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. A more comprehensive list and explanation of observances may be found here.
- 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.
* Jewish, Muslim, and Baha’i holy days begin at sundown 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. An explanation of each observance may be found here.
** Holy days on which absence from work or school is common.
OBSERVANCE | RELIGION | DATE(S) | DAY(S) OF WEEK |
---|---|---|---|
Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary | Roman Catholic Christian | Jan. 1 | Saturday |
Feast of the Epiphany / Theophany | Orthodox Christian | Jan. 6 | Thursday |
**Christmas / Feast of the Nativity | Orthodox Christian | Jan. 7 | Friday |
Lunar Bodhi Day | Mahayana Buddhist | Jan. 10 | Monday |
Jashne Sadeh | Zoroastrian | Jan. 30 | Sunday |
Lunar New Year | Confucianist/Taoist /Buddhist | Feb. 1 | Tuesday |
Hopi Holy Cycle | American Indian | Feb. 1 | Tuesday |
Imbolc | Wicca/Neopagan | Feb. 1 – 2 | Tuesday – Wednesday |
Lantern Festival | Taoist | Feb. 15 | Tuesday |
**Ayyam-i-Ha | Baha’i | *Feb. 26 – Mar. 1 | Saturday – Tuesday |
Lailat al Miraj | Islamic | Feb. 28 | Tuesday |
Maha Shivaratri | Hindu | Mar. 1 | Tuesday |
Ash Wednesday | Roman Catholic Christian | Mar. 2 | Wednesday |
Losar | Tibetan Buddhist | Mar. 3 – 5 | Thursday – Saturday |
Ash Wednesday | Roman Catholic/ Protestant Christian | Mar. 9 | Wednesday |
Orthodox Great Lent | Orthodox Christian | Mar. 7 – Apr. 23 | Monday – Saturday |
Purim | Jewish | Mar. 16 – 17 | Wednesday – Thursday |
Holi | Hindu | Mar. 18 | Friday |
Ostara | Wicca/Neopagan | Mar. 20 | Sunday |
Shinbun no Hi | Shinto | Mar. 21 | Monday |
Nowruz | Parsi/Zoroastrian | Mar. 21 – 22 | Monday – Tuesday |
Annunciation | Catholic/Protestant/ Orthodox Christian | Mar. 25 | Friday |
Ramadan (30 days) | Islamic | *Apr. 2 – May 2 | Saturday – Monday |
Qingming | Taoism | Apr. 5 | Tuesday |
Palm Sunday | Catholic and Protestant Christian | Apr. 10 | Sunday |
Mahavir Jayanti | Jain | Apr. 14 | Thursday |
Maundy Thursday | Catholic Christian | Apr. 14 | Thursday |
Vaisakhi | Hindu/Sikh/Buddhist | Apr. 14 | Thursday |
**Good Friday | Catholic and Protestant Christian | Apr. 15 | Friday |
**Passover (Pesach-8 days) | Jewish | *Apr. 15 – 23 | Friday – Saturday |
Hanuman Jayanti | Hinduism | Apr. 16 | Saturday |
**Easter | Catholic and Protestant Christian | Apr. 17 | Sunday |
Palm Sunday | Orthodox Christian | Apr. 17 | Sunday |
**Ridvan | Bahá’í | *Apr. 21 – May 2 | Thursday – Monday |
**Pascha / Orthodox Easter | Orthodox Christian | Apr. 24 | Sunday |
Yom HaShoah | Jewish | *Apr. 27 – 28 | Sunday – Monday |
Lailat al-Qadr | Islamic | Apr. 28 | Monday |
Beltane | Wicca/Neopaganism | May 1 | Sunday |
**Eid al-Fitr | Islamic | *May 2 – 3 | Monday – Tuesday |
Vesak (Buddha Day) | Buddhist | May 6 | Friday |
Buddha’s Birthday | Buddhist | May 8 | Sunday |
*Declaration of the Bab | Bahá’í | May 24 | Tuesday |
*Ascension of Baha’u’llah | Bahá’í | May 29 | Sunday |
Shavuot | Jewish | Jun. 4 – 6 | Saturday – Monday |
Feast of Pentecost | Catholic Christian | Jun. 5 | Sunday |
Litha-Yule (Solstice) | Wicca/Neopagan | Jun. 21 | Tuesday |
**Eid al-Adha | Islamic | *Jul. 9 – 10 | Saturday – Sunday |
First of Muharram | Islamic | Jul. 29 | Friday |
Lughnasadh-Imbolc | Wicca/Neopagan | Aug. 1 | Monday |
**Ashura | Islamic | *Aug. 7 – 8 | Sunday – Monday |
Ghost Festival (Zhon Yuan Jie) | Taoist | Aug. 22 | Monday |
Paryushan Parvarambha | Jain | Aug. 24 | Wednesday |
Ganesh Chaturthi | Hindu | Aug. 31 | Wednesday |
Chuseok/Mid-Autumn Festival/Mooncake Festival | Confucian/Taoist/Buddhist | Sept. 10 | Saturday |
Mabon | Wicca/Neopagan | Sept. 23 | Friday |
**Rosh Hashanah (New Year) | Jewish | *Sept. 25 – 27 | Sunday – Tuesday |
Navratri | Hindu | Sept. 26 – Oct. 5 | Monday – Wednesday |
**Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) | Jewish | *Oct. 4-5 | Tuesday – Wednesday |
Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles-7 days | Jewish | *Oct. 9 – 16 | Sunday – Sunday |
Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah | Jewish | Oct. 16 – 18 | Sunday – Tuesday |
Diwali | Jain/Sikh/Hindu | Oct. 24 | Monday |
*Birth of the Bab | Bahá’í | Oct. 25 – 26 | Tuesday – Wednesday |
Samhain | Wicca/Neopagan | Oct. 31 – Nov. 1 | Monday – Tuesday |
All Saints Day/Day of the Dead | Catholic Christian | Nov. 1 | Tuesday |
Guru Nanak Gurpurab | Sikh | Nov. 8 | Tuesday |
Advent | Catholic and Protestant Christian/Orthodox Christian | Nov. 27 – Dec. 24 / Nov. 15 – Dec. 24 | Sunday – Saturday |
Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary/Feast of the Immaculate Conception | Catholic Christian | Dec. 8 | Thursday |
Bodhi Day (Rohatsu) | Buddhist | Dec. 8 | Thursday |
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe | Catholic Christian | Dec. 12 | Monday |
Chanukah | Jewish | *Dec. 18 – 26 | Sunday – Monday |
Yalda | Zoroastrian | Dec. 21 | Wednesday |
**Christmas | Catholic and Protestant Christian | Dec. 25 | Sunday |
Feast of the Holy Family | Catholic Christian | Dec. 30 | Friday |