Glossary | Toronto's Many Faces

Glossary of Holidays & Celebrations

Members of Toronto’s cultural communities are predominantly Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians, and Jains. Depending on the group, holidays and feast days are calculated according to lunar (Buddhist, Muslim), lunisolar (Chinese, Hindu, Jewish), and solar (Gregorian, Julian) calendars. Christian churches celebrate the feast day of their patron saint, usually on the day the saint died.

Holidays

New Year’s Day is an event celebrated by cultural groups around the world. The highlight of festivities is New Year’s Eve when parties are held to usher out the old and welcome in the New Year. The day has many traditions and for some it is a religious observance devoted to spiritual preparation. While the public holiday is celebrated on January 1, followers of the Julian calendar celebrate on January 14. Others such as the Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists, celebrate Baisakhi (meaning the first day of that month) on April 13. The Chinese celebrate Chinese New Year according to the lunar calendar in January or February.

Buddhist Holidays (celebrated according to the lunar calendar)

The basic element of the calendar year is the lunar month, which is divided into periods of the waxing and waning moon. The 8th and 15th days of the waxing moon and the 8th day and the final day of the waning moon are sacred Buddhist days. During the 8th and 15th days of the waxing moon, the laity go to the pagoda to hear scriptural readings, and a strict fast is observed. On the 8th day and the final day of the waning moon, joyous festivities take place.

Buddhists celebrate the Birth, Enlightenment, and Parinirvana (final demise) of Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. In addition to observing religious practices in the home or in the temple, Buddhists light lanterns in the evening.

See Chinese and Laos chapters for more Buddhist holidays.

Christian Feast Days

January 6 is Epiphany, a festival celebrating the arrival of the three Magi who bore gifts for the Christ child in Bethlehem. Some Christians also link this celebration with Christ’s birth and baptism. Those who follow the Julian calendar celebrate Theophany (the baptism of Christ) on January 20.

On February 2, Candlemas Day commemorates the presentation of Christ in the temple, which occurred 40 days after Christ’s birth. In the Orthodox Church, this event is honoured on February 16.

On February 14, Sts. Cyril and Methody Day is held in honour of the brothers who influenced the religious development of the Slavic people in the ninth century A.D., and created a new Slavonic alphabet (Cyrillic). It is celebrated as a day of piety and remembrance in honour of their work. Followers of the Julian calendar generally celebrate on February 26, while the Bulgarians and Macedonians commemorate the saints on May 24, and the Czech and Slovak communities hold a celebration on the first Sunday in July.

In February or March, Shrove Tuesday (also known as Pancake Tuesday) is a movable feast commemorating the last day before the beginning of Lent and is associated with confessing sins. Butter Week, which precedes Lent, is a joyous occasion where pancakes with butter are served. On the weekend before Lent, many communities hold a Mardi Gras festival with masquerade balls.

Ash Wednesday, in February or March, follows Shrove Tuesday and marks the first day of Lent. It is observed to teach humility. In Roman Catholic and Anglican churches, ashes are used to trace the sign of the cross on the forehead of worshipers. On the first Monday of Lent (called Clean Monday), the Eastern Orthodox fast by consuming only vegetables or shellfish. The following 40 days of the Lenten season are marked by fasting and prayers (Wednesdays and Fridays are also fast days in the Orthodox calendar).

In March, April, or May, Christians celebrate Holy Week. It starts on Palm Sunday, held the Sunday before Easter, which commemorates Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem, when palm branches were strewn in His path. Churches distribute palm leaves or pussy willows to parishioners. On Maundy Thursday, church services commemorate the Last Supper when Christ instituted the Eucharist. Good Friday, held the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, is a day of fasting, abstinence, and penance commemorating the suffering and crucifixion of Christ. The culmination of Holy Week is Easter Sunday, signifying Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Easter is a movable feast (as are all Holy Week feast days) held on the Sunday following the first full moon that occurs on or after March 21. New clothes are worn and parades are held. Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter with a candlelight procession that circles the edifice three times after evening prayers. They greet each other with “Christ is risen” and respond with “He has risen indeed.” Coloured hard-boiled eggs, which represent the empty tomb and signify new life, are given out after the church service. Easter Monday is celebrated with church services.

Forty days after Easter is Ascension Day, commemorating the appearance of Christ before His apostles for the last time. Fifty days after Easter, Christians celebrate Pentecost, which signifies the coming of the Holy Spirit to Christ’s followers after His resurrection and ascension. Orthodox Christians celebrate the Feast of the Holy Trinity (Pentecost). Green leaves and new grass are scattered on the floor of the church, as a reminder that Christ’s spirit lives on.

Saint George’s Day is celebrated on April 23 (and on May 6 according to the Julian calendar). Church services and secular festivities are held on this day.

In June, the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul is celebrated by the Catholic Church with special services.

On September 14 (and on September 28 according to the Julian calendar) Christians celebrate the Feast Day of the Holy Cross, commemorating the finding of the Holy Cross by the Byzantine Empress, St. Helena.

At the end of November, Christians celebrate Advent, in preparation for Christmas. In Western churches, Advent (Christmas Lenten) begins on the Sunday nearest November 30 and includes the four Sundays before Christmas. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Advent begins on November 28, and in the Coptic Orthodox Church on November 25.

St. Nicholas Day is celebrated on December 6, and on December 19 by Orthodox Christians. St. Nicholas was a bishop who was renowned for his kindness and charitable deeds, particularly to children. Gifts are given to children in honour of the Saint.

In December or January, Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ. For most, the celebration takes place on December 24 or 25, while Eastern Church followers celebrate on January 6 or 7. Gifts are exchanged.

Hindu Observances

March is the month of Holi, a joyous festival when friends sprinkle coloured water on each other for good fortune. Special foods are prepared and the celebration includes dancing and singing.

Jamashtami is a festival in honour of the birth of Lord Krishna celebrated with devotional singing and dancing, and all-night prayer vigils.

Homes are decorated with lights on Diwali (Deepawali), the Hindu Festival of Lights. It is celebrated on the weekend nearest the date with prayers, festivities, and gifts of new clothing.

Hindus celebrate Durga Puja and Dussehra in October. These festivals recognize the triumph of good over evil and are celebrated with religious festivities.

See East Indian chapter for more Hindu Observances.

Jewish Holidays

See pages 266–68.

Muslim Holidays

Dates are calculated according to the lunar calendar. Muharram is the beginning of the New Year and is marked by a community or family dinner.

The Birth of the Prophet Mohammed (570–632 A.D.) is celebrated on the 12th day of Rabi’l. This religious celebration places emphasis on the Prophet’s life.

Ramadan is the ninth month in the Muslim calendar, and signifies the occasion of the revelation of the Koran to Mohammed. It is observed as a month of strict fasting from sunrise to sunset.

Eid-ul-Fitr is the holy day held on the first day of Shawwal which marks the end of Ramadan. It is a joyful occasion with a reaffirmation of Muslim virtues.

On the ninth day of Dulhegga, Eid-ul-Adha (the Feast of Sacrifice) remembers Abraham’s test of obedience to God. It is commemorated with traditional rites and a ceremonial dinner.