the latest update below which includes July's dates. 😊

Here’s to another glorious month of celebrations and worldwide celebrations, if you are celebrating this month...I wish you lots of good weather and a very joyous occasion.

 

1st July – Ratha Yatra/'Chariot Journey’ 

 

One of India's biggest religious festivals, the Jagannath Rath Yatra, is the festival of the Lord Krishna and the Hindu gods who were said to be siblings. The deities are taken out of their temples in a colourful procession to meet their devotees. Important images may be carried on elaborately carved wooden chariots, which are often extremely large and heavy, requiring hundreds of worshippers to pull them. Up to 1400 carpenters build the three chariots each year for Ratha Yatra. Ratha Yatra is the only festival in the world where deities are removed from temples for the devotees. It is believed that the festival receives rainfall every year on the day it takes place and if a person participates with full devotion in the Rath Yatra , they would find liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

 

2nd July – The foundation of the Shri Akaal Takht – ‘Throne of the Immortal’ 

 

Although this day is not widely celebrated by Sikhs, this day is often a day of remembrance. In 1606 Shri Guru Hargobind Singh Ji (the sixth Sikh Guru) laid the foundation stone of the Akaal Takht building. The Akaal Takht is the first and the most important of the five Takhts or seats of religious power in Sikhism. It is the highest site of authority that addresses the spiritual and temporal concerns of the Sikh community. The Akaal Takht has also undergone various attacks in the course of history, including the controversial Indian military action named Operation Blue Star, Akal Takht always serve to remind Sikhs of who died in order to uphold and protect the Sikh Panth (Faith).

 

7th July – 12th July  – Hajj/Pilgrimage to Mecca 

 

Hajj, otherwise known as the Umrah Pilgrimage to Mecca (the holy city), has very important religious significance in the Muslim community. It is said to form one of the Five Pillars of Islam which are five key acts expected to be carried out during your lifetime as a practicing Muslim. During the first stage of Hajj, Muslims walk around the Ka'bah (the sacred Mosque) in an anti-clockwise direction seven times. This is known as Tawaf and is done to show that all Muslims are equal. This is followed by many more rituals at various sites which form part of the pilgrimage. On the last day Muslims celebrate the festival of Eid ul-Adha, where everyone will partake in prayer, give thanks through donating to charity, and share a lavish meal with their families all in thanks for the many blessings received and in remembrance to the teachings of obedience, gratitude and meaningful connections.  

 

13th July  – O-Bon – The Ghost Festival 

 

The Obon festival (also known as Bon festival) is an annual Japanese holiday which commemorates and remembers deceased ancestors. It is believed that their spirits return at this time to visit their relatives. Chochin (paper) lanterns are hung to guide the spirits and Obon dances (bon odori) are performed and there are lots of food stalls. Families have reunions and visit the graves of their relatives and make food offerings at altars and temples.

 

13th July – Dharma Day 

 

Dharma Day is a special day for Buddhists, it celebrates the first time Siddhartha Gautama (the first standing Buddha) shared his teachings with others. After hearing the teaching, one of the five monks, a seeker named Ven. Kondanna, vowed to follow the Buddha, becoming his first disciple. So this event also marks the birth of the Buddhist sangha and of Buddhism as a religion. More broadly, the holiday is a celebration of beginnings, commemorating not just the Buddha’s first sermon but also his conception and the day he renounced his royal life to become an ascetic. This day is an auspicious one to begin a new venture or renew lapsed resolutions.

 

Fun Facts about the month of July:

• 2nd July - The International Day of Cooperatives (#CoopsDay) will be celebrated as “Cooperatives Build a Better World”.

• 4th July – America’s Independence day!

• 17th July -  World Emoji Day – Don’t forget those emojis!

• 18th July – Nelson Mandela’s Birthday - a civil rights leader and South Africa’s first black president. In 2009, the UN declared this day “Nelson Mandela International Day

• July is UFO season – the most likely month to spot a UFO – keep your eyes peeled!

 

Hope you enjoy the read and look forward to August’s Edition! 😊

If you’re celebrating a wonderful festivity this month, why not send in a picture to be featured in next month's story! Please send to Embraceworkinggroup@midcounties.coop