BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Autumn Equinox (Pagan)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250922
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250924
DESCRIPTION:Day and night are in equal balance and now it is the powers of warmth and light that begin to retreat before the coming of dark and cold. Pagans turn inwards, consolidating what the year has brought and what they have learned from it. The apple harvest is often celebrated.
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Rosh Hashanah (Jewish)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250922
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250926
DESCRIPTION:Rosh Hashanah marks the New Year in the Jewish calendar.  It is a two-day festival that commemorates the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve.  Celebrations include the sounding of the shofar ram's horn, a special liturgy, symbolically casting one's sins into water and symbolic foods.  All work is prohibited including writing, travelling and the use of electronics. Rosh Hashanah is celebrated from sunset on 02/10/2024 (18:42) to sunset on 04/10/2024 (18:37).
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Yom Kippur (Jewish)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251001
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251004
DESCRIPTION:Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is considered the holiest day of the year in Judaism.  Observances include an extended prayer service focused on repentance, a twenty-five hour fast, and a celebratory meal to break the fast.  All work is prohibited including writing, travelling and the use of electronics. Yom Kippur is celebrated from sunset on 11/10/2024 (18:18) to sunset on 12/10/2024 (18:16).
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Sukkot (Jewish)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251006
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251015
DESCRIPTION:Sukkot is a Jewish harvest festival that commemorates the Biblical Israelites' wandering in the desert.  In the diaspora the festival lasts for eight days.  The first and last two days are considered holy times in which all work is prohibited, including writing, travelling and the use of electronics.  During Sukkot Jews eat festive meals in huts called sukkot that are covered in plant material.  An extended synagogue prayer service features processions, dancing and waving bundles of leaves called lulavs. Sukkot is celebrated from sunset on 16/10/2024 (18:06) to sunset on 24/10/2024 (17:46).
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Shmini Atzeret (Jewish)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251013
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251017
DESCRIPTION:Shmini Atzeret is a separate Jewish festival that concludes the weeklong celebrations of Sukkot. In the diaspora it is a two-day festival that coincides with the eighth day of Sukkot. It is celebrated with an extended synagogue prayer service and festive meals.  All work is prohibited including writing, travelling and the use of electronics. Shmini Atzeret is celebrated from sunset on 23/10/2024 (17:49) to sunset on 24/10/2024 (17:46).
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Simchat Torah (Jewish)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251013
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251017
DESCRIPTION:Simchat Torah is a Jewish festival that celebrates the conclusion and resumption of the annual cycle of Torah readings on the last day of Shmini Atzeret.  In synagogue Jews read the concluding chapter of Deuteronomy followed by the opening chapter of Genesis accompanied with much fanfare, candy, and seven circuits of dancing with the scrolls of the Torah.  All work is prohibited including writing, travelling and the use of electronics. Simchat Torah is celebrated from sunset on 24/10/2024 (17:46) to sunset on 25/10/2024 (17:44).
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Samhain (Pagan)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251031
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251102
DESCRIPTION:Samhain is the Pagan festival of the Dead. Considered a liminal time when the boundaries between this world and the Otherworld are thinner, it is a time to commune with those who have gone before. To Pagans, death is not an evil, but a necessary part of the cycle of being. Without death, nothing could live .Samhain is a time for quiet introspection, for remembering our dead and acknowledging our own mortality. It is the time, traditionally, when the flocks and herds are culled to prepare for winter.
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Diwali (Hindu & Sikh)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251020
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251022
DESCRIPTION:Diwali is an Indian festival of light celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists.  Celebrations include lighting on's home with diyas (oil lamps), candles and lanterns, festive family meals, confections, community gatherings, fireworks, special house decorations, oil baths, and memorials for ancestors.  Diwali is celebrated from sunset on 31/10/2024 (16:30) to sunset on 01/11/2024 (16:28).
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Birth of the Bab (Baha'i)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251022
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251024
DESCRIPTION:The Birth of the Bab celebrates the birthday of the herald and forerunner of the founder of the Bahai religion, the Bab, whose title literally means 'the Gate'.  Bahai's celebrate with prayers, readings, song and dance at festive gatherings both at home and in places of worship.  Work is suspended to mark this holy day. The Birth of the Bab is celebrated from sunset on 02/11/2024 (16:26) to sunset on 03/11/2024 (16:24).
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Birth of Baha'u'llah (Baha'i)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251023
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251025
DESCRIPTION:The Birth of Baha'u'llah celebrates the birthday of the prophet and founder of the Bahai religion, Baha'u'llah.  Bahai's celebrate with prayers, readings, song and dance at festive gatherings both at home and in places of worship.  Work is suspended to mark this holy day. The Birth of the Bab is celebrated from sunset on 03/11/2024 (16:24) to sunset on 04/11/2024 (16:21).
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Guru Nanak Jayanti (Gurpurab) (Sikh)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251105
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251107
DESCRIPTION:Guru Nanak Jayanti celebrates the birth of the founder of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak.  Celebrated with processions, displays, scriptures and hymns, Sikhs share a free communal meal called a Langar. Food is shared in a spirit of service and devotion to everyone irrespective of gender, caste, class or creed.
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Saint Andrew's Day (Christian)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251130
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251202
DESCRIPTION:St Andrews Day marks the beginning of Advent, a season of preparation for the commemoration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas.  St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and his day is a national festival here celebrated with traditional Scottish food and music.
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Yule (Pagan)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251221
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251223
DESCRIPTION:Yule is a Pagan winter festival coinciding with the winter solstice. Pagans celebrate the rebirth of the sun, often by burning a specially chosen log through the long hours of darkness. At St Andrews the Pagan Chaplain provides a 'path of light on the longest night' a solstice labyrinth available to anyone wishing some quiet contemplation. Many Yule traditions such as Yule logs, wreaths, and mistletoe have been incorporated into modern Christmas celebrations. 
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Christmas (Christian)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251225
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251227
DESCRIPTION:Christmas is a Christian festival commemorating the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.  Celebrations include festive meals, Church services, gift-giving, the exchange of cards, carolling, Nativity plays, and decorations of Christmas trees and lights.
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Hanukkah (Jewish)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251215
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251224
DESCRIPTION:Hanukkah is a Jewish winter festival that commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem and the foundation of the Hasmonean Kingdom. The festival lasts for eight days during which Jews light a special 9 branched candelabrum called a hanukiyah or a menorah. Other festivities include eating oily foods, playing the game of dreidel and gift-giving. Hanukah is celebrated from sunset on 25/12/2024 (15:38) to sunset on 02/01/2025 (15:46).
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti (Sikh)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260115
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260117
DESCRIPTION:Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti celebrates the birth of the tenth Guru of the Sikh religion, Guru Gobind Singh, the founder of the Khalsa order. Celebrated with processions, displays, scriptures and hymns, Sikhs share a free communal meal called a Langar. Food is shared in a spirit of service and devotion to everyone irrespective of gender, caste, class or creed.
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Orthodox Christmas (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260107
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260109
DESCRIPTION:Christmas is a Christian festival commemorating the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.  Celebrations include festive meals, Church services, gift-giving, the exchange of cards, carolling, Nativity plays, and decorations of Christmas trees and lights.
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Lunar (Chinese) New Year
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260217
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260219
DESCRIPTION:Chinese New Year is a festival marking the beginning of spring as the lunar new year in the traditional Chinese calendar. It falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice. Celebrated with special foods, fireworks, spring cleaning, new clothes, gift-giving, lion dance and other rituals, many families have a reunion dinner as their most important yearly gathering. This festive time extends for fifteen days culminating in the Lantern Festival.
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Imbolc (Pagan)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260201
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260203
DESCRIPTION:Imbolc is a Pagan seasonal festival celebrating the very first signs of the awakening of the Earth from her winter sleep. The festival is associated with the lambing season and the fertility goddess Bride or Brigid, later Christianised as St Brigid.  Celebrations include looking for the first snowdrops, a festive meal, weaving crosses out of rushes, spring cleaning, and rituals to welcome Brigid into one's home.
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Ramadan (Muslim)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260218
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260320
DESCRIPTION:Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar during which Muhammad received his first revelation of the Quran. Fasting from sunrise until sunset each day, Muslims focus their attention for the month on prayer, charity, reflection, community and the study of the Quran.  Many add extra nightly tarawih prayers. Throughout the month Muslims have a pre-dawn meal called a suhur and a post-sunset meal called an iftar, often a festive family or communal gathering. Ramadan is celebrated from sunset on 28/02/2025 (17:43) to sunset on 29/03/2025 (18:44).
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Start of Lent (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260223
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260225
DESCRIPTION:Lent is a forty-day period preceding Easter in the Christian liturgical calendar.  During this time Christians commemorate the forty days Jesus spent fasting in the desert by renouncing a pleasure or luxury throughout this period. Many Carnival traditions of merrymaking and feasting before Lent provide an opportunity for excess before the period of fasting begins.  Many Christians add other devotional practices during Lent.  Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, named for the practice of congregants receiving ash on their foreheads as a sign of penitence.  
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Start of Lent (Christian)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260218
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260220
DESCRIPTION:Lent is a forty-day period preceding Easter in the Christian liturgical calendar.  During this time Christians commemorate the forty days Jesus spent fasting in the desert by renouncing a pleasure or luxury throughout this period. Many Carnival traditions of merrymaking and feasting before Lent provide an opportunity for excess before the period of fasting begins.  Many Christians add other devotional practices during Lent.  Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, named for the practice of congregants receiving ash on their foreheads as a sign of penitence.  
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Holi (Hindu)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260303
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260305
DESCRIPTION:Holi is an Indian Spring-time festival that celebrates colour, love, and new life. Celebrations include bonfires, colour fights, water guns, confections, drinks and music. Holi is celebrated from sunset on 13/03/2025 (18:10) to sunset on 14/03/2025 (18:12).
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Spring Equinox (Pagan)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260320
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260322
DESCRIPTION:Spring Equinox is the time when the day has now grown equal to the night in length; Equinoxes are balance points of the year. Pagans plant seeds as symbols of what we hope to achieve in the coming year and review the balance in our lives. 
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Nowruz (Persian New Year)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260320
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260322
DESCRIPTION:Nowruz is a Persian New Year festival coinciding with the spring equinox. Observed mainly as a secular holiday, Nowruz has its roots in Zoroastrianism and is considered a holy day for Zoroastrians, Bahai and some Muslims. It is celebrated with water and fire rituals, poetry, dance, guising and gift giving.  
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Eid al-Fitr (Muslim)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260320
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260322
DESCRIPTION:Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the month of Ramadan and is an obligatory day of festivity in Islam.  Muslims pay an obligatory act of charity, perform a special Eid prayer, celebrate with a festive communal meal and visit family and friends. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated from sunset on 30/03/2025 (19:46) to sunset on 31/03/2025 (19:48).
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Passover (Jewish)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260401
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260411
DESCRIPTION:Passover is a Jewish spring-time festival that commemorates the Biblical Israelites' Exodus from slavery in Egypt. Families gather at a ritual feast called a Seder to retell the story using symbolic foods and traditional narratives. In the diaspora the festival lasts for eight days.  The first and last two days are considered holy times in which all work is prohibited, including writing, travelling and the use of electronics.  During the week of the festival Jews refrain from eating any leavened products. Passover is celebrated from sunset on 12/04/2025 (20:13) to sunset on 20/04/2025 (20:29).
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Vaisakhi (Sikh)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260414
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260416
DESCRIPTION:Vaisakhi is an Indian spring harvest festival celebrated by some as a Solar New Year. Celebrated with processions, fairs, communal meals and music, for Sikhs it also marks the foundation of the Khalsa order, a key event in their history. 
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Good Friday (Christian)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260403
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260405
DESCRIPTION:Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth.  Practices to mark this day vary amongst different traditions including special prayer services, the Stations of the Cross, fasting and the abstention from work.
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Easter Sunday (Christian)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260405
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260407
DESCRIPTION:Easter (also called Pascha) is a Christian festival commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead after his crucifixion.  The week before Easter is known as Holy Week and includes Palm Sunday commemorating Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem, Spy Wednesday commemorating Judas' betrayal, Maundy Thursday commemorating the washing of feet and Last Supper and Good Friday commemorating the crucifixion.  Customs surrounding Easter include decorating Easter eggs and filling baskets with candies for children.  
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Beltane (Pagan)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260501
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260503
DESCRIPTION:Beltane is a Pagan festival marking the beginning of summer. It is a time for revelling in the sheer joy of being alive. Celebrations include leaping over bonfires, dancing around Maypoles and baking special Bannocks. Local revellers gather at Calton Hill in Edinburgh for an annual Fire Festival.
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Shavuot (Jewish)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260521
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260525
DESCRIPTION:Shavuot is a Jewish festival that commemorates the revelation of the Torah to the Biblical Israelites at Mount Sinai. In the diaspora the festival lasts for two days that are considered holy times in which all work is prohibited, including writing, travelling and the use of electronics. Customs to celebrate the festival include special additions to the liturgy, eating dairy foods, decorating homes and synagogues with flowers and all-night Torah study. Shavuot is celebrated from sunset on 01/06/2025 (21:48) to sunset on 03/06/2025 (21:50).
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Eid ul-Adha (Muslim)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260526
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260529
DESCRIPTION:Eid al-Adha is an obligatory day of festivity in Islam. Commemorating Abraham's sacrifice, many Muslims celebrate by sharing a festive meat meal with family and friends, special communal prayers and the exchange of gifts. Although a separate practice, Eid al-Adha occurs during Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Eid ul-Adha is celebrated from sunset on 06/06/2025 (21:54) to sunset on 07/06/2025 (21:55).
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Eid al-Ghadir (Muslim - Shi'ite)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260603
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260606
DESCRIPTION:Eid al-Ghadir commemorates the appointment of Ali ibn Abi Talib as the successor to Muhammad. Celebrated with special prayers, greetings, gift giving, charitable donations, new clothes, and special foods, it is one of the most important holidays for Shi'ite Muslims. Eid al-Ghadir is celebrated from sunset on 14/06/2025 (22:01) to sunset on 15/06/2025 (22:02).
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Midsummer (Pagan)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260621
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260623
DESCRIPTION:Midsummer is a festival to mark the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Here too ce are celebrating the abundance of life, but also acknowledging that from now on the sun will gradually wane. Celebrations vary widely by culture and include bonfires, gatherings and feasts.  
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Lammas (Pagan)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260731
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260803
DESCRIPTION:Lammas or Lughnasadh is the festival of the harvest where Pagans give thanks for all that nourishes the body, mind and spirit. It is the first of the three harvests - this one of grain. The second harvest is of apples, around Autumn Equinox and the third harvest is of animals, around Samhain when the flocks and herds are culled to provide food for the winter.
LOCATION:St Andrews
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR