Religious Holidays Calendar

August 1: Lughnasadh (Pagan/Wiccan) – Festival marking the beginning of the harvest season

August 13: Tisha B’Av (Judaism) – Fast marking the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem *Fasting starts August 12 at sundown and continues through August 13

August 15: Feast of the Assumption of Mary (Catholic Christianity) – Holy day marking the assumption of Mary’s body and soul into heaven

August 15-16: Krishna Janmashtami (Hinduism) – Commemoration of the birth of Krishna *Fasting

August 19: Raksha Bandhan (Hinduism) – A festival to symbolize the love between a brother and a sister

August 31-September 7: Paryushan Parva (Jainism) – Eight-day festival of forgiveness and self-discipline *Fasting

September 7: Ganesh Chaturthi / Vinayaka Chaturthi (Hinduism) – Commemorates the birth of Ganesh

September 16: Mawlid al-Nabi (Islam) – Celebrates the birth of Prophet Muhammad *Begins sundown September 15

September 21-29: Mabon (Pagan/Wiccan) – Celebrates the autumnal equinox

October 3-4: Rosh Hashanah (Judaism) – Jewish New Year and beginning of High Holy Days *Begins at sundown October 2, work restriction sundown October 2 and continues through October 4

October 3-12: Navaratri (Hinduism) – Festival of the divine mother in all her forms

October 6: Tzom Gedaliah (Judaism) – Fast of the Seventh Month *Minor fasting

October 12: Dussehra (Hinduism) – Commemoration of the last of the days of judgment *Work restriction

October 12: Yom Kippur (Judaism) – Day of Atonement *Begins sundown October 11, fasting and work restriction start October 11 and continue through October 12

October 17-23: Sukkot (Judaism) – Feast of Tabernacles *Begins at sundown October 16, work restriction starts sundown October 16 and continues through October 18

October 22-23: Twin Holy Days (Bahá’í Faith) – Celebration of the birth of the founder of the Bahá’í Faith *Begins sundown the October 21, work restriction

October 24: Shemini Atzeret (Judaism) – Eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles *Begins at sundown October 23, work restriction starts sundown October 23 and continues through October 24

October 25: Simchat Torah (Judaism) – Celebration the beginning of the annual Torah reading cycle *Begins at sundown October 24, work restriction begins sundown October 24 and continues through October 25

October 31: Diwali (Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism) – Festival of Lights *Work restriction

October 31: Reformation Day (Protestant Christianity) – Celebration in remembrance of the onset of the Reformation

November 1: All Saints’ Day (Christianity) ) – Honors all saints known and unknown

November 1: Samhain (Wiccan, Pagan) – Festival honoring endings, beginnings, and the dead. Is the start of the Pagan New Year. *Begins sundown on October 31

November 2: All Souls’ Day (Christianity) – Commemoration of the souls of those who have died

November 15: Guru Nanak Jayanti (Sikh) – Celebrates the birth and founder of Sikhism

November 26: Day of the Covenant (Bahá’í) – Celebrates the appointment of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the Centre of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant *Begins sundown November 25

December 8: Bodhi Day (Buddhism) – Celebration of Buddha’s attainment of enlightenment

December 8: Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary (Catholic Christianity) – Observes the immaculate conception of Mary by Joachim and Anne

December 12: Our Lady of Guadalupe (Catholic Christianity) – Celebration of the apparitions of Mary to St. Juan Diego in Tepeyac in 1531

December 21: Yule (Pagan/Wiccan) – Winter solstice in the northern hemisphere

December 25: Christmas (Christianity) – Celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ

December 26 – January 2: Hanukkah (Judaism) – Festival of Lights *Begins at sundown December 25

December 26: Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrian) – Commemorates death of Zarathustra

January 1: Feast of Mary Mother of God (Catholic Christianity) – Celebration of the motherhood of Mary

January 1: Oshogatsu (Shinto) – Celebration of New Year, thanking the kami, and asking for good fortune

January 6: Epiphany (Christianity) – Feast day celebrating the revelation of God the Son as a human in Jesus Christ

January 7: Christmas (Orthodox Christianity) – Celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ

January 10: Asara B’Tevet (Judaism) – The Tenth of Tevet *Minor fasting

January 14: Birth of Guru Gobind Singh (Sikh)

January 14: Makar Sankranti (Hinduism) – Celebration of the Sun god

January 27: Lailat al-Miraj (Islam) – Celebration of the Prophet Muhammad’s ascent to heaven *Begins at sundown on January 26

January 29: Lunar New Year (Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism) – Celebration of a start of the new lunar cycle *Celebration may begin the evening before

February 2: Imbolc (Pagan/Wiccan) – Marks the beginning of Spring *Begins sundown of February 1

February 2: Vasant Panchami (Hinduism) – Holy day dedicated to Goddess Saraswati

February 26: Maha Shivratri (Hinduism) – Festival celebrated in honor of the god Shiva *Fasting

March 1-19: Nineteen Day Fast (Bahá’í Faith) – Fast observed by Bahá’í adults *Fasting

March 1–30: Ramadan (Islam) – Commemoration of the Prophet Muhammad receiving divine revelation as recorded in the Qur’an *Begins evening of February 28, fasting dawn until sundown. *While these are the calculated expected dates of Ramadan, dates may vary based on regional practice.

March 3: Clean Monday/Ash Monday (Orthodox Christianity) – Start of Lent for Orthodox Christians

March 5: Ash Wednesday (Protestant & Roman Catholic Christianity) – Beginning of Lent *Fasting

March 13: Ta’anit Esther (Judaism) – Fast of Esther *Minor fasting when sun up

March 14: Holi (Hinduism) – Festival of Colors *Fasting

March 14: Purim (Judaism) – Festival of Lots *Begins sundown March 13

March 19: Ostara (Pagan, Wiccan) – Honors the awakening of the Earth, balance, renewal, and rebirth.

March 22: Nowruz (Zoroastrianism and Bahá’í Faith) – Persian New Year *Begins in the evening of March 21

March 30: Magha Puja Day (Buddhism) – Celebration of Lord Buddha’s teaching to an assembly

March 31: Eid al-Fitr (Islam) – Festival that marks the ending of Ramadan *Begins evening of March 30. *While this is the calculated expected date for Eid al-Fitr, the date may vary based on regional practice.

April 10: Mahavir Jayanti (Jainism) – Celebration of the birth of the founder of Jainism

April 10: Ta’anit Bechorot (Judaism) – Fast of the First Born *Fasting

April 13: Palm Sunday (Christianity) – Celebration of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem

April 13-20: Passover (Judaism) – Festival of Freedom *Begins sundown on April 12, food restrictions all days, work restrictions 4/12 sundown – 4/14 sundown & 4/18 sundown – 4/20 sundown

April 14: Vaisakhi (Sikhism) – Celebration of the formation of the religious community of Sikhs by Guru Gobind Singh

April 17: Holy Thursday (Christianity) – Commemoration of Jesus’ Last Supper

April 18: Good Friday (Christianity) – Commemoration of the crucifixion of Jesus *Fasting

April 20: Easter (Christianity) – Celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus

April 21– May 2: Ridvan (Bahá’í Faith) – Commemoration of when the founder of the Bahá’í Faith declared his mission *Begins evening April 20, work restrictions 4/20 sundown – 4/21 sundown, 4/28 sundown – 4/29 sundown, 5/1 sundown – 5/2 sundown

May 1: Beltane (Wicca, Paganism) – Festival of Light honoring fertility and creation *Begins at sundown April 30

May 5: Buddha’s Birthday (Buddhism) – *This holiday is celebrated on different dates by different cultures and regions (usually in April or May)

May 23: Declaration of the Bab (Bahá’í Faith) – Celebration of Ali Muhammad’s announcement that he was the “gate” to the promised coming of all religions *Begins evening May 22, work restrictions

May 29: Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh (Bahá’í Faith) – Commemoration of the death of Bahá u’lláh the founder of the Bahá’í Faith *Begins evening May 28, work restrictions

May 29: Ascension (Christianity) – Commemoration of the ascension of Jesus into heaven

June 2-3: Shavuot (Judaism) – Festival of Receiving the Torah *Begins sundown on June 1, work restrictions

June 7: Eid al-Adha (Islam) – the Festival of Sacrifice, honoring Abraham’s willingness to offer his son to God *Begins sundown of June 6, work restrictions. *While this is the calculated expected date for Eid al- Adha, the date may vary based on regional practice.

June 8: Pentecost (Christianity) – 50 days after Easter, commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit

June 20: Litha Sabbat (Pagan, Wiccan) – Celebration honoring the Summer Solstice and the peak of light.

June 27: Muharram (Islam) – Islamic calendar new year *Begins evening of June 26

July 5: Ashura (Islam) – Commemoration of martyrdom of Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, and when Moses fasted in gratitude for the liberation of the Israelites *Begins at sundown July 4, fasting

July 9: Martyrdom of The Báb (Bahá’í Faith) – The memorial of the execution of The Báb *Work restriction