cultural celebration | International Office Blog

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…

Happy Holi, wishing you a colourful and joyous Holi this spring

Celebrate the spring festival of Holi with joy and colour

14 March marks this year’s Holi celebrations for the Hindu community, commemorating the festival of colours and the return of spring. What is Holi? Holi, also known as the festival of colours, is a public holiday celebrated by Hindu communities in India and other South Asian countries around the world. While there are religious aspects…

Ramadan Mubarak, wishing you a blessed and happy Ramadan

Ramadan Mubarak: The history behind Ramadan and how to celebrate

The evening of 28 February marks the start of Ramadan 2025, which lasts around 30 days. Ramadan is a holy month of the Islam religion, where Muslims take part in fasting and prayer. What is Ramadan? Ramadan is a significant time within the Muslim community and serves as a period to strengthen the connection with…

Red and gold graphic wishing a happy luna new year with a golden snake on a red background

A year of transformation and growth: Celebrating the wood snake for Chinese New Year 2025

29 January marks the start of Chinese New Year. This year marks the end of the Year of the Dragon and the start of the Year of the Snake, which is set to bring wisdom, renewal and transformation. What is Chinese New Year? Sometimes referred to as the Spring festival or simply the Lunar New…