MSU Bell Tower at Sunrise

Multifaith Religious Observances Calendar

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.

Religious Observances Calendar 2023

* 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. An explanation of each observance may be found here.

** 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.

RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES CALENDAR 2023
OBSERVANCE RELIGION DATE(S) DAY(S) OF WEEK
Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Roman Catholic Christian Jan. 1 Sunday
Feast of the Epiphany / Theophany Orthodox Christian Jan. 6 Friday
**Christmas / Feast of the Nativity Orthodox Christian Jan. 7 Saturday
Lunar Bodhi Day Mahayana Buddhist Jan. 10 Tuesday
Lunar New Year Confucianist/Taoist /Buddhist Jan. 22 Sunday
Jashne Sadeh Zoroastrian Jan. 30 Monday
Imbolc Wicca/Neopagan Feb. 1 – 2 Wednesday- Thursday
Lantern Festival Taoist Feb. 5 Sunday
Lailat al Miraj Islamic *Feb. 17-18 Friday – Saturday
Maha Shivaratri Hindu Feb. 18 Saturday
Losar Tibetan Buddhist Feb. 21 Tuesday
Ash Wednesday Roman Catholic Christian Feb. 22 Wednesday
Orthodox Great Lent Orthodox Christian Feb. 22 – Apr. 6 Wednesday – Thursday
**Ayyam-i-Ha Baha’i *Feb. 25 – Mar. 1 Saturday – Wednesday
Purim Jewish *Mar. 6 – 7 Monday – Tuesday
Holi Hindu Mar. 8 Wednesday
Ash Wednesday Orthodox Christian Mar. 9 Thursday
Ostara Wicca/Neopagan Mar. 20 Monday
Shinbun no Hi Shinto Mar. 21 Tuesday
Nowruz Parsi/Zoroastrian/Baha’i/Islamic *Mar. 21 – 22 Tuesday – Wednesday
Ramadan (30 days) Islamic *Mar. 22 – April 20 Wednesday- Thursday
Annunciation Catholic/Protestant/ Orthodox Christianity Mar. 25 Saturday
Palm Sunday Catholic and Protestant Christian Apr. 2 Sunday
Mahavir Jayanti Jain Apr. 4 Tuesday
Qingming Taoism Apr. 5 Wednesday
**Passover (Pesach-8 days) Jewish *Apr. 5 – 13 Wednesday – Thursday
Maundy Thursday Catholic Christian Apr. 6 Thursday
Hanuman Jayanti Hinduism Apr. 6 Thursday
**Good Friday Catholic and Protestant Christian Apr. 7 Friday
Palm Sunday Orthodox Christian Apr. 9 Sunday
**Easter Catholic and Protestant Christian Apr. 9 Sunday
Vaisakhi Hindu/Sikh/Buddhist Apr. 14 Friday
**Pascha / Orthodox Easter Orthodox Christian Apr. 16 Sunday
Lailat al-Qadr Islamic Apr. 17 Monday
Yom HaShoah Jewish *Apr. 17 – 18 Monday – Tuesday
**Ridvan Bahá’í *Apr. 20 – May 2 Thursday – Tuesday
**Eid al-Fitr Islamic *Apr. 21 – 22 Friday – Saturday
Beltane Wicca/Neopaganism *Apr. 30 – May 1 Sunday-Monday
Vesak (Buddha Day) Buddhist May 5 Friday
*Declaration of the Bab Bahá’í *May 23 – 24 Tuesday – Wednesday
Shavuot Jewish May 25 – 27 Thursday – Saturday
Buddha’s Birthday Buddhist May 26 Friday
Feast of Pentecost Catholic Christian May 28 Sunday
*Ascension of Baha’u’llah Bahá’í *May 28 – 29 Sunday – Monday
Litha-Yule (Solstice) Wicca/Neopagan June 21 Wednesday
**Eid al-Adha Islamic *June 28 – 29 Wednesday- Thursday
First of Muharram Islamic July 19 Wednesday
**Ashura Islamic *July 27 – July 28 Thursday – Friday
Lughnasadh-Imbolc Wicca/Neopagan Aug. 1 Tuesday
Ghost Festival (Zhon Yuan Jie) Taoist Aug. 30 Wednesday
Paryushan Parvarambha Jain Sept. 11 Monday
**Rosh Hashanah (New Year) Jewish *Sept. 15 -17 Friday – Sunday
Ganesh Chaturthi Hindu Sept. 18 Monday
Mabon Wicca/Neopagan Sept. 21 – 29 Thursday – Friday
**Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Jewish *Sept. 24 – 25 Sunday – Monday
Chuseok/Mid-Autumn Festival/Mooncake Festival Confucian/Taoist/Buddhist Sept. 29 Friday
Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles-7 days) Jewish *Sept. 29 – Oct. 6 Friday – Friday
Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah Jewish *Oct. 6 – 8 Friday – Sunday
Navratri Hindu Oct. 15 – Oct. 24 Sunday – Tuesday
*Birth of the Bab Bahá’í Oct. 26 Thursday
Samhain Wicca/Neopagan Oct. 31 – Nov. 1 Tuesday – Wednesday
All Saints Day/Day of the Dead Catholic Christian Nov. 1 Wednesday
Diwali Jain/Sikh/Hindu Nov. 12 Sunday
Guru Nanak Gurpurab Sikh Nov. 23 / 27 Thursday / Monday
Advent Catholic and Protestant Christian/Orthodox Christian Dec. 3 – Dec. 24 / Nov. 15 – Dec. 24 Sunday – Saturday / Wednesday-Sunday
Chanukah Jewish *Dec. 7 – 15 Thursday – Friday
Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary/ Feast of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Christian Dec. 8 Friday
Bodhi Day (Rohatsu) Buddhist Dec. 8 Friday
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Christian Dec. 12 Tuesday
Yalda Zoroastrian Dec. 21 Thursday
**Christmas Catholic and Protestant Christian Dec. 25 Monday
Feast of the Holy Family Catholic Christian Dec. 30 Saturday