Different beliefs, shared humanity: why so many Australians celebrate diverse religious festivals

From lunar new year to Ramadan, Diwali and Passover, there’s a growing trend of participating in religious and cultural festivals outside our own faith

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Maureen Doonan tries to participate in as many faith and cultural celebrations as she can. “It’s better that we understand,” the 87-year-old says. Doonan is a fierce refugee advocate and Order of Australia recipient who belongs to the Uniting Church in her home town of Ballarat in regional Victoria. Also a member of the Ballarat Interfaith Network, she says it’s important “to sort out how much is the same” across faith and religious practices.

“I usually make an effort to go to the mosque when it’s open to the public and to Sikh celebrations as well as Aboriginal dawn services [on 26 January],” she says.