Today is:

5 January 2009 (Gregorian)	23 December 2008 (Julian)	9 Tevet 5769 (Hebrew)	10th day 12th month 4706 (Chinese)
8 Muharram 1430 (Islamic)	15 Pausa 1930 (Saka)	5 Mokkarakhom 2552 (Thai)	6 Sharaf 164 (Baha'i)
16 Dey 1387 (Persian)	27 Tahsas 2001 (Ethiopian)	21 Dhanu 1184 (Malayalam)	27 Koiak 1725 (Coptic)
21 Margazhi 107/22 Sarvadhari (Tamil)		The Moon is Waxing

YESTERDAY:
Sunday, 4 January

TODAY:
Monday, 5 January

TOMORROW:
Tuesday, 6 January

St Elizabeth Ann Seton's Day (US)

Guru Gobind Singh's Birthday (Sikh)
Twelfth Night (Christian)

Day of the Kings
Day of the Three Magi
Dia de Los Reyes (Puerto Rico, Three King's Day)
Epiphany (Christian)
Feast of the Theophany (Orthodox Christian)
Holy Day of The Blackmen

Notting Hill Carnival

by Frann Leach

The Notting Hill Carnival is a secular Caribbean-inspired festival which has attracted up to 1.5 million people in some years, placing it amongst the largest street festivals in the world and probably the largest in Europe.

Apart from the name, it has no connection to the original religiously-inspired Carnival which takes place in many Roman Catholic countries in the period between Epiphany and Mardi Gras, leading up to Lent.

It takes place in Notting Hill, West London, England – starting the Saturday before August Bank Holiday Monday and ending on the Monday night. Traditionally it has been led by members of the Caribbean community, many of whom have lived in the area since the 1950s, although influences from other local communities have grown over the years.

Please visit our sister site, Faraway Places, for more details about the Notting Hill Carnival

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Frann ("Tiggsy") Leach is the webmistress and owner of Which Day and TheWebsiteDesign.co.uk. She lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.