Your month ahead – Important upcoming dates for your calendar (January 2025)
4, World Braille Day
World Braille Day is a worldwide celebration that takes place every year on 4 January, celebrating the legacy of Braille, the system of raised dots used by many blind and partially sighted people to read and write. Braille was developed 200 years ago, having been invented by Louis Braille who was just 15 years old at the time.
13, Lohri/Maghi, Hinduism and Sikhism
Lohri or Maghi is a celebration from Punjab, traditionally a harvest festival marking the end of winter in the region. It is celebrated with the lighting of bonfires, which people often sing around and throw popcorn or chickpeas into the flames as offerings. Over the years, it has also become a way to welcome a new baby into families. The name ‘Lohri’ comes from the treats or snacks given to children who go from door to door, singing.
January’s dates at a glance
Religious/cultural
1 – Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, Catholic Christian
1 – Rohini Vrat, Jain
1 – Gantan-Sai (New Year), Shinto
1-7 – Hatsumode, Shinto
3-5 – Mahayana New Year, Buddhist
5 – Twelfth Night, Christian
6 – Epiphany, Christian
7 – Feast of the Nativity, Orthodox Christian
11 – Baptism of the Lord Jesus, Catholic Christian
12 – Swami Vivekananda Jayanti, Hindu
12 – Seijin No Hi, Shinto
13 – Lohri/Maghi, Hindu and Sikh
14 – Old New Year, Orthodox Christian
14 – Makar Sankranti, Hindu
14-17 – Pongal, Hindu
16 – Lailat Al-Miraj, Islam
16 – Meru Trayodashi, Jain
18-25 – Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Christian
19 – Timkat, Ethiopian Orthodox Christian
19 – Feast of the Theophany, Orthodox Christian
23 – Vasant Panchami, Hindu, Sikh and Jain
25 – Conversion of Saint Paul, Christian
25 – Zacchaeus Sunday, Orthodox Christian
28 – Rohini Vrat, Jain
31 – Guru Harrai Jayanti, Sikh
Awareness and Events
4 – World Braille Day
18 – World Religion Day
19 – Martin Luther King Jr Day
24 – International Day of Education
25 – Robert Burns Night (Burns Night)
27 – Holocaust Memorial Day