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Upcoming Holy Days - February
February is full of holy days, especially with the uptick in spring festivities. Last year, we talked about Imbolc/Brigid, Setsubun, Maha Shivaratri, and Ash Wednesday. But we’ve got some new ones for you this year. Enjoy!
Candlemas (Feb. 2): Candlemas is a Christian holy day that marks the 40th (and last) day of the Christmas-Epiphany season. It commemorates Jesus being presented in the Temple of Jerusalem, which is narrated in Luke 2:22-37. The event was actually a Jewish purification ritual for Mary that is prescribed in Mosaic Law/the Torah. Candlemas is marked by both lighting and blessing candles, which also serves as a reminder that Jesus is viewed by many Christians as the “Light of the World.”
Ayyám-i-Há (sundown, Feb. 24): The Bahá’í calendar is composed of 19 months with 19 days each. That adds up to 361, four days short of the 365-day Gregorian calendar. These 4 days are “made up” during the festival of Ayyám-i-Há. Families generally create their own ways of celebrating, but the focus is on praising God, sharing joy, and helping others. This blog post from Africa offers a nice glimpse into how some families honor these holy days. Once Ayyám-i-Há ends, the 19-day month of fasting begins.
Purim (sundown Feb. 25): Last year, Purim fell in March, so I included a brief blurb about it in our March 2020 newsletter. As a reminder, Purim is a festive Jewish holiday that commemorates Queen Esther saving the Jewish people from genocide at the hands of the evil, Haman. The entire scroll (megillah) of Esther is read…which is, literally, “the whole megillah.” It’s one of my fave. holy days to celebrate with kids.
Magha Puja (Feb. 27): Magha Puja is a Buddhist holy day that falls on the full moon day of the 3rd lunar month. According to tradition, the Buddha was sitting in a bamboo grove when four magical things happened: 1,250 disciples showed up without being told to come, all of them had achieved Enlightenment, the Buddha offered seminal teaching on the Buddhist practice, and there was a full moon. Often called the 2nd most important day in the Buddhist calendar, it honors the community of Buddhists, which is called the sangha.
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