A Partial Listing of Religious Holidays for Various World Religions
Academic
Year 2009-2010 printer friendly calendar
Williams College Policy on Observance of Religious Holidays
Because no Williams student should ever have to choose between important religious observances and academic or athletic commitments, college policy provides for students who wish to participate in religious observances that conflict with other obligations to make arrangements with their instructors and coaches to do so.
The policy, approved in 1984 by the faculty and trustees in compliance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, states that “Any student who is unable, because of his or her religious beliefs, to attend classes or to participate in any examination, study, or work requirement on a particular day shall be excused from any such requirement, and shall be provided an opportunity to make up such requirement which s/he may have missed because of such absence now – provided, however, that such makeup examination or work shall not create an unreasonable burden upon the College. No adverse or prejudicial effects shall result to any student” who makes use of this provision of college policy.
The faculty (including coaches) receive annual reminders of this policy, and are encouraged to work carefully with students in anticipating and resolving conflicts to their mutual satisfaction.
The list that follows is not exhaustive; it includes major festivals and holy days for many, though by no means all, religious traditions represented in the Williams community. If it does not include an important date in the religious calendar of your particular tradition, please let us know. Though every effort has been made to insure that this information is accurate, the calendar may include errors - for which we apologize in advance. Note also that some holidays in some traditions are tied to the lunar calendar or to particular cultural patterns that vary by region or by sect which make their location in the calendar somewhat more fluid.
**Denotes a day on which the precept of the particular religious
faith and the practice of nearly all of the adherents
is to follow a religious discipline that precludes
any academic and/or administrative activity.
For holidays associated with Christianity, the following notations are used to denote observance by particular strands of the Christian tradition: RC-Roman Catholic P-Protestant O-Orthodox
2009 |
DAYS |
HOLIDAY |
RELIGION |
| Aug. 21 | Sundown-Friday |
First Day of Ramadan (date can vary by a day) |
Islam |
Sep. 18 |
Sundown-Friday |
**Rosh Hashanah |
Judaism |
Sep. 19 |
Saturday |
Navaratri |
Hinduism |
Sep. 20 |
Sundown-Sunday |
**Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan) |
Islam |
Sep. 27 |
Sundown-Sunday |
**Yom Kippur |
Judaism |
Sep. 28 |
Monday |
Dusserah/VijayaDashami |
Hinduism |
Oct. 2 |
Sundown-Friday |
Sukkot (1st 2 days) |
Judaism |
Oct. 9 |
Sundown-Friday |
Shemini Atzeret |
Judaism |
Oct. 17 |
Saturday |
Deepavali (Diwali) |
Hinduism, Sikh, Jain |
Oct. 20 |
Sundown-Tuesday |
Birth of the Báb |
Bahá'í |
| Oct. 31 | Saturday | All Hallows Eve (Halloween) | Christian |
Nov. 1 |
Sunday |
All Saints Day |
Christianity (RC, P) |
Nov. 2 |
Monday |
All Souls Day |
Christianity (RC, P) |
Nov. 12 |
Sundown-Thursday |
Birth of Bahá'u'lláh |
Bahá'í |
Nov. 26 |
Sundown-Thursday |
Day of the Covenant |
Bahá'í |
Nov. 25- |
THANKSGIVING RECESS |
|
|
Nov. 26 |
Sundown-Thursday |
Eid al-Adha |
Islam |
Nov. 29 |
Sunday |
First Sunday of Advent |
Christianity (RC, P) |
Dec. 8 |
Tuesday |
Feast of the |
Christianity (RC, P) |
Dec. 8 |
Tuesday |
Bodhi Day |
Buddhism |
Dec. 11 |
Sundown-Friday |
Chanukah |
Judaism |
| Dec. 12 | Saturday | Advent Fast begins | Christianity (O) |
Dec. 22- |
WINTER VACATION |
|
|
Dec. 25 |
Friday |
Christmas |
Christianity (RC, P) |
Dec. 26 |
Saturday |
Kwanzaa |
Interfaith |
| Dec. 27 | Sunday | Ashura | Islam |
2010 |
DAYS |
HOLIDAY |
RELIGION |
| Jan. 1 | Friday | Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God | Christianity (RC, P) |
Jan. 6 |
Wednesday |
Epiphany |
Christianity (RC, P, O) |
Jan. 7 |
Thursday |
Nativity of Christ (Christmas) |
Christianity (O) |
| Jan. 17 | Sunday | Blessing of the Animals | Christianity Hispanic |
| Feb. 12 | Friday | Maha Shivaratri | Hinduism |
| Feb. 14 | Sunday | Chinese New Year | Confucian, Daiost, Buddhist |
Feb. 15 |
Monday |
Lent begins, Clean Monday |
Christianity (O) |
Feb. 17 |
Wednesday |
Ash Wednesday, Lent begins |
Christianity (RC, P) |
| Feb. 26 | Friday | Mawlid-al-Nabi for Sunni (birthday of prophet Muhammad) |
Islam |
Feb. 27 |
Sundown-Saturday |
Purim |
Judaism |
Mar. 21 |
Sundown-Sunday |
Naw-Ruz |
Bahá'í, Zoroastrian |
Mar. 20 |
SPRING RECESS |
|
|
| Mar. 3 | Wednesday | Mawlid-al-Nabi for Shi'a (birthday of prophet Muhammad) |
Islam |
Mar. 21 |
Sunday |
Passion (Palm) Sunday |
Christianity (RC, P) |
| Mar. 24 | Wednesday | Ramanavami | Hinduism |
| Mar. 28 | Sunday | Palm Sunday | Christianity (O) |
Mar. 29 |
Sundown-Monday |
Pesach (Passover) |
Judaism |
Apr. 1 |
Thursday |
Holy Thursday |
Christianity (RC, P) |
Apr. 2 |
Friday |
Good Friday/Holy Friday |
Christianity (RC, P) |
| Apr. 3 | Saturday | Holy Saturday | Christianity (RC, P) |
Apr. 4 |
Sunday |
Easter/Pascha |
Christianity (RC, P, O) |
| Apr. 10 Apr. 11 |
Sundown-Saturday Sundown-Sunday |
Yom HaShoah |
Judaism |
Apr. 21 |
Sundown-Wednesday |
Ridván (1st day) |
Bahá'í |
May 2 |
Sundown- Sunday |
Ridván (12th day) |
Bahá'í |
May 13 |
Thursday |
Ascension of Christ |
Christianity (RC, P, O) |
May 18 |
Sundown-Tuesday |
Shavuot |
Judaism |
May 23 |
Sundown- Sunday |
Declaration of the Báb |
Bahá'í |
May 23 |
Sunday |
Pentecost |
Christianity (RC, P, O) |
| May 30 | Sunday | All Saints Day | Christianity (O) |
May 29 |
Sundow-Saturday |
Ascension of Baha'u'lláh |
Bahá'í |
June 5-6 |
COMMENCEMENT WEEKEND |
|
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Sources: Interfaith Calendar
bbc.co.uk Holy Days & Festivals