In accordance with the Religious Holidays Policy: “Instructors have been requested to consider days of religious observance as they schedule key dates in their courses.” In addition, staff and students are encouraged to do the same in their planning.
As a service to the university community, the Department of Religion has created and will maintain an evolving religious observances calendar on its website that is meant to serve as a scheduling and educational tool. The calendar is not an endorsement of what is, or is not, considered a “religion” and will be periodically updated with the input of the university community. Questions or suggested additions may be directed to religiondept@montclair.edu.
- The calendar is not exhaustive nor prescriptive and is meant to reflect common observances of those in our diverse community. Any omitted observance is not an attempt at exclusion.
- Given the diversity of our community, it may not be possible to accommodate the observances of all students within the schedule of a particular course or other university-related activity. In this case, advance notice to the instructor or other university community member is essential to a conversation about any appropriate, individual accommodation.
- Observances reflected on the calendar do not guarantee an accommodation nor do observances that are not reflected bar an accommodation. Please direct questions about accommodations to the Office of the Dean of Students at deanofstudents@montclair.edu.
Religious Observances Calendar 2024-2025
* Observance begins at sundown or the evening on the first day indicated. Dates may not be fixed to a calendar but based on the actual sighting of the moon; there may be variance by a day.
** Holy days on which absence from work or school is common.
MSU’s Center for Faith and Spirituality maintains an Interfaith Observances page, which may be found here.
OBSERVANCE | RELIGION | DATE(S) | DAY(S) OF WEEK |
---|---|---|---|
Feast of the Assumption of Mary | Catholic Christian | Aug. 15 | Thursday |
Raksha Bandhan | Hindu | Aug. 19 | Monday |
Arba’een Chehlum | Muslim (Shi’a) | *Aug. 25 – 26 | Sunday – Monday |
Krishna Janmashtami | Hindu | Aug. 26 | Monday |
Paryushana Parva | Jain | Aug. 30 – Sept. 7 | Friday – Saturday |
Green Corn Ceremony | Indigenous American | Sept. 1 – 30 | Sunday – Monday |
End of Safar | Muslim (Shi’a) | Sept. 4 | Wednesday |
Ganesh Chaturthi | Hindu | Sept. 7 – 16 | Saturday – Monday |
Paryushana Parva (end) | Jain | Sept. 7 – 9 | Saturday – Monday |
Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos | Orthodox Christian | Sept. 8 | Sunday |
Ghambar Paitishem | Zoroastrian | Sept. 12 – 16 | Thursday – Monday |
Mawlid an-Nabi | Muslim (Sunni) | *Sept. 15 – 16 | Sunday – Monday |
Autumn Moon Festival | Buddhist / Cultural Chinese | Sept. 17 | Tuesday |
Mabon | Pagan / Wiccan | Sept. 22 | Sunday |
**Rosh Hashanah | Jewish | *Oct. 2 – 4 | Wednesday – Friday |
Great New Moon Festival | Indigenous American (Cherokee) | Oct. 3 | Thursday |
Navrartri | Hindu | Oct. 3 – 11 | Thursday – Friday |
**Yom Kippur | Jewish | *Oct. 11 – 12 | Friday – Saturday |
Dasara (Vijayadashami) | Hindu | Oct. 12 | Saturday |
Ghambar Ayathrem | Zoroastrian | Oct. 12 – 16 | Saturday – Wednesday |
Indigenous Peoples Day | Indigenous American | Oct. 14 | Monday |
Sukkot | Jewish | *Oct. 17 – 23 | Thursday – Wednesday |
Installation of the Guru Granth Sahib | Sikh | Oct. 20 | Sunday |
Shemini Atzeret | Jewish | *Oct. 24-25 | Thursday – Friday |
Simchat Torah | Jewish | *Oct. 25 – 26 | Friday – Saturday |
Diwali | Hindu | Oct. 31 | Thursday |
Samhain | Pagan / Wiccan | Oct. 31 | Thursday |
Reformation Day | Protestant Christian | Oct. 31 | Thursday |
All Saint’s Day | Protestant Christian / Catholic Christian | Nov. 1 | Friday |
**Birth of the Bab | Baha’i | *Nov. 2 | Saturday |
All Souls Day | Catholic Christian | Nov. 2 | Saturday |
**Birth of the Baha’u’llah | Baha’i | Nov. 3 | Sunday |
Birth of Guru Nanak | Sikh | Nov. 15 | Friday |
Shichi-go-san | Shinto | Nov. 15 | Friday |
Lhabab Duchen | Buddhist | Nov. 22 | Friday |
Niinamesai | Shinto | Nov. 23 | Saturday |
Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Day | Sikh | Nov. 24 | Sunday |
Day of the Covenant | Baha’i | Nov. 25 | Monday |
Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Baha | Baha’i | Nov. 27 | Wednesday |
First Sunday of Advent | Christian | Dec. 1 | Sunday |
Bodhi Day (Rohatsu) | Buddhist | Dec. 8 | Sunday |
Feast of the Immaculate Conception | Catholic Christian | Dec. 8 | Sunday |
Srimad Bhagavad Gita Jayanti | Hindu | Dec. 11 | Wednesday |
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe | Catholic Christian | Dec. 12 | Thursday |
Wiladat Bibi Zainab bint Ali | Muslim (Shi’a) | Dec. 13 | Friday |
Yule | Pagan / Wiccan | Dec. 21 | Saturday |
Birthday of Joseph Smith | Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints | Dec. 23 | Monday |
**Christmas | Protestant Christian / Catholic Christian | Dec. 25 | Wednesday |
Hanukkah | Jewish | *Dec. 25 – Jan. 2 | Wednesday – Thursday |
Zartosht No-Diso | Zoroastrian | Dec. 26 | Thursday |
Ghambar Maidyarem | Zoroastrian | Dec. 31 – Jan. 4 | Tuesday – Saturday |
Oshogatsu | Shinto | Jan. 1 | Wednesday |
Fatemiyeh | Muslim (Shi’a) | Jan. 1 – 3 | Wednesday – Friday |
Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Ji | Sikh | Jan. 5 | Sunday |
Epiphany | Protestant Christian / Catholic Christian | Jan. 6 | Monday |
**Christmas | Orthodox Christian | Jan. 7 | Tuesday |
Maghi (Lohri) | Sikh | Jan. 13 | Monday |
Makar Sankrati | Hindu | Jan. 14 | Tuesday |
Wiladat Imam Ali | Muslim (Shi’a) | Jan. 14 | Tuesday |
Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti | Sikh | Jan. 17 | Friday |
Laylat al Miraj | Muslim | *Jan. 26 – 27 | Sunday – Monday |
Chinese New Year | Buddhist / Daoist / Confucian | Jan. 29 | Wednesday |
Sadeh | Zoroastrian | Jan. 30 | Thursday |
Imbolc | Pagan / Wiccan | Feb. 1 | Saturday |
Vasant Panchami (Sri Pancami) | Hindu | Feb. 2 | Sunday |
Setsubun | Shinto | Feb. 3 | Monday |
Sangha Day (Magha Puja) | Buddhist | Feb. 12 | Wednesday |
Tu B’shevat | Jewish | *Feb. 12 – 13 | Wednesday – Thursday |
Laylat al-Bara’ah | Muslim | *Feb. 13 – 14 | Thursday – Friday |
Promised Savior Day | Muslim (Shi’a) | Feb. 14 | Friday |
Parinirvana Day | Buddhist | Feb. 15 | Saturday |
**Ayyam-i-Ha | Baha’i | *Feb. 25 – 28 | Tuesday – Friday |
Maha Shivararti | Hindu | Feb. 26 | Wednesday |
Losar | Buddhist | Feb. 28 | Friday |
Ramadan (30 days) | Muslim | *Mar. 1 – 29 | Saturday – Saturday |
Nineteen-Day Fast | Baha’i | Mar. 1 – 19 | Saturday – Wednesday |
Sri Ramakrishna Jayanti | Hindu | Mar. 1 | Saturday |
Forgiveness Sunday | Orthodox Christian | Mar. 2 | Sunday |
Great Lent | Orthodox Christian | Mar. 3 – Apr. 19 | Monday – Saturday |
Ash Wednesday | Protestant Christian / Catholic Christian | Mar. 5 | Wednesday |
Purim (Feast of Lots) | Jewish | *Mar. 14 | Friday |
Holi | Hindu | Mar. 14 | Friday |
Hola Mohalla | Sikh | Mar. 14 – 16 | Friday – Sunday |
Ghambar Hamaspathmaidyem | Zoroastrian | Mar. 16 – 20 | Sunday – Thursday |
Ostara | Pagan / Wiccan | Mar. 20 | Thursday |
**Nowruz | Baha’i / Zoroastrian | *Mar. 21 | Friday |
Martyrdom of Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib | Muslim (Shi’a) | Mar. 21 | Friday |
Birthday of Prophet Zarathustra (Khordad Sal) | Zoroastrian | Mar. 26 | Wednesday |
Laylat al Qadr | Muslim | Mar. 27 | Thursday |
Eid al-Fitr | Muslim | *Mar. 29 – 30 | Saturday – Sunday |
Rama Navami | Hindu | Apr. 6 | Sunday |
Anniversary of the Founding of the Church | Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints | Apr. 6 | Sunday |
Mahavir Jayanti | Jain | Apr. 10 | Thursday |
Palm Sunday | Protestant Christian / Catholic Christian / Orthodox Christian | Apr. 13 | Sunday |
**Passover | Jewish | *Apr. 13 – 20 | Sunday – Sunday |
Vaisakhi | Sikh | Apr. 14 | Monday |
Baisakhi | Hindu | Apr. 14 | Monday |
Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday) | Protestant Christian / Catholic Christian / Orthodox Christian | Apr. 17 | Thursday |
**Good Friday (Holy Friday) | Protestant Christian / Catholic Christian / Orthodox Christian | Apr. 18 | Friday |
**Easter Sunday (Pascha) | Protestant Christian / Catholic Christian / Orthodox Christian | Apr. 20 | Sunday |
**Ridvan | Baha’i | *Apr. 21 – May 2 | Monday – Friday |
Yom Ha’shoah | Jewish | *Apr. 24 | Thursday |
Ghambar Maidyozarem | Zoroastrian | Apr. 30 – May 4 | Wednesday – Sunday |
Beltane | Pagan / Wiccan | *May 1 | Thursday |
Buddha Day (Vesak) | Buddhist | May. 12 | Monday |
Lag BaOmer | Jewish | May. 16 | Friday |
Declaration of the Bab | Baha’i | *May 22 | Thursday |
Ascension of Baha’u’llah | Baha’i | * May 27 | Tuesday |
Ascension of Jesus | Protestant Christian / Catholic Christian / Orthodox Christian | May. 29 | Thursday |
Shavuot | Jewish | *Jun. 1 – 3 | Sunday – Tuesday |
Waqf al Arafa (Hajj) | Muslim | *Jun. 5 – 6 | Thursday – Friday |
**Eid al-Adha | Muslim | *Jun. 6 – 7 | Friday – Saturday |
Pentecost | Protestant Christian / Catholic Christian / Orthodox Christian | Jun. 8 | Sunday |
Eid al-Ghadir | Muslim (Shi’a) | Jun . 14 – 15 | Saturday – Sunday |
Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Ji | Sikh | Jun. 16 | Monday |
Litha | Pagan / Wiccan | Jun. 20 | Friday |
First of Muharram (Hijra) | Muslim | *Jun. 26 – 27 | Thursday – Friday |
Martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his Brother Hyrum | Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints | Jun. 27 | Friday |
Ghambar Maidyoshem | Zoroastrian | Jun. 29 – Jul. 3 | Sunday – Thursday |
**Ashura | Muslim (Shi’a) | *Jul. 6 | Sunday |
Martyrdom of the Bab | Baha’i | Jul. 9 | Wednesday |
Pioneer Day | Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints | Jul. 24 | Thursday |