MoveUP is proud to be a diverse union comprised of members whose backgrounds come from around the world. Each month, we want to highlight some of the major global holidays and observances that take place involving many different cultures.
Below is a list and brief description of some of the holidays that take place throughout the year.
Don’t see something on our list or want to add more information? Let us know by emailing outreach@moveuptogether.ca. We kindly remind everyone to be respectful in email exchanges and to note our Bullying & Harassment Policy which can be found here.
Western New Year
This is a fixed date on January 1 to celebrate the New Year on the Gregorian solar calendar.
Epiphany
The final celebratory of the Christian holiday season, commonly associated with the day that the Three Wise Men arrived at the manger. This is a fixed date on January 6.
Orthodox Christmas
Celebrated by Orthodox Christians in central and eastern Europe and other parts of the world. This is a fixed date on January 7.
Orthodox New Year
Also known as the Old New Year, it is celebrated as the start of the New Year by the Julian calendar. This is a fixed date on January 14.
Tamil Thai Pongal Day
A multi-day Hindu harvest festival (also considered a ‘thanksgiving festival’) celebrated by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka. It is observed at the start of the month Tai according to the Tamil solar calendar. It usually falls on January 14 or 15.
Chinese New Year / Lunar New Year / Spring Festival
The festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year according to the traditional lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. Chinese New Year is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture, and marks the end of winter and beginning of the spring season. There are many other related celebrations in nations and ethnic groups deriving from China and East Asian countries as well. This usually takes place some time in January or February.
Seol-nal / Korean New Year
A festival and national holiday in both North and South Korea commemorating the first day of the lunisolar calendar. It is among the Lunar New Year traditions. This generally occurs in January or February.
Tết Nguyên Đán / Vietnamese New Year
Known as the “Festival of the First Morning of the First Day,” it celebrates the arrival of spring based on the Vietnamese calendar. It is among the Lunar New Year traditions. This generally occurs in January or February.
Thaipusam / Thaipoosam
Festival celebrated by the Hindu Tamil community on the full moon of the Tamil month Thia. This generally occurs in January or February.
Family Day
A statutory holiday in many provinces of Canada that takes place on the third Monday of every February. Created to provide people with time to spend with their families.
Lailat al Miraj / The Prophet’s Ascension
Celebrates the Prohpet Muhmammad’s night-time journey from Mecca to Jerusalem, where he ascended to heaven. This is a very important and sacred day in the history of Islam. The date can vary but is generally around November to February.
Maha Shivaratri
A Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the god Shiva. It is a solemn festival and marks a remembrance of overcoming darkness and ignorance in life and the world. It falls in the month of Phalguna (North Indian Hindu calendar) and in Magha (South Indian Hindu calendar). This generally occurs in February or March.
Dangpa Losar / Bhutanese New Year
A new year’s festival celebrated on the first day of the lunisolar Tibetan calendar. It is a festival in Tibetan Buddhism, and typically falls in February or March.
Shrove Tuesday / Carnival
The day before Ash Wednesday (first day of Lent, observed in many Christian countries. It is observed by many Christians including Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists and Roman Catholics. The date varies from year to year. As this day is the last before the Lenten season, which is marked by fasting, the Tuesday before is often celebrated by eating rich, fatty foods (“Mardi Gras,” or Fat Tuesday in French.) The following day is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Lenten season, which ends with the celebration of Easter.
Tsagaan Sar / Mongolian Lunar New Year
The first day of the year according to the Mongolian lunisolar calendar. This generally occurs in February or March.
Holi
An ancient Hindu religious festival celebrating the eternal and divine love of Radha Krishna (the combined forms of feminine and masculine realities of God in Hinduism) and signifying the triumph of good over evil. Also known as the Festival of Colours, the Festival of Spring, and the Festival of Love. Dates can vary but is typically in March.
Mid-Sha’ban
A Muslim holiday observed by Shia and Sunni Sufi Muslim communities on the eve of the 15th of Sha;ban (the night following the sunset on the 14th day). It is the night when fortunes for the coming year are decided and when Allah may forgive sinners. Dates can vary.
Purim
A Jewish holiday commemorating the saving of the Jewish people from Haman, an official of the Achaemenid Empire who was planning to have all of Persia’s Jewish subjects killed. Among the festivities include exchanging gifts of food and drink, donating to the poor, and eating a celebratory meal. Dates can very but is typically in February or March.
International Women’s Day
A global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 with women’s rights as its focus, bringing attention to issues including gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence against women. Learn more at internationalwomensday.com.
Vernal Equinox Day (Shunbun no Hi)
A public holiday in Japan that occurs on the date of the Northward equinox in Japan Standard Time. It usually occurs on March 20 or 21. It is a national holiday and Japan and the majority of Japanese workers take time off to celebrate with their families. The day also celebrates the coming of spring and is used to appreciate nature blooming after a long winter.
Ugadi / Yugadi / Samvatsarādi
New Year’s Day according to the Hindu calendar. It falls on the first day of the Hindu lunisolar calendar month of Chaitra. This usually occurs in April.
Vaisakhi
Traditionally celebrated on April 13 and sometimes on April 14. It is the harvest festival in the Punjab region of India and is celebrated by Sikhs as the collective birthday of the “Khalsa Brotherhood” created by Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru of the Sikhs, in 1699.
Ramadan / Ramazan / Ramzan / Ramadhan / Ramathan
The ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims as a worldwide month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community. The annual observance of Ramadan is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam and lasts from 29 to 31 days. The start of Ramadan can vary by year.
Rama Navami
A Hindu festival that celebrates the birthday of Rama, the seventh avatar of the deity Vishnu. This typically occurs in March or April. The festival is a chance for moral reflection, with many charitable events and community meals being organized. Some also mark the day by fasting.
Mahavir Janma Kalaynak
One of the most important religious festivals in Jainism, celebrating the birth of Mahavir. This typically occurs in March or April. The day is marked by many acts of charity and prayers.
Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)
Also known as Chinese Memorial Day or Ancestors’ Day. On this day, Chinese families visit the tombs of their ancestors to clean the gravesites, pray to their ancestors and make ritual offerings. This typically occurs in April.
Passover
A major Jewish holiday that celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt. Chametz (foods with leavening agents) are forbidden on Passover. Jews may not own, eat or benefit from chametz during Passover. The dates vary but is usually in March or April.
Good Friday
A Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. Dates vary annually.
Nuzul Quran / Revelation of the Qur’an
This marks the event described in Islamic tradition as the day the Islamic prophet Muhmmand was visited by the angel Grabriel, who revealed to him the beginnings of what would later become the Qur’an, the central religious text of Islam. Dates vary.
Easter
A Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Dates vary.
Lao New Year
Also called Pi Mai or Songkran. The official festival lasts for three days from April 14 to 16. This takes place during the hottest time of year in Laos, and the start of the monsoon season.
Cambodian New Year / Khmer New Year
The traditional celebration of the solar new year in Cambodia. A three-day public holiday in Cambodia usually starting on April 13 or 14, the end of the harvesting season before rainy season begins.
Jumu’atul-Widaa’
Known as “Friday of farewell,” it marks the last Friday in the month of Ramadan before Eid-ul-Fitr (marking the end of the fasting of Ramadan). Jumu’ah (Friday) is the day where Muslim men are required to attend congregation in lieu of the mid-day prayer. Dates vary.
Thingyan / Burmese New Year
Typically occurs in the middle of April. It is a water festival with water-throwing or dousing one another being a major distinguishing feature of this festival.
Qadr Night / Laylat al-Qadr
In Islamic belief, the night when the Quran was first sent down from Heaven to the world and also the night the first versus of the Quran were revealed to Muhammad. Dates vary.
Eid al-Fitr
The “Holiday of the Breaking the Fast.” It is the earlier of the two official holidays celebrating within Islam (the other being Eid al-Adha). Dates vary.
International Workers’ Day
Also known as Labour Day in some countries, and often referred to as May Day, it celebrates labourers and the working class and is promoted by the international labour movement. Although recognized by workers worldwide, in Canada and the USA, Labour Day (or Labor Day) instead falls on the first Monday of September.
Shavuot / Shavuos
Known as the Feast of Weeks, it is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan. In the Bible, Shavuot marked the wheat harvest in the Land of Israel. It is celebrated modernly as a harvest and first-fruit festival. Dates vary but typically falls around May or June.
Corpus Christi
Known as Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, it is observed by Roman Catholics as well as some Western Orthodox, Lutheran, and Anglican churches. Dates very. It is a public holiday in some countries with a predominantly Catholic population.
Summer Solstice
Occurs when one of the Earth’s poles has its maximum tilt towards the sun. It is the day with the longest period of daylight, and the shortest night of the year. Typically occurs in June in the Northern Hemisphere.
Dragon Boat Festival
A traditional Chinese holiday occurring on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, usually late May or June. Dragon boating has a long history and is believed to have been started to commemorate the life and death of Qu Yuan, a famous Chinese poet, minister and scholar who lived during the Warring States period in Ancient China. The festival itself is said to be a day for getting rid of disease and bad luck.
Juneteenth
A federal holiday in the United States, June 19th – or Juneteenth – commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. The date refers to June 19, 1865, when the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation was ordered in Texas near the end of the American Civil War.
National Indigenous Peoples Day
Occurs annually on June 21, this day is for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. Learn more here.
Civic Holiday
Celebrated on the first Monday of August and is a public holiday in many Canadian provinces and territories.
Eid al Adha
The “Feast of the Sacrifice.” It is the second and larger of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam (the other being Eid al-Fitr). Dates vary.
Islamic New Year
Also called the Hijri New Year. It marks the beginning of a new lunar Higri year. Dates vary.
Onam
An annual Indian harvest festival celebrated mainly by the Hindus of Kerela. It generally falls between August and September.
Rosh Hashanah
Also known as Jewish New Year. It is the first of the Jewish High Holy Days and begins a 10-day period of penitence which culminates with Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. Among the customs include sounding the shofar (a horn), attending synagogue services, and enjoying festival meals including symbolic foods such as apples dipped in honey hoping to evoke a sweet new year. It typically falls in September or October.
Ganeush Chaturthi / Vinayak Chaturthi / Ganeshotsav
A Hindu festival commemorating the birth of the Hindu god Ganesha. The festival includes marked with installing Ganesha’s clay idols both in private and public. The festival includes distributing sweets, and ends on the 10th day after start when the idols are dissolved. Dates vary, but falls between August 22 and September 20.
Labour Day / Labor Day
A holiday to pay tribute to honour workers and recognize their contributions to society. Takes place annually on the first Monday of September in Canada and the United States.
The day is said to have been founded by Peter J. McGuire, a union leader who founded the United Brotherhood of Carpenters in 1881. In 1882 he suggested to the Central Labor Union of New York there should be a celebration to honour American workers and a parade would be held on September 5 of that year with 10,000 workers marching in New York City.
In Canada, the first parades of workers were held in 1872 in Ottawa and Toronto. Later that year, the law making labour unions illegal was repealed. McGuire was invited to speak at the celebration in 1882. In 1894, Parliament officially recognized the holiday in Canada.
Autumnal Equinox Day (Shūbun no Hi)
A public holiday observed either September 22 or 23 in Japan, the date of the Southward equinox in Japan Standard Time. Traditions on this day include people reconnecting with their families by tending to the graves of ancestors, and visiting shrines and temples. Enjoying outdoor activities and eating snacks such as botamochi (a ball of sweet rice in azuki paste) are also part of the day.
Yom Kippur
The holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism and occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. It primarily focuses on atonement and repentance, with the day’s observances including full fasting and ascetic behaviour accompanied by intensive prayer and sin confessions. Dates vary, but typically falls in September or October.
Mid-Autumn Festival
Also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival. It is traditional festival celebrated in Chinese culture, with other similar holidays celebrated in Japan, Vietnam, and other East and Southeast Asian countries. The festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar with a full moon at night. This typically falls in mid-September to early October. Traditionally, the Chinese version of the Mid-Autumn Festival – also known as the Mooncake Festival – involves carrying brightly-lit lanterns and eating mooncakes, which are small, round pastries with a sweet filling.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
A annual holiday on September 30 in Canada to honour the children who never returned home and survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process. Learn more here.
Canadian Thanksgiving
A harvest festival celebrated on the second Monday of October each year.
Dashain
A major Hindu religious festival in Nepal, which falls in September or October. The festival is a symbol of the victory of good over evil.
Diwali
Diwali (or Deepavali in Sanskrit) literally means “a row of lights”. This five-day festival, which is the biggest in India, honours the victory of good over evil. The festival gets its name from the row of clay lamps (diyas) that are used to light around their homes symbolizing the inner light that protects from spiritual darkness. Over the centuries, Diwali has become an international festival that is enjoyed by most Indians regardless of faith: Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs. Dates vary, typically in October or November.
American Thanksgiving
A harvest festival celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November each year.
Winter Solstice
Also known as the hibernal solstice, it occurs when either of the Earth’s poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the sun. It is the day with the least period of daylight, and the longest night of the year. Typically occurs in December in the Northern Hemisphere.
Indigenous Veterans Day
A day to recognize Indigenous contributions to military service, particularly in WWI, WWII, and the Korean War. Observed annually in Canada on November 8.
Remembrance Day
A day to honour those who gave their lives to service the country. Observed annually in Canada on November 11. Learn more here.
Western Christmas
Observed annual on December 25, it is a religious and cultural celebration among billions around the world that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ.
Boxing Day
Originated in Great Britain, it began as a holiday to give gifts to the poor though has since become primarily known now as a shopping day. It takes place the day after Christmas Day on December 26.
