Different harvest festivals happen all over the world and most major religions give thanks for the harvest at some point in the year. The timing of harvest celebrations change depending on the different seasons and crops grown in each country.

Many stories and traditions are celebrated at Diwali. The story of Rama and Sita shows the triumph of good over evil, a clean house, new clothes and presents mark the start of the New Year, and lights, rangoli patterns, footsteps and decorations welcome goddess Lakshmi into homes to grant good fortune. Diwali is an exciting festival full of fun, food, family time and light.

However, Milad un Nabi is not celebrated by all Muslims. There is no evidence that Muhammad celebrated his birthday, so many Muslims don’t celebrate birthdays either.

The celebrations last between three and 15 days and are a mixture of early Bon traditions and later Buddhist traditions. Tibetan Buddhists may perform rituals and dances to ward off evil spirits, present offerings to Buddha's shrine and hang up new prayer flags during Losar.

On the morning of the wedding, the bride and groom's family meet at the Gurdwara and share food before the ceremony. The Sikh wedding ceremony is called the Anand Karaj. The Granthi leading the service recites prayers and hymns and the bride takes hold of a scarf that the groom wears over his shoulder. Four wedding hymns, called Lavans are said and then sung. After each Lavan, the couple walk round the holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, which is witnessing their marriage. They also bow to the Guru Granth Sahib to show they agree with the readings. The Lavans act as the binding promises or vows.

Lighting the Hanukkiah, playing the dreidel game and eating fried foods are Hanukkah traditions that help Jews to remember the story of the Maccabees, the lamp in the temple and the importance of religious freedom.

Navratri is a time for new, colourful clothes, good food, dancing and families. However, it is also a time to fast, worship the goddesses quietly and take part in puja ceremonies every day. Navratri is also celebrated as a harvest festival. Many Hindus plant nine different grains at the beginning of the festival to celebrate a good harvest.

Guru Nanak is the founder of the Sikh religion. He was born a Hindu in 1469 but when he was 30 years old, he bathes in the Kali Bein, the Black River and disappeared. He returned after three days and declared he had been with God. He taught his followers that all religions worshipped the same God, and everyone on Earth should be treated equally and with respect.

All Gurpurabs are celebrated in a similar way. The whole of the Guru Granth Sahib may be read over a period of two days, finishing on the day of the festival. There may also be a Nagar Kirtan, a parade of the Guru Granth Sahib, through the streets accompanied by music and dancing. Many Sikhs will also help to prepare langar, which is free food. Langar may be served on the streets during the Nagar Kirtan or in the langar hall.

Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations vary around the world and last between one and 10 days. Statues of Ganesh are made from clay and placed in homes, temples and even in the street! At the end of the festival, the statues are put into water and left to disintegrate. Sweets are also a big part of the festival. They remind worshippers of the good things in life and Ganesh's sweet tooth.

The last week of Lent is called Holy Week. During Holy Week, Christians remember Jesus' crucifixion on Good Friday and celebrate his rising from the dead three days later on Easter Sunday.

Buddhists may bathe a statue of Buddha with scented water, light lanterns, bring offerings to the template, meditate and learn more about the Buddha's life and teachings during Vesak.

During the Hajj, pilgrims wear simple clothes and try not to argue. The pilgrims walk around the Kaaba, drink water from the Zamzam well and stone the pillars at Mina.

The Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

The festival lasts for two days. Worshippers may sing songs, tell stories of Krishna's life, dance, rock his cradle and wait for midnight to arrive to mark his birth. Some Hindus fast during the day of Janmashtami and only eat after midnight.

During Kathina, members of the local community give a new robe to the monks who have completed the Rains Retreat. The monks then decide which of them will receive the robe. Many Buddhists believe that giving a new robe is merit-making and will earn them good karma in their next life.

The story of Kathina can be found in ancient Buddhist scriptures. The ceremony is named after the sewing frame that monks and nuns would use to create new robes.

Easter Sunday is the day when Christians remember the resurrection of Jesus with church services, candles, acclamations, great food and Easter eggs.

Sikhs might also take part in a Nagar Kirtan during Vaisakhi, where the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, is driven through the streets accompanied by many members of the local Sikh community. Free food, called langar, is provided and dancing and martial arts demonstrations are enjoyed.

Vaisakhi is also a New Year and harvest festival in the Punjab.

Muslims believe that Allah appeared to Ibrahim in a dream and asked him to sacrifice his son Isma’il as an act of obedience. The devil tempted Ibrahim by saying he should disobey Allah and spare his son. As Ibrahim was about to kill his son, Allah stopped him and gave him a ram to sacrifice instead.

Eid ul-Adha is celebrated at the end of the Hajj pilgrimage.

Eid al-Fitr comes at the end of the fast and is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide. During Eid al-Fitr, Muslims spend time with their families, eat together, celebrate as a community and thank Allah for the help, strength and self-control he gave them throughout Ramadan.

The festival also marks the winter harvest, welcomes spring and celebrates love.

The Jewish Passover celebrations last seven to eight days. Families clean their houses, rest, eat special meals together and read the story of the Exodus from the Torah.

Today, Pentecost is a popular time for baptism and confirmation services. Church leaders may wear red to represent the flames that settled on the heads of the disciples and some churches may also serve a special cake after the Sunday service to mark the birthday of the church.

Guru Arjan achieved many things during his lifetime. He completed the Golden Temple in Amritsar in 1604 and promoted the Sikh principle of dasvandh, giving 10% of earnings to help others as an act of service to God who Sikhs call Waheguru. He also collated the hymns and teachings of the first five Gurus and created the Adi Granth, the book that would eventually become the Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Arjan also became the first Sikh Guru to be martyred for his faith.

Many Sikhs remember Guru Arjan by attending special services in the Gurdwara and serving cooling drinks to others. This reminds them of the thirst Guru Arjan must have suffered and his cool and calm nature as he faced death.

Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, is know as the Day of Atonement. It is celebrated 10 days after Rosh Hashanah and ends when a shofar is heard. These high holy days are a time to right wrongs, reflect upon the previous year, fast and visit the synagogue.

During the celebrations, Gurdwaras are lit with electric lights and candles as a reminder that the Golden Temple in Amritsar was lit to welcome Guru Hargobind home after he left for Gwalior Fort. There may also be a Nagar Kirtan, a parade of the Guru Granth Sahib and gatka martial arts displays as well as Akhand Path, a continuous reading of the whole Guru Granth Sahib, which takes two days and nights. Many Gurdwaras also hold a firework display in the evening.

The use of lights during Bandi Chhor Divas seems similar to the Hindu festival of Diwali but the stories celebrated during the two festivals are different.

During Parinirvana, Buddhists share the story of Buddha's death and think about their own lives. A key teaching of Buddhism is that everything is impermanent so many Buddhists think about changes in their lives, their own deaths and rebirth into a different life. Many Buddhists also think about loved ones who have recently died. Buddhists may also visit temples to share food and give gifts to the monks during Parinirvana.

When he reached Jerusalem, Muhammad is said to have ascended into heaven, prayed with the prophets including Isa (Jesus) and Ibrahim (Abraham) and met with Allah. Allah gave Muhammad the instruction that all Muslims should pray five times a day, which is Salat, one of The Five Pillars of Islam. Muhammad travelled back to Mecca on Buraq that same night and began to tell others of his Night Journey.

The Night Journey is celebrated by Muslims around the world. During the celebrations, the story is retold, special prayers are said and sweets and refreshments are shared.

Washing in holy river water is at the centre of the Kumbh Mela as Hindus believe this cleanses them of bad karma. The 2013 Kumbh Mela, held at Allahabad on the confluence of the Yamuna and Ganges Rivers, attracted around 120 million pilgrims, nearly twice the population of the UK.

Worshippers from other faiths and cultures also celebrate holy days, but at different time of the week. Friday is a day for Muslims to gather in the mosque for prayers and Saturday (Shabbat) is a day of rest for Jewish people.