Ruling
      on choosing specific times for encouraging good attitudes
Question

                Nowadays in the schools
      there are events called “Multiplication Festival” or “Division
      Festival” or “Subtraction Festival”, and so on, or “Festival of
      the Human Body” – using the word “Mahrajaan” for “Festival” in
      Arabic. These events may last for a day, or three days, or a week, during
      which the topic in question is discussed and explored. Some Islamic
      schools want to use this idea for Islamic purposes, so they might say for
      example, “Festival of Sincerity” so that for three days all topics on
      the radio and in the classrooms will deal with sincerity. They could also
      do “Festivals” on the topics of prayer or wudoo’, without specifying
      that this should be at a particular time of year. Is this allowed in
      Islam?
Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, 
  may Allaah preserve him, who answered as follows:
There is nothing wrong with that, it is permissible, as it 
  serves to motivate people.
Question:
Even though the word Mahrajaan is a Persian word which means 
  a festival?
Answer:
But the people are not taking it as a festival, it is just 
  an occasion to motivate people and teach them about this thing.
Question:
Should we stipulate the condition that this event should not 
  be held at the same time each year?
Answer:
Yes.
Question:
So that it does not become an Eid or religious festival?
Answer:
(Yes), so that it does not become like an Eid or festival.
See Questions # 1130 
  and 3325. 

If we Muslims hold events like 
  this we should be careful to avoid using the word Mahrajaan so that people will 
  not confuse them with the festivals of the Mushrikeen, even in name.
Mahrajaan is one of the festivals of the Majoos (Zoroastrians) 
  and kuffaar who worship fire. The word Mahrajaan is composed of “mahar” meaning 
  loyalty and “jaan” meaning power, so the whole word means, the power of loyalty. 
  The origin of this festival is the celebration of the victory of the king Afridoon. 
  It was also said that it was a celebration of the onset of the moderate weather 
  of autumn. It could be that what we mentioned above (the king’s victory) coincided 
  with the onset of the moderate weather of autumn and they continued to celebrate 
  it. It is celebrated on October 26 in the ancient Syriac calendar. The festival 
  lasts for six days, and the sixth day is al-Mahrajaan al-Kabeer (the Great Mahrajaan). 
  On this date and on Nawrooz (Persian New Year) they used to exchange gifts of 
  musk, amber, al-’ood al-hindi (a kind of perfume or incense), saffron and camphor. 
  The Rightly-Guided Khaleefah ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez (may Allaah have mercy 
  on him) abolished this festival when some of the Muslims celebrated it.
One of the problems affecting the Muslims nowadays is the use 
  of the word Mahrajaan to describe many economic, cultural and social gatherings, 
  celebrations and events, even those that are held for the purposes of da’wah. 
  They call their events things like “Mahrajaan al-Thaqaafah (cultural festival”, 
  “Mahrajaan al-Tasawwuq (shopping festival)”, Mahrajaan al-Kutub (book festival), 
  Mahrajaan al-Da’wah (daw’ah festival). We see so many advertisements and hear 
  many expressions starting with this idolatrous expression Mahrajaan which is 
  the festival of the fire-worshippers.

(Reference: from the article A’yaad
    al-Kuffaar wa mawqif al-Muslim minhaa (The festivals of the Kuffaar and
    the Muslim’s attitude towards them), al-Bayaan magazine, no. 143).