Your month ahead – July

11, Rohini Vrat, Jain

This Jain observance occurs several times every year, whenever the lunar constellation Rohini Nakshatra is visible in the sky. Traditionally marked by wives seeking long life and wellbeing for their husbands, it is also observed by those in pursuit of peace and prosperity. The day is marked by fasting, which is over when Rohini Nakshatra is no longer visible. Jains observe this fast for a recommended period of five years and five months, after which time they perform a ritual known as Udyapana.

18, Nelson Mandela International Day

Declared by the UN in 2009, this day marks Nelson Mandela’s birthday and serves as a reminder of his work dismantling Apartheid in South Africa and fighting poverty and the spread of HIV/AIDS. Mandela spent 67 years working hard for a better world, so organisers of the day encourage everyone to honour his memory by spending 67 minutes doing something to ‘combat poverty and inequity’.

July’s dates at a glance

Religious/cultural

3 –           Feast of the Saint Thomas the Apostle, Christian
10 –         Martyrdom of the Báb, Baha’i
11 –          Rohini Vrat, Jain
15 –         Saint Vladimir the Great Day, Orthodox Christian
20 –        Ashadha Ashtahnika begins, Jain
22 –        Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, Christian
23 –        Tish’a B’av, Judaism
23 –        Birthday of Emperor Haile Selassie, Rastafari
24 –        Pioneer Day, Mormon Christian
25 –        Saint James the Great’s Day, Christian
28 –        Ashadha Chaumasi Chaudas, Jain
29 –        Asalha Puja (Dharma Day), Buddhist
29 –        The 15th of Av, Judaism
29 –        Guru Purnima, Hindu, Buddhist and Jain

Awareness and Events

14 –                    International Non-Binary People’s Day
18 –                    Nelson Mandela International Day
18 Jul-17 Aug – South Asian Heritage Month
28 –                   World Hepatitis Day