BMFF is open to people of any faith, it is not exclusive. Attendance at meetings
is open, though we request notification of attendance 3 working days prior to a meeting
to allow us to plan for space, etc.
If you wish to be kept informed of meetings and events we ask to to complete the
form on the registration page.
October sees the following festivals and days observed by our diverse faith communities
in date order:
Wednesday 1 October
Muslim - Eid-Ul-Fitr - The end of Ramadan when Muslims celebrate the end of fasting
and thank Allah for His help with their month-long act of self-control.
Thursday 9 October
Jewish - Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement - the most solemn day of the Jewish year.
Hindu - Dussera - Celebrates Lord Rama's victory over the evil demon Ravana.
Sikh - Birthday of Guru Ram Das (Nanakshahi calendar). Guru Ram Das (1534-1581) was
the fourth of the Sikh Gurus.
Monday 13 October
Christian - St Edward's Day - Edward the Confessor was King of England 1042 - 1066.
He built Westminster Abbey where there is a shrine to him - and where the saint is
also celebrated on January 5 each year, the anniversary of his death.
Tuesday 14 October
Jewish - Sukkot - Sukkot or The Feast of Tabernacles, commemorates the years that
the Jews spent in the desert on their way to the Promised Land, and celebrates the
way in which God took special care of them under impossible conditions.
Monday 20 October
Bahai - Birth of the Bab - Celebrates the birth of the precursor of the founder of
the Baha'i faith.
Tuesday 21 October
Jewish - Simchat Torah - Simchat Torah means "Rejoicing in the Torah." This holiday
marks the completion of the yearly cycle of weekly Torah readings.
Jewish - Shemini Atzeret - Shemini Atzeret can be translated as "the assembly of
the eighth (day)." In Israel the festival is combined with Simchat Torah.
Tuesday 28 October
Hindu - Diwali - Diwali, the festival of lights, is the most popular of all the festivals
from South Asia. It is an occasion for celebrations by Hindus as well as Jains and
Sikhs.
Jain - Diwali - Diwali, the festival of lights, is the most popular of all the festivals
from South Asia. It is an occasion for celebrations by Hindus as well as Jains and
Sikhs.
Sikh - Diwali - For Sikhs, Diwali is particularly important because it celebrates
the release from prison of the sixth guru, Hargobind Singh, and 52 other princes
with him, in 1619.
Friday 31 October
Pagan - Samhain (Hallowe'en) - Samhain (pronounced 'sow'inn') marks the Feast of
the Dead. Many Pagans also celebrate it as the old Celtic New Year (although some
mark this at Imbolc).
Christian - Hallowe'en (All Hallows' Eve) - The night before All Saints' Day (All
Hallows' Day). Its origins date back over 2000 years to the ancient Celtic festival
of Samhain. It was celebrated as a Christian festival by the 8th Century.
