World Religion Day 2024

A diverse group of religious believers from the greater Hartford region gathered on Sunday January 21, 2024 at Temple Beth Israel in West Hartford to celebrate World Religion Day, to promote interfaith understanding and unity.

The celebration, sponsored by the Connecticut Council for Interreligious Understanding (CCIU) and the Baha’is of West Hartford, featured African drumming, Sikh musicians, an African-American spiritual choir, a Jewish choir, a troupe of Hindu dancers, the sacred sounds of Tibetan singing bowls, prayers from Islam, Christianity, Jainism and the Baha’i Faith, and a talk about the common themes in all religions.

“The idea behind World Religion Day is to foster understanding and communication between the followers of all faiths and to call attention to the fundamental harmony that can be found in the spiritual principles of all religions,” said Karen Anderson, co-organizer of the event.

“The intention is that for one day a year, all religions should be celebrated, appreciated, and respected, despite their differences,” said Ms. Anderson, who is a board member for the CCIU and a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of West Hartford.

Rev. Dr. Alvan Johnson Jr., co-chair of the CCIU, added: “Every single religion of the world’s religions has an imperative to be in close relationship with our neighbors, in one way or another.

“And with warfare all over the Globe, Europe, Middle East, Africa – the world is not in the process of loving our neighbor,” said Rev. Johnson, retired from the Bethel AME Church in Bloomfield. “So any and every event that we can sponsor to promote love between neighbors is critically important for our day and our time.”

World Religion Day was founded in 1950 by the Baha’i community of the United States as an effort to affirm the beauty, love, and peace of all the world’s religions. It has since taken on a life of its own and is celebrated throughout the world.