This calendar of the major religious festivals in 2008 has been produced by the East of England Faiths Council based on information from representatives of the nine faiths currently in membership. The faiths involved have selected the dates and other information they wish to share, with the purpose of assisting the planning of meetings and consultations.

The practice of no-work days varies within faiths and from culture to culture: some basic guidelines can be found beside the calendar.

We’ve also prepared this calendar in a form suitable for downloading and printing. This is available as two pages of A4 or one page of A3.

January 2008
3		Parshwanath Jayanti	Jain
5		Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh	Sikh
6		Epiphany	Christian
10		Al-Hijra (Islamic New Year)	Islam
13	–14	Maghi	Sikh
14		Makar Sankrant	Hindu
19		Ashura	Islam
20		World Religion Day	Baha’i
20		Shahrevar roj Parab	Zoroastrian
22		Mahayana New Year	Buddhist
30		Jashne Sadeh	Zoroastrian
31		Birthday of Guru Har Rai	Sikh
February 2008
6		Ash Wednesday, start of Lent	Christian
8		Losar (3 days)	Buddhist
8		Parinirvana — Nirvana Day	Buddhist
11		Vasant Panchami	Hindu
March 2008
2		Nineteen Day Fast (to 20 Mar)	Baha’i
2		Mothering Sunday	Christian
2		Meher roj Parab	Zoroastrian
6		Mahashivratri	Hindu
16		Palm Sunday	Christian
20		Maundy Thursday	Christian
20		Milad un Nabi (Prophet’s Birthday)	Islam
20		Fast of Esther	Jewish
21		Naw-Ruz (New Year)	Baha’i
21		Good Friday	Christian
21		Holi	Hindu
21		Purim	Jewish
21		Magha puja (Sangha Day)	Ther Budd
21		Jamsheedi NoRuz	Zoroastrian
22	–24	Hola Mohalla (3 days)	Sikh
23		Easter Sunday	Christian
25		Milad un Nabi (Shia)	Islam
26		Ava roj Parab	Zoroastrian
26		Khordad Sal	Zoroastrian
30		Aadinath Jayanti	Jain
April 2008
6		Bikarami Samvat — Varsha-Pratipada	Hindu
14		Rama Navami	Hindu
14		Vaisakhi (Baisakhi)	Sikh
17		Fast of the Firstborn	Jewish
18		Mahavira Jayanti	Jain
18		Birthday of Guru Angad Dev	Sikh
18		Birthday of Guru Tegh Bahadur	Sikh
19		Hanuman Jayanti	Hindu
20		Chaitri Poonam — Patta Darshan	Jain
21		First Day of Ridvan (12 day festival)	Baha’i
20	–21	First and Second Day of Pesach (Passover)	Jewish
24		Adar roj Parab	Zoroastrian
26	–27	Seventh and Eighth Days of Pesach (Passover)	Jewish
29		Ninth Day of Ridvan	Baha’i
May 2008
1		Ascension of Christ	Christian
2		Last Day of Ridvan	Baha’i
2		Yom Hashoah	Jewish
2		Birthday of Guru Arjan Dev	Sikh
7		Yom HaZikaron	Jewish
8		Akhatrij (Akshay Tritiya)	Jain
8		Yom HaAtzmaut	Jewish
11		Pentecost — Whit Sunday	Christian
16		Dae Mah Roj Hormazd	Zoroastrian
18		Trinity Sunday	Christian
20		Vesak or Buddha Day	Buddhist
20		Theravada New Year	Ther Budd
23		Declaration of the Bab	Baha’i
23		Lag B’Omer	Jewish
23		Birthday of Guru Amar Das	Sikh
26		Zarthost-No-Diso	Zoroastrian
29		Ascension of Baha’u’llah	Baha’i
June 2008
1		Shantinath Jayanti	Jain
2		Yom Yerushalayim	Jewish
9	–10	Shavuot	Jewish
16		Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev	Sikh
16		Bahman roj Parab	Zoroastrian
July 2008
1		Jashne Tirgan	Zoroastrian
5		Birthday of Guru Hargobind	Sikh
9		Martyrdom of the Bab	Baha’i
18		Asala — Dharma Day	Buddhist
19		Aspandarmad roj Parab	Zoroastrian
20		Fast of 17th Tammuz	Jewish
23		Birthday of Guru Har Krishen	Sikh
30		Lailat al-Isra wa Al Miraj	Islam
August 2008
9		Muktads (10 days)	Zoroastrian
10		Tisha B’Av	Jewish
15		Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary	Christian
16		Raksha Bandhan	Hindu
16		Lailatul-Bara’at	Islam
19		Shahenshai Navroze	Zoroastrian
24		Janmashtami — Krishna Jayanti	Hindu
24		Khordad Sal	Zoroastrian
27		Swetamber Paryushana (8 days)	Jain
September 2008
2		Ramadan (start)	Islam
3		Ganesh Chaturthi	Hindu
3		Digamber Paryushana (10 days)	Jain
6		Fravardin roj Parab	Zoroastrian
20		Ardibehest roj Parab	Zoroastrian
28		Lailatul-Qadr	Islam
30		Navaratri (9 nights)	Hindu
30	–Oct 1	Rosh Hashanah	Jewish
October 2008
1		Eid-Ul-Fitr (End of Ramadan)	Islam
2		Fast of Gedeliah	Jewish
2		Jashne Mehergan	Zoroastrian
9		Dussera	Hindu
9		Yom Kippur	Jewish
9		Birthday of Guru Ram Das	Sikh
14	–15	First and Second Days of Sukkot	Jewish
16	–20	Intermediate Days of Sukkot	Jewish
20		Birth of the Bab	Baha’i
20		Guru Granth Sahibji	Sikh
21		Simchat Torah	Jewish
22		Shemini Atzeret	Jewish
23		Khordad roj Parab	Zoroastrian
28		Diwali	Hindu
29		Diwali	Jain
29		Diwali	Sikh
29		New Year Day	Hindu
29		New Year Day	Jain
November 2008
1		All Saints’ Day	Christian
2		All Souls’ Day	Christian
3		Gyan-Panchami (Laabh Pancham)	Jain
12		Birth of Baha’u’llah	Baha’i
13		Birthday of Guru Nanak	Sikh
13		Kartiki Poonam — Patta Darshan	Jain
24		Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur	Sikh
26		Day of the Covenant	Baha’i
28		Ascension of Abdu’l-Baha	Baha’i
29		Tir roj Parab	Zoroastrian
30		Advent Sunday	Christian
December 2008
7		Yaum al Arafah	Islam
8		Bodhi Day	Buddhist
8		Hajj	Islam
11		Eid-Ul-Adha	Islam
21		Parshvanath Jayanti	Jain
21		Jashne Yalda	Zoroastrian
22	–29	Hanukkah	Jewish
23		Amardad Parab	Zoroastrian
25		Christmas Day	Christian
26		Zarthost-no-Diso	Zoroastrian
29		Al-Hijira (Islamic New Year)	Islam