Within the Tenrikyo year, the rhythm of faith is marked above all by the great Services that recall the key moments of Oyasama’s life and the origin of the teachings. The Spring Grand Service on January 26 commemorates Oyasama’s withdrawal from physical life and is regarded as a central observance, while the Autumn Grand Service on October 26 celebrates the founding of the teachings and the settling of Oyasama as the Shrine of God the Parent. These Grand Services are not merely anniversaries; they function as occasions for collective remembrance, repentance, and renewed resolve to live the Joyous Life. Closely related is the observance of Oyasama’s Birthday on April 18, which honors her physical birth and deepens gratitude for the parental heart revealed through her life. In addition, significant anniversaries of Oyasama—such as major commemorative years—are marked with special services and heightened pilgrimage activity, allowing followers to reexamine their faith in the light of her example.

Alongside these annual observances, the Monthly Services form the steady heartbeat of Tenrikyo practice. Held on or around the 26th of each month at the Church Headquarters and at local churches, these services center on the Mikagura-uta, the hand-dance (Teodori), and musical instruments that together re-enact the original Service taught by Oyasama. Through this repeated liturgical pattern, followers continually express gratitude to the Parent-God and pray for world salvation, peace, and happiness. The Monthly Service thus becomes a disciplined training in aligning one’s mind with the Joyous Life, month after month, in both ordinary times and seasons of special significance.

Tenrikyo’s calendar also embraces observances that turn attention toward both ancestors and the younger generation. Spring and Autumn Memorial Services, held around the equinoxes, honor departed family members and fellow followers, expressing gratitude for their paths of faith and seeking further spiritual growth for the living. At the same time, the Children’s Pilgrimage to Jiba in summer, with its worship, service practice, and communal activities, places children and youth at the center of religious life, embodying the conviction that the Joyous Life must be nurtured from an early age. Local churches likewise hold founding anniversaries and other commemorative services, weaving each community’s particular history into the broader fabric of Tenrikyo’s sacred time.