Statement on Academic Accommodations for Religious Holidays

This religious holidays calendar is not an exhaustive list of all religious traditions or of the holidays observed in those traditions. If we have not included a major religious holiday of significance to you, please notify Religious and Spiritual Life via email spiritual.life@northwestern.edu.

While we have made an effort to verify the accuracy of the information included here, some inaccuracies may remain. The dates of some holidays, particularly those that are calculated according to a lunar calendar (e.g., Islamic holidays), vary from region to region, and other observances and dates (e.g., Buddhist holidays) vary across cultures.

(language adapted from Harvard Divinity School's Multifaith Calendar webpage)

Calendar Key

	Begins at sundown of the first day listed.
	Ends at nightfall of the last day listed.
	Significant work restrictions.
	Involves fasting practices or food accommodations.

Religious Holiday Calendar 2023-24

Find more information & schedules for Jewish High Holidays click here.

Fall 2023

`Holiday`	Affiliation
Mabon	Pagan, Wiccan	Sep. 22
`Rosh Hashanah`	Judaism	Sept. 15-17
Navaratri	Hindu	Oct. 15-24
Yom Kippur	Judaism	Sept. 24-25
Dussehra	Hindu	Oct. 24
Mawlid al-Nabi	Islam	Sept. 24-Oct. 3
Sukkot	Judaism	Sept. 29-Oct. 6
Shemini Atzeret	Judaism	Oct. 6-8
Simchat Torah	Judaism	Oct. 7-8
Diwali	Hindu	Nov. 12-16
Twin Holy Birthdays: Birth of Bab/Báha'u'lláh	Bahá’í	Oct. 16-17
Samhain	Pagan, Wiccan	Oct. 31-Nov. 1
All Saints' Day	Christianity	Nov. 1
Día de los Muertos	Christianity	Nov. 1-2
Fatimiyyah	Shia Islam	Nov. 17
Guru Nanak Dev Sahib Birthday	Sikh	Nov. 27
Feast of the Immaculate Conception	Roman Catholicism	Dec. 8
Bodhi Day	Buddhism	Dec. 8
Hanukkah	Judaism	Dec. 7-15
Yule	Pagan, Wiccan	Dec. 21-Jan. 1
Christmas Eve	Christianity	Dec. 24
Christmas	Christianity	Dec. 25
Kwanzaa	Pan-African	Dec. 26-Jan. 1
Gantan-sai	Shinto	Jan. 1

Winter 2024

Holiday	Affiliation
Lady Fatimah's Birthday	Shia Islam	Jan. 3
Epiphany / Twelfth Night / Three Kings Day	Christian	Jan. 6
Christmas	Orthodox Christian	Jan. 7
Imam Ali's Birthday	Shia Islam	Feb. 2
Lunar New Year	Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist	Feb. 10
Mab'ath/ Isra	Islam	Feb. 11
Vasanta Pachami	Hindu	Feb. 14
Imbolc / Candlemas	Pagan, Wiccan	Feb. 1-2
Setsubun-sai	Shinto	Feb. 3
Nirvana Day	Buddhist	Feb. 15
Maha Shivaratri	Hindu	Mar. 8
Ash Wednesday	Christian	Feb. 14
Magha Puja Day	Buddhist	Feb. 24
Mid-Sha'baan	Islam	Feb. 25
Purim	Jewish	Mar. 23-24
Holi	Hindu	Mar. 25-26
Ostara / Spring Equinox	Pagan, Wiccan	Mar. 20
Naw-Rúz (New Year’s Day)	Bahá’í	Mar. 20

Spring 2024

Holiday	Affiliation
Ramadan	Islam	Mar. 10 - Apr. 10
Palm Sunday	Christian	Mar. 24
Mahavira-Jayanti	Jain	Apr. 21
Pesach (Passover)	Jewish	Apr. 22-30
Maundy Thursday	Christian	Mar. 28
Good Friday	Christian	Mar. 29
Vesak / Buddha Day	Buddhist	May 22
Easter	Christian	Mar. 31
Imam Ali's Martyrdom	Shia Islam	April 1
Vaisakhi (New Year’s Day)	Sikh	Apr. 13-14
Pascha (Easter)	Orthodox Christian	May 5
Eid al-Fitr	Islam	Apr. 9-10
The Festival of Ridván	Bahá’í	Apr. 20 - May 1
Imam Ja'far Sadiq's Martyrdom	Shia Islam	May 5
Yom HaShoah	Jewish	May 5-6
Beltane	Pagan, Wiccan	Apr. 30 - May 1
Shavuot	Jewish	June 11-13
Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh	Bahá’í	May 28