Interfaith Scotland has been taking part in the World Interfaith Harmony Week since 2019, in support of this important global initiative, to promote the dialogue among different faiths and religions in enhancing mutual understanding, harmony and cooperation among people. On Wednesday, 4 February 2026, we hosted an interfaith conversation cafe on the theme of religious calendars and festivals as part of the World Interfaith Harmony Week 2026. Attendees of this event came from diverse faith and belief backgrounds, including Baha’i, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Pagan, Taoist, and Muslim, and none. We started the event with an introduction to the World Interfaith Harmony Week and how important it is for us to support this annual observance. Attendees had a fruitful discussion on how religious calendars are used to serve as a guide for observance of sacred rituals of their religions. Many attendees also use religious calendars for commemoration of significant events and coordination of communal activities. For example, the Islamic (Hijri) calendar is used to determine the dates of important Islamic holidays like Ramadan, while the Jewish (Hebrew) calendar is used for Jewish holidays such as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. These calendars are often closely tied to specific traditions and practices, influencing the timing of religious holidays and rituals. Attendees also had an interactive conversation on how to plan an inclusive interfaith event by adopting thoughtful approaches, such as choosing a date with sensitivity by avoiding major religious observances as Ramadan, Easter, Passover, Diwali, Vesak and Yom Kippur. At this event, our special guest from Interfaith Alignment was invited to share an inspiring video from the Calendar of Light, which is an online calendar consisting of daily spiritual practices from different traditions. The event was concluded with a Metta meditation that gently brought participants' awareness back to the present moment, reflecting on the feelings of compassion, love and peace.

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