cultural celebration | International Office Blog

Day of the Dead title surrounded by colourful flowers and skulls with text in the centre.

Day of the Dead 2025: How to celebrate life and honor loved ones

2 November marks the start of one of the most celebrated and treasured traditions in Central and South America. Day of the dead is a three-day long celebration that brings love, light and joy to a concept that is often surrounded in sadness. It is said that Mexico’s outlook on the passing of loved ones…

Happy Diwali colourful blog image with floral elements and candles

Celebrate the festival of lights for Diwali 2025!

This year, the celebration of Diwali will begin on 20 October 2025 and last for five days. Diwali, also known as Deepawali, is a festival celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists. What is Diwali? Diwali, or the festival of light, is an important religious holiday. Originating from India, Diwali is named ‘row of…

The holiest day in Judaism, Yom Kippur

The tenth day of the Tishri lunar month marks the start of the Jewish religious holiday, Yom Kippur. This year Yom Kippur will be celebrated from sunset on Wednesday 1 October and ends the following evening on Thursday 2 October 2025. Yom Kippur falls ten days after the start of Rosh Hashanah, which is the…

A guide to celebrating the American holiday, Fourth of July

Officially known as Independence Day in America, 4 July is a national holiday that marks when the Declaration of Independence was passed. Why do Americans celebrate on Fourth of July? Dating back to the 18th Century during the American Revolution, on 4 July the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress. Nowadays, Fourth…

Happy Vesak, wishing you a peaceful and joyful day

Happy Vesak Day: An insight into the history of Buddhism and the Vesak celebration

Monday 12 May marks this year’s Vesak celebration for those in the Buddhist community. Vesak is a time for bringing happiness to others and paying homage to the religious figure Buddha. What is Vesak? Vesak has many names, and is most commonly referred to as Wesak, Buddha Jayanti, Buddha Purnima, Buddha Day and even Buddha’s…

Cinco de Mayo, 5th May 2025, University of Brighton

Celebrating the vibrant festivities of Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo, meaning ‘fifth of May,’ is a Mexican holiday commemorating the Battle of Puebla where the Mexican army triumphed over the French. What is Cinco de Mayo? Cinco de Mayo is an annual Mexican holiday celebrated on 5 May. While its origins come from the Mexican victory over the French in the Battle…

Learn about Easter and make your own chocolate Easter nests

Easter is celebrated in the UK with a long bank holiday weekend, starting on Good Friday and finishing on Easter Monday. This year the dates for Easter weekend run from 18 April to 21 April. What is Easter? Celebrated in March or April each year, Easter is one of the most important Christian holidays, and…

Celebrating the Jewish holiday of Passover this spring

Passover, or Pesach in Hebrew, is a widely celebrated holiday in the Jewish religion. This year Passover starts on the evening of Saturday 12 April and ends on Sunday 20 April. What is Passover? Passover celebrates the story of the Exodus when the Jewish people, led by Moses, escaped slavery in Egypt. Passover is observed…

Eid Mubarak, Wishing you a blessed Eid filled with love and happiness

Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan 2025

As Ramadan comes to an end, the evening of 30 March 2025 marks the start of Eid al-Fitr. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims worldwide and it marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-dusk fasting during Ramadan. What is Eid al-Fitr? Eid al-Fitr translates into the festival of the breaking of the fast and is…

Nowruz Mubarak, wishing you happiness, prosperity in the new year

Persian New Year: Learn about Nowruz and how to celebrate

Nowruz translates to ‘New Day’ in Farsi and marks the Iranian/Persian New Year. This year Nowruz falls on 20 March. Nowruz represents the start of spring and new beginnings. It’s celebrated across countries in the Middle East and Central Asia. What is Nowruz? Celebrated by more than three million people each year, Nowruz begins on…