Religion Holiday
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Our Lady of Sorrows
Our Lady of Sorrows represents Mary’s deep suffering alongside Christ, especially during his Passion. Her feast is a major Catholic celebration and a national holiday in Slovakia, where she is honored as the country’s Patroness.
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Day after Federal Fast
The Day after Federal Fast is a public holiday celebrated exclusively in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland, and its history is closely linked to the evolution of the Federal Day of Thanksgiving, Repentance, and Prayer, a Swiss national observance rooted in religious and historical traditions.
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Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, a significant holiday in the Jewish calendar. It marks the beginning of the Ten Days of Repentance or the Days of Awe, a period of introspection and preparation for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
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Binara Full Moon Poya Day
Binara Full Moon Poya commemorates the establishment of the Bhikkhuni Order, when the Buddha ordained his foster mother Mahāpajāpati Gotami and 500 women. This completed the Fourfold Sangha (monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen). The event marked a historic step in recognizing women’s spiritual capacity, a legacy still honored in Sri Lanka today.
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First Day of Sukkot
In Israel, the First Day of Sukkot is observed as a holy day with sukkah meals, synagogue prayers, and the waving of the Four Species, marking the beginning of a week of joy, gratitude and community celebrations. It blends the ancient biblical tradition of desert remembrance and harvest thanksgiving with modern Israeli culture.
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Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar and a time of intense prayer and fasting. It marks the culmination of the Ten Days of Repentance, which begin with Rosh Hashanah.
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Frances Xavier Cabrini Day
Frances Xavier Cabrini Day is a state holiday in Colorado, established to honor the life and legacy of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first U.S. citizen to be canonized by the Catholic Church.
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Simchat Torah
Simchat Torah celebrates the completion and renewal of the Torah reading cycle with singing, dancing and parading Torah scrolls. In Israel, together with Shemini Atzeret, it is marked by a spirit of joy, unity and love for the Torah.
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National Prayer Day
National Prayer Day in Zambia is officially called the National Day of Prayer, Fasting, Repentance, and Reconciliation. This solemn occasion invites Zambians to reflect, seek divine guidance, and promote unity and moral renewal as a nation.
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Diwali
Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is one of the most important and widely celebrated festivals in Hinduism, and it holds significance for Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists. Known as the Festival of Lights, it symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.
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Vap Full Moon Poya Day
Vap Full Moon Poya commemorates the Buddha’s seventh year after Enlightenment, when he preached the Abhidhamma in Tavatimsa Heaven to his mother and later descended at Sankassapura. It also marks the end of the Rainy Retreat and the beginning of the Kathina robe-offering tradition, which continues in Sri Lanka today.
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Reformation Day
Reformation Day commemorates the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. It marks the day in 1517 when Martin Luther, a German monk and theologian, is traditionally believed to have nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church.