Religious Festivals
8th February : Tu B'Shevat : Jewish
A minor festival celebrating the New Year for trees. Young trees are planted and a special attempt is made to eat fruit produced in Israel.
8th February : Parinirvana : Buddhist
Mahayana Buddhist festival marking the final passing away from this world of Gautama Buddha at the age of 80. Pure Land Buddhists called this day Nirvana Day.
10th February : The Prophet Muhammad's Birthday/Mawlid Al Nabi : Muslim - Shi'a
This is a day of religious obligation for Muslims. Sunni Muslims celebrate the day 5 days earlier. Tradition is not clear as to the exact date of the Prophet's birth. This day is widely celebrated within the Muslim world and is a public holiday in a number of Muslim countries. In the UK many Muslims celebrate at the mosque, but some Muslims do not approve of celebrating it, claiming that it is a non-Islamic innovation introduced more than 600 years after the life of the Prophet.
Religious Obligations During Times of Study or Work
There is no specific provision for time off from work or study for meeting religious obligations. Wherever possible, the exam timetable takes into account the needs of faith groups. We suggest that any student or member of staff who may need to meet a religious obligation during University hours should contact the lecturer or line manager concerned as soon as possible.
For Calendar and Working Days Advice advice on religious festivals click here
