Equalities and diversity calendar - November 2012
1 All Saints' Day - Christian
2 All Souls' Day - Catholic Christian
Commemorates the faithful departed.
3 Karvachauth – Hindu On this day the wife observes a fast for their husbands from sunrise to sunset. The fast is broken after moonrise once there is citing of the moon. This fast is observed for the long life of their husbands.
5 Anniversary of Haile Salassie's coronation
5 Guy Fawke's Day (Bonfire Night)
Celebration of a foiled plot to blow up the House of Lords.
11 Armistice Day (Remembrance Day)
Commemorates the armistice signed between the allies of world war 1 and Germany. This took effect at 11am - the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918. This day is a national holiday in many countries and also acts as a time to remember those that have died in the many wars and conflicts around the world.
12 Birth of Baha'u'llah - Bahái
13 Remembrance Sunday - Multifaith
Marked by ceremonies at war memorials to remember those who died at war.
13 Diwali - Hindu and Sikh
Diwali is a Hindu festival which takes place on the fifteenth day of Kartika. Diwali means "rows of lighted lamps" and the celebration is often referred to as the Festival of Lights. During this time, candles and lamps are lit as a greeting to Laksmi, goddess of wealth, gifts are exchanged and festive meals are prepared. The celebration means as much to Hindus as Christmas does to Christians.
14 World Diabetes Day
The purpose for this day is to improve access to diabetes care and education, to increase global action to prevent diabetes and its complications, and encourage participation in diabetes advocacy worldwide.
15 Nativity Fast
The Nativity Fast, is a period abstinence and penance practiced by the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches in preparation for the Nativity of Christ (25 December). The fast is similar to the Western Advent, except that it runs for 40 days instead of four weeks. The fast is observed from 15 November to 24 December inclusively.
15 Hijra / Islamic New Year - Islam
TBA National Anti-bullying week
The week, run by the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA), aims to raise awareness of the serious problem of bullying. It encourages children and young people, schools, local authorities and the wider community to accept responsibility for the problem of bullying and to work together to stop it. It also celebrates the work that children and young people are doing throughout the country to respond to and prevent bullying.
16 International Day of Tolerance
In 1996, the General Assembly invited Member States to observe the International Day for Tolerance on 16 November, with activities directed towards both educational establishments and the wider public (resolution 51/95 of 12 December). This action came in the wake of the United Nations Year for Tolerance, 1995, proclaimed by the Assembly in 1993.
19 International Men's Day - gender
International Men's Day (IMD) was inaugurated in the Caribbean in 1999 and has been adopted by a number of countries across the world within the last ten years. IMD focuses on improving relationships between men and women, promoting equality, producing responsible males and highlighting positive male role models. It also looks at addressing issues such as parenting, families and healthy life choices for men. International Men's Day provides a time for many people to reflect on the contributions, sacrifices and progress made, whether educational, economic, social or technological by men in society including those achieved in partnership with women.
TBA BBC Children in Need
This is a day of fundraising to make a positive change to the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.
20 Universal Children's Day
The United Nations' (UN) Universal Children's Day, which was established in 1954, is celebrated on November 20 each year to promote international togetherness and awareness among children worldwide. UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, promotes and coordinates this special day, which also works towards improving children's welfare.
20 International Transgender Day of Remembrance
This is a day to remember those that have been victims of discrimination which has lead to loss of life as a result of gender choice.
21 World Day For Remembrance for Road Traffic victims
WHO and the UN Road Safety Collaboration encourage governments and non-governmental organisations around the world to commemorate this day as a means of drawing the public's attention to road traffic crashes, their consequences and costs, and the measures which can be taken to prevent them.
TBA Inter Faith Week
Inter Faith Week is being facilitated by the Inter Faith Network for the UK and the Department for Communities and Local Government but will be community-led, with local people and groups of different backgrounds holding their own events and to highlight work going on to promote understanding between people of different faiths and beliefs.
24 Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur - Sikh
Tegh Bahadur (1621-75) was the ninth of the ten gurus who established the Sikh religion. As he grew up he wrote beautiful poetry that was included in the Guru Granth.
24 Ashura - Islam
Ashura has been a day of fasting for Sunni Muslims since the days of the early Muslim community. It marks two historical events: the day Nuh (Noah) left the Ark, and the day that Musa (Moses) was saved from the Egyptians by Allah.
25 International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women - gender
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women raises public awareness of the problem as an international observance. Women around the world are subject to rape, domestic violence and other forms of violence, and the scale and true nature of the issue is often hidden. If you or anyone you know has been affected by domestic violence phone the Freephone 24-hour National Domestic Violence helpline on 0808 2000 247. Visit our domestic violence information page for advice and support.
25 Thanks Giving
Celebration of thanks for harvest gathered, a time of family gatherings and food. National Holiday in the United States celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November.
26 Day of Covenant - Baha'i
The Day of the Covenant is the day when Bahá'ís celebrate the appointment of 'Abdu'l-Bahá as the Centre of Baha'u'llah's Covenant.
28 Guru Nanak’s Birthday - Sikh
30 Saint Andrew’s Day - Christian
Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland. Saint Andrew's Day is celebrated by Scots around the world on 30 November. The flag of Scotland is the cross of St. Andrew and this is widely displayed as a symbol of national identity.