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Truitt Center Annual Programs

Each year, the Truitt Center celebrates multifaith with a variety of programs, highlighting different religious traditions. These programs provide our campus with the opportunity to engage with meaning and purpose, and explore diverse religious, spiritual, and ethical traditions, worldviews, and identities.

Green Tara Sand Mandala

2025 Dates: Wednesday, September 10 through Friday, September 12

³¢´Ç³¦²¹³Ù¾±´Ç²Ô:ÌýSacred Space, Numen Lumen Pavilion, ongoing viewing 8 am to 9 pm each day

Tibetan Buddhist monk Geshe Palden Sangpo will construct a Green Tara sand mandala for healing and peace during a period of three days.  Viewers are encouraged to frequently stop by and see its progress.  An opening ceremony will begin the process at 10 am on Wednesday, and a closing ceremony will begin at 3 pm on Friday in which the mandala is deconstructed and the sand is shared with the community and the earth.

Diwali

2025 Date: Wednesday, October 29

Location: McKinnon Hall, 5:30 p.m.

The Hindu festival of lights commemorates the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil.  Experience ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ’s celebration of the spiritual holiday through traditional food and dance as well as songs and stories from students, faculty, staff, and community members.

Lunar New Year

2026 Date: Friday, February 6

Location: McBride Gathering Space and Sacred Space, Numen Lumen Pavilion, 6:00 p.m.

Lunar New Year is one of the most important celebrations of the year among East and Southeast Asian cultures. This celebration marks the beginning of a new year, according to the lunar calendar. Come join APSA and the Truitt Center for one of our biggest events of the year.

Purim

2026 Date: Monday, March 2

Location: McBride Gathering Space, Numen Lumen Pavilion, 5:30 p.m.

Come celebrate the holiday of Purim by participating in multilingual readings from the biblical Book of Esther. This event will celebrate diversity within the Jewish community and the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ campus community and highlight reflections on minority experience through the lens of this Jewish holiday. Purim marks the survival and resilience of the Jewish community during a time of oppression and threat of massacre during the Persian period.

Eid al-Fitr

2026 Date: Tuesday, March 31

Location: McBride Gathering Space, Numen Lumen Pavilion, 5:30 p.m.

After fasting for the month of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr, “The Holiday of Breaking the Fast.” Join us as we celebrate Eid al-Fitr with food, festivities, and fellowship. There will be fun trivia, a henna station, and goodie bags.

Holi

2026 Date: Friday, April 10 (Rain Date: April 17)

³¢´Ç³¦²¹³Ù¾±´Ç²Ô:ÌýSpeaker’s Corner, 4:00 p.m.

A Hindu spring festival of color and sharing love, Holi marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. The ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ community gathers at Speaker’s Corner to throw colored powder on one another to celebrate the earth returning to color and life and good triumphing over evil. If you plan to throw color, please wear old clothing that can get dirtied by paint. There will also be crafts, food, and other ways to celebrate the holiday.