Today@Dal

See below for a sample of dates to observe, reflect, celebrate or promote throughout the university community. The full calendar is available on the website, http://www.dal.ca/dept/dalrespect/about/calendar.html

September 5
Labour Day
Labour Day is an annual holiday celebrated in North America on the first Monday in September that resulted from efforts of the Labour union movement to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers.

Ganesh Chathurhi (HI)
The Hindu festival celebrated in honour of the god Ganesha, the elephant-headed, remover of obstacles and the god of beginnings and wisdom. The modern festival involves installing clay images of Ganesha in public pandals (temporary shrines), which are worshipped for ten days with different variety of herbal leaves and plants.

September 6
Samvatsari (JA)
This is the day when the 1250 fundamental Jain sutras are chanted for it is considered auspicious to listen to them on this day. Observed annually, this festival is a kind of reminder of all the Sutras that form the platform on which the Jain religion rests. People perform Samvatsarik Pratikraman where they ask for forgiveness for all the sins they may have committed. After performing this ritual the people are expected to free themselves of all kinds of grudges or hatred.

September 9 -14
Hajj (IS)
An annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey, and can support their family during their absence. It is one of the five pillars of Islam, alongside Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, and Sawm. The gathering during Hajj is considered the largest annual gathering of people in the world.

September 10
Eid-al-Adha (IS)
Also called the Feast of Sacrifice, It honors the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his promised son, Ishmael, as an act of submission to God's command, before God then intervened through His angel Gabriel and informs him that his sacrifice has already been accepted.