Happy New Year!

~ Happy New Year! Dec. 31st ~ January 1st

African-American Heritage ~ December 26th ~ January 1st ~ Kawanzaa
A seven-day celebration honoring African American heritage and its continued vitality.
“Kwanzaa” means “first fruits (of the harvest)” in Swahili. Each day of Kwanzaa is tied to one of the holiday's seven principles: unity (umoja), self-determination (kujichagulia), collective work and responsibility (ujima), cooperative economics (ujamaa), purpose (nia), creativity (kuumba), and faith (imani).

Baha`i ~ December 30th ~ Sharaf
The beginning of the sixteenth month of the Bahá’í year; its name means “honor.”

Zoroastrianism Dec. 31st through January 4
~ Ghambar Maidyarem
A celebration for the creation of animals, and a time for the equitable sharing of food with others.

Buddhist ~ January 3rd ~ Mahayana New Year
Celebrates the Buddhist New Year in Mahayana traditions.

Christianity ~ January 5th ~ 12th Night
Christian observance of the close of Christmastide and prelude to Epiphany which begins the next day.

Christianity ~ January 6th ~ Epiphany
Western Christianity celebrates the 3 Kings bringing gifts to baby Jesus.

Christianity ~ January 12th ~ Baptism of the Lord Jesus
Christian commemoration of the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus with baptism in th river Jordan, church honored on the 1st Sunday after the 6th, Epiphany.

Sikh ~ January 13th ~ Maghi
Sikh commemoration of a battle in which forty Sikhs died for Guru Gobindh Singh Ji.

Hindu ~ January 14th ~ Pongal
A harvest festival thanking the Sun God for the agricultural abundance.

Islam ~ January 16th ~ Maba'ath
The Shia observance is based on the beginning of the Holy Prophet’s mission of propagating the message of Almighty Allah.

Baha`i ~ January 18th ~ Sultán
The beginning of the seventeenth month of the Bahá’í year; its name means “sovereignty.”
Christianity ~ January 18th-25th ~ Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Bahai ~ January 18th ~ World Religion Day
Celebrated the 3rd Sunday in January, begun in 1950 by the Bahai people to build awareness and unity