Held on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, this commemorates the death in 279 BCE of the poet Ch’u Yuan. The festival is the focus for the popular international sport of racing dragon boats - long, colourful canoes with many paddles.

June 3 Pentecost (Whit Sunday) (Christian) Christians believe that on the Jewish day of Pentecost, the disciples received the Holy Ghost, which descended on them like flame.

June 14 Corpus Christi (Christian) Latin for “The Body of Christ”, Corpus Christi celebrates the Eucharist or Holy Communion. It’s an important day in some churches, ignored in ohers.

June 23 Ratha Yatra (Hindu)

The pilgrimage of the chariot, at which the image of Krishna - also known as “Jagannatha”, the origin of the word “Juggernaut” - is drawn through town on a huge wheeled vehicle.

June 3 The Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday (Muslim) The Prophet’s birthday is usually commemorated with prayers and readings, and with wearing colourful clothes. It’s rarely a public holiday.

Martyrdom of Guru Arjan (Sikh) The fifth Sikh Guru, Arjan Dev (1581-1606) compiled the Sikh holy book - now called the Guru Granth Sahib. He included some Muslim and Hindu teachings that he believed were consistent with Sikh thinking.