http://www.humanreligions.info/october.html
By Vexen Crabtree 2023
Note that some traditions have festivals and dates that start at sundown or in the evening of the night before, such as (Jewish, Muslim and some Pagan events). There are few Hindu dates on these calendars yet, due to the complexity & multiplicity of all the various calendars in use. Likewise, there are few south-east Asian calendar dates.
Date | Event | Notes |
---|---|---|
Oct 1st Sunday (fixed) | Christian Harvest Festival | Christianity. Harvests are laid out in church. |
Oct 2nd Monday (fixed) | Gandhi Jayanti | Hinduism. For the birthday of Mahatma Gandi who bears much responsibility for creating India. |
Oct 3rd Tuesday | ||
Oct 4th Wednesday | ||
Oct 5th Thursday | ||
Oct 6th Friday | ||
Oct 7th Saturday (this year) | Shemini Atzeret | Judaism. Seasonal date that marks the beginning of the rainy season in Israel marked by candles, festive meals and celebration. The annual reading of the Torah restarts. |
Oct 7th Saturday (this year) | Simchat Torah | Judaism. Outside of Israel, occurs a day later. The Torah reading moves from the end of Deuteronomy to the beginning of Genesis. |
Oct 8th Sunday | ||
Oct 9th Monday (this year) | Guru Ram Das's Gurpurab/Prakesh (birthday) | Sikhism. The fourth guru. |
Oct 10th Tuesday | ||
Oct 11st Wednesday | ||
Oct 12nd Thursday | ||
Oct 13rd Friday | ||
Oct 14th Saturday | ||
Oct 15th Sunday (9 days) (this year) | Navaratri / Durga Puja / Vijaya Dashamipuja | Hinduism. Navaratri means '9 nights' and is for Rama's victory of Ravana, the demon king of Sri Lanka, followed by Vijaya Dashami celebration. In many places, goddess Durga is worshipped on the 8th day. |
Oct 16th Monday | Birth of the Bab (since 2015) | Bahá'í Faith. This was observed on the 20th of Oct each year until 2014, after which it was changed to the 8th new moon after each Bahai new year. The prophet who foretold the arrival of Baha'u'llah (another prophet). |
Oct 16th Monday (this year) | Feast of 'Ilm (Knowledge) | |
Oct 17th Tuesday | Birth of the Baha'u'llah (since 2015) | Bahá'í Faith. Before 2015, the date was observed in accordance with the Islamic calendar date. The founder of Baha'i. |
Oct 18th Wednesday | ||
Oct 19th Thursday | ||
Oct 20th Friday (this year) | The Granth Sahib Holy Book Becomes the 11th and Final Guru | Sikhism. The holy scriptures themselves became the final Guru in 1708 and the line of human Gurus ended. |
Oct 20th Friday (this year) | Gurgadi Divas of Siri Guru Granth Sahib | |
Oct 20th Friday (this year) | Guru Har Rai's Jyoti Jot (death) | Sikhism. The seventh guru. |
Oct 20th Friday (this year) | Harkrishan becomes the 8th guru | |
Oct 20th Friday (fixed) | Birth of the Bab (until 2014) | Bahá'í Faith. This was observed on the 20th of Oct each year until 2014, after which it was changed to the 8th new moon after each Bahai new year. The prophet who foretold the arrival of Baha'u'llah (another prophet). |
Oct 21st Saturday (this year) | Guru Gobind Singh's Jyoti Jot (death) | Sikhism. The tenth Guru. |
Oct 22nd Sunday | ||
Oct 23rd Monday | ||
Oct 24th Tuesday (this year) | Vijayadashami / Dussehra / Dasara / Dashain | Hinduism. The final day of Navarati. Can involve wearing a tika on the forehead, and burning images of Ravana. |
Oct 25th Wednesday (5 days) (this year) | Maidyoshahem (of Hordad) | Zoroastrianism. The third day (Jishan-e-Tiragan) is the most important. The seasonal festival of Hordad, the Holy Immortal, who created water and represents health and completeness. Possibly originally a midsummer festival, but inaccurate calendars has meant the date has strayed. |
Oct 25th Wednesday (this year) | Ava Mah Parab / Aban Jashan | Zoroastrianism. Celebration of Ava, guardian of fertility and water. |
Oct 26th Thursday | ||
Oct 27th Friday | ||
Oct 28th Saturday | ||
Oct 29th Sunday | ||
Oct 30th Monday | ||
Oct 31st Tuesday (fixed) | Samhain | Paganism. For the coming of winter. The turning of the natural cycles continues; this commemorates death and remembers those who are dead. |
Oct 31st Tuesday (fixed) | The secular celebration of the ancient pagan festival of Samhain. |