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November 2009
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2 November |
Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Ji (Sikh) |
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Monday |
He was the first of the ten Gurus and was born in 1469. He was the founder of the Sikh faith. Gurpurbs are Sikh festivals which celebrate the lives of the ten Gurus, Gurdwara’s are decorated with flowers, flags and posters.
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2 November |
Haile Selassie I Coronation (Rastafarian) |
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Monday |
This day commemorates the Coronation of Ras Tafari, as Emperor, the King of Ethiopia which took place in 1930.
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5 November |
Guy Fawkes / Bonfire Night |
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Thursday
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This marks the failed attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament by Guy Fawkes in London in 1605. Today people light up bonfires, set of fireworks and make life size replicas of Guy Fawkes to place on the bonfires.
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8 November |
Remembrance Sunday |
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Sunday
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On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month we observe a 2 minute silence, which is when in 1918 the guns fell silent after four years of fighting.
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24 November |
Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji (Sikh) |
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Tuesday |
He was the ninth of the ten gurus and is remembered for championing the rights for all religious freedom. He was executed for speaking out and refusing to renounce his faith.
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25 November |
Hajj – start (Muslim) |
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Wednesday |
Hajj is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims should try and complete at least once in their lifetime if they can afford it and are physically able. Hajj is the fifth and therefore the final pillar of Islam created to increase the bonds of Islamic brotherhood and sisterhood and show that everyone is equal in the eyes of Allah.
Many choose to do an optional pilgrimage before Hajj called Umra but is not essential to completing Hajj. To complete the Hajj, Muslims wear simple clothes called Ihram and complete a number of rituals: Firstly they travel to Mina on the 8th of Dhul Hijjah and stay there until dawn (Fajr). They then travel to the valley of Arafat to stand in the open and praise Allah. The heat at midday is said to provide an idea of how the Day of Judgement will be.
At the end of the day they then travel to Muzdalifa collecting 49 or 70 small stones and stay there for the night. In the morning they travel back to Mina and throw the collected stones at the pillars of Jamraat which represent the devil. A lamb or sheep will then be sacrificed (Qurbani) and the meat given out to the poor.
Following this, men will shave their heads and women will cut off a lock of their hair.The pilgrims will then return to Mecca and walk around the Ka’aba, a black cube said to be built by the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), seven times (Tawaf). They then travel back to Mina for 3 to 4 days each day stoning the pillars of Jamraat. Finally on the twelfth day, they return to the Ka’aba in the Masjid-al-Haram (Holy Mosque) to ask for Allah’s forgiveness. They will then make du’a (a personal prayer) and then Hajj is finished although many will then visit the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina.
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27 November |
Eid-Ul-Adha – The festival of sacrifice (Muslim) |
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Friday
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This is the most important spiritual festival in the Islamic calendar, which concludes the Hajj. It remembers prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son when God ordered him to.
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29 November |
Advent begins (Christian) |
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Sunday |
Advent marks the beginning of the Christian year and is the period of preparation for the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus.
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Further information
Natalie Hill
Equality and Diversity Officer
Telephone: 01743 260 200
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