In December of 2020 the University Faculty Senate passed the following motion:
Drake University values diversity, equity and inclusion. As part of our commitment to these values, we must support and embrace our students’ various religious traditions and faiths. To ensure equity, Drake University will make a good faith effort to provide reasonable religious accommodations to students whose religious beliefs and practices conflict with an academic requirement unless such an accommodation would create an undue hardship on the university community.
Please consult the following list of religious holidays where observance may compete with the demands of the academic calendar. This list is not a designation of all religious holidays recognized by the University; it is simply an aid for planning purposes. Any instructor with concerns regarding a given holiday, or the academic implications of a particular student’s religious observance, may seek guidance from the chair of their department, dean of their school, or their Provost.
2023 |
|
|
September |
4 |
Labor Day |
6-7 | Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu) | |
15-17 |
Rosh Hashanah* (New Year) (Jewish) |
|
23 | Fall Equinox | |
24-25 | Yom Kippur (Jewish) | |
29 - Oct 6 | Sukkot* (Jewish) | |
October |
8 |
Mawlid-al-Nabi* (birthday of Mohammad) (Islamic) |
9 |
Indigenous People's Day |
|
15-24 |
Navaratri (Hindu) |
|
24 |
Dasara (Hindu) |
|
27 |
Birth of Baha’u’llah* (Baha’i) |
|
31 |
Samhain (Wicca) |
|
November | 1 -2 |
Dia de Los Muertos |
10 |
Veteran's Day |
|
|
12 |
Diwali (Hindu) |
13 |
Vikram Samvat (Hindu) |
|
23 |
Thanksgiving Day |
|
24 |
Native American Heritage Day |
|
|
28 |
Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Baha* (Baha'i) |
December |
3 - 24 |
Advent (Christian) |
8 |
Bodhi Day (Rohatsu)* (Buddhism) |
|
7 - 15 |
Hanukkah* (Jewish) |
|
|
22 |
Winter Solstice – Yule* (Wicca) |
|
25 |
Christmas Day (Christian) |
2024 |
||
January |
1 | New Years Day |
7 |
Orthodox Christmas (Christian Orthodox) |
|
15 | Martin Luther King Day | |
25 |
Mahayana New Year** (Buddhism) |
|
February | 10 | Lunar New Year |
8 | Maha Shivaratri (Hindu) | |
14 | St. Valentine's Day (Christian) | |
14 | Ash Wednesday/Beginning of Lent (Christian) | |
15 | Nirvana Day** (Buddhist) | |
19 | President's Day | |
March | 10 | Beginning of Ramadan (Islamic) |
17 | Rama Navami (Hindu) | |
19 | Spring Equinox | |
21 | Naw Ruz (Bahai'i) | |
23 - 24 | Purim (Jewish) | |
25 | Holi (Hindu) | |
29 | Good Friday (Christian) | |
31 | Easter (Christian) | |
April | 6 | Laylat al Qadr (Islamic) |
9 | End of Ramadan (Islamic) | |
9 - 10 | Eid al-Fitr (Islamic) | |
13 | Vaisakhi (Sikh) | |
22-30 | Passover* (Jewish) | |
May | 5 | Orthodox Easter (Christian Orthodox) |
15 | Buddha's Birthday (Buddhist) | |
11-13 | Shavuot* (Jewish) | |
27 | Memorial Day | |
June | 19 | Juneteenth |
16-17 | Eid al-Adha* (Islamic) | |
July | 4 | Independence Day |
6 | Muharram (Al Hijrah New Year) (Islamic) |
Source: Interfaith Calendar
Please Note:
* Indicates Holy days that commence at dusk on the evening before the dates given.
** Local or regional customs may use a variation of this date.