26 December, 2024 (Thursday) to 2 January, 2025 (Thursday) HANUKAH Jewish

Celebrates the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem after it was recaptured from the Syrian Greeks by the Maccabee brothers in 165 BCE. For the eight evenings of the festival, candles are lit from right to left in a hanukkiah, a nine-branched menorah – one candle for each evening. The ninth candle is the shamash (the servant candle) from which the other candles are lit. Foods cooked with oil - such as doughnuts and latkes (potato cakes) – are traditional to remember the miracle with oil that happened at this time.

1 January (Wednesday) NEW YEAR’S DAY National

A day widely observed, as is New Year’s Eve the preceding night, throughout the UK, and more especially in Scotland, where bagpipes, haggis and first footing are widespread.

1 January (Wednesday) THE CIRCUMCISION OR NAMING OF JESUS Christian

Celebrates the circumcision and naming of Jesus in accordance with Jewish custom.

1 January (Wednesday) GANJITSU Japanese

Three day New Year’s celebrations during which businesses are closed, families spend time together, decorations are put up and the first visit of the year is paid to Shinto shrines.

1 January (Wednesday) SHUSO Buddhist

For followers of Shin Buddhism, the New Year’s Day service is significant because it offers that wonderful opportunity to express our deep gratitude for the countless blessings we enjoy.  Moreover, it enables us to realize the compassionate Heart of Amida Buddha which embraces us at all times. Where we have failed, we must strive to correct and rededicate ourselves to the Way of the Nembutsu.

6 January (Monday) EPIPHANY Christian

Celebrates the visit of the magi/wise men to the infant Jesus, bearing symbolic gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. This is the twelfth day of Christmas.

6 January (Monday) THEOPHANY / BAPTISM OF CHRIST Christian (Orthodox)

Orthodox Christians commemorate the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. ‘Theophany’ means ‘Manifestation of God’.  Jesus’ miracle at Cana in Galilee is also remembered

6 January (Monday) BIRTHDAY OF GURU GOBIND SINGH (1666 CE) Sikh

Birth Anniversary of the tenth Guru, who instituted the practice of the Five Ks and established the Order of the Khalsa on Vaisakhi (Baisakhi).   An akhand path, an unbroken reading of the whole of the Guru Granth Sahib, spreads over a 48 hour period.

6/7 (Monday/Tuesday) ETHIOPIAN CHRISTMAS DAY Rastafarian

To Rastafarian this is a time not only to celebrate the birth of Jesus in the manner prescribed by tradition, but also to reflect on this event in the context of the original prophecy of his birth, seen as a manifestation of God not only as Priest but as King

6/7 January (Monday/Tuesday) CHRISTMAS EVE / DAY Christian (Orthodox)

(Eastern Orthodox: Julian calendar); Rastafarian. Many Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas (and other fixed festivals) thirteen days after the Western churches.

7 January (Tuesday) LABA FESTIVAL/LABAJIE Chinese

The Laba is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated on the eighth day of the La Month, the twelfth month of the Chinese calendar. It is customary on this day to eat Laba Congee

12 January (Sunday) BAPTISM OF THE LORD Christian (Roman Catholic)

Christians commemorate the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist; they recall how at this event the heavens were opened and a voice was heard proclaiming Jesus, while God’s spirit descended on him in the form of a dove

12 January (Sunday) BIRTHDAY OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA Hindu

Vivekananda, an Indian Hindu monk and a disciple of Ramakrishna, was a key figure in the introduction of the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world.

13 January (Monday) LOHRI Jain

This is a day for almsgiving and patching up quarrels. It is celebrated with rice sugar, pancakes, halva or cornmeal chapattis, eaten around a fire

13 January (Monday) LOHRI Hindu

This is a day for almsgiving and patching up quarrels. It is celebrated with rice sugar, pancakes, halva or cornmeal chapattis, eaten around a fire

14 January (Tuesday) MAKAR SANKRANTI/LOHRI/PONGAL Hindu

This is a day for almsgiving and patching up quarrels. It is celebrated with rice sugar, pancakes, halva or cornmeal chapattis, eaten around a fire

16 January (Thursday) SHINRAN MEMORIAL DAY Buddhist

Shinran was the founder of Jodo Shin-shu, one of the schools of Pure Land Buddhism.

18-25 January (Saturday to Saturday) WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY Christian

United services are held, and dialogue on unity is encouraged; some worshipers visit other people’s churches or invite preachers from denominations different from their own.

19 January (Sunday) WORLD RELIGIONS DAY Baha'i and other groups

This day promotes interfaith understanding by emphasizing factors common to all faiths. It was first introduced among Baha’i communities in the 1950s, and is now celebrated by a wider spread of communities, including the Baha’i, usually on the third Sunday of January.

25 January (Saturday) CONVERSION OF ST PAUL Christian

The conversion of Paul the Apostle (also the Pauline conversion, Damascene conversion, Damascus Christophany and the "road to Damascus" event) was, according to the New Testament, an event in the life of Saul/Paul the Apostle that led him to cease persecuting early Christians and to become a follower of Jesus.

25 January (Saturday) HONEN MEMORIAL DAY Buddhist

Honen (1133-1212 CE) is one of the outstanding figures in the history of Japanese Buddhism, and was the founder of Jodo Shinshu, one of the schools of Pure Land Buddhism.

27 January (Monday) THE PROPHET'S NIGHT JOURNEY and ASCENT / LAILAT UL ISRA WA-L-MIRAJ Muslim

This marks the night journey of the Prophet Muhammad through the heavens to the presence of God, when the command that Muslims should pray five times a day was given to the Prophet. The rock from which the Prophet ascended is now in Jerusalem’s ‘Dome of the Rock’.  Muslims mark this night by reading the Qur’an and saying additional prayers.

27 January (Monday) HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY National

A day for remembrance of people who suffered, chiefly at the hands of the Nazis during the second World War but also in other persecutions. It aims to keep memory fresh and ensure that no such atrocity happens again.

28 January (Tuesday) NIRVANA DAY Jain

Marks the anniversary of Nirvana (final release) or liberation of Mahavira's soul, the twenty fourth and last Jain Tirthankara of present cosmic age.

29 January (Wednesday) NEW YEAR FESTIVAL/CHUNJIE/YUAN TAN Chinese

Celebrations last for three or more days, and involve fireworks, dances (e.g. the famous Lion Dance) and gifts of paper money, flowers and sweets.   Business accounts are settled and all debts paid before the New Year begins.

2025 is the year of the Snake.

30 January (Thursday) SONAM LOSAR [NEPAL] Buddhist

is a new year festival of the Tamang and Hyolmo people of  Nepal and the Sikhism and Darjelling regions of India. It falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice.

30 January (Thursday) JASHN-E SADEH Zoroastrian [Iranian]

A mid winter bonfire festival to signify that days are getting longer. The litany to fire, the Atash Niyayeesh, is recited, and Iranian legends are told of King Hoshang (who discovered the art of making fire). Piping hot stew, dancing and merry making feature.