Calendar of Religious Holy Days
and Observances

This multi-faith calendar includes religious holy days and observances for 2024. Calendar entries include Baháʼí, Buddhist, Christian/Catholic, Eastern Orthodox/Christian, Hindu, Islam, Jain, Jewish, Persian and Sikh faiths.

2024

Date Holiday Religion Type
January
1 Feast of Mary Mother of God Christian/Catholic Special Worship
6

Epiphany 

Christian/Catholic

 Meaningful
7

Christmas - Eastern Orthodox

Eastern Orthodox/Christian

 Special Worship
17

Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib

 Sikh

 Special Worship
18 Bodhi Day Buddhist Special Worship
February
14 Ash Wednesday Christian/Catholic Special Worship
March
8 Maha Shivaratri Hindu Work-restricted
10 Ramadan begins Islam Work-restricted (Wednesday Afternoon)
13 Vaisakhi Sikh Special Worship
15 Shri Ramakrishna Jayanti Hindu Work-restricted
19-20 Naw-Rúz Baháʼí Work-restricted
20-21 Nowruz Persian Work-restricted
23-24 Purim Jewish Special Worship
24 Palm Sunday Eastern Orthodox/Christian Meaningful
25 Feast of the Annunciation Christian/Catholic Meaningful
28 Holy Thursday  Christian Special Worship
29 Good Friday Christian Special Worship
31 Easter Christian Special Worship
April
9 Ramadan ends Islam Work-restricted (Friday Afternoon)
9-10 Eid al-Fitr Islam Work-restricted
13 Vaisakhi Sikh Special Worship
17 Rama Navami Hindu Work-restricted
21 Ridván begins Baháʼí Work-restricted
22 Passover begins Jewish Work-restricted (1st, 2nd, and last 2 days)
30 Passover ends Jewish Work-restricted (1st, 2nd, and last 2 days)
May
2 Ridván ends Baháʼí Work-restricted
3 Good Friday Eastern Orthodox Special Worship
5 Easter Eastern Orthodox Special Worship
9 Feast of the Ascension Christian/Catholic Special Worship
19 Pentecost  Christian/Catholic Meaningful
22 Declaration of the Bab Baháʼí Work-restricted
23 Vesak Buddhist Work-restricted
26 Trinity Sunday Christian/Catholic Meaningful
29 Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh Baháʼí Work-restricted
30 Corpus Christi Sunday Christian/Catholic Meaningful
June
7 Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christian/Catholic Meaningful
11-13 Shavuot Jewish Work-restricted
16 Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib Sikh Work-restricted
16-17 Eid-ul-Adha Islam Work-restricted
24 Nativity of St. John the Baptist Christian/Catholic Meaningful
29 Feast of Saints Peter and Paul Christian/Catholic Meaningful
July
9 Martyrdom of the Bab Baháʼí Work-restricted
16-17 Ashura Islam Work-restricted
31 Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola Christian/Catholic Meaningful
August
12-13 Tisha B'Av Jewish 25 hours fasting, Work-restricted optional
15 Feast of the Assumption of Mary Christian/Catholic Special Worship
26 Krishna Janmashtami Hindu Work-restricted
September
Aug. 31-7 Paryushan Jain Special Worship
15-16 Mawlid-al-Nabi Islam Work-restricted
October
2-4 Rosh Hashanah Jewish Work-restricted
11-12 Yom Kippur Jewish Work-restricted
16-23 Sukkot Jewish Work-restricted
23-25 Shemini Atzeret Jewish Work-restricted
24-25 Simchat Torah Jewish Work-restricted
November
1 All Saints Day Christian/Catholic Special Worship
1 Diwali Hindu, Jain Special Worship
2 Birth of the Bab Baháʼí Work-restricted
2 All Souls Day Catholic Special Worship
3 Birth of Baháúllah Baháʼí Work-restricted
15 Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Sahib Sikh Work-restricted
16 Remembering the Martyrs of the UCA Secular Meaningful
24 Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Sikh Work-restricted
24 Feast of Christ the King Christian/Catholic Meaningful
26-27 Ascension of ’Abdu’l-Bahá Baháʼí Special Worship
28 Thanksgiving Federal Meaningful
December
1 Advent Season Christian Meaningful
3 Feast of St. Francis Xavier Christian/Catholic Meaningful
8 Feast of the Immaculate Conception Christian/Catholic Special Worship
12 Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Christian/Catholic Meaningful
25 Christmas Christian Special Worship
25 Hanukkah Begins Jewish Special Worship
26-Jan. 1 Kwanzaa Ethnic Meaningful

2025 Calendar

 

Work-restricted Religious Holy Days
A recognized denominational sacred or holy day that is observed by persons or groups who are required - through a set or system of religious beliefs, laws/doctrines, tenets, canons or theology - to restrict or limit work and/or physical or mental activity directed toward the production or accomplishment of something; toil; labor. This definition may include academic endeavors (e.g. examinations, classroom activities and research, or out-of-classroom learning experiences).
-Hindu, Jain, and Sikh holy days are calculated on a lunar calendar and are observed at different times in different regions.
-All Jewish and Bahá'í holy days begin at sunset the previous day.
-Observances/practices vary from culture to culture within and across denominations.

Sunday is widely observed as a Sabbath and day of worship for many faith traditions. In the Jewish faith, Saturday (beginning at sunset on Friday) is a work-restricted Sabbath, Regulations governing observance for worship depends on regional customs.

There are no work-restricted holy days within the Christian faith by tenet. By custom, in the United States, Easter and Christmas (a federal holiday) are considered to be non-work days.

Special worship : Such religious observances listed above are NOT work-restricted by definition but may involve a special worship or observance.

Meaningful : Such days are NOT work-restricted by definition but may be particularly significant to persons attending or working at a Jesuit Catholic university.


To provide feedback, please email: jesuitresource@xavier.edu

Jesuitresource.org is developed by The Center for Mission and Identity at Xavier University with support from the Conway Institute for Jesuit Education. Learn more about Jesuit Resource.