• Britain is a multicultural nation of around 60.6 million people from different racial, religious and cultural backgrounds. The latest national census showed approximately 4.6 million people - or 7.9% of the population - were from a minority ethnic groups, but this data is now out of date.

• In the 2001, the population breakdown by self-defined faith

  - Christianity - 71.6 %
  - Islam - 2.7 %
  - Hinduism - 1.5 %
  - Sikhism - 0.6 %
  - Judaism - 0.5 %
  - Buddhism - 0.3 %

• London is possibly the most cosmopolitan city in the world: 300 languages, 50 non-indigenous communities with populations of 10,000 or more, with virtually every race, nation, culture and region able to claim at least a handful of Londoners. 30% of the city's residents were born outside England (2.2m) with many tens of thousands more who are second or third generation immigrants. 

• 53% of ethnic minorities live outside London. 

• Religious stats - according to 2001 census: in Great Britain, 40 million people (nearly seven in ten) described their ethnicity as White and their religion as Christian. There are 815,000 Black Christians and 353,000 Christians from Mixed ethnic backgrounds. Among other faiths the largest groups are Pakistani Muslims (686,000) and Indian Hindus (471,000) followed by Indian Sikhs (307,000), Bangladeshi Muslims (261,000) and White Jews (259,000).

• The makers of Barbie unveiled the first 'multi-ethnic' version of the doll on the 21.02.02

8-Oct-09

Navaratri (start) Navaratri (nine nights) symbolises the triumph of good over evil and marks the start of autumn.

3-Jan-10

Epiphany (Catholic Church in England and Wales) The Catholic Church in England and Wales moves this festival to the nearest Sunday if it falls on a Saturday or Monday.

5-Jan-10

Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh (Nanakshahi calendar) Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708) was the tenth and last of the Sikh Gurus. He instituted the Five Ks and established the Order of the Khalsa.

6-Jan-10

Christmas Day (Armenian Orthodox) Armenian Christians celebrate Christ's birth at Epiphany, except for Armenians in the Holy Land, who celebrate Christmas on January 19th. Theophany (Orthodox) Orthodox churches mark the baptism of Jesus on this day.

7-Jan-10

Christmas Day (Orthodox) Most Orthodox churches use the Julian rather than the Gregorian version of the Western calendar. As a result, they celebrate Christmas 13 days later than other Christian churches.

7-Jan-10

Christmas Day (Ethiopian) Rastafarians believe Ethiopia to be their spiritual homeland, and a place to which they want to return.

10-Jan-10

First Sunday after Epiphany Epiphany takes place on the 6th of January, but most Christians celebrate it on the first Sunday after that date. Baptism of the Lord Commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan by John the Baptist. Occurs on the first Sunday after Epiphany. Catholics and Episcopalians celebrate this holy day, but Eastern Christianity celebrates the baptism of Jesus at Epiphany.

13-Jan-10

St Hilary's Day According to tradition, "St. Hilary's is the coldest day of the year." St. Hilary was a fourth century Bishop of Poitiers.

14-Jan-10

Makar Sankrant Makar Sankrant is one of the most important festivals of the Hindu calendar and celebrates the sun's journey into the northern hemisphere.

18-Jan-10

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (start) First celebrated in 1908. The days of 18-25 January (regardless of the days of the week involved) were originally chosen because they covered the days between the feast of St Peter and the feast of St Paul. Some churches and regions use a different week.

20-Jan-10

Vasant Panchami Dedicated to Saraswati, the goddess of learning and Brahma's wife. The festival marks the beginning of Spring.

21-Jan-10

St Agnes Patron saint of girls, martyred at the age of 13.

25-Jan-10

St Paul's Day Anglicans and Catholics celebrate St Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.

27-Jan-10

National Holocaust Memorial Day The UK Holocaust Memorial Day was first held in January 2001. The date was chosen as the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

28-Jan-10

St Thomas Aquinas Doctor of the Church and patron saint of students and theologians.

30-Jan-10

Tu B'Shevat The Jewish New Year for trees - For religious accounting purposes all trees have their anniversaries on this festival, regardless of when they were planted.

31-Jan-10

Birthday of Guru Har Rai (Nanakshahi calendar) Guru Har Rai (1630-1661) was the seventh of the Sikh Gurus.

2-Feb-10

Candlemas This is often called The Presentation of Christ in the Temple and commemorates the day Mary took Jesus to the Temple at Jerusalem to present him to God. Coincides with Groundhog Day (USA)

2-Feb-10

Imbolc Pagan festival. Also called Oimelc and Candlemas, Imbolc celebrates the awakening of the land and the growing power of the Sun.

8-Feb-10

Parinirvana - Nirvana day Mahayana Buddhist festival marking the anniversary of Buddha's death. Pure Land Buddhists call the festival "Nirvana Day". Parinirvana is celebrated by some Buddhists on February 8th.

11-Feb-10

Our Lady of Lourdes Marks the day in 1858 when St Bernadette had her first vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

12-Feb-10

Mahashivratri Mahashivratri is a Hindu festival dedicated to Shiva, one of the deities of the Hindu Trinity.

14-Feb-10

St Valentine's Day Now more a secular festival than a religious one. There are at least three different saints named Valentine.

15-Feb-10

Clean Monday - Beginning of Lent (Orthodox) The start of the "Great Lent" for Orthodox Christians. This day is called Clean Monday, and occurs seven weeks before the Orthodox Easter

16-Feb-10

Shrove Tuesday Also called Pancake Day and Mardi Gras. The British name of "Pancake Day" comes from the tradition of making pancakes to use up all the food that could not be eaten during Lent.

17-Feb-10

Ash Wednesday The first day of Lent for Western Christian churches. Lent is the season marking the time Jesus spent in the wilderness.

25-Feb-10

Fast of Esther (Taanit Esther) A fast in commemoration of the fast of Mordechai and Esther. This is not a major Jewish fast.

26-Feb-10

Milad un Nabi (Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad) Shia Muslims celebrate this 5 days later. Some Muslims do not approve of celebrating the birthday, and regard doing so as a religious innovation. MUSLIM

28-Feb-10

Holi The Hindu spring festival.

28-Feb-10

Purim Purim commemorates the time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination by the courage of a young Jewish woman called Esther.

1-Mar-10

Hola Mohalla (Lunar Calendar) Sikh festival. Hola Mohalla is three day festival of military exercises and mock battles, together with religious discussions and devotional music, at Anandpur Sahib on the day after Holi.

1-Mar-10

Shushan Purim Jewish Festival. In some places Purim is celebrated one day later. In this case it is called Shushan Purim.

1-Mar-10

St David's Day Saint David, or Dewi Sant as he's called in the Welsh language, is the patron saint of Wales.

3-Mar-10

Milad un Nabi (Shia) Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. Sunni Muslims celebrate this 5 days earlier. Some Muslims do not approve of celebrating the birthday, and regard doing so as a religious innovation.

5-Mar-10

St Piran's Day Piran is regarded as the patron saint of Cornwall and tin miners. He was born in Ireland. The Cornish flag may have been inspired by the legend that Piran discovered the process for smelting tin: black rock with a white cross of pure metal.

14-Mar-10

Mothering Sunday Mothering Sunday is the fourth Sunday of Lent. Not the same as Mothers' Day in the USA.

15-Mar-10

Nirvana day (alternative date) Nirvana Day is also known as Parinirvana and is celebrated by some Buddhists on February 8th. Nirvana Day is the celebration of Buddha's death when he reached total Nirvana, at the age of 80.

17-Mar-10

St Patrick's Day St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland.

19-Mar-10

St Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

20-Mar-10

Spring Equinox - Eoster Pagan festival. Spring Equinox celebrates the renewed life of the Earth that comes with the Spring.

24-Mar-10

Raksha Bandhan Raksha Bandhan is the Hindu festival that celebrates brotherhood and love. "Raksha Bandhan" means a thread for protection.Birthday of Lord Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu and the hero of the Ramayana 02.09.10

24-Mar-10

Swaminarayan Jayanti This day marks the birth of Lord Swaminarayan for followers of the Swaminarayan tradition.Rama Navami

Janmashtami - Krishna Jayanti The Janamashtami festival marks the birth of Krishna, the most highly venerated God in the Hindu pantheon.

25-Mar-10

Annunciation Marks the angel Gabriel's message to the Virgin Mary that she would give birth to the incarnation of Christ. It also celebrates the incarnation itself as the date falls 9 months before Christmas.

28-Mar-10

Palm Sunday The sixth and last Sunday of Lent. Marks the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and the start of Holy Week.

29-Mar-10

Fast of the Firstborn Observed only by firstborn males, on the day before Passover. This fast celebrates the survival of Jewish firtborn sons from the 10th Plague of Egypt.

30-Mar-10

Hanuman Jayanti This festival marks the birth of Hanuman, the Monkey God.

30-Mar-10

Magha Puja Fourfold Assembly or Sangha Day. Marks the day Buddha addressed a meeting of 1250 arahants. Theravada New Year, New Year festival for Theravada Buddhists, celebrated for three days from the first full moon day in April 27.05.10

30-Mar-10

Passover (1st day) The start of the season of Passover when Jews commemorate the liberation of the Children of Israel who were led out of Egypt by Moses. Work is not permitted on the first two and the last two days of Passover.

Wesak or Buddha day The most important of the Buddhist festivals. It celebrates the Buddha's birthday, and, for some Buddhists, also marks his enlightenment and death. Pictures of Wesak celebrations in Manchester

1-Apr-10

Maundy Thursday Christians remember Maundy Thursday as the day of the Last Supper, when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and established the ceremony known as the Eucharist.

2-Apr-10

Good Friday Good Friday is the Friday before Easter. It commemorates the execution of Jesus by crucifixion.

4-Apr-10

Easter Sunday (Western) Christians celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ - his return from death after the Crucifixion. The most important Christian festival. Most years Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter on a different date.

6-Apr-10

Passover (final day) The eighth and final day of Passover. Note that Passover lasts for seven days in Israel.

11-Apr-10

Yom Hashoah The Jewish Holocaust Memorial Day. The date is chosen as the closest date (in the Jewish calendar) to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

13-Apr-10

Vaisakhi The Sikh New Year Festival, which also commemmorates the founding of the Khalsa by the tenth Guru (Guru Gobind Singh) in 1699. Also spelled Baisakhi.

14-Apr-10

Birthday of Guru Nanak (Nanakshahi calendar) The founder of the Sikh religion was born on 14 April 1469. This festival is also currently celebrated according to the Lunar Calendar, but this may change. Hola Mohalla (Nanakshahi Calendar) Hola Mohalla is currently celebrated according to the Lunar Calendar, but this may change.

18-Apr-10

Birthday of Guru Angad Dev (Nanakshahi calendar) Guru Angad Dev (1504-1552) was the second of the Sikh Gurus. Birthday of Guru Tegh Bahadur (Nanakshahi calendar) Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621-1675) was the ninth of the Sikh Gurus.

18-Apr-10

Yom Hazikaron A day of remembrance on the day preceding Israel's Independence Day.

19-Apr-10

Yom Ha'atzmaut Israel's Independence Day

21-Apr-10

Anniversary of Haile Selassie's visit to Jamaica Marks the date Haile Selassie I visited Jamaica in 1966. Haile Selassie was the Emperor of Ethiopia. Rastas believe Haile Selassie is God, and that he will return to Africa members of the black community who are living in exile.

23-Apr-10

St George's Day Saint George is the patron saint of England.

1-May-10

Beltane Pagans celebrate Beltane with maypole dances, symbolizing the mystery of the Sacred Marriage of Goddess and God.

2-May-10

Birthday of Guru Arjan Dev (Nanakshahi calendar) Guru Arjan Dev (1563-1606) was the fifth of the Sikh Gurus

2-May-10

Lag B'Omer A minor holiday on the 33rd day of the Omer commemorating a break in the plague during the lifetime of Rabbi Akiva.

12-May-10

Yom Yerushalayim Jerusalem Day

13-May-10

Ascension Day Ascension Day marks the last earthly appearance of Christ after his resurrection. Christians believe Christ ascended into heaven. It is celebrated 40 days after Easter.

16-May-10

Ascension Day (Catholic Church in England and Wales) Ascension Day is normally celebrated 40 days after Easter. The Catholic Church in England and Wales celebrates it on the following Sunday instead.

19-May-10

Shavuot (1st day) Shavuot is a two-day festival that marks the time when the first harvest was taken to the Temple. Also known as the Festival of Weeks. Work is not permitted for the duration of the festival.

23-May-10

Birthday of Guru Amar Das (Nanakshahi calendar) Guru Amar Das (1479-1574) was the third of the Sikh Gurus.

23-May-10

Pentecost - Whitsun The seventh Sunday after Easter, commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples and the birth of the Christian Church.

30-May-10

Trinity Sunday The first Sunday after Pentecost. Christians meditate on the nature of God as "Three in one".

3-Jun-10

Corpus Christi Roman Catholic festival celebrating the "real presence of Christ in the Eucharist". The festival falls on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday.

6-Jun-10

Corpus Christi (Catholic Church in England and Wales) Corpus Christi falls on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. The Catholic Church in England and Wales celebrates it on the following Sunday instead.

16-Jun-10

Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev (Nanakshahi calendar) Guru Arjan Dev was the fifth Sikh Guru and the first Sikh martyr. He also compiled all of the past Gurus' writings into one book, which is now the Sikh holy scripture: the Guru Granth Sahib.

21-Jun-10

Summer Solstice - Litha Pagan festival. Longest day of the year

29-Jun-10

17th Tammuz An important Jewish fast day.

29-Jun-10

St Peter's Day Observed by Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches. One of the oldest saints' days.

5-Jul-10

Birthday of Guru Hargobind (Nanakshahi calendar) Guru Hargobind (1595-1644) was the sixth of the Sikh Gurus.

15-Jul-10

St Swithin's Day Swithin (or Swithun) was a Saxon bishop in the 9th century. Legend has it that the weather on his feast day, 15 July, will determine the weather for the next 40 days.

20-Jul-10

Tisha B'Av A solemn day that commemorates a series of tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people over the years, many of which have coincidentally happened on this day.

23-Jul-10

Birthday of Guru Har Krishen (Nanakshahi calendar) Guru Har Krishan (1656-1664) was the eighth of the Sikh Gurus.

23-Jul-10

Birthday of Haile Selassie I Haile Selassie was the Emperor of Ethiopia. Rastas believe Haile Selassie is God, and that he will return to Africa members of the black community who are living in exile.

27-Jul-10

Asala - Dharma Day The anniversary of the start of Buddha's teaching - his first sermon ,"The Wheel of Truth", after his enlightenment.

1-Aug-10

Lughnasadh - Lammas A harvest festival and one of the Pagan festivals of Celtic origin which split the year into four.

6-Aug-10

Transfiguration Orthodox Christian feast commemorating the sudden emanation of radiance from the person of Jesus that occurred on the mountain.

15-Aug-10

Dormition of the Theotokos An Orthodox festival that commemorates the death, resurrection, and glorification of Christ's mother. Dormition means "falling asleep". Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary A largely Roman Catholic festival celebrating their belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken body and soul into heaven.

17-Aug-10

Birthday of Marcus Garvey Commemorates the Birthday of Marcus Garvey, the Jamaican politician born in 1887 who predicted the crowning of a King in Africa, and instigated the 'Back to Africa' movement.

8-Sep-10

Nativity of the Theotokos Orthodox Christians celebrate the birth of the Virgin Mary Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary Roman Catholics celebrate the birth of the Virgin Mary. Feast of the Birth of Mary Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches celebrate the birth of Mary, mother of Jesus.

9-Sep-10

Rosh Hashanah (1st day) Jewish New Year. A two-day festival during which work is not permitted.

11-Sep-10

Ethiopian New Year The start of the New Year in Ethiopia is recognised because Rastafarians believe Ethiopia to be their spiritual homeland, and a place to which they want to return.

11-Sep-10

Fast of Gedalliah Fast in memory of the assassination of Gedalliah Ben Achikam, the Governor of Israel during the days of Nebuchadnetzar, King of Babylonia.

11-Sep-10

Ganesh Chaturthi Hindus celebrate the birthday of Lord Ganesh, the elephant-headed God.

18-Sep-10

Yom Kippur Day of Atonement - the most solemn day of the Jewish year.

23-Sep-10

Autumn Equinox Pagan festival. This day is celebrated when day and night are of equal duration.

23-Sep-10

Sukkot Sukkot or The Feast of Tabernacles, commemorates the years that the Jews spent in the desert on their way to the Promised Land, and celebrates the way in which God took special care of them under impossible conditions. Sukkot lasts for seven days, and work is not permitted on the first two days.

29-Sep-10

Hoshanah Rabbah The 7th day of Sukkot.

29-Sep-10

Michaelmas/ St Michael's Day A feast day in honour of the archangel Michael. Michael is one of only two angels mentioned by name in the Bible (the other being Gabriel.)

30-Sep-10

Shemini Atzeret Shemini Atzeret can be translated as "the assembly of the eighth (day)." In Israel the festival is combined with Simchat Torah.

1-Oct-10

Simchat Torah Simchat Torah means "Rejoicing in the Torah." This holiday marks the completion of the yearly cycle of weekly Torah readings.

9-Oct-10

Birthday of Guru Ram Das (Nanakshahi calendar) Guru Ram Das (1534-1581) was the fourth of the Sikh Gurus.

13-Oct-10

St Edward's Day Edward the Confessor was King of England 1042 - 1066. He built Westminster Abbey where there is a shrine to him - and where the saint is also celebrated on January 5 each year, the anniversary of his death.

17-Oct-10

Dussera Celebrates Lord Rama's victory over the evil demon Ravana.

31-Oct-10

Hallowe'en (All Hallows' Eve) The night before All Saints' Day (All Hallows' Day). Its origins date back over 2000 years to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. It was celebrated as a Christian festival by the 8th Century.

31-Oct-10

Samhain (Hallowe'en) Samhain (pronounced 'sow'inn') marks the Feast of the Dead. Many Pagans also celebrate it as the old Celtic New Year (although some mark this at Imbolc)

1-Nov-10

All Saints' Day (Hallowmas, All Hallows') All Saints' Day (also known as All Hallows' Day or Hallowmas) is when Anglicans and Roman Catholics honour all saints, known and unknown, of the Christian church. Orthodox churches celebrate it on the first Sunday after Pentecost.

1-Nov-10

All Saints' Day (Orthodox) This day honours all saints, known and unknown, of the Christian church. Western churches celebrate All Saints Day on November 1.

2-Nov-10

All Souls' Day All Souls' Day is an opportunity for Roman Catholic and Anglo-Catholic churches to commemorate the faithful departed. They remember and pray for the souls of people who are in Purgatory. All Souls' Day is celebrated on 3 November if the 2nd is a Sunday.

5-Nov-10

Diwali Diwali, the festival of lights, is the most popular of all the festivals from South Asia. It is an occasion for celebrations by Hindus as well as Jains and Sikhs.

5-Nov-10

Diwali For Sikhs, Diwali is particularly important because it celebrates the release from prison of the sixth guru, Guru Hargobind, and 52 other princes with him, in 1619.

10-Nov-10

Eid-Ul-Fitr The end of Ramadan when Muslims celebrate the end of fasting and thank Allah for His help with their month-long act of self-control.

17-Nov-10

Eid-Ul-Adha Festival of Sacrifice marking the day after Arafat. The Day of Arafat is the most important day in the Hajj ritual. This is a four day holiday

21-Nov-10

Birthday of Guru Nanak (Lunar Calendar) This festival may be celebrated by some on the date fixed by the Nanakshahi calendar: April 14

24-Nov-10

Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur (Nanakshahi calendar) Guru Tegh Bahadur was the ninth Sikh Guru and is honoured as a champion of religious freedom. He was executed in 1675 for refusing to convert to Islam.

28-Nov-10

Advent Sunday The beginning of the ecclesiastical year on the Sunday closest to November 30. Advent is the season before Christmas - In Western Christendom, four Sundays are included. In Eastern Christendom, the season is longer and begins in the middle of November

30-Nov-10

St Andrew's Day Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, Greece and Russia. The flag of Scotland is the Cross of St. Andrew. St Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was originally a fisherman and became the first Apostle.

2-Dec-10

Hanukkah Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights and marks the restoration of the temple by the Maccabees in 164 BCE. Hanukkah is celebrated at roughly the same time as Christmas, but there is no connection at all between the festivals. Circumcision, Marks the day when Jesus was circumcised. Festival of St Basil the Great, St Basil is one of the great fathers of the Orthodox Church.

7-Dec-10

Al-Hijira Islamic New Year. Marks the migration of the Prophet Mohammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina

8-Dec-10

Bodhi Day On Bodhi day some Buddhists celebrate Gautama's attainment of enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at Bodhgaya, India.

8-Dec-10

Feast of the Immaculate Conception Celebrated by Roman Catholics who remember Mary's conception as being without sin, therefore, immaculate.

13-Dec-10

St Lucy's Day Saint Lucy's Day or the Feast of St. Lucy is marked by Catholics and Orthodox Christians and also celebrated by members of the Lutheran Church.

16-Dec-10

Ashura Islamic holy day observed on the 10th of the Islamic month of Muharram. Shi'ite Muslims regard it as a major festival marking the martydom of the Prophet's grandson, Hussein..

21-Dec-10

Winter Solstice - Yule Yule is the time of the winter solstice, when the sun child is reborn, an image of the return of all new life born through the love of the Gods. Within the Northern Tradition Yule is regarded as the New Year.

24-Dec-10

Christmas Eve The day before Christmas Day

25-Dec-10

Christmas Day The day when Western Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

26-Dec-10

St Stephen's Day St Stephen, the first Christian martyr, is celebrated on this day by Roman Catholics. The day is also called the Feast of Stephen.

12-Aug-12

Ramadan (start) Ramadan is the Muslim month of fasting.

2-Nov-12

Coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie I Haile Selassie was the Emperor of Ethiopia. Rastas believe Haile Selassie is God, and that he will return to Africa members of the black community who are living in exile.