Religious Holidays Calendar
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.
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
2008 |
DAYS |
HOLIDAY |
RELIGION |
Sep. 2 |
Tuesday |
Ramadhán,(1st Day) |
Islam |
Sep. 29 |
Sundown-Monday |
**RoshHashanah |
Judaism |
Sep. 30 |
Tuesday |
Navaratri |
Hinduism |
Oct. 2 |
Thursday |
**Eid-al-Fitr (end of Ramadan) |
Islam |
Oct. 8 |
Sundown-Wednesday |
**Yom Kippur |
Judaism |
Oct. 9 |
Monday |
Dusserah/VijayaDashami |
Hinduism |
Oct. 13 |
Sundown-Monday |
Sukkot (1st 2 days) |
Judaism |
Oct. 19 |
Sundown-Saturday |
Birth of the Báb |
Bahá'í |
Oct. 20 |
Sundown-Monday |
SheminiAtzeret |
Judaism |
Oct. 28 |
Tuesday |
Deepavali (Diwali) |
Hinduism, Sikh, Jain |
Oct. 31 |
Friday |
All Hallows Eve (Halloween) |
Christian |
Nov. 1 |
Saturday |
All Saints Day |
Christianity(RC, P) |
Nov. 2 |
Sunday |
All Souls Day |
Christianity (RC, P) |
Nov. 11 |
Sundown-Tuesday |
Birth of Bahá'u'lláh |
Bahá'í |
Nov. 25 |
Sundown-Tuesday |
Day of the Covenant |
Bahá'í |
Nov. 26- |
THANKSGIVING RECESS |
|
|
Nov. 30 |
Sunday |
First Sunday of Advent |
Christianity (RC, P) |
Dec. 8 |
Monday |
Feast of the |
Christianity (RC, P) |
Dec. 8 |
Monday |
Bodhi Day |
Buddhism |
Dec. 9 |
Tuesday |
Eid-al-Adha |
Islam |
Dec. 12 |
Friday |
Advent Fast begins |
Christianity (O) |
Dec. 16- |
WINTER VACATION |
|
|
Dec. 21 |
Sundown-Sunday |
Hanukkah |
Judaism |
Dec. 25 |
Thursday |
Christmas |
Christianity (RC, P) |
Dec. 26 |
Friday-Thursday |
Kwanzaa |
Interfaith |
2009 |
DAYS |
HOLIDAY |
RELIGION |
Jan. 1 |
Thursday |
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God |
Christianity (RC, P) |
Jan. 4 |
Sunday |
Epiphany |
Christianity (RC, P) |
Jan. 6 |
Tuesday |
Epiphany |
Christianity (O) |
Jan. 7 |
Wednesday |
Nativity of Christ (Christmas) |
Christianity (O) |
Jan. 7 |
Wednesday |
Ashura |
Islam |
Jan. 17 |
Saturday |
Blessing of the Animals |
Christianity Hispanic |
Jan. 26 |
Monday |
Chinese New Year |
Confucian, Daiost, Buddhist |
Feb. 23 |
Monday |
Maha Shivaratri |
Hinduism |
Feb. 25 |
Wednesday |
Ash Wednesday, Lent begins |
Christianity (RC, P) |
Mar. 2 |
Monday |
Lent begins, Clean Monday |
Christianity (O) |
Mar. 8 |
Sunday |
Passion (Palm) Sunday |
Christianity (O) |
Mar. 9 |
Sundown-Monday |
Purim |
Judaism |
Mar. 20 |
Sundown-Friday |
Naw-Ruz |
Bahá'í, Zoroastrian |
Mar. 21 |
SPRING RECESS |
|
|
Apr. 3 |
Friday |
Ramanavami |
Hinduism |
Apr. 5 |
Sunday |
Passion (Palm) Sunday |
Christianity (RC, P) |
Apr. 8 |
Sundown-Wednesday |
Pesach (Passover) |
Judaism |
Apr. 9 |
Thursday |
Holy Thursday |
Christianity (RC, P) |
Apr. 10 |
Friday |
Good Friday/Holy Friday |
Christianity (RC, P) |
Apr. 11 |
Saturday |
Holy Saturday |
Christianity (RC, P) |
Apr. 12 |
Sunday |
Easter/Pascha |
Christianity (RC, P) |
Apr. 19 |
Sunday |
Easter/Pascha |
Christianity (O) |
Apr. 20 Apr. 21 |
Sundown-Monday Sundown-Tuesday |
Yom HaShoah |
Judaism |
Apr. 20 |
Sundown-Monday |
Ridván (1st day) |
Bahá'í |
May 1 |
Sundown- Friday |
Ridván (12th day) |
Bahá'í |
May 21 |
Thursday |
Ascension of Christ |
Christianity (RC, P) |
May 22 |
Sundown- Friday |
Declaration of the Báb |
Bahá'í |
May 28 |
Thursday |
Ascension of Christ |
Christianity (O) |
May 28 |
Sundown-Thursday |
Shavuot |
Judaism |
May 28 |
Sundown-Thursday |
Ascension of Baha'u'lláh |
Bahá'í |
May 31 |
Sunday |
Pentecost |
Christianity (RC, P) |
June 6-7 |
COMMENCEMENT WEEKEND |
|
|
June 7 |
Sunday |
Pentecost |
Christianity (O) |
July 8 |
Sundown-Wednesday |
Martyrdom of Báb |
Bahá'í |
June 14 |
Sunday |
All Saints Day |
Christianity (O) |
Aug. 15 |
Saturday |
Assumption of Mary |
Christianity (RC, P) |
Aug. 22 |
Saturday |
Ramadhán,(1st Day) |
Islam |
Sep. 21 |
Monday |
Eid-al-Fitr |
Islam |
**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.
Note: A recent enactment of the Massachusetts General Court provides: "Any student...who is unable, because of his 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 he may have missed because of such absence...provided, however, that such makeup examination or work shall not create an unreasonable burden upon such school...No adverse or prejudicial effects shall result toany student because of his availing himself of the provisions of this section." Approved by the Faculty,