Birth of Guru Nanak

Guru Nanak Dev Ji Gurpurab, also known as Guru Nanak’s Prakash Utsav and Guru Nanak Dev Ji Jayanti, celebrates the birth of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak. It is one of the most sacred festivals in Sikhism.

Who celebrates?

People of the Sikh faith around the world.

How do people celebrate?

• People celebrate with prayers, the singing of religious songs and readings from the Guru Granth Sahib (Holy Book)
• Free sweets and a community meal are offered to everyone at the temple. Houses and temples are lit up for the festivities.

What should I know?

• Guru Nanak was the founder of the Sikh faith and the first of its 10 Gurus. He was born in the Punjab in 1469
• In the 2011 census 423,000 people identified as Sikh in the UK

How can I support others?

• Ask people if they will be celebrating, if they are you can wish them ’happy Guru Nanak Jayanti’
• Don’t assume because a colleague’s or service user’s family are Sikh that they are religious
• Ask people about their faith and whether they’d be willing to share what it means to them
• Use the opportunity to learn about the Sikh faith and culture using the additional resources
• Talk to your team about the Sikh representation among your volunteer, employee and service user population and if it’s representative of your area.

Sikh Helpline – The story of Gur Nanak : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsjGayRu7TQ

Share Charity – Sikhism in Britain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xObW5ME5AA0

BBC Bitesize – What is Sikhism: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zsjpyrd/articles/zkjpkmn

Metro: Guru Nanak: https://metro.co.uk/2020/11/30/guru-nanak-2020-facts-and-quotes-to-celebrate-today-13668794/