Fixing Dates with Leaders and Members of Faith Organisations

This is a rough guide to enable people fixing dates for meetings that might include members and leaders of faith organisation from choosing the most obviously inappropriate days.

Days of the Week

Sundays,

especially Sunday Mornings are bad for:

Christians, Hindus and Sikhs as this is their main time for worship.

Tuesday Evenings

Are difficult for Hindus in Reading since if anything more Hindus worship in the Temple that day that on Sundays.

Fridays Midday

The 12pm - 2pm is the most difficult for Muslims as this is the time slot for Jumma (The Friday congregational sermon and prayer). For those who are not at work (e.g. elders, self-employed, etc), might also not be available before the Jumma slot. This is because it is recommended to take a bath, put on perfumes, and look and feel your best for Jumma.

Friday Evening and Saturday

Is the Jewish Sabbath and should be avoided.

Annual festivals

The dates of most of the festivals below can be found through

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/tools/calendar/index.shtml

Christian

Avoid:

·        Christmas

·        Ash Wednesday Evening

·        Palm Sunday Morning

·        Maundy Thursday evening

·        Good Friday

·        Easter Day especially morning

·        Ascension Day evening

Muslim

·        Muharram (Islamic New Year)

·        Milad-un-Nabi (Muhammad’s Birth Day)

·        Ramadam fast during daylight hours

·        Eid Ul Fitr (Ramadam ends)

·        Eid Ul Adha

Jewish

·        Passover

·        Rosh Hashanah

·        Yom Kippur

·        Sukkot

·        Hanukkah

Sikh

·        ??

Other calendars can be found on:

http://www.support4learning.org.uk/religious_calendars/religious_calendars.cfm