July Inclusion calendar

Birthday of Guru Hargobind (Sikh) – this celebration marks the birth anniversary of the tenth Sikh leader, Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The day is observed in honour and remembrance of the great warrior, poet, philosopher and spiritual master.

Omnisexual Visibility Day – Omnisexuality is a sexual orientation where one is attracted to all genders or any gender, while having a preference. Often confused with pansexual, omnisexual does have attractions to any and all gender but with a certain preference. Pansexual is attraction to any and all gender without preference.

Hajj (Islam) – Hajj is the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, which every adult Muslim must make at least once in his or her lifetime. The hajj is the fifth of the fundamental Muslim practices and institutions known as the Five Pillars of Islam.

Waqf al Arafa (Islam) – The Day of 'Arafah (Yawm Al-'Arafah), also called the Day of the Standing (Yawm Al-Waqf), is significant because it is the holiest day of the Islamic Hijri lunar year (just as Laylat Al-Qadr, the Night of Empowering Decree in Ramadan, is the holiest night of the Islamic year).

Eid al Adha (Islam) – this is based on the lunar calendar, so the date may move. 

Eid ul-Adha celebrates the time when Ibrahim had a dream which he believed was a message from Allah asking him to sacrifice his son Isma'il as an act of obedience to God. The devil tempted Ibrahim by saying he should disobey Allah and spare his son.

In Muslim countries, Eid al-Adha is a public holiday that involves animal sacrifice, known as Qurbani, prayers and family gatherings. The day begins with morning prayers, followed by visits to family and friends and the exchange of food and gifts.

Martyrdom of the Báb (Baha'i) – this holiday commemorates the 1850 execution of the co-founder of the Baha'i faith, the Báb, in Persia. It is one of nine holy days during which work and school is suspended.

To commemorate this day, Bahá'ís read special prayers at noon, which is the time the execution was scheduled for.

This is also a day of rest, when Bahá'ís should not work.

Non-Binary Awareness Week is the week starting on the Sunday or Monday preceding International Non-Binary People's Day on 14 July. This is a LGBTQ+ awareness period dedicated to those who do not fit within the traditional gender binary, ie, those who do not exclusively identify as a man or a woman, or who may identify as both a man and a woman, or may fall outside of these categories altogether.

Non-binary is the term for people whose gender identity doesn’t sit within the binary options of male / female. They may identify with neither, both or vary between genders. You may also see terms such as gender neutral, pangender, gender fluid and genderqueer used.

Asalha Puja is a Theravada Buddhist festival which typically takes place in July, on the full moon of the month of Āsādha. It is celebrated in Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Laos, Myanmar and in countries with Theravada Buddhist populations.

Buddhist monks spend the day giving sermons and leading meditations. You can also see them lead candle processions around temples while reciting the eight precepts of Buddhism. Asalha Puja is an opportunity for Buddhists to express their gratitude to Buddha for his teachings.

International Non-Binary People's Day is observed each year on 14 July and is aimed at raising awareness and organising around the issues faced by non-binary people around the world. The day was first celebrated in 2012. The date was chosen for being precisely between International Men's Day and International Women's Day.

Nelson Mandela International Day (or Mandela Day) is an annual international day in honour of Nelson Mandela, celebrated each year on 18 July, Mandela's birthday. The day was officially declared by the United Nations in November 2009, with the first UN Mandela Day held on 18 July 2010. However, other groups began celebrating Mandela Day on 18 July 2009.

Mandela Day is a global call to action that celebrates the idea that each individual has the power to transform the world, the ability to make an impact. This day is  a chance to do things to make the world a better place.

Birthday of Emperor Haile Selassie (Rastafari) – this is one of the holiest days of the Rastafarian year. It is celebrated with Nyahbinghi drumming, hymns and prayers. Born in 1892 as Tafari Mahonnen, Ras Tafari ruled Ethiopia as regent and crown prince from 1916 to 1928, and in 1930 was crowned emperor. This was when he became his Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile Selassi I, a name that means ‘Power of the Trinity’.

Haile Selassie was Ethiopia’s 225th and last emperor, serving from 1930 until his overthrow in 1974 by the Marxist dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam.

He traced his line back to Menelik I, who was credited with being the child of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. His birth had been foretold by astrologers, who foretold the great drought that started in 1889 and was broken at the moment of the child’s birth, thus confirming his identity and destiny. His teachers were astounded at the depth of his knowledge and his understanding of ancient Indic religious texts. It is claimed that he could also converse with animals, and that savage beasts became docile in his presence. He was a skilled linguist, who learnt to read and write in Amharic and Ge’ez – and also in French.

The Rastafari movement emerged in the 1930s, in large part inspired by the vision of Marcus Garvey and focussed on the belief that Haile Selassie was a divine being and the redeemer of the black people. Although the anticipated mass repatriation to Africa has not occurred, the movement has spread throughout much of the world, largely through immigration and the interest generated by reggae music – most notably, that of Bob Marley. For the more than a million Rastafarians worldwide, the anniversary of the birth of Haile Selassie is considered one of the most significant days of the Rasta year.

Birthday of Guru Har Krishan (Sikh) – Guru Har Krishan (23 July 1656 – 30 March 1664) was the eighth of the ten Sikh Gurus. At age five, he became the youngest Guru in Sikhism on 7 October 1661, succeeding his father, Guru Har Rai.

He is also known as Bal Guru (Child Guru).He died at age eight during a epidemic in Delhi, and his granduncle Guru Tegh Bahadur became the next Guru of the Sikhs.He had the shortest tenure as Guru, lasting only two years, five months and 24 days.

People visit Gurdwara (Holy Temple) in the vicinity of their home. Special celebrations are held in Gurdwara Bangla Sahib to mark the occasion. Devotees chant Gurbani on this day, either in the Gurdwara or their homes.

Al-Hijra/Muharram – New Year (Islam), evening of 29 July. The Islamic New Year — also known as the Arabic New Year or Hijri New Year — is the first day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar. The word Hijri is derived from Hijra, meaning migration. The starting point of the Islamic calendar is the migration of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD.

International Day of Friendship – the International Day of Friendship was proclaimed in 2011 by the UN General Assembly with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.

It is a special occasion that celebrates the ties of friendship and precious bonds of togetherness between people.