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Concord

Newsletter - September 2012

LEEDS INTERFAITH FELLOWSHIPwww.concord-leeds.org.uk

THIS year’s Walk of Friendship, as inprevious years, was the inauguralevent of the Treasures Revealed in

Leeds Week. It took place on the 28thApril in the Harehills district of Leeds, andincluded our first visits to Jamia MasjidBilal Mosque and St Augustine’s RomanCatholic Church, as well St Aidan’s CofEChurch, which we have visited before.

Mohammed Shafiq welcomed us to themosque and gave an introductory talk inthe main prayer hall, followed by a guidedtour of the extensive premises, includingclassrooms where children were beingtaught, the ablution facilities and the roomwhere the dead areprepared for burial. Fewof us had ever seen theseparts of a mosque.

Mohammed told ushow the mosque beenbuilt and paid for entirelyby the Muslimcommunity in Harehills.It is at the heart ofMuslim life for thousandswho live in the area.

Very generousrefreshments wereprovided for us in thevast community hallwhich is part of themosque complex.

Walk ofFriendship

At St Augustine’s Roman CatholicChurch we were greeted by the LordMayor of Leeds, Councillor the Revd AlanTaylor, and heard about the church andabout Catholic worship from John andClaire McLaughlin. A few years ago thechurch was suffering from decliningattendances, but as a result of the influxof workers from countries like Poland,and refugees and asylum seekers frommany countries, it has had a new lease oflife.

At St Aidan’s the Revd Diana Zanker,assistant priest, spoke about the work ofSt Aidan’s Church with refugees andasylum seekers, and Barrie Pepper gavea talk on the features of this remarkableVictorian building. JSS

More pictures on page 8

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CONCORD’S AGM was held onMay 15th in the Quaker MeetingHouse with 25 members present.

John Summerwill, as Acting Chair, beganby thanking Hamed Pakrooh for chairingmost of Concord meetings and eventsover the previous twelve months. DrPakrooh has now retired from theExecutive Committee.

Reports from the Secretary andTreasurer were presented and acceptedand it was agreed that Concord, whilebeing a relatively small organisation, stillmanages to host a variety of interestingmeetings and produce regular newsletters.Since subscriptions have remained at thesame level for the past three years, it was

Annual General Meeting

Dr Prideaux is a Teaching Fellow atLeeds University’s Department ofTheology and Religious Studies with aspecial interest in Islam. She has lecturedin Oxford, Manchester andTokyo. She gave us a veryengaging presentation,conveying powerfully herown great enthusiasm forinterfaith studies.

The mapping of religionin Leeds was started in 1995by Professor Kim Knottand has developed into aprestigious module. Thisyear students looked at thecity centre—not an easy areato define. For some it wasquite a challenge workingaway from the University campus, doingrisk assessments, going out to see forthemselves what is there. They consideredthe geographical locations, demography,sense of community, visibility, theadvantages and disadvantages of citycentre venues and they came up with

proposed from the floor that they shouldbe raised in April 2013.

There have been no nominations forthe position of Chair; Cynthia Dickinsonwas re-elected as Secretary, StephenTucker as Treasurer and John Summerwillas Membership Secretary, NewsletterEditor and Webmaster.

Jay Anderson, John Fountain, DavidGoodman, Lalita Kanvinde, SimonPhillips, Joyce Sundram and HelenWilliams were re-elected onto theCommittee.

Representatives from the Buddhist,Muslim and Sikh faiths would bewelcome.

some very interesting discoveries. Senseof community was bound to people, notplace—some people travelled many milesto meet in Leeds. Public and non-religious

buildings were used by faithand interfaith groups, andthere was religion on thestreet, such as the HareKrishnas. There were also alot of young peopleinvolved, particularly wheresocial action was a feature.

Religious mapping is partof the Community ReligionsProject which celebrated its35th anniversary lastNovember with students’work contributing to thegrowing archive of religion

in Leeds. There are plans to make thewealth of data accumulated availableonline to assist further research

The vivacious presentation was followedby a lively question and answer sessionand light refreshments. CD

Guest Speaker Dr Mel Prideaux on Religious Mapping of Leeds

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AFTER the usual Sikh hospitality atChapeltown Road Gurdwara,Concord members enjoyed a very

personal presentation on Rites of Passageby Dr Jatinder Singh Mehmi. His parents,son and daughter were also present, withthe youngsters being happy and confidentat making occasional contributions.

After a short explanation of basic Sikhprinciples, Jatinder told us that every childis seen as a gift from God, with boys andgirls having equal importance. The infantis taken to the Temple for blessing andthanksgiving as soon as possible afterbirth; food or gifts are donated as part ofthe celebration. Traditionally the first letteron the left-hand page of the Guru GranthSahib, opened at random, becomes thefirst letter of the child’s name. Boys arealso given the name Singh (Lion) and girlsKaur (Princess).

Disabilities are sometimes regarded asa punishment to the parents but whenJatinder’s son was born with Down’sSyndrome he was seen as a special giftwho has opened their eyes to differentqualities and the knowledge that there ismore to a person than visual appearance.

Baptism can happen at any time whena person feels ready. For Jatinder it wasat the end of a Sikh camp when he wasjust 11 years old. It was his first time awayfrom home and initially he felt quitemiserable, then decided to go for baptism.He received the ‘Five Ks’ and made hispromise to adhere to Sikh principles. Theinitiation ceremony included sprinklingand drinking of water that had had sugarstirred into it with the double-edgedsword. The turban-tying ceremony tookplace at home with all the family.

In Sikhism marriage is not justbetween two people, but two families.

Jatinder told the story of meeting hisfuture wife for the first time at a servicestation on the M6, half way betweenLeeds and Birmingham. They were bothhappy for their families to ‘assist’ in thechoice of partners, feeling that marriageswork better when suitable matches aremade. The religious part of the weddingceremony takes place in the wife’s hometown before the Guru Granth Sahib, theonly witness needed, as two souls mergeinto one light. Special verses are chantedas the couple circumnavigate the GuruGranth Sahib.

Death is seen as a transition for thesoul and cremation is traditional, severingall attachments to the body. Before thecremation the body is washed and dressedby family members then taken to theTemple for everyone to pay their lastrespects.

Jatinder also explained something ofthe daily rites for Sikhs: cleanliness ofmind and body through daily showers,prayer and meditation; thankfulness,regarding each day as a blessing and newchallenge; honest living and sharing withthose in need by giving time as well asmoney. CD

Rites of Passage in Sikh traditions

A talk on June 12th 2012 by Dr Jatinder Singh Mehmi

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LIFE is a sacred journey’, saidUsha Bhardwaj, as she beganher fascinating talk on Hindu

Rites of Passage at the RoundhayFriends’ Meeting House on 14thSeptember. Hinduism is a collectivename given by Westerners to awide range of Indian religioustraditions, which can vary greatlyfrom each other in their beliefs andpractices. In India people speakrather of Sanatana Dharma, aSanskrit term for the Eternal Lawwhich binds all of the universe andits components together,knowledge of which is to be foundin the Vedas. The rituals that arecommonly found throughout therange of Hindu traditions are allrelated to key moments in thephysical, mental and spiritualdevelopment of an individual fromconception to death.

Usha told us of the four ashramas,the stages of life—studenthood,married life, retirement andpreparation for moksha—and thesamskaras or ceremonial ritualsappropriate to each, 16 in all, whichare intended to purify and developbody, mind and spirit.

The first rituals occur even beforebirth, when the mother conceives,in the second or 3rd month ofpregnancy and in the seventh month.Each of these invokes a blessing onthe child to be born. When the babyis born honey is placed in its mouthand the name of God is whisperedin its ear. At eleven days friends andrelatives join together for the namingceremony, when a priest performspuja and the havan (fire) ceremony.

At six weeks thechild is takenoutside for thefirst time, to thetemple for ablessing, then tothe nearestrelatives. Whenteething begins,usually about theseventh month,the child is giventhe first solid foodand a special pujais performed.

Other ceremonies of childhood mark the firsthair cutting and ear piercing. Boys traditionallyundergo the sacred thread ceremony when theybegin schooling, but the practice of sending achild to live with a rishi (teacher) is not usualnow, especially in this country. The white cottonthread has three strands representing the vowsof loyalty and commitment which the childundertakes: to knowledge, to his parents andtowards his religious and moral duties. Girlswere never sent away but have always learnedfrom their mother.Further ceremonies mark thebeinning and end of schooling.

Usha told us about many of the practices andcustoms associated with the marriage ceremonyand the preparations made for it. The secondstage of life is focused upon making one’s livingand bringing up one’s family, but at the age ofabout 50 another samskara marks the beginningof retirement, and at about 75 another marksthe beginning of the final, reclusive stage of life.Death is marked by rituals involving thecremation of the body to disperse the fiveelements of which we are composed, the eldestson carrying the principal responsibility forlighting the fire.

From Usha’s lively prsentation we got a senseof the Hindu understanding of how all life ispervaded by a divine purpose and sense ofdirection, and how the multitude of rituals helpindividuals, families and communities to beconstantly reminded of the sacredness of life.

We were delighted to see Suresh and Lalitawith us for the first time since Suresh’s stroke.

Hindu Rites of

Passage

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A very lively, interestingpresentation about Ramadan wasgiven by Mrs Henna Dailey to

Concord members in the Friends’Meeting House in July. Henna has beenassociated with a variety of interfaithactivities over many years and hasfrequently represented the Muslimcommunity at Concord events, addressingvarious gatherings and lighting the candleat the Peace Service on several occasions.Educated at Roundhay School and LeedsUniversity, with an MA in MediaevalStudies and a PGCE from York University,Henna is a fluent exponent of her religiousbeliefs with a sincere commitment to herIslamic faith. It was a privilege to havethe company of Henna’s husband, Dr ErinDailey, a lecturer in Leeds University, whogave us the Arabic version of theintroductory prayer.

The address was a graphic descriptionof how Henna’s family celebrate thereligious fast of Ramadan, and how thismonth of fasting has a very intimate,unifying effect upon the Muslimcommunity the world over, though there

Fasting in IslamHenna writes:

Ramadan is a sacred month forMuslims which unites faith with food,patience and early mornings!

Ramadan has always been anexciting month for me. As a child Iremember begging my parents to wakeme up for the early morning meal ofsehri, which they would occasionallyagree to, although I always caved inwithin a few hours from the sight of achocolate biscuit.

As an adult Ramadan has alsoprovided me with an opportunity toreflect on my faith and has become amonth of creating better habits andfocusing on God. I have also been luckyenough to share Ramadan and itsdelights with my husband, who is stillrelatively new to the faith. As a Muslim,Ramadan is the bond that ties us alltogether with our rumbling tummiesand devotion to God.

We passed around a generous tray ofdates which is the usual provision for afamily when initially breaking the day’sfast, and also afterwards Henna’s delicioussamosas, again typical fare for her familyand others during this season.

Henna emphasised that this period offast and self-abnegation is underlined inthe Qur’an, the Muslim sacred scripture,which was first revealed to the Prophetwhen he was in the caves outside Makkah,fasting and praying. Henna also referredto Sura 97, which has special significancefor all Muslims in the ‘Night of Power’.

Everyone attending was greatlyappreciative of this very personalexploration of Ramadan from such adevout and accomplished speaker.

Joyce Sundram

are regional differences in its celebration.Men and women have parity in thisreligious rite, which cements the familyand the community together in an almostindissoluble way.

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JAY (JENNIFER)

ANDERSON(Interviewed by Trevor Bates July 2012)

JAY, as she is known to most of us, is aWest Yorkshire lass of vibrantcharacter, with fascinating interests and

commitments. Jay is of that rare breed ofyounger people who are involved withConcord.

Born in Pontefract, Jay lived with herfamily in Castleford until she was 19 yearsold. She attended Airedale High Schooland did her A levels at New College inPontefract with a further two years atWakefield College,where her mainsubjects were History and English.

Jay’s first aspirations were witharchaeology, but due to an injured kneeshe switched to doing a BA(Hons) inHistory and English at the UniversityCollege of Ripon and York St John, and

then a PGCE at the University of Leeds.Jay did teaching practice in Preston andheld a post at Ribbleton Hall High School,whose most famous student was FreddieFlintoff, the English cricketer.

However, her first love for archaeologysurfaced again, and so Jay returned toYork, to the University of York, to do aBSc in Archaeology. She completed twoyears, then, after a leave of absence fortwo years, returned for the final year,gaining her BSc in 2007.

Whilst at Leeds Jay met Alan, whobecame her partner. Alan was doing a PhDin Mathematical Physics and his post-doctoral research work took him toBudapest, Hungary, in 2004 for two years.Jay went with him and during their stayshe taught English as a Foreign Language.They returned to England in 2006 whenAlan completed his research.

When they took up residence in LeedsJay did supply teaching for schools inDewsbury, Batley and Bradford. InNovember 2011, however, Jay secured thepost of Administrator for Leeds CentralCollege, Regent Street, which was foundedin 2010. This college offers Business andLanguage courses mainly for studentsfrom overseas, is growing and has 160students with ten staff members.

Jay’s spiritual journey has taken her ona quest bringing her into full commitmentwith the Gardnerian Wiccan Tradition ofPaganism, and she has become a HighPriestess with her own coven.

Jay’s home influence was primarilyChurch of England, and due to hergrandmother’s influence she was baptised,

Profile13th in a series of interviews

with members of Concord

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confirmed and sang in the choir at St Giles’Parish Church, Pontefract. However, asa growing teenager she began to questionthings said and done at St Giles’—untilshe eventually realised she ‘didn’t fit’ anymore. Her grandmother’s comment was:“Isn’t she a funny onion!” The search wason for ‘something else’ which wouldsatisfy her.

Breathing space came at York St John,when she was 19 years old, where theyhad a ‘wonderful chaplain’ whoencouraged students to find their ownfaith, offering a welcoming space forworship and discovery. Jay met friendsat University from all sorts of faiths whichchallenged and widened her search. InYork she bought a second-hand copy ofEarth Magic at Blackwell’s which introducedher to the Pagan way of life. Jay becameenthralled with new knowledge, practicesand involvement within the Pagantraditions which led her to a discovery ofWicca. Her parents were very laid backabout Jay’s new way of life and did nothinder her in furthering her interest inWicca.

Whilst Alan and Jay were in Budapest,Jay was introduced to a small Gardneriancoven with American, English andHungarian members following thepractices first publicly described by GeraldBrosseau Gardner, an Englishman creditedwith the re-emergence of Wicca in the1950s and 60s. Jay was given contacts tofollow up upon her return to the UK,including Patricia Crowther, a HighPriestess of the Gardnerian Tradition, whofounded The Sheffield Coven in 1961.

Jay was initiated into a Gardneriancoven in Sheffield, undertaking a threeyear training programme with theintention of starting her own coven as afully initiated High Priestess in theGardnerian Tradition. Jay’s covenobserves the Pagan Festivals eight timesa year, plus regular monthly full-moonmeetings.

Jay became aware of Concord on herreturn from Budapest in 2006 when shemet Cynthia Dickinson (our Secretary) ata local meeting of the Pagan Federation.Jay became a member of Concord andhas served on our Executive ever since.Jay was our publicity officer for a time,and has stepped in to chair some of ourrecent meetings. She believes Concordhas a lot ‘going for it’, but needs to dosomething to engage younger audiences.

Jay sees herself as a ‘pagan ambassador’She facilitates an open discussion meetingon a variety of Pagan topics once a monthand in her spare time Jay loves doingcraftwork, e.g. sewing, knitting andbobbin-lace, and reading fantasy fiction,history, religious and theology texts. Jayhas eclectic tastes in music—from classicalto pop—and is ‘a die-hard Bon Jovi fan.’

Jay makes a rich and distinctivecontribution to the fellowship of Concordand we fervently hope that she can be an‘ambassador’ for us to invite and attracta younger generation for Concord’s idealsand message.

Profile of Jay Anderson—continued

Leeds Equalities Assembly

ConferenceThursday November 22nd in the St

George’s Centre LS1 3BR 10.15am - 1.30pm.

THIS year’s conference will focus onthe Government’s Welfare ReformAct. There will be opportunities to

get more information about how Leedsis responding to the national reforms.Round table discussions will give you thechance to learn more and have your say.To reserve your place or for moreinformation, contact 0113 2474180equalityteam@leeds.gov.uk SMS Text07891270162 or if you use a Textphoneplease use Textdirect (typetalk) 18002 01132474180. British Sign LanguageInterpreters and a Palantypist will helpsupport the conference. Languageinterpreters can be arranged by requestin advance. Hearing loops are available.

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Walk of

Friendship 2012Left: Outside St Augustine’s

Roman Catholic Church,

with the Lord Mayor

Below: Talk inside St

Augustine’s

Bottom: St Aidan’s

Joyce Sundram and the

Lord Mayor head the

procession through

Banfield Park

The Revd Diana Zanker

talks in St Aidan’s

Look at the Concord website

for a slideshow

with more pictures:

www.concord-leeds.org.uk/

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InterActive & Fairtrade

ON a sunny Sunday afternoon inAugust a group of Christian andMuslim youngsters, along with Br

Mahboob and Fr Paul, helped FairtradeLeeds to paint colourful stripes on somegiant cut-out socks.

They also learned something about theimportance of Fairtrade with a game ofGlobingo and some Fairtrade chocolate!

The socks went around YorkshireSculpture Park on Sunday September16th ‘Taking Steps’ for Fairtrade at theYear of Co-operatives event.

Sunday November 18th:

Mitzvah Day

MITZVAH Day is a Jewish-led dayof social action. On Mitzvah Dayaround the world thousands of

people take part in hands on projects,without fundraising, to support existingcharities and to build strongercommunities. The mission is to reducehardship and poverty, to help ourenvironment and to bring a little joy, allthrough volunteering. It is a way for allof us to make our mark regardless of ouraffiliation, level of religious conviction,wealth, age, sex or nationality.

If you would like to find out more, goto www.mitzvahday.org.uk. To help outin Leeds/West Yorkshire, please contactsarasaunders@aol.com

Simon Phillips

Thursday November 22nd:

Leeds Faiths Forum & Concord

AN all day event at the MerrionCentre where different faiths jointogether in putting on a multi faith

exhibition. An opportunity for the voiceof dialogue to be heard in public. Forfurther details contact cdobbin@aol.com

Tuesday November 20th:

Bringing Communities Together

at the Hamara Centre, Tempest Road,Beeston LS11 from 9am until 4pm.

LEEDS Concord will have a stall atthis event—promoting friendshipand understanding between the

different faiths and cultures of Leeds. It isa day for young people (aged 10 to 14) todiscover similarities and value differences.If you can spare an hour, please letCynthia know.

Interfaith Week – November 18-27

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THE Network is established “toadvance public knowledge andmutual understanding of the

teachings, traditions and practices of thedifferent faith communities in Britain,including an awareness both of theirdistinctive features and their commonground and to promote good relationsbetween persons of different faiths.”

For many, many years the PaganFederation has sought to become a FaithCommunity Representative Body withinthe InterFaith Network, representingthousands of Pagans up and down thecountry. For many, many years theInterFaith Network has refused themmembership, culminating in the creationof a bye-law in 2007 limiting membershipto the nine faiths recognised by theInterFaith Network, effectively barringthe smaller, less well-known religions.

To many Pagans this was a very oddway of ‘building good relations withpeople of different faiths and beliefs’ butwe didn’t make a fuss, deciding insteadto continue working at the local level andhaving faith that the IFN would soonregard us as ‘genuine’—for want of abetter word.

Three years later things began tochange when a local interfaith organisationin London started to question IFNpractices, initially about the rotation ofco-Chairs and transparency of accounts.In 2011 the questions turned to IFN’smembership policy. Then in 2012 TheDruid Network, which had successfullyachieved charitable status, applied tobecome one of the Faith CommunityRepresentative Bodies.

The application was denied because the2007 AGM “resolved that the category of‘national faith community body’ be open,at the present time, to organisations fromthe Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu,Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Zoroastriantraditions.”

At this point several local interfaithorganisations (including Leeds Concord)—all of which have active Pagans in theirmembership—decided to try and revokethe bye-law, thus giving The DruidNetwork the chance to be accepted.Interestingly the lead was taken by aLondon Muslim whose tactics are farremoved from the Pagan Federation’s‘softly softly’ approach. And althoughsome of his e-mails have been rathercringe-worthy, he was inspirational,determined and successful in getting theitem on the IFN-UK’s 2012 AGM agenda.

Unfortunately the proposal wasdefeated by 32 to 27 with 9 abstentions—not a big margin—but our Muslim friend,it seems, hasn’t given up yet. He is nowlooking at the legal side of the matterfrom the discrimination point of view, andcertainly does seem to have the bitbetween his teeth. The latest item fromhim is an invitation to the House of Lordsfor an Interfaith Week event on ‘ReligiousEquality and Religious Discrimination:Legal and Faith Perspectives’. This willbe hosted jointly by a number of faithand interfaith organisations and led bytop barristers, QCs, solicitors anduniversity academics in the field ofreligious equality, religious freedom anddiscrimination. It will particularly focuson the theme of ensuring full equality andinclusion for Minority Religions and NewReligious Movements.

Cynthia Dickinson

Pagans and the InterFaith Network UK

Holocaust Memorial Day

YOU are invited to a HolocaustMemorial Day commemorativeevent on Sunday January 27th at

2pm in Leeds Town Hall. The keynotespeaker will be Revd David Wilkes of Yorkand there will be contributions fromyoung people including students of theLeeds College of Music.

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Concord EventsWednesday October 17th, 7.15 for 7.30 pm

ANNUAL PEACE SERVICE

Join with the Lord Mayor and representatives of nine faiths from Leeds,lighting candles for peace in the Civic Hall, with readings and music

November 18th-25thINTERFAITH WEEK

Concord is co-operating with other organisations in several events

See page 9

Tuesday January 22nd, 7.00 pm(refreshments available from 6.30)

RITES OF PASSAGE IN PAGANISM

at The Quaker Meeting House, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9DX

Talk by Jay Anderson

Other events between February and April will be arranged.Keep an eye on our website.

Sunday May 5th 2013, 2.00 pm

WALK OF FRIENDSHIP

in the Shadwell Lane area, probably including a synagogue, a mosque and achurch

Treasures Revealed in Leeds

BETWEEN Saturday May 4th andSunday May 12th 2013 many placesof worship in the wider Leeds area

will open their doors to the public andreveal their treasures. If you would likeyour chapel, church, circle, gurdwara,meeting house, mosque, synagogue ortemple to be included, or would like moreinformation, contact Jamie onbethandjamie@ntlworld.com

Christmas Hamper Appeal

THE West Yorkshire CommunityChaplaincy Project, based at HMPLeeds, is collecting tinned and dried

foods, toiletries and cleaning materials forex-convicts trying to live better lives. Formore information about the ChristmasHamper Appeal contact

kelly.mason@wyccp.org.uk

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Interfaith Calendar of Festivals

Editor: John S. Summerwill 0113 269 7895 editor@concord-leeds.org.uk

Admin Secretary: Cynthia Dickinson 01924 863 956 secretary@concord-leeds.org.uk

Winter 2012 - 2013OCTOBER 20127 Hoshanah Rabbah Jewish8 Shemini Atzeret Jewish9 Simhat Torah Jewish

Birthday of Guru Ram Das Sikh16 Navaratri Hindu20 Birth of the Bab Bahá'í

Installation of Scriptures as GuruGranth Sikh

24 Dussera Hindu25 Waqf al Arafa - Hajj Day Muslim26 Eid-ul-Adha Muslim31 Samhain - Hallowe'en Pagan

NOVEMBER1 All Saints' Day Christian2 All Souls' Day Catholic Christian

11 Armistice Day/ RemembranceSunday Multifaith

12 Birth of Baha'u'lláh Bahá'í13 Diwali Hindu/Sikh15 Al-Hijira Muslim24 Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur

SikhAshura Shi’a Muslim

26 Day of the Covenant Bahá'í28 Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Bahá Bahá'í

Birthday of Guru Nanak Sikh30 St Andrew's Day Christian

DECEMBER2 Advent Sunday Christian8 Immaculate Conception

Catholic ChristianBodhi Day BuddhistHanukkah (to 16th) Jewish

21 Yule/Winter Solstice Pagan23 Fast of Tevet 10 Jewish24 Christmas Eve Christian25 Christmas Day Christian26 Boxing Day Secular

St Stephen's Day Christian

JANUARY 20131 Circumcision of Jesus Christian

St Basil the Great Orthodox Christian

New Year's Day Secular5 Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh

Sikh6 Epiphany/Theophany Christian7 Nativity of Christ Orthodox

Christian13 Maghi Sikh14 Makar Sankranti Hindu15 World Religion Day Bahá'í18 Founder’s Day Brahma Kumari18-25 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Christian24 Milad un Nabi Sunni Muslim25 St Paul's Day Christian26 Tu B'Shevat Jewish.27 Mahayana New Year Buddhist29 Milad un Nabi Shi’a Muslim31 Birthday of Guru Har Rai Sikh

FEBRUARY2 Candlemas/Imbolc Christian

Imbolc Pagan8 Nirvana day (or 15th) Buddhist

10 Chinese New Year Chinese12 Shrove Tuesday Christian13 Ash Wednesday Christian14 St Valentine's Day

Christian/Secular15 Vasant Panchami Hindu21 Fast of Esther Jewish23 Purim Jewish24 Triodion begins Orthodox Christian25 Magha Puja Buddhist26 - Mar 1 Intercalary Days Bahá'í