Our World has hundreds of nations with thousands of cultures that stretch back into pre-history, and throughout all that time we’ve had countless religions rise to prominence. Whether you’re Hindu, Jewish, Catholic, Shinto, Buddhist, or one of a million other faiths, World Religion Day is your chance to share your culture with others and take an opportunity to learn from others about theirs.
History of Religion Day
Religion Day was first celebrated in Portland, Maine under the title of “World Peace Through World Religion.” Firuz Kazemzadeh hosted the talk in Eastland Park Hotel in October of 1947, since then the observance of this day has spread throughout the world with the center being held at various locations with strong authors, educators, and philosophers speaking about the importance of World Religions.
Sri Lanka went so far as to release a postage stamp honoring Religion Day, with another issued by the Republic of Congo. The focus of this holiday is to spread awareness and knowledge of the thousands of religions practiced in the world today, and a sharing of tolerance and understanding between people of all faiths.
How to celebrate Religion Day
Religion Day is easy to observe, you need merely take the time and effort to study the faiths of the world around you with an open mind. Religion Day is about conversion, it’s about learning about the religions that shape the world around you, and becoming aware of how many there are that just don’t appear in mainstream western culture.
Take some time to open the taboo subject of religion today, share openly and learn about what those around you believe, and maybe do a little research into your favorite culture to learn a bit about its foundational religions. Whether you’re learning about the Hindu faith with its thousands of Gods, or precisely how the thousands of denominations of Christianity grew out of the Judaic faith thousands of years ago, Religion Day is your opportunity to broaden your horizons.
Obviously, this includes taking this opportunity to speak to others about your religion, but remember as you do so that Religion Day is not about conversion. Speak to another with an open heart and open mind, and share what your religion has to say, and then take the time to listen to them talk about theirs from a place of understanding and love.
