by The Justice William J. Murray Jr. Unity Bar Section

August is Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month, a genetic disease affecting 1 in 11,000 births. SMA damages motor nerve cells in the spinal cord; those who suffer from SMA lose the ability to walk, eat, and breathe without medical intervention. Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month strives to raise awareness of the condition and seeks to educate the public and generate support for those with SMA.

August 1 is Lughnasadh, a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of the harvest season, and also Lammas, a festival to mark the annual wheat harvest within some English-speaking countries in the Northern Hemisphere. August 6 is Transfiguration of the Lord (Feast of the Transfiguration); celebrated by various Christian denominations, the feast day is dedicated to the transfiguration of Jesus. August 9 is International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples recognizing and celebrating the rich cultural heritage and contributions of indigenous peoples worldwide; it also serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges and injustices faced by indigenous communities around the globe. August 12 to 13 is Tisha B’Av, a fast in commemoration of the destruction of two holy and sacred temples of Judaism destroyed by the Babylonians (in 586 BCE) and Romans (in 70 CE); at the end of Tisha B’Av, select passages from the Torah are read and netilat yadayim (or, the washing of the hands) is performed. August 13 to 15 is Obon (Ullambana), a Buddhist festival and Japanese custom that honors the spirits of ancestors.

August 15 is Fast in Honor of Holy Mother of Jesus, beginning the fourteen-day period of preparation for Orthodox Christians leading up to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary; and Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary, the day commemorating the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into heaven at the end of her earthly life according to the beliefs of the Catholic Church, Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy, as well as parts of Anglicanism.  August 15 is also Dormition of the Theotokos, a Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches that commemorates the “falling asleep,” or death, of Mary the Theotokos (“Mother of God”) and her bodily resurrection before ascending into heaven. August 17 is Marcus Garvey Day, which celebrates the birthday of the Jamaican politician and activist who is revered by Rastafarians; Garvey is credited with starting the Back to Africa movement, which encouraged those of African descent to return to the land of their ancestors during and after slavery in North America.  August 18 is Hungry Ghost Festival, a Chinese holiday in which street, market, and temple ceremonies take place to honor dead ancestors and appease other spirits. August 19 is Raksha Bandhan, a Hindu holiday commemorating the loving kinship between a brother and sister; “Raksha” means “protection” in Hindi.

August 23 is International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition and the anniversary of the uprising in Santo Domingo (today, Haiti and the Dominican Republic) that initiated the abolition of slavery in the Caribbean. August 26 is Women’s Equality Day, which commemorates the August 26, 1920 certification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that gave women the right to vote. August 26 to 27 is Krishna Janmashtami, a Hindu celebration of Lord Vishnu’s most powerful human incarnations, Krishna, the god of love and compassion; celebrations include praying and fasting. August 29 is the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, a holy day observed by various Christian churches that follow liturgical traditions; the day commemorates the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, who was beheaded on the orders of Herod Antipas through the vengeful request of his stepdaughter, Salome, and her mother.   August 31 is  Paryushana Parvarambha, a Jain festival lasting eight to ten days that is observed through meditation and fasting; it focuses on spiritual upliftment, pursuit of salvation, and a deeper understanding of the religion.