28^th February – 30th/31st March

Ramadan

Ramadan is a a religious holiday celebrated by Muslims. Ramadan remembers the month the Qur’an (the Muslim holy book) was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims won’t eat or drink during the hours of daylight. This is called fasting. Most Muslims fast between dawn and sunset. Fasting allows Muslims to devote themselves to their faith. It is thought to teach self-discipline and reminds them of the suffering of the poor. 

When is Ramadan? In 2025 in the UK, Ramadan is expected to begin on Friday 28th February  and will end on Sunday 30th or Monday 31st March.

5^th March – 17^th April

Lent

Lent is a 40-day season of prayer, fasting and giving, held in preparation for the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. This year, Lent begins on March 5 and ends on April 17. Lent is 40 days long to represent the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting and praying in the desert before starting his own ministry.

14^th March

Holi

Holi is a popular and significant Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love, and Spring. It celebrates the eternal and divine love of the deities Radha and Krishna. Additionally, the day signifies the triumph of good over evil, as it commemorates the victory of Vishnu as Narasimha over Hiranyakashipu.

30^th March -  31^st March

Eid ul Fitr

Eid ul Fitr is also known as ‘The Feast of Breaking the Fast‘ and is celebrated by Muslims worldwide to mark the end of Ramadan. Muslims are not only celebrating the end of fasting, but also thanking Allah for the Qur’an, which was first revealed towards the end of Ramadan. Eid is a time for families, friends and neighbours to spend time together and share food. They will often wear their best clothes, decorate their homes and may give money to the poor so that they can also enjoy the day.

12^th April (for 7 days)

Passover

Passover is a Jewish holiday celebrating of the Bible’s story of Exodus. During Passover, Jews remember how their ancestors left slavery behind them when they were led out of Egypt by Moses. Passover is celebrated with a series of rituals. Each ritual symbolises a different part of the story. On the evening before Passover starts, Jews have a special service called a Seder (Order). This takes place over a meal with family and friends at home. During the meal, the story of Exodus is told from a book called the Haggadah.

13^th April

Vaisakhi

Vaisakhi is a spring harvest festival which celebrates the founding of the Sikh community. To celebrate Vaisakhi, Sikhs will visit their places of worship called Gudwaras. These will be especially decorated for the occasion. Many people enjoy parades and special processions through the streets, wearing traditional colourful clothing. 

20th April

Easter Sunday

Easter is one of the principal holidays, or feasts, of Christianity. It marks the Resurrection of Jesus three days after his death by crucifixion. For many Christian churches, Easter is the joyful end to the Lenten season of fasting and penitence. Easter Eggs are used as a symbol for the resurrection of Jesus, an egg is a symbol of new life

12^th May

Wesak

Wesak is a Buddhist holiday celebrating the Buddha’s birthday and, for some Buddhists, also marks his enlightenment and death. Wesak is a very colourful and happy celebration in which people decorate their homes. In many countries, Buddhists will visit their local temple for services and teaching. They will give offerings to the monks of food, candles and flowers. Giving to others is an important Buddhist tradition. Buddhists make a special effort to give to people in need at Wesak.

6^th June

Eid ul Adha

Eid ul Adha, or Festival of Sacrifice, is one of the most important festivals in the Muslim calendar. It remembers the prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son when God ordered him to. Eid usually starts with Muslims going to the Mosque for prayers. They dress in their best clothes and thank Allah for all the blessings they have received. It is a time when they visit family and friends. Muslims will also give money to charity so that poor people can celebrate too.

22^nd – 24^th September

Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah is a special festival which celebrates the Jewish New Year. It is a celebration of the creation of the world and marks making a fresh start. It is a time for people to reflect on the past year and to ask for forgiveness for anything wrong they feel they have done. Many Jewish families will spend some of Rosh Hashanah at a Synagogue. Food is also an important part of Rosh Hashanah, slices of apple are dipped in honey to symbolise a sweet new year ahead.

 Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur means Day of Atonement (making amends for sins). It is the most sacred and solemn day in the Jewish calendar. It is a day to reflect on the past year and ask God’s forgiveness for any sins. Jews do not work or go to school on this day. Jews mark the day of Yom Kippur by fasting for 25 hours.  The most important part of Yom Kippur is the time spent in the synagogue (Jewish place of worship). Even Jews who do not go to the synagogue very much will go on Yom Kippur. 

Diwali

Diwali is a Hindu festival known as the ‘festival of lights’ because houses, shops and public places are decorated with small lamps. For many people this five day festival honours Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. The lamps are lit and windows and doors are left open to help Lakshmi find her way into people’s homes. Other ways that Hindus celebrate the festival include spring-cleaning, wearing new clothes, exchanging gifts and big fireworks displays.

Hanukkah

Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights. The word ‘Hanukkah’ means ‘Dedication’ in Hebrew. Hanukkah celebrates a miracle that happened in Jerusalem over 2,000 years ago. Watch the story of Hanukkah here: https://youtu.be/7tws_uMAEOs  Families celebrate Hanukkah by lighting a candlestick with eight candles called a menorah. They also often give gifts, play with the dreidel and eating traditional Jewish foods like Latkes.

Christmas Day

Christmas is a Christian holy day that marks the birth of Jesus, who Christians believe to be the Son of God. The story of Jesus’s birth (also known as the nativity) is often retold by children taking part in nativity plays. Christian church services at Christmas include carol singing, these are happy songs which tell the Christmas story. Families will gather to eat traditional Christmas dinners and exchange gifts.