The Enfield Faith Forum is a multi-faith forum for local faith groups to work together and promote peace, mutual understanding and respect. The forum is run by Enfield Council and the Enfield Metropolitan Police Service.
Membership is primarily people of faith and meetings are non-political. The forum is open to all faith leaders and representatives across Enfield, supported by interested stakeholders, and officers from public bodies and local health organisations.
For more information or to become a member of the Enfield Faith Forum, email communities@enfield.gov.uk.
We also have information on food banks and free meals for the homeless in Enfield and London (PDF, 100.94 KB).
View Enfield's response to coronavirus (COVID-19).
Faiths Forum for London
The Faiths Forum for London empowers religious communities to work together towards a better London.
Key faith festivals 2023
| Festival | Purpose | Date | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orthodox Christmas Day | Commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ. | 7 January | Special church services |
| Easter Day | Celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead | 9 April | Special church services and denotes the end of Lent |
| Christmas Day | Commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ | 25 December | Special church services |
| Festival | Purpose | Date | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramadan | The ninth month of the Islamic calendar observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (Sawm) to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad | 22 March to 21 April | Muslims fast between sunrise and sunset and try to perform thawab (good deeds rewarded by Allah) |
| Eid al Fitr | The Festival of Fast Breaking. It falls on the first day of Shawwal, the month which follows Ramadan in the Islamic calendar | 21 April to 22 April | At the end of Ramadan, Muslims throughout the world observe a celebration which can last up to 3 days |
| Eid-al- Adha | Known as Festival of Sacrifice, it remembers the Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son to God and marks the culmination of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca | 28 June to 2 July | Morning prayers, giving money to charity and either the sacrifice of a sheep/goat or sharing a butchered carcass for a communal meal |
| Festival | Purpose | Date | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holi | Known as the Festival of Colours and marks the beginning of Spring | 8 March | Holika Dahan takes place the night before Rangwali Holi. Wood and dung-cakes are burned in a symbolic pyre to signify good defeating evil. The next morning, people gather in public spaces and take part in Rangwali Holi. People chase each other throwing handfuls of coloured powders (known as gulal) at one another |
| Diwali | The Festival of Lights honours Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth and lasts five days. The festival celebrates the victory of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance | 12 November | A time for spring cleaning the home, wearing new clothes and exchanging gifts (often sweet and dried fruit) |
| Festival | Purpose | Date | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vaisakhi or Baisakhi | Celebration of the Sikh New Year and commemorates 1699, the year Sikhism was born as a collective faith | 14 April | The festival is marked with processions known as a nagar kirtan. These processions are led through streets, and religious hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib (the Sikh holy book) are recited |
| Guru Nanak Jayanti | Celebrates the birth of the first Sikh guru | 30 November | Gurdwaras are decorated with flowers, flags and lights and Sikhs sing, pray and eat together |
| Festival | Purpose | Date | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purim | Celebrates Esther saving the Jewish people | 6 March to 7 March | Reading of the scroll of Esther, usually in synagogue |
| Passover | Celebrates the deliverance of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt | 5 April to 13 April | Passover is observed by avoiding leavened grain (any food or drink that contains wheat, barley, rye, oats or spelt) and is highlighted by the Seder meals that include four cups of wine, eating matzah and bitter herbs, and retelling the story of the Exodus |
| Shavuot | The Feast of Weeks. Celebrates the giving of the Torah (Five Books of Moses), the first harvest and the ripening of the first fruits | 25 May to 27 May | Many people stay up all night studying Torah. It is customary to decorate the synagogue with greens and fresh flowers as a reminder of the spring harvest and the ritual of bringing the first fruits to the Temple. Many Jews prepare and eat dairy foods, often cheesecake or blintzes, as a reminder of the sweetness of Torah |
| Rosh Hashanah | The Jewish New Year Festival | 15 September to 17 September | The Festival emphasizes God's Kingship and during the Morning Service, 100 notes are blown on the Shofar, a ram's horn trumpet. Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the Ten Days of Penitence. It is a period of judgment which ends with the solemn Festival of Yom Kippur |
| Yom Kippur | Day of Atonement - a day to reflect on the past year and ask God’s forgiveness for any sins committed | 24 September to 25 September | Jews will fast, refrain from work and attend synagogue services which last the whole day. The sound of the Shofar marks the end of the day |
| Festival | Purpose | Date | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vesak | Celebration of Buddha’s enlightenment | 5 May | Vesak is celebrated on various dates in the spring throughout the world, and each Buddhist culture has its own traditions for the day. It is usually observed during the first full moon in May. Buddhists celebrate the Buddha’s three most important life stages on Wesak -Birth, Enlightenment and Death, which traditionally are said to all have happened on the same day of the calendar throughout his life |
| Dharma Day | One of the most important dates, marking the date the religion as established | 3 July | Celebrated by Buddhists worldwide, it’s considered a time to reflect on the qualities of the Buddha and express gratitude for his teachings which offer humanity a way to find release from its bonds. Dharma refers to the body of the Buddha’s teachings |
The religions named above are the main six identified by the Office for National Statistics in their ‘Religion in Enfield’ report for the last Census.
Interfaith week
Interfaith week is held during the second week of November and helps to open interfaith activity to a wider audience. It also helps to build good relationships and working partnerships between faiths. Interfaith week aims to:
- strengthen good inter faith relations at all levels
- increase awareness of the different and distinct faith communities in the UK, celebrating and building on the contribution their members make to their neighbourhoods and society
- increase understanding between religious and non-religious people
For more information, visit the Interfaith Network.
Metropolitan Police Service
Safer Neighbourhoods Teams are a group of Metropolitan Police Officers dedicated to serving your community. Each team is made up of officers based in your area or ward. If you would like more information, email communities@enfield.gov.uk.