Today@Dal

Each year the Dalhousie Office of Human Rights, Equity & Harassment Prevention (HREHP) develops a mosaic calendar of religious holidays and cultural dates for faculty, staff and students.

See below for a sample of October dates to observe, reflect, celebrate or promote throughout the university community. The complete calendar is available on the website, http://hrehp.dal.ca/Calendar/

Reminder: The Jewish calendar date begins at sundown of the night beforehand. Thus all holiday observances begin at sundown on the secular dates listed, with the following day being the first full day of the holiday.

Mi’kmaq History Month Treaty Day (October 1st): marks the beginning of Mi’kmaq History Month in Nova Scotia as proclaimed in 1993 by then Premier John Savage and Mi’kmaq Grand Chief Ben Sylliboy. Its purpose is to promote public awareness about the Mi’kmaq culture and heritage for all citizens of Nova Scotia. It is celebrated annually by the Nova Scotia Government and the Mi’kmaq community to renew peace and friendship.

Mawio'mi – Day of Celebration: Join Dalhousie Native Student Association on October 2nd 11:30-4:00 at the Dalhousie Quad and Studley Gym. Traditional Meal 11:30 Grand Entry 12:45 Flag Raising 1:00 Traditional Gathering 1:00-4:00

Women’s History Month: Women's History Month is an annual declared month worldwide that highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. It is celebrated during March in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, corresponding with International Women's Day on March 8, and during October in Canada, corresponding with the celebration of Persons Day on October 18. Proclaimed by the Government of Canada in 1992, Women’s History Month provides an opportunity for Canadians to learn about the many and significant contributions of girls and women to our society - and to the quality of our lives. To honour the girls and women in Canada, past and present, who have gone first, who opened doors for others to follow.

October 1-7

Sukkot Sukkot (Feast of Booths, Feast of Tabernacles): is a biblical holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei (late September to late October). It is one of the three biblically mandated festivals Shalosh regalim on which Hebrews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. It follows the solemn holiday of Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement. This agricultural holiday lasts seven days (eight in the diaspora). The first day (and second in the diaspora) is a sabbath-like yom tov when work is forbidden, followed by the intermediate Chol Hamoed and Shemini Atzeret. The Hebrew word sukkōt is the plural of sukkah, "booth or tabernacle", which is a walled structure covered with skhakh (plant material such as leafy tree overgrowth or palm leaves). The sukkah is intended as a reminiscence of the type of fragile dwellings in which the Israelites dwelt during their 40 years of travel in the desert after the Exodus from slavery in Egypt. Throughout the holiday meals are eaten inside the sukkah and many sleep there as well.

International Day of Non-Violence (UN) October 2nd: marks the birth anniversary of Human Rights Activist, Mahatma Gandhi.

October 6

Dussehra (HI) Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashmi, is a major Indian festival celebrated on the tenth day of Ashvin month according to the Hindu calendar. (Vijay Dasami) celebrates the victory of good over evil: of Lord Rama over the demon Ravan, and the Goddess over a demon. It follows the nine-day fasting period of Navaratri (nine nights) and Durga Puja (worship) when other Goddesses are worshiped.

Hoshanah Rabbah (JU) This day is marked by a special synagogue service, the Hoshana Rabbah, in which seven circuits are made by the worshippers with their lulav and etrog, while the congregation recites Hoshanot. It is customary for the scrolls of the Torah to be removed from the ark during this procession. In a few communities a shofar is sounded after each circuit.

October 8

Thanksgiving (Canada): Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a traditional North American holiday, which is a form of harvest festival. The native peoples of the Americas held ceremonies and festivals to celebrate the completion and bounty of the harvest long before European explorers and settlers arrived in what is now Canada. Early European thanksgivings were held to give thanks for some special fortune. Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. It is national public holiday in Canada. Many people have the day off work and all schools and post offices are closed. Many stores and other businesses and organizations are also closed. Public transport services may run to a reduced timetable or may not run at all.

Columbus Day (USA) This day commemorates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s discovery of the new world. Since 1971, the holiday has been fixed to the second Monday in October, coincidentally the same day as Thanksgiving in Canada. It is generally observed nowadays by banks, the bond market, the U. S. Postal Service other federal agencies, most state government offices, many businesses, and most school districts.

Shemini Atzeret (JU) Shemini Atzeret, the eighth day of assembly, is a separate holiday concluding Sukkoth and the entire fall holiday season. It marks the beginning of winter in the land of Israel. It is celebrated from the sunset of October 7th to sunset on October 8th, Work is not permitted. It is celebrated on the 22nd day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. In the Diaspora, an additional day is celebrated, the second day being separately referred to as Simchat Torah. In Israel, as well as in Reform Judaism, the holidays of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are combined into one and the names are used interchangeably.

October 9

Simhat Torah (JU) (Rejoicing of the Law) is the beginning of the synagogue’s annual Torah reading cycle. Reform Jews celebrate it along with Shemini Atzeret.

October 11

National Coming Out Day (NCOD) is an internationally observed civil awareness day celebrating individuals who publicly identify as bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgender—coming out regarding one's sexual orientation and/or gender identity being akin to a cultural rite of passage for LGBT people. The holiday is observed annually by members of the gay community on October 11. It is observed annually to celebrate coming out and to raise awareness of the LGBT community and civil rights movement. The holiday is observed in a wide variety of ways: from rallies and parades to information tables in public spaces. Participants often wear pride symbols such as pink triangles and rainbow flags.

October 12-16

Ghambar Ayathrem (ZO) celebrates the creation of plants, the sowing of the winter crop, and the return of herds from pasture.

October 16

Pavarana (BU): Long before the time of the Buddha, wandering ascetics would find a place to settle during the months of the monsoon, and the Buddha and his followers also adopted this practice. The last day of the retreat is known as ‘leaving the Vassa’ or Pavarana. In appreciation of the fact that such long-term containment can cause difficulty between people, a ceremony was created to release some of this tension. Pavarana means ‘to invite’, and on this day those who have kept the retreat ask their brothers and sisters to offer reflections on their behaviour.

Founder’s Day (BU) celebrates the introduction of Buddhism into Canada in 1905 and the first assembly of Canadian Buddhists in Toronto in 1980. (North America)

October 17

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (UN): This day is celebrated every year on October 17 throughout the world. It was officially recognized by the United Nations in 1992, but the first commemoration of the event took place in Paris, France in 1987. When the General Assembly, by resolution 47/196, designated this day to promote awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution in all countries, particularly in developing countries - a need that has become a development priority.

Mahavira Nirvana (JA): On this day, (6th century BCE), the 24th Tirthankara, attained nirvana and release from the cycle of rebirth (moksha).

October 19

Persons Day (WO): On October 18, 1929 the Persons Case was settled when the Privy Council in England declared that Canadian women were indeed ‘persons’ under the law and thus could be appointed to the Senate. In honour of this decision, October is declared Women’s History Month in Canada and the 18th is Persons Day

October 20

Birth of the Bab (BA): On October 20th, Baha’is around the world celebrate the Birth of the Báb, one of the founders of this faith. The Báb is often referred to as the Herald of the Baha’i Faith, because it was His mission to prepare the way for Baha’u’llah, the Founder of the Baha’i Faith

Installation of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji (SI): It is revered as an eternal Guru, a sacred conduit for wisdom and guidance. Guru Gobind Singh named the text Granth Sahib as his successor, terminating the line of human Gurus. From that point on, the text remained not only the holy scripture of the Sikhs, but is also regarded by them as the living embodiment of the Ten Gurus. The role of Guru Granth Sahib, as a source or guide of prayer, is pivotal in worship in Sikhism

October 25

Day of Hajj/Day of ‘Arafat (IS): commemorates the last revelation to the Prophet at Mount ‘Arafat shortly before his death. Muslims perform the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. The pilgrimage is one of the five Pillars of Islam. All Muslims are expected to perform the Hajj at least once in their lifetime. About 6 million Muslims from over 70 countries journey to the holy city of Mecca.

October 26

Eid-al-Adha (a. k.a. the Feast of Sacrifice or Day of Sacrifice) is observed after the Hajj -- the annual pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca) in Saudi Arabia. It is the second of the two major Muslim holy days. The other is Id al-Fitr which follows Ramadan -- a lunar month of partial fasting.

October 31

Jnana Panchmi (JA) Some Jains celebrate transcendent wisdom by fasting for 36 hours. Others perform rituals and pray for right knowledge.

Samhain (WICCA) is the word for November in a few Gaelic languages. The Festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture, and is generally regarded as ‘The Celtic New Year’.

Halloween: The modern holiday of Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (see above). The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, the boundary between the alive and the deceased dissolved, and the dead become dangerous for the living by causing problems such as sickness or damaged crops. The festivals would frequently involve bonfires, where the bones of slaughtered livestock were thrown. Costumes and masks were also worn at the festivals in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or placate them.