Feb Thu 2
This is often called The Presentation of Christ in the Temple and commemorates the day Mary took Jesus to the Temple at Jerusalem to present him to God. Coincides with Groundhog Day (USA)
Also called Oimelc and Candlemas, Imbolc celebrates the awakening of the land and the growing power of the Sun.
Feb Fri 3
A Spring festival that marks the division between Winter and Spring and is celebrated with beans.
Feb Sat 4
Milad un Nabi (Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad) (Muslim )
Shia Muslims celebrate this 5 days later. Some Muslims do not approve of celebrating the birthday, and regard doing so as a religious innovation.
Feb Tue 7
Magha Puja (Buddhist )
Fourfold Assembly or Sangha Day. Marks the day Buddha addressed a meeting of 1250 arahants.
Feb Wed 8
Parinirvana - Nirvana day (Buddhist )
Mahayana Buddhist festival marking the anniversary of Buddha's death. Pure Land Buddhists call the festival "Nirvana Day". Parinirvana is celebrated by some Buddhists on February 8th.
The Jewish New Year for trees - For religious accounting purposes all trees have their anniversaries on this festival, regardless of when they were planted.
Feb Thu 9
Milad un Nabi (Shia) (Muslim )
Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. Sunni Muslims celebrate this 5 days earlier. Some Muslims do not approve of celebrating the birthday, and regard doing so as a religious innovation.
Feb Sat 11
Our Lady of Lourdes (Christian )
Marks the day in 1858 when St Bernadette had her first vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Feb Tue 14
St Valentine's Day (Christian )
Now more a secular festival than a religious one. There are at least three different saints named Valentine.
Feb Wed 15
Nirvana day (alternative date) (Buddhist )
Nirvana Day is also known as Parinirvana and is celebrated by some Buddhists on February 8th. Nirvana Day is the celebration of Buddha's death when he reached total Nirvana, at the age of 80.
Feb Mon 20
Mahashivratri is a Hindu festival dedicated to Shiva, one of the deities of the Hindu Trinity.
Feb Tue 21
Also called Pancake Day and Mardi Gras. The British name of "Pancake Day" comes from the tradition of making pancakes to use up all the food that could not be eaten during Lent.
Feb Wed 22
The first day of Lent for Western Christian churches. Lent is the season marking the time Jesus spent in the wilderness.
Feb Mon 27
Clean Monday - Beginning of Lent (Orthodox) (Christian )
The start of the "Great Lent" for Orthodox Christians. This day is called Clean Monday, and occurs seven weeks before the Orthodox Easter
With thanks to the BBC website!
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