March 2012 - important holidays of the largest religious and ethnic groups

Traditional holidays

8 March: International Women's Day

The "United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace" or "International Women's Day" is celebrated around the world on 8 March. The day was commemorated for the first time in 1911. At a meeting in Copenhagen in 1910 the Socialist International established a Women's Day to honour the movement for women's rights and to build support for achieving universal suffrage for women.

21 March: Norouz

New Year festival of Persians (in particular Zoroastrians), Kurds and Bahai. Eggs and evergreen plants serve as symbols of life, continuity, and eternity during this family celebration. On this day Alevi also celebrate the birth of Ali who was born in Mecca on the first day of spring or Norouz in 598/9 AD. Ali ibn Abi Talib was a cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad.

Hinduism

8 March: Holi

Holi is a colourful spring festival and commemorates the rescue of Prince Prahlad from a fire pyre where his sister Holi had taken him. A bonfire is lit to signify the burning of Holika and to thank Lord Vishnu for his good deed. Ashes from the bonfire are marked on worshippers as a sign of inner cleansing.

Judaism

8 March: Purim

On this day a Purim carnival is held and children wear costumes. It commemorates the deliverance of the Persian Jews from the plot of Haman, the vizier of King Xerxes, to exterminate them. Haman wanted to choose the day of the genocide by lot (pur). The Book of Esther is read in the synagogue, and it is customary for children to use a noisy rattle, a Purim grogger, to blot out the name of the evildoer Haman. Today, Purim also commemorates the Holocaust. (All Jewish holidays begin at sundown on the previous day.)