Chinese Festival of the Autumn Moon (10 September 2022) During September or October at full moon, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, the festival of the Autumn Moon is celebrated. It is celebrated partly like many autumn festivals as a festival of lights, and before sitting down to a feast, there is a procession where animal shaped lanterns are carried each containing a candle. Traditional food, including small round shaped rice cakes symbolising the full moon, is eaten during the celebration.  Rice cakes have a long history as they were once used to hide messages in, when the Chinese people were rebelling against their Mongol rulers.

Rosh Hashanah

26 September 2022 - first day)

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and starts on the first day of the month of Tishr. It marks  the beginning of a ten day period of repentance leading up to Yom Kippur.

The month leading up to Tishru is Elul, during which Jews prepare for Rosh Hashanah.  On every day in Elul, a ram's horn (the shofar) is blown to call the people to repent and start anew the coming year.

Harvest Festival

This is a thanksgiving service for the completion of the Harvest. Christian Churches are usually filled with produce, grain and fruit and there is often a loaf baked in the shape of a sheaf of corn.

Diwali (Divali, Deepavali, Deepawali)

(24 October 2022)

Diwali (pronounced 'Divali') is the Hindu "Festival of Lights" and is one of India's most important and popular festivals. It falls at the new moon towards the end of October or early November and lasts for two days. In India Diwali is celebrated in many different ways.

Small lamps or candles are placed in doorways and windows of houses in villages, towns and cities these are to welcome the Hindu god Rama.  Many of the lights used are traditional pottery oil lamps called diye which give off a warm golden light.

In parts of Northern India, young girls place a diya on small rafts leave it to float down a river. If the lamp stays alight until it has floated out of sight, then the owner of the lamp will have good fortune that year.

In some areas the festival is also dedicated to Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, in the hope that she will visit the peoples homes. Diwali is the beginning of the financial year for business people and it is hoped that she will bring good fortune.

Fireworks are part of the celebrations as their loud bangs are thought to send away any evil spirit.

While most of India is celebrating Diwali, in Bengal the people hold a festival in honour of Kali, the Goddess of strength, disease and death.

During the time of the festival homes are strung with lights and the streets have shrines of different sizes on each side.  Worshippers walk about the streets both throughout the daytime and the evening, offering gifts at the shrines in honour of Kali.  Delicious smelling food is sold by street vendors and as night descends there are very colourful firework displays.

At the end of the festival, the images of Kali are taken down and are paraded through the streets on their way to the river where they are set afloat with a noisy send-off.

Hallowe'en

(31 October, every year)

Halloween is an ancient festival, it takes place on 31st October, this is the evening before the Christian feast of All Hallows' or All Saints' Day. On that night it was believed that spirits and witches returned to earth to cause mischief.

Traditionally in America and Canada, children dress up in fancy dress usually something scary and visit their neighbours to play trick or treat when they hope to receive sweets as their treats. Games are often played such as 'bobbing the apple', where you have to try to get an apple out of a barrel of water without using your hands.

Pumpkins are hollowed out and carved, usually to show faces that are lit up when a candle is placed inside the pumpkin.