neiam /ppl

# calendar	holiday	wikipedia article	blurb
# The calendar is a key, or * for any calendar. A key's entry wins over its country's, which wins over *.
*	New Year's Day	New Year's Day	The first day of the Gregorian year, celebrated with fireworks, resolutions and, for many, a day off to recover from the night before.
*	New Year's Eve	New Year's Eve	The last day of the Gregorian year, seen out with parties, countdowns and fireworks at midnight.
*	Christmas Day	Christmas	Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus; it's also a widely kept cultural holiday of gift giving, family meals and decorated trees.
*	Christmas Eve	Christmas Eve	The evening before Christmas, with midnight Mass, carols and, in many countries, the main family celebration and gift opening.
*	Boxing Day	Boxing Day	The day after Christmas, traditionally when servants and tradespeople received gifts ("Christmas boxes"); now a day of sport and sales.
*	Second Day of Christmas	Boxing Day	Germany's second Christmas holiday (Zweiter Weihnachtsfeiertag), also the feast of St. Stephen, usually spent visiting family.
*	St Stephen's Day	Saint Stephen's Day	Ireland's day after Christmas, the feast of the first Christian martyr; traditionally the day of the Wren Boys' procession.
*	Good Friday	Good Friday	Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus, the Friday before Easter; a day of fasting, services and, in many places, no work.
*	Holy Friday	Good Friday	The Orthodox Good Friday, commemorating the crucifixion with the procession of the epitaphios, a shroud carried around the church.
*	Easter Sunday	Easter	Christianity's central feast, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus; also eggs, bunnies and family lunches.
*	Easter Saturday	Holy Saturday	The day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday; in Australia it's a public holiday that fills out the Easter long weekend.
*	Easter Monday	Easter Monday	The day after Easter Sunday, a public holiday in much of Europe and the Commonwealth that rounds off the Easter weekend.
*	Pascha	Easter	Orthodox Easter, celebrating the resurrection with a midnight service, candles and red-dyed eggs; usually later than Western Easter.
*	Ascension Day	Feast of the Ascension	Forty days after Easter, Christians mark Jesus' ascension into heaven; a Thursday holiday in much of Europe (Father's Day in Germany).
*	Orthodox Ascension	Feast of the Ascension	The Orthodox feast of the Ascension, forty days after Pascha.
*	Pentecost	Pentecost	Fifty days after Easter, Christians mark the Holy Spirit descending on the apostles, often called the birthday of the Church.
*	Whit Sunday	Pentecost	Pentecost Sunday, fifty days after Easter; a public holiday in Brandenburg.
*	Whit Monday	Whit Monday	The day after Pentecost, a public holiday in Germany, France and other parts of Europe.
*	Orthodox Pentecost	Pentecost	The Orthodox feast of Pentecost (Trinity Sunday), fifty days after Pascha.
*	Palm Sunday	Palm Sunday	The Sunday before Easter, marking Jesus' entry into Jerusalem; churches hand out palm fronds.
*	Orthodox Palm Sunday	Palm Sunday	The Orthodox Palm Sunday, a week before Pascha, often celebrated with willow or palm branches.
*	Maundy Thursday	Maundy Thursday	The Thursday before Easter, commemorating the Last Supper; in some churches feet are washed as Jesus washed the disciples'.
*	Ash Wednesday	Ash Wednesday	The first day of Lent, forty days of fasting before Easter; worshippers receive a cross of ashes on the forehead.
*	Shrove Tuesday	Shrove Tuesday	The last day before Lent, for using up rich foods: pancakes in Britain, and carnival or Mardi Gras elsewhere.
*	Mardi Gras	Mardi Gras	"Fat Tuesday", the last day before Lent; a state holiday in Louisiana, best known for New Orleans' parades, beads and king cake.
*	Epiphany	Epiphany (holiday)	January 6, marking the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus and the end of the twelve days of Christmas.
*	Theophany	Epiphany (holiday)	The Orthodox feast of Jesus' baptism in the Jordan, on January 6 of the Julian calendar (January 19), with the blessing of waters.
*	Orthodox Christmas	Christmas	Christmas as kept by Orthodox churches on the Julian calendar, which falls on January 7 of the Gregorian calendar.
*	All Saints' Day	All Saints' Day	November 1, honouring all the saints; in many Catholic countries families visit and decorate graves.
*	Corpus Christi	Feast of Corpus Christi	A Catholic feast of the Eucharist sixty days after Easter, marked with processions through decorated streets.
*	Assumption Day	Assumption of Mary	August 15, the Catholic feast of Mary being taken up into heaven; a summer holiday in France and parts of Germany.
*	Reformation Day	Reformation Day	October 31, marking Martin Luther posting his 95 Theses in 1517, the start of the Protestant Reformation.
*	Repentance and Prayer Day	Buß- und Bettag	A Protestant day of reflection on the Wednesday before the last Sunday of the church year; a public holiday only in Saxony.
*	First Sunday of Advent	Advent	The start of Advent and the Christian year, four Sundays before Christmas; the first candle on the Advent wreath is lit.
*	Labour Day	International Workers' Day	A celebration of workers and the labour movement; May Day in most of the world, though the date varies by country and state.
au-act	Labour Day	Labour Day	A celebration of the labour movement and the eight-hour working day; in the ACT it's the first Monday in October.
au-nsw	Labour Day	Labour Day	A celebration of the labour movement and the eight-hour working day; in New South Wales it's the first Monday in October.
au-qld	Labour Day	Labour Day	A celebration of the labour movement and the eight-hour working day; in Queensland it's the first Monday in May.
au-sa	Labour Day	Labour Day	A celebration of the labour movement and the eight-hour working day; in South Australia it's the first Monday in October.
au-vic	Labour Day	Labour Day	A celebration of the eight-hour day won by Melbourne stonemasons in 1856; in Victoria it's the second Monday in March.
au-wa	Labour Day	Labour Day	A celebration of the labour movement and the eight-hour working day; in Western Australia it's the first Monday in March.
ca	Labour Day	Labour Day	Canada's celebration of workers on the first Monday in September, which unofficially ends summer.
*	Labor Day	Labor Day	The US celebration of workers on the first Monday in September; the unofficial end of summer, with barbecues and back-to-school.
*	Independence Day	Independence Day (United States)	July 4, marking the Declaration of Independence in 1776, with fireworks, parades and barbecues.
mx	Independence Day	Independence Day (Mexico)	September 16, marking Miguel Hidalgo's 1810 call to revolt (the Grito de Dolores) that began the war of independence from Spain.
in	Independence Day	Independence Day (India)	August 15, marking India's independence from British rule in 1947; the prime minister raises the flag at the Red Fort.
*	Thanksgiving	Thanksgiving (United States)	The fourth Thursday in November, a harvest feast of turkey, family and football, traditionally traced to the Plymouth colonists in 1621.
ca	Thanksgiving	Thanksgiving (Canada)	Canada's harvest festival on the second Monday of October, celebrated with a family dinner, often turkey.
*	Day after Thanksgiving	Black Friday (shopping)	The Friday after Thanksgiving, a state holiday for some; better known as Black Friday, the start of the holiday shopping season.
*	Family Day	Family Day (Canada)	A February long weekend for time with family, held on the third Monday of February in several provinces.
us-nv	Family Day	Black Friday (shopping)	Nevada's name for the state holiday on the Friday after Thanksgiving.
*	Heritage Day	Heritage Day (Canada)	A day celebrating the province's heritage; in Nova Scotia the third Monday in February, honouring a notable Nova Scotian each year.
ca-ab	Heritage Day	Civic Holiday	Alberta's August civic holiday, the first Monday in August, celebrating the province's many cultures.
*	Martin Luther King Jr. Day	Martin Luther King Jr. Day	The third Monday in January, honouring the civil rights leader born January 15, 1929; also a national day of service.
*	Presidents' Day	Washington's Birthday	Officially Washington's Birthday, the third Monday in February; widely celebrated as a day for all US presidents.
*	Memorial Day	Memorial Day	The last Monday in May, honouring Americans who died in military service; also the unofficial start of summer.
*	Juneteenth	Juneteenth	June 19, marking the day in 1865 that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were told they were free; a federal holiday since 2021.
*	Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day	Indigenous Peoples' Day (United States)	The second Monday in October; federally Columbus Day, and in many places Indigenous Peoples' Day, honouring Native Americans.
*	Veterans Day	Veterans Day	November 11, honouring everyone who has served in the US military, on the anniversary of the 1918 armistice.
*	Groundhog Day	Groundhog Day	February 2, when Punxsutawney Phil predicts six more weeks of winter if he sees his shadow.
*	Valentine's Day	Valentine's Day	February 14, the feast of St. Valentine and a day for cards, flowers and chocolate for loved ones.
*	St. Patrick's Day	Saint Patrick's Day	March 17, the feast of Ireland's patron saint, celebrated in the US with parades, green everything and Irish pubs.
*	St Patrick's Day	Saint Patrick's Day	March 17, the feast of Ireland's patron saint, with parades, shamrocks and céilís; a national holiday in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
*	Earth Day	Earth Day	April 22, a worldwide day of support for protecting the environment, first held in 1970.
*	Mother's Day	Mother's Day (United States)	The second Sunday in May, honouring mothers with cards, flowers and brunch; founded by Anna Jarvis in 1908.
th	Mother's Day	Mother's Day	Thailand's Mother's Day, August 12, the birthday of Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother.
*	Father's Day	Father's Day	The third Sunday in June, honouring fathers and father figures.
th	Father's Day	Father's Day	Thailand's Father's Day and National Day, December 5, the birthday of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
*	Flag Day	Flag Day (United States)	June 14, marking the adoption of the Stars and Stripes in 1777; a legal holiday only in Pennsylvania.
*	Halloween	Halloween	October 31, the eve of All Saints' Day: costumes, trick-or-treating, jack-o'-lanterns and scary movies.
*	Election Day	Election Day (United States)	The Tuesday after the first Monday in November, when US federal general elections are held; a state holiday in some states.
*	Lincoln's Birthday	Lincoln's Birthday	February 12, the birthday of Abraham Lincoln in 1809; a state holiday in a few states.
*	Seward's Day	Seward's Day	The last Monday in March, marking the 1867 treaty by which the US bought Alaska from Russia, negotiated by William Seward.
*	Alaska Day	Alaska Day	October 18, the anniversary of the formal transfer of Alaska from Russia to the United States in 1867.
*	César Chávez Day	César Chávez Day	March 31, honouring the labour leader and civil rights activist who co-founded the United Farm Workers.
*	Native American Day	Native American Day	The fourth Friday in September, California's day honouring Native American cultures and contributions.
*	DC Emancipation Day	Emancipation Day	April 16, marking the 1862 act that freed about 3,100 enslaved people in Washington, D.C., nine months before the Emancipation Proclamation.
*	Prince Kūhiō Day	Prince Kūhiō Day	March 26, the birthday of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole, Hawaii's delegate to Congress and champion of Native Hawaiians.
*	King Kamehameha Day	King Kamehameha I Day	June 11, honouring the king who united the Hawaiian Islands, with lei-draped statues and parades.
*	Statehood Day	Statehood Day (Hawaii)	The third Friday in August, marking Hawaii's admission as the 50th state in 1959.
*	Casimir Pulaski Day	Casimir Pulaski Day	The first Monday in March, honouring the Polish cavalry officer who fought and died for the American Revolution.
*	Patriots' Day	Patriots' Day	The third Monday in April, marking the 1775 battles of Lexington and Concord; the day of the Boston Marathon.
*	American Indian Heritage Day	Native American Heritage Day	Maryland's name for the Friday after Thanksgiving, honouring the heritage of American Indians.
*	Nevada Day	Nevada Day	The last Friday in October, celebrating Nevada's admission to the Union on October 31, 1864.
*	Victory Day	Victory Day (United States)	The second Monday in August, Rhode Island's commemoration of the Allied victory over Japan in 1945.
*	Texas Independence Day	Texas Independence Day	March 2, marking the 1836 Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico.
*	San Jacinto Day	Battle of San Jacinto	April 21, marking the 1836 battle that won Texas its independence from Mexico.
*	Lyndon Baines Johnson Day	Lyndon B. Johnson	August 27, the birthday of President Lyndon B. Johnson, a Texan.
*	Pioneer Day	Pioneer Day (Utah)	July 24, marking the 1847 arrival of Brigham Young and the Mormon pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley.
*	Town Meeting Day	Town meeting	The first Tuesday in March, when Vermont towns hold their annual town meetings to vote on budgets and local business.
*	Bennington Battle Day	Battle of Bennington	August 16, marking the 1777 Revolutionary War battle near Bennington, a turning point in the Saratoga campaign.
*	West Virginia Day	West Virginia Day	June 20, the day West Virginia split from Virginia and joined the Union as a state in 1863.
*	Victoria Day	Victoria Day	The Monday before May 25, honouring Queen Victoria's birthday and the reigning monarch; the unofficial start of summer.
*	National Patriots' Day	National Patriots' Day	Quebec's holiday on the Monday before May 25, honouring the Patriotes of the 1837–38 rebellions.
*	Canada Day	Canada Day	July 1, marking the 1867 Confederation that created Canada, with fireworks and the maple leaf everywhere.
*	National Day for Truth and Reconciliation	National Day for Truth and Reconciliation	September 30, honouring the survivors of residential schools and the children who never came home; also Orange Shirt Day.
*	Remembrance Day	Remembrance Day	November 11, remembering those who died in war, with poppies and two minutes of silence at 11 a.m.
*	British Columbia Day	Civic Holiday	B.C. Day, the first Monday in August, celebrating the province's history.
*	Louis Riel Day	Louis Riel Day	Manitoba's February holiday, honouring Louis Riel, the Métis leader who founded the province.
*	Terry Fox Day	Civic Holiday	Manitoba's August civic holiday, named for Terry Fox and his 1980 Marathon of Hope across Canada.
*	New Brunswick Day	Civic Holiday	The first Monday in August, celebrating New Brunswick's history and culture.
*	Natal Day	Natal Day	Nova Scotia's August civic holiday, celebrating the founding of Halifax and Dartmouth.
*	Civic Holiday	Civic Holiday	The first Monday in August, a long summer weekend in Ontario that goes by many local names, like Simcoe Day in Toronto.
*	Islander Day	Islander Day	Prince Edward Island's February holiday, the third Monday in February.
*	Fête nationale du Québec	Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day	June 24, Quebec's national holiday, also St. John the Baptist's Day, with bonfires, concerts and the fleur-de-lis.
*	Saskatchewan Day	Civic Holiday	The first Monday in August, celebrating Saskatchewan's history and people.
*	Early May bank holiday	Bank holiday	The first Monday in May, the UK's May Day bank holiday, with maypoles and morris dancing in places.
*	Spring bank holiday	Bank holiday	The last Monday in May, a UK bank holiday that replaced Whit Monday in 1971.
*	Summer bank holiday	Bank holiday	The UK's August bank holiday; the last Monday in August except in Scotland, where it's the first.
*	2nd January	Bank holiday	Scotland gets a second day off for New Year, giving Hogmanay a little extra recovery time.
*	St Andrew's Day	Saint Andrew's Day	November 30, the feast of Scotland's patron saint, with ceilidhs and the saltire flying.
*	Battle of the Boyne	Battle of the Boyne	July 12 ("The Twelfth"), marking William of Orange's 1690 victory, with Orange Order parades in Northern Ireland.
*	St Brigid's Day	Saint Brigid's Day	Ireland's newest public holiday (2023), for St. Brigid and the start of spring (Imbolc); crosses are woven from rushes.
*	May bank holiday	Public holidays in the Republic of Ireland	Ireland's May Day public holiday, the first Monday in May.
*	June bank holiday	Public holidays in the Republic of Ireland	Ireland's early summer public holiday, the first Monday in June.
*	August bank holiday	Public holidays in the Republic of Ireland	Ireland's summer public holiday, the first Monday in August.
*	October bank holiday	Public holidays in the Republic of Ireland	Ireland's autumn public holiday, the last Monday in October, around Halloween.
*	German Unity Day	German Unity Day	October 3, Germany's national day, marking reunification in 1990.
*	International Women's Day	International Women's Day	March 8, celebrating women's rights and achievements; a public holiday in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
*	World Children's Day	Universal Children's Day	September 20, Thuringia's holiday for children's rights.
*	Bastille Day	Bastille Day	July 14, France's national day, marking the 1789 storming of the Bastille, with a military parade on the Champs-Élysées.
*	Victory in Europe Day	Victory in Europe Day	May 8, marking the end of the Second World War in Europe in 1945.
*	Armistice Day	Armistice Day	November 11, marking the 1918 armistice that ended the First World War.
*	Constitution Day	Constitution Day (Mexico)	Mexico's Constitution Day, the first Monday in February, for the 1917 constitution.
th	Constitution Day	Constitution Day (Thailand)	December 10, marking Thailand's first permanent constitution in 1932, when absolute monarchy ended.
*	Benito Juárez's Birthday	Benito Juárez	The third Monday in March, honouring Benito Juárez, Mexico's first Indigenous president, born March 21, 1806.
*	Revolution Day	Revolution Day (Mexico)	The third Monday in November, marking the start of the Mexican Revolution in 1910.
*	Australia Day	Australia Day	January 26, marking the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788; also observed by many as a day of mourning.
*	Anzac Day	Anzac Day	April 25, remembering Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in war, with dawn services, from the 1915 Gallipoli landing.
*	King's Birthday	King's Birthday	A holiday for the monarch's official birthday, not his real one; the date varies by state.
*	Canberra Day	Canberra Day	The second Monday in March, celebrating the naming of Canberra in 1913.
*	Reconciliation Day	National Reconciliation Week	The ACT's holiday on the Monday on or after May 27, for reconciliation between Indigenous and other Australians.
*	May Day	May Day	The Northern Territory's labour day, the first Monday in May.
*	Picnic Day	Picnic Day (Australian holiday)	The first Monday in August in the Northern Territory, a day for picnics, races and getting outdoors.
*	Adelaide Cup Day	Adelaide Cup	The second Monday in March, for South Australia's biggest horse race.
*	Eight Hours Day	Labour Day	Tasmania's labour day, the second Monday in March, celebrating the eight-hour working day.
*	Melbourne Cup Day	Melbourne Cup	The first Tuesday in November, "the race that stops a nation"; a public holiday in Melbourne.
*	Western Australia Day	Western Australia Day	The first Monday in June, marking the founding of the Swan River Colony in 1829.
*	Republic Day	Republic Day (India)	January 26, marking India's constitution coming into force in 1950, with a grand parade in New Delhi.
*	Gandhi Jayanti	Gandhi Jayanti	October 2, Mahatma Gandhi's birthday, also the International Day of Non-Violence.
*	Chakri Memorial Day	Chakri Memorial Day	April 6, marking the founding of the Chakri dynasty by King Rama I in 1782.
*	Songkran	Songkran (Thailand)	The Thai New Year, April 13 to 15, famous for nationwide water fights, plus temple visits and pouring water over elders' hands.
*	Coronation Day	Coronation Day (Thailand)	May 4, the anniversary of King Vajiralongkorn's coronation in 2019.
*	Queen Suthida's Birthday	Suthida	June 3, the birthday of Queen Suthida.
*	King Vajiralongkorn's Birthday	Vajiralongkorn	July 28, the birthday of King Maha Vajiralongkorn (Rama X).
*	King Bhumibol Memorial Day	Bhumibol Adulyadej	October 13, remembering King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), who reigned for 70 years until his death in 2016.
*	Chulalongkorn Day	Chulalongkorn Day	October 23, remembering King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), the great modernising king, who died in 1910.
*	Makha Bucha	Māgha Pūjā	Full moon of the third lunar month, when 1,250 disciples gathered spontaneously to hear the Buddha; candlelit processions circle temples.
*	Visakha Bucha	Vesak	The holiest Buddhist day, marking the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and passing, all on the full moon of the sixth lunar month.
*	Asalha Bucha	Āsāḷha Pūjā	The full moon when the Buddha gave his first sermon, setting the Wheel of the Dharma in motion.
*	Khao Phansa	Vassa	The start of the three-month Buddhist Lent (Vassa), when monks stay in their temples for the rainy season; candles are offered.
*	Ok Phansa	Pavarana	The end of Buddhist Lent, when monks may travel again; marked by merit-making and boat races.
*	Loy Krathong	Loy Krathong	The full moon of the twelfth lunar month, when people float candlelit baskets (krathong) on rivers to honour the water spirits.
*	Magha Puja	Māgha Pūjā	The full moon when 1,250 enlightened disciples came to the Buddha unannounced; a day of temple visits and candlelit processions.
*	Vesak	Vesak	The holiest Buddhist day, celebrating the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and passing, with lanterns, temple visits and acts of kindness.
*	Asalha Puja	Āsāḷha Pūjā	The full moon of the Buddha's first sermon, the day before the rains retreat (Vassa) begins.
*	Pavarana	Pavarana	The end of the rains retreat, when monks invite each other's feedback; followed by the Kathina robe offerings.
*	Buddha's Birthday (East Asia)	Buddha's Birthday	The 8th day of the 4th lunar month in China, Korea and elsewhere, with lantern festivals and statues of the infant Buddha bathed.
*	Ullambana	Ghost Festival	The Buddhist festival for relieving the suffering of ancestors, from the story of Maudgalyayana saving his mother; it coincides with the Ghost Festival.
*	Nirvana Day	Parinirvana Day	February 15, when Mahayana Buddhists mark the Buddha's death and final entry into nirvana.
*	Bodhi Day	Bodhi Day	December 8, when Mahayana (especially Japanese) Buddhists mark the Buddha's enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.
*	Rosh Hashanah	Rosh Hashanah	The Jewish New Year, a time of reflection marked by the shofar (ram's horn) and apples dipped in honey for a sweet year.
*	Yom Kippur	Yom Kippur	The Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the Jewish year, observed with a 25-hour fast and prayer.
*	Sukkot	Sukkot	The week-long Feast of Booths, when families eat in a sukkah, a temporary hut recalling the Israelites' years in the desert.
*	Shemini Atzeret	Shemini Atzeret	The festival straight after Sukkot, with the prayer for rain.
*	Simchat Torah	Simchat Torah	"Rejoicing in the Torah", when the yearly cycle of Torah readings ends and starts again, with singing and dancing with the scrolls.
*	Hanukkah	Hanukkah	The eight-day Festival of Lights, recalling the rededication of the Temple; a candle is added to the menorah each night.
*	Tu BiShvat	Tu BiShvat	The New Year of the Trees, celebrated by planting trees and eating fruit.
*	Purim	Purim	Celebrating the Jews' deliverance in the Book of Esther, with costumes, the reading of the Megillah, gifts of food and hamantaschen.
*	Passover	Passover	The festival of freedom, recalling the Exodus from Egypt; it opens with the Seder meal and lasts a week without leavened bread.
*	Last day of Passover	Passover	The last day of Passover (outside Israel, the eighth), recalling the crossing of the Red Sea.
*	Lag BaOmer	Lag BaOmer	The 33rd day of the Omer count between Passover and Shavuot, celebrated with bonfires and outings.
*	Shavuot	Shavuot	The Feast of Weeks, celebrating the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, traditionally with dairy foods and all-night study.
*	Tisha B'Av	Tisha B'Av	A fast day mourning the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, and other tragedies of Jewish history.
*	Islamic New Year	Islamic New Year	1 Muharram, the start of the Hijri year, counted from the Prophet Muhammad's migration (hijra) from Mecca to Medina in 622.
*	Ashura	Ashura	10 Muharram; for Sunnis a day of voluntary fasting, and for Shia Muslims the solemn commemoration of the martyrdom of Husayn at Karbala.
*	Mawlid	Mawlid	The birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, 12 Rabi' al-Awwal, marked by many with prayers, poetry and processions.
*	Isra and Mi'raj	Isra' and Mi'raj	The Prophet's night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and ascent to heaven, when the five daily prayers were given.
*	Ramadan begins	Ramadan	The start of the month of fasting from dawn to sunset, with prayer, charity and evening iftar meals shared with family and friends.
*	Laylat al-Qadr	Laylat al-Qadr	The Night of Power, when the Quran was first revealed; traditionally sought in the last ten nights of Ramadan, often the 27th.
*	Eid al-Fitr	Eid al-Fitr	The festival ending Ramadan, with special prayers, new clothes, sweets, gifts and visits to family.
*	Day of Arafah	Day of Arafah	The high point of the Hajj, when pilgrims gather on the plain of Arafat; many Muslims elsewhere fast on this day.
*	Eid al-Adha	Eid al-Adha	The Festival of Sacrifice, honouring Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son; meat from an animal sacrifice is shared with the poor.
*	Lunar New Year's Eve	Chinese New Year's Eve	The night before Lunar New Year, with the reunion dinner, red envelopes and fireworks at midnight.
*	Lunar New Year	Chinese New Year	The Spring Festival, the biggest holiday in China and much of East Asia: family reunions, red decorations, dumplings and lion dances.
*	Lantern Festival	Lantern Festival	The 15th day of the first lunar month and the end of New Year celebrations, with lanterns, riddles and sweet rice dumplings (tangyuan).
*	Dragon Boat Festival	Dragon Boat Festival	The 5th day of the 5th lunar month, remembering the poet Qu Yuan with dragon boat races and zongzi (sticky rice parcels).
*	Qixi	Qixi Festival	The 7th day of the 7th lunar month, the Chinese Valentine's Day, from the legend of the cowherd and the weaver girl.
*	Ghost Festival	Ghost Festival	The 15th day of the 7th lunar month, when the gates of the afterlife open; offerings are made to ancestors and wandering spirits.
*	Mid-Autumn Festival	Mid-Autumn Festival	The harvest full moon of the 8th lunar month, for family reunions, lanterns and mooncakes under the moon.
*	Double Ninth Festival	Double Ninth Festival	The 9th day of the 9th lunar month, for climbing hills, drinking chrysanthemum wine and honouring the elderly.
*	Nowruz	Nowruz	The Persian New Year at the spring equinox, celebrated for millennia across Iran, Central Asia and beyond, with the haft-sin table.
*	Sizdah Bedar	Sizdah Be-dar	The 13th day of Nowruz, spent outdoors picnicking; sprouted greens from the haft-sin are thrown into running water.
*	Yalda Night	Yalda Night	The longest night of the year, when families stay up late reading Hafez and eating pomegranates and watermelon.
*	Makar Sankranti / Pongal	Makar Sankranti	The Sun's entry into Capricorn (Makara), a harvest festival with kite flying and sesame sweets; Pongal in Tamil Nadu.
*	Vasant Panchami	Vasant Panchami	The festival of spring, honouring Saraswati, goddess of knowledge and the arts; people wear yellow.
*	Maha Shivaratri	Maha Shivaratri	"The great night of Shiva", observed with fasting, night-long vigils and offerings to the Shiva linga.
*	Holika Dahan	Holika Dahan	The bonfire on the eve of Holi, recalling the burning of the demoness Holika and the triumph of good over evil.
*	Holi	Holi	The festival of colours, welcoming spring with coloured powder and water thrown in the streets, music and sweets.
*	Ugadi / Gudi Padwa	Ugadi	The Hindu lunar New Year in the Deccan region: Ugadi in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra.
*	Ram Navami	Rama Navami	The birthday of Lord Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu, with readings of the Ramayana and temple celebrations.
*	Hanuman Jayanti	Hanuman Jayanti	The birthday of Hanuman, the monkey god devoted to Rama, celebrated with recitations of the Hanuman Chalisa.
*	Akshaya Tritiya	Akshaya Tritiya	An auspicious day for new beginnings, when gold is traditionally bought; "akshaya" means never diminishing.
*	Guru Purnima	Guru Purnima	The full moon for honouring teachers and spiritual guides, also marking the birth of the sage Vyasa.
*	Raksha Bandhan	Raksha Bandhan	Sisters tie a rakhi (sacred thread) on their brothers' wrists, and brothers promise to protect them.
*	Krishna Janmashtami	Krishna Janmashtami	The birth of Krishna, celebrated at midnight with fasting, songs, and in Maharashtra the dahi handi human pyramids.
*	Ganesh Chaturthi	Ganesh Chaturthi	The birthday of Ganesha, the elephant-headed remover of obstacles; clay idols are worshipped, then immersed in water days later.
*	Navaratri begins	Navaratri	The first of nine nights honouring the goddess Durga in her forms, with fasting and, in Gujarat, garba dancing.
*	Dussehra	Vijayadashami	Vijayadashami, the victory of Rama over Ravana and of Durga over Mahishasura; effigies of Ravana are burned.
*	Karva Chauth	Karva Chauth	Married women in North India fast from sunrise until the moon rises, praying for their husbands' long lives.
*	Dhanteras	Dhanteras	The first day of Diwali, auspicious for buying gold, silver and new utensils.
*	Diwali	Diwali	The festival of lights: oil lamps, rangoli, fireworks and sweets, and the worship of Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity.
*	Govardhan Puja	Govardhan Puja	The day after Diwali, recalling Krishna lifting Govardhan Hill to shelter villagers from Indra's storms; a mountain of food is offered.
*	Bhai Dooj	Bhai Dooj	The last day of Diwali, when sisters pray for their brothers' long lives and brothers give gifts in return.
*	Chhath Puja	Chhath	A festival of the Sun god, kept especially in Bihar, with fasting and offerings to the setting and rising sun from riverbanks.