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.
Fall Semester 2020
| Date | Observance | Religion | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 28-29 | 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. |
| September 16 | Vishwakarma Puja | Hindu | Day of celebration for Vishwakarma, a Hindu god, the Divine architect. |
| September 17 | Mahalaya Amavasya | Hindu | Day of paying homage to ancestors. |
| September 19-20 | *Rosh Hashanah | Judaism | The Jewish New Year. |
| September 21 | Fast of Gedaliah (fast begins at dawn) | Judaism | Lament the assassination of Gedaliash, the righteous governor of Judah. |
| September 28 | *Yom Kippur | Judaism | Also know as the Day of Atonement, it is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. |
| October 3-4 | *Sukkot (first days) | Judaism | Feast of Tabernacles. |
| October 5-9 | Sukkot (intermediate days) | Judaism | Feast of Tabernacles. |
| October 10 | *Shemini Atzeret | Judaism | Eighth Day of Assembly. |
| October 11 | *Simchat Torah | Judaism | Day of Celebrating the Torah. |
| October 17 | Navaratri begins | Hindu | Navaratri is the Hindu festival that celebrates the battle and victory of god Rama over the demon king Ravana. |
| October 17 | Birth of the Báb | Baha’i | Celebration of the Birth of Bab (founder of Bábism). |
| October 18 | Birth of Bahá’u’lláh | Baha’i | Celebration of the Birth Bahá’u’lláh (founder of Baha’i). |
| October 20 | Birth of the Guru Granth | Sikh | Celebration of the Birth of Guru Granth. |
| October 25 | Dusshera | Hindu | Festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil. |
| October 26 | Navaratri Ends | Hindu | |
| October 29-30 | Mawlid al-Nabi | Muslim | Celebration of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. |
| October 30 | Sharad Purnima | Hindu | Harvest festival marking the end of the monsoon season. |
| November 1 | All Saint’s Day | Christian/Catholic | Christian festival celebrated in honor of all the saints. |
| November 2 | All Soul’s Day | Christian/Catholic | A day of remembrance for all of the deceased. |
| November 13 | Dhan Teras | Hindu | Marks the first day of Diwali. |
| November 14 | Diwali | Hindu | Festival of lights celebrating victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. |
| November 14 | Bandi Chhor Divas | Sikh | Sikh holiday which coincides with the day of Diwali. |
| November 22 | Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe | Christian/Catholic | Feast day in honor of Jesus Christ as Lord over all creation. |
| November 24-25 | 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 27 or 28 | Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá | Baha’i | Holy day that commemorates the death of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. |
| November 29 | First Sunday in Advent | Christian/Catholic | Start of the Advent season. |
| November 30 | Guru Nanak Birthday | Sikh | Guru Nanak, also referred to as Baba Nanak, was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. |
| December 8 | The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary | Christian/Catholic | Day of celebration for belief in the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary. |
| December 11-18 | Chanukah | Judaism | The Jewish festival of rededication, also known as the Festival of Lights. |
| December 25 | Fast of 10 Tevet (fast begins at dawn) | Judaism | Tenth day of the Hebrew month of Tevet, is a fast day in Judaism. |
| December 25 | The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) | Christian/Catholic | Celebration of the Birth of Jesus. |
Spring Semester 2021
| Date | Observance | Religion | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 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 13 | 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. |
| January 28 | 15 Shevat – New Year for Trees | Judiasm | 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 17 | Ash Wednesday | Christian/Catholic | Marks the beginning of Lent. |
| February 17 – March 29 | *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 21 | Maha Shivaratri | Hindu | Celebrated annually in honor of Lord Shiva. This solemn festival marks a remembrance of overcoming darkness and ignorance. |
| February 21 | First Sunday of Lent | Christian/Catholic | Start of lent, a 40 day time period that represents repentance, fasting and reflection. |
| February 25 | 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. |
| February 26 | 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. |
| February 27 | 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 9-10 | Holi | Hindu | Represents the arrival of spring and triumph of good over evil. |
| March 11 | 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. |
| March 19 | Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Virgin Mary | Christian/Catholic | Feast day for St. Joesph. |
| March 25 | 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 28-29 | *Pesach/Passover (First days) | Judaism | Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. |
| March 30 – April 2 | Pesach/Passover (Intermediate days) | Judaism | |
| April 1 | Holy Thursday | Christian/Catholic | Commemorates the Washing of the Feet and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles. |
| April 2 | Good Friday | Christian/Catholic | Commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. |
| April 3-4 | *Pesach/Passover (Last days) | Judaism | |
| April 4 | Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord | Christian/Catholic | Commemorating the resurrection of Jesus. |
| April 13 – May 12 (Dates subject to change based on lunar calendar) | *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 14 | Vaisakhi | Sikh | Commemorates the formation of Khalsa panth of warriors under Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. |
| April 30 | Lag BaOmer | Judaism | Occurs on the 33rd day of the Omer, the 49-day period between Passover and Shavuot. |
| May 7-8 | 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 12 | Eid ul-Fitr (End of Ramadan) | Muslim | |
| May 13 | The Ascension of the Lord | Christian/Catholic | Celebration of the assent of Jesus into Heaven. |
| May 17-18 | *Shavuot | Judaism | Festival of Weeks, commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. |
| May 23 | Pentecost Sunday | Christian/Catholic | Commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit onto the disciples. |
| May 30 | The Most Holy Trinity | Christian/Catholic | Celebrates the Christian Doctrine of the Holy Trinity. |
Location
Earle Hall B, 020