Calendar of Religious Observances 2025 (2024)

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• Fast of the Nativity is a period of abstinence and penance in preparation for the Nativity.
• St. Basil is the father of Monasticism in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
• Gantan Sai is the Shinto New Year.
• Hanukkah is the celebration of the liberation of Israel from the Greeks and the purification of the Temple.
• Maidyarem Gahambar is the winter thanksgiving.
• Solemnity of Mary celebrates Mary as the Holy Mother of God.
• Guru Gobind Singh, born in 1660, was the 10th Sikh guru.
• Christmas Eve is the night before the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day celebrates the birth of Jesus.
• Epiphany celebrates the revelation of the manifestation of God in his son, Jesus.
• Baptism of the Lord celebrates the baptism of Jesus.
• Theophany is the revelation of Jesus as the Son of God.
• Makar Sankranti (Pongal) is the Hindu Winter Harvest Festival.
• Sadeh reveres the discovery of fire and celebrates light, energy and the enlightenment of the soul.
• Laylat al Isra & Miraj celebrates the Night Journey and the Ascension of Muhammad to Heaven.
• Chinese New Year celebrates the New Year on the Chinese calendar.
• Magha Puja Day celebrates freedom from sin.

• Meeting of the Lord celebrates the receiving of Jesus by the Prophet Simeon at the Holy Temple.
• Vasant Panchami begins the spring season for Hindus.
• Four Chaplains Day commemorates four chaplains who gave their lives to save others in World War II.
• Scout Jumuah is the Islamic observance of Scouting’s Anniversary.
• Scout Shabbat is the Jewish observance of Scouting’s Anniversary.
• Scout Sunday is the Christian celebration of Scouting’s Anniversary
• Tu B’Shevat celebrates the birth of trees for tithing purposes.
• Laylat Al Bara’a is one of the holiest nights in the Islamic calendar observed by fasting.
• Mahayana is the Buddhist New Year.
• Nirvana Day commemorates the death of Buddha and his attainment of nirvana.
• Scout Sunday is the United Methodist celebration of Scouting’s Anniversary.
• Maha Shivaratri celebrates the marriage of Siva to Shakti.
• Ayya̒m-i-Ha̒ are days that adjust the Baha’i calendar (19 months of 19 days each) to the solar calendar.
• Ramadan commemorates Mohammad’s receipt of the first revelations of the Quran, observed by fasting from dawn to dusk.

• Ayya̒m-i-Ha̒ are days that adjust the Baha’i calendar (19 months of 19 days each) to the solar calendar.
• Ramadan commemorates Mohammad’s receipt of the first revelations of the Quran, observed by fasting from dawn to dusk.
• Clean Monday is the day that Lent begins.
• Lent is a period of 40 days during which Christians meditate, pray and give alms to the poor.
• Mukhtad are the days of remembrance for the departed (one generation only).
• Shrove Tuesday is the day of self-examination preceding Ash Wednesday.
• Ash Wednesday is a Christian fast day and the beginning of Lent.
• Purim (Lots) commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people from destruction in the Persian Empire.
• Holi is the Hindu festival of love and colors.
• Nanakshahi is the Sikh New Year.
• Gathas are the seventeen hymns of Zarathushtra composed around 1200 BCE.
• St. Patrick’s Day commemorates the death of the patron saint of Ireland.
• Naw-Ru̒z (Norooz) marks the New Year at the vernal equinox.
• Navrose, Zoroastrian new year, is celebrated on March 20 when the equinox is that day.
• Feast of the Annunciation commemorates the announcement by the Angel Gabriel that Mary would become the mother of Jesus.
• Khordad Sal celebrates the birthday of the Prophet Zarathushtra, also known as Zoroaster.
• Laylat al Qdar is the holiest night of Ramadan commemorating the revelation of the Qu’ran to Mohammad.
• Hindu New Year celebrates the new year on the Hindu calendar.
• Eid al Fitr is the feast which ends the fast of Ramadan.
• Ramayana commemorates the Epic of Ramayana with pilgrimages to holy sites.

• Lent is a period of 40 days during which Christians meditate, pray and give alms to the poor.
• Ramayana commemorates the Epic of Ramayana with pilgrimages to holy sites.
• Rama Navami celebrates the birth of Rama.
• Farvardigan is the remembrance of all the departed.
• Hanamatsuri is the birthday of Buddha.
• Mahavir Jayanti celebrates the birth of Mahavira, the last Tirthankara of Jains.
• Hanuman Jayanti celebrates the birth of Hanuman, the Vanara God.
• Passover commemorates the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.
• Holy Week is the week between Palm Sunday and Easter.
• Eastern Orthodox Holy Week is the week between Holy Sunday and Pascha.
• Palm Sunday commemorates the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem before Easter.
• Eastern Orthodox Palm Sunday commemorates the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem before Easter.
• Guru Nanak Sahib, born in 1469, was the founder of the Sikh religion.
• Khalsa Day is the formal Sikh initiation day from 1699.
• Theravadin is the New Year for one branch of Buddhism.
• Maundy (Holy) Thursday commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus.
• Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus on the Friday before Easter.
• Holy Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus on the Friday before Pascha.
• Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus.
• Pascha is the Eastern Orthodox celebration of Easter.
• Laylat al Qdar commemorates the night the first verses of the Quran were revealed to Muhammad (27th and 29th nights of Ramadan).
• Ridván commemorates Bahá’u’llah’s announcement of his mission as God’s messenger in 1863.
• St. George, the patron saint of both Scouting and the United Kingdom, is celebrated at this feast.
• Yom Hashoah commemorates the Holocaust.
• Ridván commemorates Baha̒’u’lla̒h’s announcement of his Mission as God’s current Messenger in 1863.
• Maidozarem Gahambar is the spring thanksgiving.
• Yom Ha’atsmaut is Israeli Independence Day.

• Maidozarem Gahambar is the spring thanksgiving.Maidozarem Gahambar is the spring thanksgiving.
• Yom Ha’atsmaut is Israeli Independence Day.
• Ridván commemorates Baha̒’u’lla̒h’s announcement of his Mission as God’s current Messenger in 1863.
• Vaisakha Puja commemorates the birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama Buddha.
• Lag B’Omer is the 33rd day following Passover and commemorates the death of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
• Declaration of the Ba̒b celebrates the day the Ba̒b revealed his mission as a Messenger of God to the world.
• Ascension commemorates the ascension of Jesus to heaven.
• Ascension of Baha̒’u’lla̒h commemorates the death of Baha’i’s founder in 1892

• Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai.
• Ghallughara commemorates an Indian attack on Sikhs in 1984.
• Waqf al Arafa-Hajj marks the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.
• Eid Al Adha commemorates the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice Ishmael.
• Pentecost represents the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles.
• Guru Arjan Sahib, 5th Sikh guru, was killed in 1606 while supporting religious freedom.
• Feast of the Body and Blood celebrates the Holy Eucharist and the Church as manifestations of Jesus.
• Al-Hijira is the Islamic New Year.
• Muharram is the holy month of the Islamic year.
• Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul honors their martyrdom.
• Maidoshahem Gahambar is the summer thanksgiving.

• Muharram is the holy month of the Islamic year.
• Maidoshahem Gahambar is the summer thanksgiving.
• Tiragan is the celebration of Tishtar (star Sirius), celebrated by splashing each other with water.
• Ashura marks the salvation of Mussa at the parting of the Sea for the Israelites and the Battle of Karbala
• Yamul Ashurah is the Islamic holiday commemorating for Shi’a Muslims the death of Husayn ibn Ali and family at the Battle of Karbala in 680 C.E. and for Sunni Muslims it is a day of reflection associated with Yom Kippur.
• Asalha Puja celebrates the first sermon given by Buddha.
• The martyrdom of the Ba̒b commemorates the sacrifice of His life for the Cause of God in 1850.
• Pioneer Day commemorates the 1847 entry of Brigham Young into the Salt Lake Valley.

• Tisha B’Av mourns the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem and the beginning of the Inquisition.
• Transfiguration is a celebration of the divinity and humanity of Jesus.
• Varalakshmi Vrat honors the Goddess Lakshmi and brings blessings on Hindu families.
• Ramayana commemorates the Epic of Ramayana with pilgrimages to holy sites.
• Raksha Brandhan celebrates love between brothers and sisters.
• Obon commemorates one’s ancestors. It is observed at different times by different faith groups.
• Dormition celebrates the falling asleep and assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
• Krishna Janmashtami is the birthday of Lord Krishna.
• Ullambana provides an opportunity to help those who suffer to obtain liberation.
• Paryushana Parva is a holiday of coming together and taking on vows of study.
• Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates the birth of the Lord Ganesha.
• Beheading of St. John the Baptist commemorates his martyrdom.

• Mawlid an Nabi celebrates the birth of the Prophet Muhammad.
• Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrates the birth of Mary, mother of Jesus.
• Paitishahem Gahambar is the harvest festival.
• Feast of the Elevation of the Cross celebrates the finding of the Holy Cross by St. Helen.
• Navratri celebrates the Goddess Amba at the start of autumn.
• Rosh Hashonah is the beginning of the Jewish New Year.
• Feast of the Archangels celebrates Angels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.

• Navratri celebrates the Goddess Amba at the start of autumn.
• Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement when Jews seek God’s forgiveness for their sins.
• Dussehra commemorates the victory of Lord Rama over Ravanna, the Great Demon.
• Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, commemorates the 40 years the Israelites spent in the wilderness following the Exodus.
• Ayathrem Gahambar gives thanks for bringing home the herds.
• Shmini Atzeret is the final day of Sukkot.
• Simhat Torah celebrates the conclusion of the reading of the Torah and the start of reading it anew.
• The Ba̒b, born in 1819, is one of the three central figures of the Baha’i religion.
• Birth of Baha̒’u’lla̒h celebrates the founder of the Baha’i religion born in 1817.
• Deepavali Dewali is the Hindu festival of lights, symbolizing the victory of light over darkness.
• Gurgaddi is the Coronation of Guru Granth Sahib in 1708 as the eternal Guru of Sikhs.
• Reformation Day commemorates the Reformation in Europe in 1517.

• All Saints Day celebrates all the Christian saints.
• Sikh Genocide commemorates the 1984-1998 deaths of Sikhs in India.
• Theotokos commemorates the presentation of Mary by her parents at the Temple.
• Guru Tegh Bahadur was the 9th Sikh guru who suffered martyrdom in 1675 rather than convert to Islam.
• Day of the Covenant celebrates the appointment of Abdu’l-Baha̒, son of Baha̒’u’lla̒h, as the leader of the Bahai’i faith.
• Ascension of Abdu’l-Baha̒ commemorates the death in 1921 of Abu’l-Baha̒, son of Baha̒’u’lla̒h, founder of the Baha’i faith.
• Thanksgiving is America’s secular holiday of thanks for our blessings.
• Advent is celebrated as the beginning of the Christian religious calendar, preparing for the nativity of Jesus on the four Sundays prior to Christmas.

• Advent is celebrated as the beginning of the Christian religious calendar, preparing for the nativity of Jesus on the four Sundays prior to Christmas.
• Immaculate Conception celebrates the preservation of Mary from Original Sin.
• Rohatsu (Bodhi Day) celebrates the enlightenment of Buddha.
• Sadeh reveres the discovery of fire and celebrates light, energy and the enlightenment of the soul.
• Hanukkah is the celebration of the liberation of Israel from the Greeks and the purification of the Temple.
• Yalda celebrates the longest night of the year, the winter solstice.
• Christmas Eve is the night before the birth of Jesus; Christmas Day celebrates the birth of Jesus.
• Kwanzaa is a celebration of African culture.
• Eastern Orthodox Christmas Eve is the night before the birth of Jesus; Christmas Day celebrates the birth of Jesus.
• Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh were martyred on this date.
• Zarthosht No Diso commemorates the death of Zarathushtra.
• Fast of the Nativity is a period of abstinence and penance in preparation for the Nativity.
• The Holy Family is a celebration of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
• Vaikuntha Ekadashi is a fast day celebrating the opening of the gates of the temple to seek Vishnu.
• Maidyarem Gahambar is the winter thanksgiving.