Religious Holidays affecting Academic Planning
Academic Year 2009-2010

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 following is not an exhaustive list of “all major religious holidays.” It is a list of those religious observances which may affect participation in important aspects of college life by students who practice a particular tradition. Dates marked with a double asterisk (**) denote occasions on which the precept of a particular tradition, and the practice of nearly all its adherents, includes significant restrictions on academic 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

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2009

DAYS

HOLIDAY

RELIGION
Aug. 21
 Friday
(date can vary by a day)		 1st Day of Ramadan Islam

Sep. 18
Sep. 20

Sundown-Friday
Sundown-Sunday

**Rosh Hashanah

Judaism

Sep. 19

Saturday

Navaratri

Hinduism

Sep. 20

Sunday
(date can vary by a day)

**Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan)

Islam

Sep. 27
Sep. 28

Sundown-Sunday
Sundown-Monday

**Yom Kippur

Judaism

Sep. 28

Monday

Dusserah/VijayaDashami

Hinduism

Oct. 2
Oct. 9

Sundown-Friday
Friday

Sukkot (1st 2 days)

Judaism

Oct. 9
Oct. 11

Sundown-Friday
Sundown-Sunday

Shemini Atzeret
Simchat Torah

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-
Nov.29

THANKSGIVING RECESS

Nov. 27

Friday
(date can vary by a day)

Eid Al-Adha

Islam

Nov. 29

Sunday

First Sunday of Advent

Christianity (RC, P)

Dec. 8

Tuesday

Feast of the
Immaculate Conception

Christianity (RC, P)

Dec. 8

Tuesday

Bodhi Day

Buddhism

Dec. 11
Dec. 19

Sundown-Friday
Sundown-Saturday

Chanukah

Judaism

Dec. 12
 Saturday Advent Fast begins Christianity (O)

Dec. 22-
Jan. 3

WINTER VACATION

Dec. 25

Friday

Christmas

Christianity (RC, P)

Dec. 26
Jan. 1

Saturday
Friday

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 Islam

Feb. 27
Feb. 28

Sundown-Saturday
Sundown-Sunday

Purim

Judaism

Mar. 3 Wednesday Mawlid-al-Nabi for Shi'a
(birthday of prophet Muhammad)		 Islam

Mar. 21

Sundown-Sunday

Naw-Ruz

Bahá'í, Zoroastrian

Mar. 20
Apr. 4

SPRING RECESS

Mar. 21

Sunday

Passion (Palm) Sunday

Christianity (RC, P)

Mar. 24
 Wednesday Ramanavami Hinduism
Mar. 28
 Sunday Palm Sunday Christianity (O)

Mar. 29
Apr. 6

Sundown-Monday
Sundown-Tuesday

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
May 20

Sundown-Tuesday
Sundown-Thursday

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