Cultural Highlights

Mawlid al-Nabi is an Islamic festival and holiday commemorating the Prophet Muhammad’s birth anniversary. It is celebrated across the globe in Rabi’ al-awwal, the third month of the Muslim Lunar calendar. The Prophet Muhammad is the founder of Islam and is believed to have been born in 570 CE. The history of the celebration goes back to the early days of Islam when his followers began to gather and perform poetry and songs as an ode to him. The celebrations of Mawlid al-Nabi became more popular during the 11th century when it was first celebrated as an official festival in Egypt. It was often celebrated with prayers, speeches, Quran recitations, and a large public feast. Today, those who observe Mawlid al-Nabi hold night-long prayers and exchange gifts with friends and family. It is also celebrated with parades, lights, decorations, special food, and greeting each other with “Milad Un Nabi Mubarak.” Mawlid al-Nabi is an important day for remembering, discussing, and celebrating the Prophet Muhammad’s life and teachings and passing them on to younger generations.

The first major Jewish holiday of the school year is Rosh Hashanah (October 2), followed by Yom Kippur (October 11), Sukkot (October 16), and Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah (October 24). Though each holiday is celebrated with its ceremonies and traditions, they share one thing in common: evening and daytime hours of all major Jewish holidays have restrictions followed by a number of Jews observing the holiday. These include not using electricity or electronic devices, including computers, cell phones, email, lights, and cars. Writing, erasing, and lighting a flame are also forbidden actions. These restrictions are also observed weekly on the Jewish Sabbath, Friday night until Saturday night, for observing Jewish people. 

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. This year, it begins on Labor Day evening, October 2. A common greeting for Rosh Hashanah is “Happy New Year.”

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is often called the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. It is a 25-hour fast day, beginning before sunset the day before. No food or drink may be consumed during this period, and most of the evening and day are spent in communal prayer. Commonly, one wishes one another “an easy fast” or “a meaningful fast.”

Five days after Yom Kippur is the eight-day-long holiday of Sukkot, the “Feast of the Tabernacles.” This holiday commemorates the 40-year journey of the Biblical Israelites from Egypt through the wilderness to the Promised Land of Israel. A common greeting would be, “Happy Sukkot.”

The holiday of Sukkot ends with two more holiday days, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. Shemini Atzeret is a “cap” on the “Eighth Day of Assembly,” the just-completed week of festivities. It is followed the next day by the Simchat Torah, “Rejoicing in the Torah,” during which the annual cycle of public readings from the Torah (the Five Books of Moses, which begins the Hebrew Scriptures) is completed.

Diwali is a festival of lights and one of India’s biggest and most important holidays. Diwali is celebrated primarily by Hindus, but over centuries, it has become a national festival that is also celebrated by some who practice non-Hindu religions such as Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. The ancient celebration is linked to multiple stories in religious texts, and it’s impossible to say which came first or how long ago Diwali started. However, many of these stories are related to the triumph of good over evil. The festival gets its name from the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa) that Indians light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects them from spiritual darkness. Diwali is celebrated over five days by decorating homes, lighting lamps, candles, fireworks, and sparklers, giving gifts, praying with loved ones, and eating a special feast. Diwali commemorates important stories and events in India’s history and is a day for joy, celebration, and spending time with loved ones. To those who celebrate, we wish you a happy Diwali!

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a joyful celebration of life and death on the 1st and 2nd of November. The holiday originated and is mainly observed in Mexico, but it is celebrated throughout Latin America and in some parts of the US. Día de los Muertos originated thousands of years ago with the Aztec, Toltec, and other Nahua people, who considered mourning the dead disrespectful and instead believed that deceased people were still members of the community who are kept alive through their memory. Día de los Muertos was believed to be when the deceased would temporarily return to Earth. The holiday intends to demonstrate love and respect for deceased family members while celebrating life. In towns and cities throughout Mexico, participants wear colorful makeup and costumes, hold parades and parties, sing and dance, decorate with colorful calaveras (skulls) and calacas (skeletons), give gifts to loved ones, and make offerings such as food, photos, and candles to lost loved ones on ofrendas (altars).

Outside of Mexico, the holiday is also celebrated with offerings on ofrendas or the graves of the deceased, prayers, candles, flowers, old photos, ceremonial foods, sugar skulls, vibrant decorations, makeup, song, and dance.

Today, Latin Americans of all religious and ethnic backgrounds celebrate Día de los Muertos as a joyous celebration of both the living and the dead. 

At its core, the holiday remembers and celebrates lost loved ones, brings families together, and is an important reaffirmation of an ancient indigenous celebration.

Hanukkah, which means “dedication” in Hebrew, is an eight-night Jewish holiday and celebration known as the Festival of Lights. Hanukkah starts on the 25th of Kislev, a month in the Hebrew calendar that usually falls within November or December.

Hanukkah commemorates the Maccabean revolt against the Syrian-Greek army in the 2nd century BCE, which they won and liberated Jerusalem. Afterward, the Maccabees cleansed and rededicated the Holy Temple, lighting the menorah with only one day’s worth of oil, which miraculously lasted eight nights. Hence, the annual celebration of Hanukkah.

The Hanukkah celebration revolves around the kindling of a nine-branched menorah, known in Hebrew as the Hanukiah. On each of the holiday’s eight nights, another candle is added to the menorah after sundown; the ninth candle, the shamash (“helper”), is used to light the others. The shamash lights one additional candle each night until all eight candles are lit together on the festival’s final night. Candles are added to the menorah from right to left but are lit each night, starting with the left-most candle. Jewish people typically recite blessings or songs during this ritual and display the menorah prominently in a window as a reminder to others of the miracle that inspired the holiday. In another allusion to the Hanukkah miracle, traditional Hanukkah foods are fried in oil. Potato pancakes (latkes) and jam-filled donuts (sufganiyot) are popular in many Jewish households. Other Hanukkah customs include playing with a dreidel, a four-sided spinning top with Hebrew letters inscribed on each side, and exchanging gifts, often by giving one gift each night of the holiday. Hanukkah is an important part of Jewish heritage and is a time for coming together with friends and family to celebrate this rich history.

Lunar New Year, also called Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, is celebrated primarily in China, Vietnam, North and South Korea, and Tibet.  The holiday is tied to the Chinese lunar calendar, and its origins are thousands of years old.

The Lunar New Year typically begins with the new moon between the end of January and the end of February and lasts about 15 days until the full moon arrives with the Festival of Lanterns. The holiday is a time for feasting and family celebrations to honor households, heavenly deities, and ancestors. 

Dances and fireworks are prevalent throughout the holidays, and foods such as long noodles, dumplings, sticky rice balls, and fish can symbolize abundance, prosperity, and family unity. Each year in the Chinese calendar is represented by one of 12 zodiac animals. 

The Lunar New Year is an important social and economic holiday for billions of people around the world, and it has deep cultural, familial, and historical significance.

Easter is an annual Christian celebration honoring the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and is one of the central Holy Days of Christianity. Traditionally observed on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox, it follows Lent, 40 days marked by fasting, prayer, and penance. Preceded by Palm Sunday and Good Friday, commemorating Jesus’ crucifixion and death as described in the Bible’s New Testament, Resurrection Sunday is commonly known as Easter Sunday.

Globally, Easter traditions include connections to pagan symbolism representing fertility and rebirth, alongside other traditions like attending sunrise services, decorating eggs, and wearing Easter bonnets. The popular Easter egg hunt and egg decorating, particularly popular among children, is often accompanied by the Easter bunny, a folklore figure symbolically delivering Easter eggs during many Easter festivities.

Beyond these secular traditions, Easter holds profound religious significance for Christians. Many attend church services, pray, and reaffirm their faith. It serves as a celebration of hope and the promise of new life brought forth by Jesus’ resurrection.

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is profoundly significant as one of the holiest months of the year. It commemorates the revelation of the Qu’ran, the central holy book of Islam. Pending the sighting of the moon, some Muslims may commence observing Ramadan from the evening of March 1. 

During Ramadan, many Muslims observe fasting from food and drink during daylight hours to deepen their spiritual connection with the divine. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam . Ramadan is embraced as an invaluable opportunity for self-reflection, spiritual refinement, and the pursuit of moral excellence. This time serves as a period of heightened devotion and a pathway toward personal growth within the Muslim community.

During this time, many Muslims awaken before dawn for a pre-fast meal known as suhoor, followed by the performance of the morning prayer. At sunset, the fast is often broken with dates and water, known as iftar, which symbolizes “the end of the day’s fasting.” After performing the sunset prayer, dinner is eaten. Additionally, after the 5th prayer of the day, some Muslims perform another set of prayers called Taraweeh, offering further spiritual reflection and devotion.

After Ramadan comes the joyous celebration of Eid ul-Fitr, also known as the “Festival of Breaking the Fast.” A customary greeting for this holiday is “Eid Mubarak,” which conveys wishes for a “blessed holiday.”

Holi, the “Festival of Love,” the “Festival of Colors,” and the “Festival of Spring” is a cherished festival in Hindu culture originating in South Asia. It has transcended borders and been embraced worldwide through the Indian diaspora. With roots dating back to the 4th century, this vibrant celebration holds deep cultural and spiritual significance.

Holi marks the eternal love between Radha and Krishna, two divine figures in Hindu mythology, and the victory of good over evil. It commences on the evening of Purnima, the Full Moon Day, in the Hindu month of Phalguna, typically in March. The festivities start with Holika Dahan, symbolizing the triumph of righteousness, followed by the joyous color play the next morning, where participants smear each other with vibrant hues as they revel in the spirit of unity and merriment.

Holi embodies the spirit of love, unity, and renewal from its ancient origins to its global embrace. Happy Holi!  

Passover, or Pesach in Hebrew, is one of the most significant Jewish holidays commemorating the Israelites’ liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt. This eight-day celebration typically begins on the 15th day of the first Jewish month, known as Nissan, and ends on the 22nd day of the same month.

During the first two evenings of Passover, a ceremonial meal known as the Seder is hosted and is the focal point of the holiday. It includes ritual blessings, symbolic foods, and drinks, all guided by the recitation of the Haggadah, a book that recounts the story of the Exodus of Israelites from Egypt. During the Seder, some families gather to retell the story of the Exodus through readings from the Haggadah, a unique text that guides the ceremony. Foods such as matzo, bitter herbs (maror), and haroset (a sweet mixture representing the mortar used by Jewish enslaved people) are eaten to symbolize different aspects of the Exodus narrative.  

Beyond its historical roots, Passover continues to unite Jewish communities worldwide in celebration. It is a time for remembrance, reflection, and gratitude for the freedom bestowed upon the Jewish people. It is a time for families to unite, share in traditions and rituals, and reaffirm their connection to their faith and heritage. Chag Sameach! (Happy Passover!)

Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19th, 2025 is an annual federal holiday in the United States commemorating the end of slavery. 

On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and announced the freedom of all enslaved individuals, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863. Texas established Juneteenth as a state holiday in 1980, and it became a federal holiday in 2021. 

Over time, Juneteenth has transformed into a celebration of freedom for Black Americans, featuring community cookouts, festivals, parades, concerts, family gatherings, educational events, and cultural exhibitions. It also serves as a moment to reflect on the ongoing pursuit for equity and justice, highlighting the resilience and strength of the Black American community.