Page 137 - NT 2022 Almanac

5th October Yom Kippur
This is the holiest day of the year for Jewish people. It is a day for saying sorry for things you have done wrong and asking for forgiveness. Jewish people traditionally wear white and they fast and pray for up to 25 hours. They often spend most of the day in the synagogue.
8th October Prophet’s Birthday
In the UK and all over the world, some Muslims see this as a day to celebrate. In some countries there are street parades, the mosques are decorated and children read out poems about the Prophet’s life. People can spend the day donating food and money to charity, too. Other Muslims see this day as a time for concentrating on the holy book, the Qur’an.
24th October Diwali
Diwali marks the start of the Hindu New Year. Sikhs and Jains also celebrate at this time. Diwali is five days long, and on the third day,
many Hindus light special oil lamps called diyas. The lamps symbolise
the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. Many gods, including Rama and his wife, Sita, and Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, are celebrated with music, puja (prayers), firework displays and by sharing traditional sweets.
136