Date: October 1st 2008

October 2008

Even as Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan with Eid al Fitr ("the celebration of the breaking of the fast"), Jews have begin the "Days of Awe," the week between Rosh Hashanah (New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). Later this month, Jews will celebrate Sukkot ("Booths"), commemorating the wandering in the wilderness, and will end their annual cycle of Torah readings on Simchat Torah ("rejoicing in the Torah") with a joyous procession of the Torah scrolls through the congregation.

The nine-day Hindu festival of Navaratri ends with Vijaya Dashami on October 9. This festival is devoted to nine forms of the feminine deity Shakti/Devi. Later in the month, they observe Diwali, which marks the victory of good over evil and the illumination of spiritual darkness. Jains, too, celebrate Diwali as the time when Lord Mahavira attained enlightenment (Mahavira Nirvana).

At the end of the month, Wiccans mark Samhain, considered by many the beginning of the Celtic year. It is believed to be a day in which the barrier between the daily world and the spirit world is thin. In part due to that pre-Christian belief, the Roman Catholic and Protestant observance of All Hallows Eve, the evening before All Saints Day, became Halloween, with all its ghosts and tricksters. The 31st is also the day in 1517 that Martin Luther posted his objections to certain practices in the Roman Catholic Church and prompted the Protestant Reformation, hence, Reformation Day.

Send your news! Let the community know about events that are open to the public and are either interfaith or offer an opportunity for others to learn about your faith community. Send information to calendar@interfaithspace.org.

 

 

 

 

October Religious and Cultural Observances

• 1 Eid al Fitr (end of Ramadan) (Muslim)
• 1-9 Navaratri (Dusserah) (Hindu)
• 2 Mahatma Gandhi's birthday (Hindu)
• 4 St Francis Day (Roman Catholic, some Protestant)
• 5 World Communion Sunday (some Protestant)
• 9 Vijaya Dashami (Hindu)
• 9 Yom Kippur (Jewish)
• 12 Ghambar Ayathrem (Zoroastrian)
• 14 Sukkot (through Oct 19) (Jewish)
• 20 Birth of the Bab (baha’i)
• 21 Shemini Atzeret (Jewish)
• 22 Simhat Torah (Jewish)
• 28 Diwali (Deepawali) (Hindu, Jain)
• 28 Jain New Year (Vir Samvat 5) (Jain)
• 28 Mahavira Nirvana Celebration (Jain)
• 28 Milvian Bridge Day (Christian)
• 31 All Hallows Eve (Roman Catholic, Protestant)
• 31 Reformation Day (Protestant)
• 31 Samhuinn (Samhain) , Vetrnaetr / Winter Nights (Wiccan/Pagan)

[Interreligious Calendar events are taken from the Silicon Valley Conference for Community and Justice Interfaith Calendar and the Multifaith Action Society Multifath Calendar 2007. See also the Online Interfaith Calendar] NOTE: Jewish Holidays begin at sundown the day before. Buddhist holidays are observed on many different days, according to local tradition.

Upcoming Interfaith Opportunities

"Interfaith Opportunities" focuses on specifically interfaith events; "Take Action" offers opportunities to take action on issues of concern with people from other religious traditions, and "Meet Your Neighbors" includes events that are sponsored by a specific religious group but which are open to the wider community. Items for the calendar can be sent to calendar@interfaithspace.org

Click on highlighted links below for more information-

Monday, October 6, 2008, 7:30 pm, Millbrae

Peninsula URI Circle

Professor Edmond Yee speaking on Confucianism.

SAVE THE DATE!
Saturday, December 13, 2008, Santa Clara

Make a World of Difference: Community Conference

This event, offered in collaboration with Carry the Vision Community Nonviolence Conference (CTV), Santa Clara University, the South Bay Interfaith Steering Committee, and the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions, will be an introduction to the global convening of the Parliament in Australia in December 2009.

Meet Your Neighbors

Public events sponsored by specific religious groups that seek to help others understand their tradition and concerns more fully.

Sunday, October 5, 2008, 6:30 - 9:30 pm, Santa Clara

Telling Our Stories;
Transforming the World
ING Supporters Dinner and Eid Celebration

Featuring: speaker Dr. John Esposito, Professor of Religion, International Affairs, and Islamic Studies at Georgetown University; comedian Maz Jobrani, Iranian-American comedian.

Take Action

Events that address issues of public concern with an alliance of people from different religious traditions.

Saturday October 4, 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm, San Jose

"Prayers for Justice” Training Event

Sponsored by the Interfaith Council.

Faithful Citizens Go to the Polls: A series of events sponsored by Multifaith Voices for Peace

For more information go to www.multifaithpeace.org or call 650-569-3416.

Thursday, October 2, 2008, 7:00 pm, Palo Alto

Immigration

Speakers: Rev. Will McGarvey and Maria Sanchez of the New Sanctuary Movement; other immigrants telling their own stories; Palo Alto Weekly Reporter Sue Dremann.

Monday, October 20, 2008 7:00 pm, Palo Alto

Globalization, Immigration & the Food Crisis

Raj Patel, writer, activist, academic and author of "Stuffed and Starved" is a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley and a Fellow at the Institute of Food and Development.

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And more...

News and Notes from Interfaith Space is an occasional blog with information and commentary on issues related to interfaith relations in the South Bay, the Nation, and around the world.

You can find News and Notes by going to the Interfaith Space website (www.interfaithspace.org) and clicking on "Notes," or simply going to www.revdak.com/wordpress/. I invite you to add your comments or responses; together we can create an online "dialogue on dialogue"!

Help us share your good news! If you know of interfaith opportunities that are coming up- please let us know so they can be included on the Interfaith Space Calendar. Send information to calendar@interfaithspace.org.