/morsl/taxonomy/term/138/all en /morsl/article/holidays-and-holy-days-interfaith-dialogue/ratha-yatra-festival-india <p>On July 8, 2023, I attended the Ratha Yatra Festival of India with MORSL staff and Æ»¹ûÒùÔº students during a My Neighbour’s Faith Event. It was a moving experience to be immersed in Hindu traditions downtown in the streets of Montreal! Here are some of the things I learned before and during the event.</p> Wed, 12 Jul 2023 16:21:38 +0000 Candice Wendt 2569 at /morsl /morsl/article/holidays-and-holy-days/celebrating-vaisakhi <p>Vaisakhi, also known as Baisakhi, is a significant festival celebrated during springtime by Sikhs and Hindus in India and around the world. It marks the beginning of the new solar year, and it holds great significance for both Sikhs and Hindus. For Sikhs, it is a day of immense importance as it marks the formation of the Khalsa, a community of Sikhs who are dedicated to living their lives according to the principles of Sikhism.</p> Wed, 05 Apr 2023 20:21:08 +0000 MORSL 2529 at /morsl /morsl/article/holidays-and-holy-days/how-i-celebrate-passover <p>Happy Passover! Passover (Pesah) is an important festival in Jewish communities, and it commemorates the departure of Israelites from slavery in Egypt. It is observed over eight days, the first two and last two days are observed as holy days. The evenings of the first and second days begin with Seders, festive meals which involve the telling of the ancient Passover story. The final day of Passover marks the Israelites’ crossing of the Red Sea, as related in The Book of Exodus.</p> Wed, 12 Apr 2023 19:15:20 +0000 MORSL 2531 at /morsl /morsl/article/holidays-and-holy-days/celebrations-during-holy-week <p>Holy Week, celebrated from April 2nd to April 8th this year, is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity. It is the week preceding Easter, beginning on Palm Sunday and ending on Holy Saturday. During Holy Week, Christians recall the events leading up to Jesus’ death by crucifixion and his Resurrection. The week includes five days of special significance. </p> <p>At the start of Holy Week, Palm Sunday celebrates the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. In many Christian churches, Palm Sunday is celebrated with a blessing and procession of palms.</p> Wed, 12 Apr 2023 19:55:16 +0000 MORSL 2532 at /morsl /morsl/article/holidays-and-holy-days/celebrating-holi-festival-colours <p>Holi is one of the biggest celebrations in the Hindu tradition, and today Hindus all around the world will be celebrating with an abundance of colours, water balloons, and flowers. Holi represents the victory of good over evil, and the divine love between Lord Krishna and Radha. </p> Wed, 29 Mar 2023 20:12:13 +0000 MORSL 2523 at /morsl /morsl/article/holidays-and-holy-days/celebrating-shrove-tuesday <p>Shrove Tuesday, also known as "pancake day," might not be familiar, but its other name, Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), likely is! How are these celebrations from the same religious tradition, and how are pancakes and shiny beads/partying related?</p> Wed, 29 Mar 2023 19:12:10 +0000 MORSL 2521 at /morsl /morsl/article/holidays-and-holy-days/how-i-celebrate-tet <p>January 22nd, 2023, marks one of the most important celebrations in Vietnamese culture, Tet. Tet celebrates the beginning of a new year and the coming of spring time. It is based on the lunar calendar, which is why Chinese New Year is generally celebrated around the same time. This year, Tet marks the beginning of the Year of the Cat in the Vietnamese zodiac calendar.</p> <p>Here is a reflection from the Æ»¹ûÒùÔº Vietnamese Students' Association - MVSA on how one can celebrate this special day:</p> Wed, 11 Jan 2023 19:58:30 +0000 MORSL 2430 at /morsl /morsl/article/holidays-and-holy-days/celebrating-pancha-ganapati <p>December 21st is a special day for many reasons, as it marks the beginning of Yule as well as the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. But did you know that this day also marks the beginning of Pancha Ganapati, a modern Hindu festival? Pancha Ganapati is celebrated for five days from December 21st to 25th. It was originally conceived as a Hindu alternative to December holidays such as Christmas and Chanukkah so that Hindu families (especially those living in the West) could find a meaningful way to participate in the holiday season without compromising their Hindu values.</p> Mon, 19 Dec 2022 19:47:29 +0000 MORSL 2417 at /morsl /morsl/article/holidays-and-holy-days/spotlight-south-asian-celebrations <p>Amid all the buzz about Christmas and Chanukah, we turn our attention to the east, where many ancient spiritual traditions are celebrating significant holidays at this time of year.</p> Thu, 24 Nov 2022 20:58:15 +0000 MOSRL 2403 at /morsl /morsl/channels/event/my-neighbors-faith-pizza-dinner-and-carols-candlelight-church-p-344007 <p>Join MORSL for an interactive visit to the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul to learn more about religious Christmas traditions and enjoy a beautiful candlelit concert.</p> Fri, 02 Dec 2022 14:21:22 +0000 candice.wendt@mcgill.ca 2409 at /morsl /morsl/article/holidays-and-holy-days-radix/little-things <p>As another holiday season arrives, I take the time to reflect on what it means to me. I celebrate Christmas. My family is Catholic, but I'm not. I don't know what I believe religiously. All I know is that I love Christmas.</p> Tue, 29 Nov 2022 21:19:48 +0000 Emily Miller 2407 at /morsl /morsl/article/holidays-and-holy-days/how-i-celebrate-diwali <p>Did you know that Saturday, October 22nd marks the beginning of Diwali, a five-day celebration of the Indian festival of lights? One of the most popular festivals in South Asian cultures, Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, some Buddhists. Although this harvest festival has different meanings for various religions, it generally symbolizes the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance".</p> Tue, 18 Oct 2022 18:21:07 +0000 MORSL 2360 at /morsl /morsl/article/holidays-and-holy-days/shavuot-feast-weeks <p>Shavuot, also known as the Feast of Weeks, is one of the three major festivals in Judaism, along with Passover and Sukkot. The holiday falls fifty days after Passover, hence the name "Festival of Weeks." According to Jewish tradition, Shavuot commemorates the day on which Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.</p> Fri, 14 Apr 2023 17:41:55 +0000 MORSL 2535 at /morsl /morsl/article/holidays-and-holy-days/declaration-bab <p>Tonight, May 23rd, marks the beginning of the Bahá'í holy day of the declaration of the Báb, who is viewed as a Messenger of God. The Báb, previously known as Siyyid Ali-Muhammad, was born on October 20, 1918, in Shiraz, Iran. He was the founder of Bábism, and one of the central figures of the Bahá'í Faith.</p> Wed, 29 Mar 2023 19:40:37 +0000 MORSL 2522 at /morsl /morsl/article/holidays-and-holy-days/celebrating-buddha-day-wesak <p>The celebration of Buddha's birthday is one of the most important Buddhist holy days. It is an especially important day for Theravada and Tibetan Buddhists that commemorates the birth, awakening and passing away of Buddha.</p> <p>It goes by many names, including Wesak or Vesak, and is usually celebrated on the first full moon in the ancient lunar month Vesakha. In the Western calendar, this day typically falls in May or early June.</p> Wed, 05 Apr 2023 19:32:27 +0000 MORSL 2528 at /morsl