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| Celebrations, celebrations | by Cyntha Capey |
| I am writing this just after Helen Andrews’s marriage to Chris and what a celebration that was. Others from the village whom I don’t know yet (I am a comparative newcomer!) have also been married this month. August seems to be a good month for weddings and births - three of my children married in August in consecutive years, and three of my grandchildren have birthdays then. By the time you get this, however, we will have been overtaken by Autumn which is a rich season for faith festivals. Jews celebrate Roash Hashanah, their New Year on 23/24 September, and in October they have Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) and Simchat Torah (celebration of the giving of the Torah. The Muslim Fast of Ramadan occurs this year around September 25 – October 23rd, ending with a celebration called Eid-ul-Fitr. Last year SIFRE was asked to co-host and run an inter-faith family party for Eid in Endeavour House, the HQ of Suffolk County Council. This year we will be co-hosting one on 25th October at the time of year when Hindus, Jains and Sikhs celebrate Divali. These parties are one way in which the County Council is hoping to strengthen community spirit, especially at times when some people may be feeling fearful. On 30th October Chinese people celebrate the festival of the Hungry Ghosts and the 31st is the Pagan Festival of Samhain. These are just some of our Autumn festivals. I put ‘our’ Autumn Festivals deliberately. | Now that our society is composed of so many different faiths and cultures it does not mean we have to become more secular or dumb-down Christian festivals in case we cause offence. It is an opportunity to share each other traditions, have fun together and reflect more deeply on human life experience. Friends who have lived in India tell me that when it is a Muslim festival the Muslim children bring sweets to share with Hindus and Sikhs. When it is a Hindu festival the Muslim children also benefit. We can learn a great deal through each other’s fasts and feasts. During Ramadan any Muslim who is fit (ie not very young or old, not ill, pregnant or breast-feeding) takes no food or drink, not even water, between the hours of sunrise and sunset. This is a discipline that prepares them for times of hardships and reminds them of the needs of the poor and hungry, to whom during Ramadan they should be particularly generous. They continue to do their work though they should not drive more that 50 miles while fasting. Ramadan illustrates several important aspects of Islam – obedience to God, self-discipline, compassion and common sense! Samhain at the time of All Saints Day and All Souls Day, is a time when Pagans honour their dead, especially their parents, grandparents and teachers, in fact all those who have gone before from whom they received life, love, education and all other things. What a caricature our society has made of this with its Hallowe’en capers and tricks and treats. |