Damn good question; Christians have Christmas, Hindus (and Sikhs and Jains) have Diwali, Muslims have Eid-ul-Fitr, Jews have Hanukkah, and so on. So it’s only fair you should know what Scientologists consider the important dates in their yearly calendar, particularly as we approach the almost universally-accepted cultural celebration of New Year’s…
When Scientology was first announced as a subject in Phoenix, Arizona in 1952, its founder L. Ron Hubbard was already an accomplished speaker, having travelled extensively to give lectures on his discoveries and postulates in the field of Dianetics. This went on; throughout the 1950s and 1960s Ron covered the length and breadth of the United States as well as lecturing in the UK, South Africa and Australia. His well-attended public Congresses were to form the basis of gathering Scientologists for religious and cultural celebrations right through to present day.
Significant dates in the Scientology calendar are often commemorated early at a central location for many Scientologists to attend. Briefings will be given by well-known ecclesiastical figures, detailing expansion of the religion into new areas, significant partnerships, and the progress of the social and community programmes which the Church supports. This can sometimes be a chance for the Church to release new materials, such as additional translations of the Scientology scriptures or restored audio and videos, as well as new services such as life improvement courses and special Scientology religious counselling services. In most cases, the central celebration and briefings are professionally recorded and replayed in Churches around the world as part of their local events.
So these are the most significant dates in the calendar:
March 13th – L. Ron Hubbard’s Birthday
L. Ron Hubbard was born on 13th March 1911. His birthday is celebrated by an international Scientology event, often incorporating an address by Mr Hubbard’s official biographer, Dan Sherman, giving Scientologists an insight into the life of their religion’s founder.May 9th – Dianetics Anniversary
Following his discoveries in the field of the mind, Mr Hubbard was prompted to write a comprehensive guide to his subject of Dianetics that would be accessible to the man on the street. This came to fruition on 9th May 1950 with the publication of Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. Dianetics is a forerunner and substudy of Scientology religious philosophy and is regarded with great importance by the Scientology community.June 6th – Maiden Voyage Anniversary
In 1967 Mr Hubbard, a former naval officer and licensed Master Mariner, founded a special Scientology organisation called the Sea Organisation (or Sea Org for short), which was based aboard a ship. This became the Church’s fraternal religious order and from 1975 was land based. On 6th June 1988 the Sea Org made a return to the seas with the maiden voyage of the 440-foot motor vessel Freewinds, a Scientology spiritual retreat that sails in the Caribbean, away from the distractions of an inner-city environment. This important development for Scientologists is commemorated with a several-days-long summit aboard the ship, where briefings are given as noted above, and which is often celebrated over three or four weeks of consecutive gatherings at Churches of Scientology around the world. It often marks a mid-way point in the year and is an opportunity for Scientologists to find out how the year is progressing so far.Second Sunday in September – Auditor’s Day
Auditors are the practitioners of the Scientology religion, trained to minister the spiritual counselling known as ‘auditing.’ So important is their role in the practice of the Scientology religion that this day is set aside to honour and acknowledge them and to present awards for outstanding achievement. While international in scope, this celebration is often more of a local affair, with a live awards presentation at each Church of Scientology.October 7th – IAS Anniversary
The International Association of Scientologists (IAS) was formed in England on 7th October 1984 with the purpose “To unite, advance, support and protect the Scientology religion and Scientologists in all parts of the world, so as to achieve the aims of Scientology as originated by L. Ron Hubbard.” It is the Church’s membership organisation, and uses membership fees and donations from Scientologists around the world to fund programmes that forward the Scientology religion, such as the establishment of new Churches, as well as nonreligious social and community betterment programmes that align with the aims of Scientology. The anniversary is one of the largest celebrations in the Scientology calendar and for the past decade has been held in the United Kingdom, with video recordings sent to Churches across the planet for their local celebrations.December 31st – New Year’s Eve
While certainly a significant cultural date for many, New Year’s Eve is celebrated with a major Scientology event looking back on the accomplishments of the past year and forward to the roll-out of new campaigns and activities for Churches of Scientology in the year to come. The central event is often held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, significant in the Scientology community for being the venue of a sell-out lecture by L. Ron Hubbard in August 1950 on Dianetics, and because Los Angeles is home to the largest concentration of Scientologists anywhere in the world.
That covers the main dates in our calendar, but many Churches will also celebrate locally-significant dates such as the anniversary of their establishment, which in Manchester is 12th March, just one day before L. Ron Hubbard’s birthday. This year, the Church of Scientology of Manchester celebrated its 35th year in the city.
Additionally, has has already been mentioned, Scientologists will often celebrate cultural dates in their respective areas, very much including Christmas, which brings me to my next point: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all who took the time to read this!