Faith reps to speak of holy days, earth care
For the first time in more than 30 years, the celebrations of spring holy days of Muslims, Jews, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Hindus, Baha'is and local tribes overlap.
In recognition of the holy days of eight faiths, The Fig Tree is collaborating with the Hope for Creation Conference April 22 and 23, inviting local leaders of those faiths to participate in three events. Those events are a panel discussion from 3 to 4 p.m., Friday, the Healing the Earth Vigil from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., also on Friday, and booths from noon to 3:30 p.m. during an outdoor festival on Saturday.
From the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Spokane, Shahd Sangsar Khalili will participate on the panel. Tiara Pschaida will offer a blessing at the vigil, and Tiara and her husband Daniel will have a booth Saturday.
Representing the Spokane Buddhist Temple on the panel will be Melissa Opel. Gloria Chien, assistant professor of religious studies at Gonzaga University, will give the blessing.
From the Christian community, Lauri Clark-Strait, Fig Tree Board member and Disciples of Christ pastor serving Rockford United Methodist Church, will be on the panel, and Ikani Fakasiieiki of Liberty Park United Methodist Church will give a blessing.
Sreedharani and Mallur Nandagopal will join the panel and vigil on behalf of the Hindu community. They are now retired. She taught 27 years for Community Colleges of Spokane, and he worked 38 years as an engineer with the City of Spokane.
From the Jewish community, Tamar Malino, rabbi of Temple Beth Shalom and Congregation Emanu-El, will speak during the panel and Pam Silverstein, a member of the Jewish community, will offer a reading for the vigil.
Karen Stromgren Munawar of Muslims for Community Action and Support will speak on the panel and set up a booth. There will also be a Muslim blessing.
At press time, The Fig Tree was still recruiting Native American and Sikh participants.
Ramadan, Passover, Easter and Vaisakhi coincide for the first time since 1991. Purim, Naw Ruz, Ridvan, Vesak Day, Hanamatsuri, Holi and the season of Lent all fall within the three-month span of March through May.
For Baha'is, Naw Ruz, the New Year festival, falls on March 21, the spring equinox. It is a day for prayer, celebration and music. Then for 12 days from late April to early May, the Baha'i festival of Ridvan, celebrates Baha'u'llah's 1863 stay in Ridvan, a garden on the Tigris River. There, he proclaimed the foundational spiritual principles that the evolution of humanity be characterized by peace and the end of violence, said Tiara.
Two holidays commemorate the Buddha's birthday, depending on the sect: Mahayana East-Asian cultures celebrate Hanamatsuri on April 8, and South-East Asian cultures celebrate Vesak Day on May 6, marking milestones of Buddha's life and spiritual journey—his birth, Enlightenment, death and passing into parinirvana. During Vesak Day, observers focus on values of giving, virtue and cultivation.
For western Christians, Easter is Sunday, April 17, following Lent from March 2 to April 16, a 40-day observance of sacrifice and reflection before Jesus' resurrection. Eastern Orthodox Christians observe Lent from March 7 to April 23, and Easter on Sunday, April 24.
The Jewish holy day Purim was March 16 and 17. It celebrates the rescue of the Jewish people from the Persian Emperor Haman's plot to kill all Jews.
The Jewish Passover, from April 15 to 23, celebrates the Jewish liberation from slavery in Egypt. During Passover, many abstain from leavened foods, keep strict kosher, observe days of rest and retell the story of the exodus from Egypt. The traditional Passover Seder meal is held after nightfall on the first and second nights of Passover.
March 18 is the Hindu spring festival of Holi. Started in northern India, it celebrates spring and Krishna. Its focus is on harmony, new beginnings and renewing social bonds. It includes throwing colorful powders and setting aside social hierarchies.
The holy month of Ramadan for Muslims is April 2 to May 1, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It ends with Eid al-Fitr, the festival of the breaking of the fast. People fast from dawn to sunset. Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance, and recenter on their faith.
For Sikhs, Vaisakhi on April 13 commemorates the creation of the Khalsa Panth, an order of initiated Sikhs devoted to serving the One Creator and humanity established by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 CE. Before then, Vaisakhi was the beginning of the harvest festival in the Punjab region in India.
For information, call 535-1813 or email news@thefigtree.org.
