International Religious Holidays in March 2013

Happy March!

Lion or lamb?  So far snow storms across the country have pounded any glimmer of spring out of our minds, but it's around the corner.  We promise!  This year March is packed full of special religious holidays that your co-workers or clients may be celebrating.

It's nice to be aware of special events, as well as be sensitive to those who may be expressing their religious devotion on certain dates.  Here's what this month looks like:

 
 

Traditional holidays

8 March:

International Women's Day

The day was commemorated for the first time in 1911. At a meeting in Copenhagen in 1910, the Socialist International established a Women's Day to honor the movement for women's rights and to build support for achieving universal suffrage for women.

 

21 March: Norouz  

This festival of Persians, Kurds and Bahai. Eggs and evergreen plants serve as symbols of life, continuity, and eternity. On this day Alevi also celebrate the birth of Ali who was born in Mecca on the first day of spring or Norouz in 598/9 AD. Ali ibn Abi Talib was a cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad.

 

 

 

Christianity
 

24 March: Palm Sunday

   

28 March: Holy Thursday/Maundy Thursday

 

Catholic Christians commemorate the anniversary of the institution of the Eucharist by Jesus at the Last Supper and of the washing of the disciples' feet which is symbolically reenacted in many churches as a sign of humility.

 

 

29 March: Good Friday

Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus, when He sacrificed Himself for man's redemption.

 

30 March: Holy Saturday

A Catholic mass without bells or organ music.

 

31 March: Easter Sunday

The most holy of Christian sacred days. The day commemorates the resurrection of Jesus and the victory of life over death. Customs: the Easter Vigil is held in the night of Holy Saturday, the Easter candle is sanctified and lit. The Easter Bunny and Easter eggs are a commercial aspect of the holiday that has become a children's tradition. 

 

 

Hinduism
 

27 March: Holi

Holi is a colourful spring festival and commemorates the rescue of Prince Prahlad from a fire pyre where his sister Holi had taken him. A bonfire is lit to signify the burning of Holika and to thank Lord Vishnu for his good deed. Ashes from the bonfire are marked on worshippers as a sign of inner cleansing.

 

 

Judaism
 

26 March to 2 April: Pesah/Passover

The feast of unleavened bread is dedicated to the celebration of the deliverance of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. At the Seder, a unique dinner ceremony, Jews commemorate the "pass over" when God would send the Angel of Death to kill the firstborn males but would see that the Israelites had marked their houses with lambs' blood and would command his angel to "pass over", to kill no one there. (All Jewish holidays begin at sundown on the previous day.)


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