Religious Holy Days
A listing of the current semester's religious observances. Please note that most Muslim and Jewish holy days begin at sundown before the actual day.
* indicates religious observance that may interfere with academic work. Please be mindful when assigning work on these days. We continue to expand and update this list. We apologize for any dates we may have missed. Please email auinterfaithcenter@adelphi.edu to request a date be added.
Fall Semester 2022
| Date | Observance | Religion | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
September |
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| September 17th | Vishwakarma Puja | Hindu | Day of celebration for Vishwakarma, a Hindu god, the Divine architect |
| September 25th | Mahalaya Amavasya | Hindu | Day of paying homage to ancestors |
| September 25- 27th |
Rosh Hashanah* | Judaism | The Jewish New Year |
| September 27 | Exaltation of the Cross | Orthodox Christian | Feast day celebrating the cross itself, as the sign of salvation |
| September 28th | Fast of Gedaliah (fast begins at dawn) |
Judaism | Lament the assassination of Gedaliash, the righteous govern of Judah |
| September 26th | Navaratri begins | Hindu | Navaratri is the Hindu festival that celebrates the battle and victory of god Rama over the demon king Ravana |
| September 19th | Ganesh Chaturthi | Hindu | A Hindu festival celebrating the arrival of Lord Ganesh to earth from Kailash Parvat with his mother Goddess Parvati/Gauri. |
| September 6th-7th | Krishna Janmashtami | Hindu | A Hindu festival celebrated annually in honor of the birth of Krishna. |
October |
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| October 4-5th | Yom Kippur* | Judaism | Also know as the Day of Atonement, it is the holist day of the year in Judaism. |
| October 9th | Sukkot (first days) | Judaism | Feast of Tabernacles |
| October 5-9 | Sukkot (intermediate days) |
Judaism | Feast of Tabernacles |
| October 16-18th | Shemini Atzeret | Judaism | Eighth Day of Assembly |
| October 17th-18th | Simchat Torah | Judaism | Day of Celebrating the Torah |
| October 25th-26th | Birth of the Báb | Baha’i | Celebration of the Birth of Bab (founder of Bábism) |
| October 20th | Birth of the Guru Granth | Sikh | Celebration of the Birth of Guru Granth |
| October 5th | Dusshera | Hindu | Festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil |
| October 5th | Navaratri Ends | Hindu | . |
| Oct. 29- Oct. 30 | Mawlid al-Nabi | Muslim | Celebration of birthday of the Prohet Muhammad |
| October 23rd | Dhan Teras | Hindu | Marks the first day of Diwali. |
| October 24th | Diwali | Hindu | Festival of lights celebrating victory of light over darkens, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. |
| October 24th | Bandi Chhor Divas | Sikh | Sikh holiday which coincides with the day of Diwali. |
| October 9th | Sharad Purnima | Hindu | Harvest festival marking the end of the monsoon season |
November |
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| November 1st | All Saint’s Day | Christian/Catholic | Christian festival celebrated in honor of all the saints |
| November 2nd | All Soul’s Day | Christian/Catholic | A day of remembrance for all of the deceased |
| November 20th | Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe | Christian/Catholic | Feast day in honor of Jesus Christ as Lord over all creation. |
| November 26th | Day of the Covenant | Baha’i | The Day of the Covenant is the day when Baháʼís celebrate the appointment of ʻAbdu’l-Bahá as the Centre of Baha’u’llah’s Covenant. |
| November 28th-29th | Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá | Baha’i | Holy day that commemorates the death of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. |
| November 27th | First Sunday in Advent | Christian/Catholic | Start of the Advent season. |
| November 8th | Chanukah | Judaism | The Jewish festival of rededication, also known as the Festival of Lights. |
December |
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| December 4th | Presentation of the Theotokos | Christian Orthodox | Festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple. |
| December 8th | The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary | Christian/Catholic | Day of celebration for belief in the immaculate conception of the virgin Mary. |
| December 18th-26th | Chanukah | Judaism | The Jewish festival of rededication, also known as the Festival of Lights |
| December 25th | The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) | Christian/Catholic | Celebration of the Birth of Jesus |
Spring Semester 2023
| Date | Observance | Religion | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
January |
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| January 1st | Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God |
Christian/Catholic | feast day of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the aspect of her motherhood of Jesus Christ |
| January 7th | Christmas | Orthodox Christian | Celebration of the Birth of Jesus |
| January 13th | Lohri | Sikh | Lohri marks the end of winter, and is a traditional welcome of longer days and the sun’s journey to the northern hemisphere |
February |
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| February 5-6th | 15 Shevat – New Year for Trees |
Judaism | the day that marks the beginning of a “new year” for trees. Commonly known as Tu Bishvat, this day marks the season in which the earliest-blooming trees in the Land of Israel emerge from their winter sleep and begin a new fruit-bearing cycle. |
| February 15th | Presentation of Jesus at the Temple | Orthodox Christian | The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple (or in the temple) is an early episode in the life of Jesus Christ, describing his presentation at the Temple in Jerusalem |
| February 17th-18th | Isra and Mi’raj | Muslim | The Israʾ and Miʿraj are the two parts of a Night Journey that, according to Islam, the Islamic prophet Muhammad took during a single night around the year 621 |
| February 22nd | Ash Wednesday | Christian/Catholic | Marks the begining of Lent |
| February 22nd- April 3rd |
Lent* | Christian/Catholic | Lent is a season of reflection and preparation before the celebrations of Easter. By observing the 40 days of Lent, Christians replicate Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and withdrawal into the desert for 40 days |
| February 22nd | Lent* | Orthodox Christian | A 40 day season of fasting, reflection, and prepareation before Easter. To replicate the sacrifice and withdrawal of Jesus into the desert. |
| February 18th | Maha Shivaratri | Hindu | Celebrated annually in honor of Lord Shiva. This solemen festival marks a remembrance of overcoming darkenss and ignorance |
| February 26th | First Sunday of Lent | Christian/Catholic | Start of lent, a 40 day time period that that represents rependance, fasting and reflection |
| February 27th | Begining of Great Lent |
Orthodox Christian | Start of lent, a 40 day time period that represents repentance, fasting and reflection |
| March 6th | Fast of Esther (fast begins at dawn) |
Judaism | The fast commemorates one of two events in the Book of Esther: either Esther and the Jewish community of Shushan having fasted for 3 days and 3 nights before she approached the king (Esther 4:16), or a fast which is presumed to have occurred on the 13th of Adar, when the Jews fought a battle against their enemies |
| March 6-7th | Shushan Purim | Judaism | Commemorates the (Divinely orchestrated) salvation of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian empire from Haman’s plot “to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews |
| March 7-8th | Shushan Purim | Judaism | In cities that were protected by a surrounding wall at the time of Joshua, Purim was celebrated on the 15th of the month of Adar on what is known as Shushan Purim, since fighting in the walled city of Shushan continued through the 14th day of Adar |
| March 17th | Shushan Purim | Christian/Catholic | Saint Patrick’s Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron Saint of Ireland |
| March 8th | Holi | Hindu | Represents the arrival of spring and triumph of good over evil. |
| March 19th | Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Virgin Mary |
Christian/Catholic | Feast day for St. Joesph |
| March 25th | The Annunciation of the Lord |
Christian/Catholic | Feast day celebrating angel Gabriel visit to Mary and Mary’s consent to give birth to Jesus. |
| March 22nd | Ramadan Begins* | Muslim | a holy month of fasting, introspection and prayer for Muslims, the followers of Islam. It is celebrated as the month during which Muhammad received the initial revelations of the Quran, the holy book for Muslims. |
April |
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| April 5-13th | Pesach/Passover (First days) * |
Judaism | Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread |
| April 5-13th | Pesach/Passover (Intermediate days) – |
Judaism | |
| April 6th | Holy Thursday | Christian/Catholic | Commemorates the Washing of the Feet and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles |
| April 7th | Good Friday | Christian/Catholic | Commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary |
| April 7th | Annunciation | Orthodox Christian | Celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Mary that she would conceive and bear a son through a virgin birth and become the mother of Jesus Christ |
| April 13th | *Pesach/Passover (Last days) | Judaism | Harvest festival marking the end of the monsoon season. |
| April 9th | Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord | Christian/Catholic | Commemorating the resurrection of Jesus |
| April 9th | Palm Sunday | Orthodox Christian | The remembrance of the Entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem |
| April 14th | Vaisakhi | Sikh | commemorates the formation of Khalsa panth of warriors under Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 |
| April 14th | Good Friday | Orthodox Christian | A day of remembrance of Jesus’s death on the cross. |
| April 16th | Easter (Pasha) | Orthodox Christian | On the Great and Holy Feast of Pascha, Orthodox Christians celebrate the life-giving Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ |
| April 21-22nd | Eid ul-Fitr (End of Ramadan) | Muslim | |
May |
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| May 8-9th | Lag BaOmer | Judaism | Occurs on the 33rd day of the Omer, the 49-day period between Passover and Shavuot. |
| May 4-5th | Pesach Sheni | Judaism | marks the day when someone who was unable to participate in the Passover offering in the proper time would observe the mitzvah exactly one month later. |
| May 18th | The Ascension of the Lord | Christian/Catholic | Celebration of the assent of Jesus into Heaven |
| May 25th-26th | Shavuot | Jewish | Festival of Weeks, commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai |
| May 28th | Pentecost | Christian/Catholic | Commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit onto the disciples. |
Summer Semester 2023
| Date | Observance | Religion | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
June |
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| June 4th | Trinity Sunday | Christian/Catholic | A feast in honor of the holy Trinity following the Sunday after Pentecost. |
| June 8th | Corpus Christi Sunday | Christian/Catholic | Is the celebration of the Real Presence of the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ in the elements of the Eucharist |
| June 16th | Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus |
Christian/Catholic | A movable feast, it is celebrated each year on a Friday in the spring on the nineteenth day after Pentecost |
| June 17th | The Immaculate Heart of Mary |
Christian/Catholic | The Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This Marian devotion focuses on the Blessed Mother’s interior life, celebrating her joys and sorrows, her virtues, and her love for God. |
| June 20th | Puri Rath Yatra | Hindu | Celebrated by devotees of the Hindu God, Lord Krishna, the Rath Yatra is the festival of chariots. |
| June 24th | Solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist | Christian/Catholic | The Nativity of John the Baptist is a high-ranking liturgical feast, kept in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox and Lutheran churches. |
| June 29th | Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul | Christian/Catholic | The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul or Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul is a liturgical feast in honour of the martyrdom in Rome of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul. |
July |
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| July 3rd | Guru Purnima | Hindu | Guru Purnima is a day to pay ode to the selfless contributions of a Guru |
| July 9th | Martyrdom of the Báb | Bahá’í | This holiday commemorates the 1850 execution of the co-founder of the Baha’i faith |
| July 28th-29th | Eid al-Adha | Muslim | The Muslim festival marking the culmination of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca and commemorating the sacrifice of Abraham. |
| July 18th-19th | Mulsim New Year | Muslim | The Islamic New Year, also called the Hijri New Year or Arabic New Year, is the day that marks the beginning of a new lunar Hijri year, and is the day on which the year count is incremented. |
| July 26-27th | Tish’a B’Av | Jewish | The Fast of the Ninth of the Jewish month of Av, Tisha b’Av, marks the end of a three week period of mourning during which our people remember the series of events that led to the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem and the destruction of our people’s first Temple. |
| July 27-28th | Ashura | Muslim | Also known as Yawm Ashura, Ashura is the tenth day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar. It marks the day that Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, was martyred in the Battle of Karbala. |
August |
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| August 19th | The Transfiguration of the Lord | Orthodox Christian | Celebrating the event where Jesus is transfigured and becomes radiant in glory upon a mountain |
| August 21st | Nag Panchami | Hindu | Nag Panchami is a day devoted to the Nag Devta or the snake god in the Hindu tradition. Every year, this day is celebrated during the auspicious month of Sawan, according to the Hindu calendar |
| August 25th | Varalakshmi Vrat | Hindu | The worshipping the goddess of wealth and prosperity, Lakshmi, many devotees come together to celebrate Varalakshmi Vratam every year. |
| August 30th | Raksha Bandhan | Hindu | Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi is an important Hindu festival, dedicated to brothers and sisters. On this auspicious day, sisters tie a thread on her brother’s wrist and pray for his long and prosperous life. In return, the brother gives a token of love to his loving sister. |
| August 6th | The Transfiguration of the Lord |
Christian/Catholic | The Feast of the Transfiguration is celebrated by various Christian communities in honor of the transfiguration of Jesus. |
| August 15th | Solemnity of the Assumption |
Christian/Catholic | The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven is the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her earthly life. |
| August 22nd | The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary | Christian/Catholic | Is the time to remeber the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven and the Mother of God. |
| August 20th-31st | Onam | Hindu | The 10-day long festival marks the beginning of harvest season as well as the appearance of the Vaman avatar of Lord Vishnu along with the homecoming of King Mahabali. |
| August 28th | Dormition of the Theotokos | Orthodox Christian | It celebrates the “falling asleep” (death) of Mary the Theotokos (“Mother of God”, literally translated as God-bearer), and her being taken up into heaven (bodily assumption. |
*Indicates religious observance that may interfere with academic work. Please be mindful when assigning work on these days.
Location
Ruth S. Harley University Center, 303
Hours
- Catholic Mass Tue: 6:00 pm Sun: 7:00 pm
- Muslim Services (Jummah) Fri: 1:15 pm - 2:00 pm
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