Interfaith Calendar
The 2015 climate survey reminds us that campus community members hold a wide variety of beliefs and practice many faiths (see sample data here). While the majority of campus identifies as Christian, spiritual or non-religious, significant numbers of faculty, staff, and students are adherents of other faiths, with the largest minority religious communities being Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist. The Campus Interfaith Resources Calendar reflects the information received from representatives of each faith regarding Holy Days that, in their view, would require (or recommend) an observant's absence from (or suspension of) work for religious observance purposes (can also be in the form of special worship). It is also important to note that there are many holy days associated with various faiths and that the absence of such dates on this list should not be interpreted to mean that there should be no accommodation for students who observe those holy days. We encourage you to check course and event calendars soon to make alternative arrangements, if needed.
For a more exhaustive list of religious holidays you can look at this multifaith calendar.
Holidays
Semester | Holiday | Start Date | End Date | Tradition | Description | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Summer 2020 | Eid-Al-Adha | 7/30/2020 | 8/3/2020 | Islam | Also called the "Festival of Sacrifice," this day is the concluding act of pilgrimage and is observed even when not on pilgrimage. As Abraham offered his son, Ishmael, to God, Muslims offer sheep, goats and camels. They distribute the meat to the poor. | View |
Fall 2020 | Muharram | 8/21/2020 | 8/21/2020 | Islam | Celebrates the Hijra (migration) of Muhammad and his followers in 622 CE, from Mecca to Medina, where they established the first Islamic community. | View |
Fall 2020 | Ashura | 8/28/2020 | 8/28/2020 | Islam | "For Shi'ite Muslims | View |
Fall 2020 | Rosh Hashanah | 9/18/2020 | 9/20/2020 | Judaism | New Year's Day and anniversary of the creation of the world. The first of the Ten Days of Awe (or Repentance). | View |
Fall 2020 | Yom Kippur | 9/27/2020 | 9/28/2020 | Judaism | "The Day of Atonement is the year's holiest day | View |
Fall 2020 | Navratri | 10/17/2020 | 10/26/2020 | Hinduism | Navaratri is a nine night festival that honors the Mother Goddess in all her manifestations, including Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. It is a festival characterized by worship and dance. The festival culminates with Dussehra, the victory of good over evil, on the tenth day. | View |
Fall 2020 | Dussehra | 10/25/2020 | 10/25/2020 | Hinduism | Celebrates the victory of good over evil; of Lord Rama over the demon Ravan, and the Goddess Durga over a demon. It follows the nine-day celebration of Navaratri (nine nights) and Durga Puja (worship), when other Goddesses are worshiped. | View |
Fall 2020 | Diwali | 11/14/2020 | 11/14/2020 | Hinduism | Diwali (Deepavali) is dedicated to the Goddesses Kali in Bengal and Lakshmi (the Goddess of Wealth) in the rest of India. Diwali is associated with a story about the destruction of evil by Lord Vishnu in one of his many manifestations. | View |
Fall 2020 | Christmas | 12/25/2020 | 12/25/2020 | Christianity | Christmas celebrates the anniversary of the birth of Jesus. A Holy Day of Obligation for Roman Catholics. | View |
Winter 2021 | Passover | 3/27/2021 | 4/3/2021 | Judaism | Passover commemorates the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. It is the first of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance (the other two are Shavuot and Sukkot). | View |
Winter 2021 | Holi | 3/28/2021 | 3/28/2021 | Hinduism | A religious spring festival celebrated by people throwing colorful powder and coloured water at each other. Holi is dedicated to Krishna or Kama. | View |
Winter 2021 | Good Friday | 4/2/2021 | 4/2/2021 | Christianity | Good Friday commemorates the Passion of Jesus Christ, or his submission to death by crucifixion. | View |
Winter 2021 | Easter | 4/4/2021 | 4/4/2021 | Christianity | Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. It initiates the fifty-day periodculminating in Pentecost. | View |
Spring 2021 | Ramadan | 4/12/2021 | 5/11/2021 | Islam | Ramadan is the month of fasting during which physically able Muslims do not eat or drink from the first sign of dawn until sunset. It is a time of self-examination and religious devotion. | View |
Spring 2021 | Pascha | 5/2/2021 | 5/2/2021 | Eastern Orthodox Christianity | The main focus of Easter Sunday is on traditional Greek Easter foods. At dawn, the spits are set to work and grills are fired up. The customary main attraction of the day is whole roasted lamb or goat to represent the Lamb of God. Many prefer oven and stovetop lamb or kid dishes. | View |
Spring 2021 | Eid-Al-Fitr | 5/12/2021 | 5/21/2021 | Islam | Literally the "Festival of Breaking the Fast," Eid al-Fitr is one of the two most important Islamic celebrations (the other occurs after the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca). | View |
Spring 2021 | Vesak | 5/26/2021 | 5/26/2021 | Buddhism | Coming on the full moon, it commemorates the birth, awakening, and passing away (paranibbana) of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. | View |
Summer 2021 | Eid-Al-Adha | 7/19/2021 | 7/19/2021 | Islam | Also called the Festival of Sacrifice, this day is the concluding act of pilgrimage and is observed even when not on pilgrimage. As Abraham offered his son, Ishmael, to God, Muslims offer sheep, goats, and camels. They distribute the meat to the poor. | View |
Summer 2021 | Muharram | 8/10/2021 | 8/10/2021 | Islam | Celebrates the Hijra (migration) of Muhammad and his followers in 622 CE, from Mecca to Medina, where they established the first Islamic community. | View |
Summer 2021 | Ashura | 8/19/2021 | 8/19/2021 | Islam | "For Shi'ite Muslims | View |
Fall 2021 | Rosh Hashanah | 9/6/2021 | 9/8/2021 | Judaism | New Year's Day and anniversary of the creation of the world. The first of the Ten Days of Awe (or Repentance). | View |
Fall 2021 | Yom Kippur | 9/15/2021 | 9/16/2021 | Judaism | "The Day of Atonement is the year's holiest day | View |
Fall 2021 | Navratri | 10/6/2021 | 10/14/2021 | Hinduism | Navaratri is a nine night festival that honors the Mother Goddess in all her manifestations, including Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. It is a festival characterized by worship and dance. The festival culminates with Dussehra, the victory of good over evil, on the tenth day. | View |
Fall 2021 | Dussehra | 10/14/2021 | 10/14/2021 | Hinduism | Celebrates the victory of good over evil; of Lord Rama over the demon Ravan, and the Goddess Durga over a demon. It follows the nine-day celebration of Navaratri (nine nights) and Durga Puja (worship), when other Goddesses are worshiped. | View |
Fall 2021 | Diwali | 11/4/2021 | 11/4/2021 | Hinduism | Diwali (Deepavali) is dedicated to the Goddesses Kali in Bengal and Lakshmi (the Goddess of Wealth) in the rest of India. Diwali is associated with a story about the destruction of evil by Lord Vishnu in one of his many manifestations. | View |
Fall 2021 | Bodhi Day | 12/8/2021 | 12/8/2021 | View | ||
Fall 2021 | Christmas | 12/25/2021 | 12/25/2021 | Christianity | Christmas celebrates the anniversary of the birth of Jesus. A Holy Day of Obligation for Roman Catholics. | View |
Winter 2022 | Holi | 3/18/2022 | 3/18/2022 | Hinduism | A religious spring festival celebrated by people throwing colorful powder and coloured water at each other. Holi is dedicated to Krishna or Kama. | View |
Winter 2022 | Ramadan | 4/2/2022 | 5/1/2022 | Islam | Ramadan is the month of fasting during which physically able Muslims do not eat or drink from the first sign of dawn until sunset. It is a time of self-examination and religious devotion. | View |
Winter 2022 | Vesak | 4/8/2022 | 4/8/2022 | Buddhism | Coming on the full moon, it commemorates the birth, awakening, and passing away (paranibbana) of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. | View |
Winter 2022 | Good Friday | 4/15/2022 | 4/15/2022 | Christianity | Good Friday commemorates the Passion of Jesus Christ, or his submission to death by crucifixion. | View |
Winter 2022 | Passover | 4/15/2022 | 4/23/2022 | Judaism | Passover commemorates the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. It is the first of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance (the other two are Shavuot and Sukkot). | View |
Winter 2022 | Easter | 4/17/2022 | 4/17/2022 | Christianity | Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. It initiates the fifty-day periodculminating in Pentecost. | View |
Winter 2022 | Pascha | 4/24/2022 | 4/24/2022 | Eastern Orthodox Christianity | The main focus of Easter Sunday is on traditional Greek Easter foods. At dawn, the spits are set to work and grills are fired up. The customary main attraction of the day is whole roasted lamb or goat to represent the Lamb of God. Many prefer oven and stovetop lamb or kid dishes. | View |
Spring 2022 | Eid-Al-Fitr | 5/1/2022 | 5/1/2022 | Islam | Literally the "Festival of Breaking the Fast," Eid al-Fitr is one of the two most important Islamic celebrations (the other occurs after the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca). | View |
Summer 2022 | Eid-Al-Adha | 7/9/2022 | 7/13/2022 | Islam | Also called the Festival of Sacrifice, this day is the concluding act of pilgrimage and is observed even when not on pilgrimage. As Abraham offered his son, Ishmael, to God, Muslims offer sheep, goats, and camels. They distribute the meat to the poor. | View |