Religious Holiday Calendar 2008-2009

During the Fall Semester 1974, the University Senate adopted the following action:

". . . that faculty members be urged to provide an opportunity for students to make up work missed as a result of legitimate absences, including observances of religious holidays."

Please consult the following list of religious holidays for the 2008-09 academic year. Since there are so many cultures and faiths, university events cannot be scheduled around all holidays, and we depend on students to make their holiday needs known in advance.

2008
June 9-10 Shavuot (Jewish)
20 Summer Solstice (Wiccan)
July 9 Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha'i)
18 Asalha Puja Day – Dharma Day (Buddhist)
31 Lailat al Miraj - (Islam)
August 2 Lughnassad/Imbolc (Wiccan)
10 Tisha B’Av (Jewish)
24 Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu)
28 Paryushana (Jain)
September 2 Ramadan begins (Islam)
22 Autumn Equinox (Wiccan)
30 – October 1 Rosh Hashanah (Jewish)
October 2 Eid Al Fitr - Ramdan ends (Islam)
9 Yom Kippur (Jewish)
9 Dasera (Hindu)
14 - 20 Sukkot (Jewish)
20 Birth of the B’ab (Baha’i)
22 Simchat Torah (Jewish)
28 Diwali - Deepavali (Hindu, Sikh, Jain)
November 12 Birth of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)
13 Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Sahib (Sikh)
27 Thanksgiving (Interfaith)
28 Ascension of Abdu'l-Baha (Baha'i)
December 9 Eid Al-Adha (Islam)
21 Winter Solstice (Wiccan)
22-29 Hanukkah (Jewish)
25 Christmas (Christian)
2009
January 1 Gantan-sai (New Years) (Shinto)
5 Guru Gobin Singh birthday - (Sikh)
13 Maghi - (Sikh)
26 Chinese New Year (Confucian/Daoist/Buddhist)
February 2 Lughnassad/Imbolic (Wiccan)
9 Tu B'shvat (Jewish)
15 Nirvana Day  (Buddhism)
23 Maha Shivaratri (Hindu)
25 Ash Wednesday - Lent begins (Christian)
March 10 Purim (Jewish)
10 Clean Monday - Lent begins - (Orthodox Christian)
11 Holi (Hindu)
21 Vernal Equinox (Wiccan)
21 Naw Ruz - New Year (Baha'i)
April 3 Ramanavami (Hindu)
5 Palm Sunday (Christian)
9 & 10 and 15-16 Pesach (Passover) (Jewish)
10 Good Friday (Christian)
12 Easter (Christian)
21 First day of Ridvan (Baha'i)
29 Ninth Day of the Ridvan (Baha'i)
May 1 Beltane/Samhain (Wiccan)
9 Buddha Day – Visakha Puja (Buddhist)
23 Declaration of the Bab (Baha'i)
29 Ascension of Baha'u'llah (Baha'i)
29-30 Shavuot (Jewish)
   

Please Note:

  • All Jewish Holy days commence at dusk on the evening before the dates given.
  • Buddhists are sometimes prepared to defer the celebration of significant feast to the weekend closest to the actual event.
  • Due to the vastness of the Indian sub-continent, some Buddhist holidays are difficult to generalize and may be subject to variation in both date and custom.

Source: Interfaithcalendar.org