Page 188 - NT 2022 Almanac

Equinox The time twice a year when the length of day and night is exactly equal
Eta Aquariids A meteor shower formed by particles of dust left behind by Halley’s Comet
Fast To spend a period of time without eating or drinking
Fertility The ability to create children or young
First-footing A Scottish New Year’s tradition, where the ‘first footer’ is the first person to walk through the door after midnight
First quarter One quarter of the way through the moon’s cycle, when we can see exactly half of the moon’s face
Fossil The remains or traces of an ancient living thing that has been preserved in rock
Full moon When the entire face of the moon is lit up by the sun’s rays
Ganesh Chaturthi A 10-day Hindu festival to worship the god Ganesha
Guy Fawkes A member of a group of English Catholics who tried to assassinate King James in 1604 by blowing up the Houses of Parliament
Hanukkah An eight-day ‘festival of lights’ celebrated by Jewish people, to remember how the Jewish army freed Jerusalem and took back the temple, which they re-dedicated to God
Harvest Gathering crops
Hemisphere Half of the Earth, divided into northern and southern hemispheres by the equator
Hieroglyphics The pictures and symbols that make up ancient Egyptian writing
Hobby horse A toy with a model of a horse’s head at the end of a stick
Hogmanay The Scottish word for the last day of the year
Holi A Hindu spring festival in celebration of the god Krishna
Holy Spirit Christians believe God exists in three forms at the same time, as God in heaven, as Jesus Christ in heaven, and as the Holy Spirit, which is everywhere
House of Commons The British parliament, whose elected members make or change the country’s laws
Imbolc A pagan festival marking the beginning of spring
Isra and Mi’raj An Islamic celebration of the Prophet Muhammad’s journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and his journey into heaven, when Allah revealed to Muhammad that Muslims should pray five times a day
Jain Someone who follows the ancient Indian religion of Jainism that teaches ahimsa (non-violence) to all living creatures
Jerusalem The capital city of Israel, believed to be holy by Jewish people, Christians and Muslims
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