Happy Ayyám-i-Há! (Baha'i)
Ayyám-i-Há is a time of celebration for Baha'is around the world. From sunset on Feb. 25th to sunset on March 1st, Baha'is will celebrate by exchanging gifts and performing charitable acts of kindness in preparation for the Baha'i New Year.
As described on the Baha'i International website, "Every new religion has brought its own calendar, and the Bahá’í Faith is no exception. The Bahá’í calendar begins on 21 March, the vernal equinox, and divides the year into 19 months of 19 days each. There are nine holy days in the Bahá’í year on which Bahá’ís suspend work to commemorate various events in the Faith’s history, such as the birth of Bahá’u’lláh and the martyrdom of the Báb. The announcement of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation is celebrated during a twelve-day festival known as Ridvan, at the end of April and beginning of May. With the division of the year into 19 months, four intercalary days are needed. These days occur at the end of February and are celebrated as a gift-giving time known as Ayyám-i-Há" (Baha'i.org)
Nirvana Day (Buddhism)
Parinirvana Day, or Nirvana Day is a Mahayana Buddhist holiday celebrated in East Asia. By some it is celebrated on the 8th February, but by most on the 15th February. It celebrates the day when the Buddha is said to have achieved Parinirvana, or complete Nirvana, upon the death of his physical body.[1] Buddhists celebrate the death of the Buddha because they believe that since he was Enlightened, he was free from the pain of physical existence....
read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parinirvana_Day
ISA Meeting (Immigration Panel Discussion)
The Utah Valley University Interfaith Student Association will be meeting Wednesday February 22, 2012 at 7:00pm. This month's topic will be on Immigration and Religion. We invite ISA members, students, and visitors from the community to attend. We look forward to seeing you all there!
Panel participants: Michael Corbridge, M.A. (Urban Affairs), Elaine Englehardt, Ph.D. (UVU Ethics Department), and Carlos Garcia (Pastor, Seventh Day Adventist)
All ISA meetings will be held in SC 206 G&H at UVU.
In addition, students are invited to serve lunch at the Food and Care Coalition, 299 East 900 South, Provo, the 3rd Sunday of each month, at 12 noon. They are also asked to bring warm gloves, socks, etc. to give to those in need.
World Religion Day (January 15th)
Read more at http://www.worldreligionday.org/ and http://www.worldreligionday.org/observances/categoriesdetailed
UVU Interfaith Student Association (Club Rush)
Utah Valley University’s Club Rush will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, January 17 and 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., each day in the Ballroom of the Student Center on the Orem campus. The Interfaith Student Association will have a booth and all faith groups are invited to participate – either by staffing the booth for an hour or more, and/or by providing a flyer or other handout about upcoming congregational activities that would be of interest to college-aged participants. Obviously, this is an interfaith effort and so proselytizing would be inappropriate. If you are interested in participating, please contact Chaplain Linda P. Walton, (801) 362-0330, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information. Parking passes will be provided.
In addition, if you have additional events during the school year that you would like to publicize, please let Linda know and she will circulate flyers or information to students. We also coordinate a calendar on www.utahvalleyinterfaith.org that lists local faith/ethics-related activities, as well as international religious holidays. Students or college-aged individuals are also welcome to attend ISA meetings. This semester we have the following meeting scheduled:
Wednesday, January 25, 7 p.m. Jan Saeed, Westminster College Chaplain Baha’i Discussion
Wednesday, February 22, 7 p.m. Panel Immigration
Wednesday, March 7, 7 p.m. Panel Charity
Wednesday, April 11, 7 p.m. ? Graduation Social
All meetings will be held in SC 206 G&H.
If you are interested in participating in one of the panel discussions or in attending any event, please contact Linda.
In addition, students are invited to serve lunch at the Food and Care Coalition, 299 East 900 South, Provo, the 3rd Sunday of each month, at 12 noon. They are also asked to bring warm gloves, socks, etc. to give to those in need.
Finally, although school will have adjourned in April, the National Day of Prayer will be held Thursday, May 3. If you are interested in participating in the coordination of the event, please also contact Linda.