August 2023 dates for your diary
Calendar snapshots
13th-15th – Obon
This is the Buddhist celebration of ancestors. During Obon, it is thought that the dead visit the living, so celebrants hang out lanterns to guide spirits, perform dances, visit graves and make food offerings to the dead. Mainly celebrated in Japan, Obon is one of the country’s three major holidays.
23rd – International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
This day was started by Haitians and people in Gorée Island, Senegal, and then adopted by UNESCO. The date was chosen to commemorate uprisings in Haiti in 1791, led by the now legendary Toussaint Louverture, and the touchpaper for other uprisings, all of which eventually led to abolition of the Transatlantic trade. Find out more and download resources on the UNESCO site.
30th – Raksha Bandhan, Hindu/Sikh/Jain
Raksha Bandhan is tradition honouring the love and bond between siblings, referencing a legend showing love and devotion between Lord Krishna and his sister. Siblings tie a ‘rakhri’ (red thread bracelet) to each other’s wrists. This symbolises protection.
This month’s dates at a glance
Religious/Cultural
1 – Lammas, Christian
Lughnasadh, Wicca and Pagan
Fast in Honour of the Holy Mother of The Lord Jesus, Orthodox Christian
2 – The 15th of Av, Judaism
6 – Feast of Transfiguration, Christian
Transfiguration of The Lord, Orthodox Christian
10 – Feast of Saint Lawrence, Christian
13-15- Obon, Buddhist
15 – Assumption of Mary, Catholic Christian
Dormition of The Theotokos, Orthodox Christian
22 – Feast of The Queenship of Mary, Catholic Christian
24 – Feast of Saint Bartholomew The Apostle, Christian
29 – Beheading of Saint John The Baptist, Christian
30 – Raksha Bandhan, Hindu
Awareness And Events
9 – International Day of The World’s Indigenous People
19 – World Humanitarian Day
22 – International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief
23 – International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
