Religious Holidays

Please refer to this page for information on Religious Observance requests including absences for religious holidays and dietary needs for religious purposes. Please note that some information has recently changed. 

In keeping with ĢƵվ’s commitment to “champion an inclusive community,” the Office of Religious & Spiritual Life seeks to support all students in practicing their sincerely held religious traditions or spiritual paths. The college will make every effort to accommodate religious diversity when possible, including respect for the observance or accommodation of religious holy days such as: holidays, festivals, feast days, fasts, High Holidays, or Holy Days of Obligation.

When possible, faculty and managers should make every effort to provide reasonable religious accommodations to students or student staff who request them.

Religious Holy Days 2026–2027

Key:

* For most religious traditions, the celebration or observance begins the evening before the actual day (sometimes called “eve” or “erev”). In these circumstances, both days are listed for ease of reference. Work restrictions for Jewish holidays begin shortly before sundown on the first date indicated.

# Some holidays in Islam are not fixed to a calendar but based on the actual sighting of the moon and therefore there may be some variance by day.

NOTE: Unless indicated, work is not restricted. 

Fall Semester

September 2026


August 25–26
Mawlid al-Nabi (Birth of the Prophet Muhammad) # (Islam)

September 7
Labor Day

September 11–13
Rosh Hashanah* (Jewish) (Work Restricted)

September 20–21
Yom Kippur (Jewish) (Work Restricted; Involves fasting)

September 25–October 2
Sukkot* (Jewish) (Work Restricted on September 25 after dark–27)

October 2026


October 2–3
Shemini Atzeret* (Jewish) (Work Restricted)

October 3–4
Simchat Torah* (Jewish) (Work Restricted)

October 11–19
Navaratri (Hindu) (Involves fasting)

October 20
Dussehra (Hindu)

October 31–November 1
Samhain (Pagan/Wiccan)

November 2026


November 1–2
All Saints'/Souls' Day (Catholic Christian/Cultural)

November 8
Diwali (Hindu, Jain, Sikh)

November 11
Veterans Day (Cultural)

November 26
Thanksgiving Day

November 27
Native American Heritage Day

December 2026


December 4–12
Hanukkah/Chanukah* (Jewish)

December 8
Bodhi Day (Buddhist)

December 8
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Catholic Christian) (Holy Day of Obligation)

December 12
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Catholic Christian/Cultural)

December 21
Yule/Winter Solstice (Pagan/Wiccan)

December 24–25
Christmas Eve–Christmas Day (Christian) (December 25: Holy Day of Obligation)

December 26–January 1
Kwanzaa (Interfaith/Cultural)

Winter Term

January 2027


January 1
Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God (Catholic Christian) (Holy Day of Obligation)

January 5–6
Lailat al Miraj # (Islam)

January 6
Epiphany/Dia de Reyes (Christian/Cultural) (Services Required)

January 7
Orthodox Christmas (Christian) (Services Expected)

January 18
Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 22–23
Tu BiShvat* (Jewish)

Spring Semester

February 2027


February 6
Lunar New Year (Confucian/Daoist/Buddhist/Cultural)

February 8–March 8
Ramadan # (Islam) (Fasting during daylight hours; additional prayers and services)

February 10
Ash Wednesday (Beginning of the Season of Lent) (Christian) (Services Expected; fasting involved, especially Fridays during Lent)

February 15
Nirvana Day/Buddha's Passing (Buddhist)

March 2027


March 6
Maha Shivaratri (Hindu)

March 9
Eid al-Fitr # (Islam)

March 20
Nowruz/Naw Rúz/Norooz (Persian New Year) (Zoroastrian/Bahá'ís/Sufis/Cultural)

March 21–28
Holy Week (Palm Sunday through Holy Saturday) (Christian) (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday may include services and fasting)

March 22
Holi (Festival of Colors) (Hindu/Jain/Cultural)

March 22–24
Ta'anit Esther + Purim* (Jewish) (Fasting on March 22)

March 26
Good Friday (Christian)

March 28
Easter (Christian)

April 2027


April 15
Rama Navami (Hindu)

April 21–29
Pesach* (Passover) (Jewish) (Work Restricted April 21–23 and April 27–29)

May 2027


May 2
Easter (Orthodox Christian)

May 3–4
Yom HaShoah* (Holocaust Remembrance Day) (Jewish/Cultural)

May 6/9
Ascension of Jesus (Catholic Christian) (Holy Day of Obligation)

May 10–12
Yom HaZikaron + Yom Ha Atzma'ut* (Jewish)

May 13
Baccalaureate (ĢƵվ)

May 24–25
Lag BaOmer* (Jewish)

May 27
Eid al-Adha # (Islam) (Services Required)

May 31
Memorial Day

Summer Sessions

June 2027


June 10–12
Shavuot* (Jewish) (Work Restrictions)

June 15
Ashura # (Islam)

June 19
Juneteenth

June 20
Pentecost (Orthodox Christian)

Religious Holy Days 2026-2027 (PDF)


For Students

We know that many religious holy days fall during the academic year and that class schedules, sporting events, or other required activities may interfere with your ability to practice your religion fully. At times, this may mean communicating your needs to faculty, staff, or coaches in order to assure we can support your needs in order to fully practice your faith traditions. 

To receive support for religious observances, students must submit the Religious Observance Request form (blue button below) at the beginning of the semester or, if possible, no later than two weeks before the day(s) for which accommodation is needed.

Discrimination

ĢƵվ prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion. Our Diversity Statement is as follows:

"We at ĢƵվ are dedicated to social justice, diversity, and multiculturalism as fundamental components of our mission and ethos. We champion an inclusive community, embrace and respect different perspectives, and value diversity in all its forms and intersections, including ability, age, culture, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, nationality, race, religious and spiritual belief, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. Understanding that power, privilege, and other forces of inequality play a role in shaping our individual and collective experiences and identities, we are committed to productive dialogue and meaningful action in addressing our differences. We approach this ongoing work with courage, integrity, care, and respect."

 

Find more information on ĢƵվ's commitment to equity and inclusive excellence.

 

For Faculty

Above you will find a list of the Religious Holy Days that may impact your calendars in the academic year. Please keep in mind this is not an exhaustive list. The holidays included are those that may have a significant impact on observant students and could present a conflict with academic requirements. Please avoid scheduling programs, field trips, events, exams, or major projects on these days, as some members of our community could be fasting, limiting work, or observing the holiday in other ways. Keep in mind that some observances require additional time for preparation or travel before and after the actual holy day.

An instructor would not ordinarily ask a student for proof of their religious practice or spiritual path, or whether they are sincerely held beliefs in determining religious accommodation. It is recommended to be in contact with the Office of the Religious and Spiritual Life regarding a student’s stated religious belief for additional guidance and support.

The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life is not responsible for determining if a student should or should not be provided religious exceptions in the form of absences or other requests. Final decisions regarding attendance are at the discretion of the instructor.

Due to the varied nature of holy day requirements, and the dates for holy days fall outside of a student’s control (especially as some faiths celebrate several days in succession that might take students out of class for more dates than is permissible in a course’s attendance policy), we recommend that an instructor consider utilizing the following suggestions in the hopes of developing a plan for a student to both honor their religious traditions and be an active participant in their coursework and course requirements.

Students should be provided support for religious observances to the extent that it is reasonably practical. This could include:

  • Making available to each student absent the opportunity to make up any examination (including rescheduling an exam), required work or assignments, or altering the time of a student’s presentation
  • Allowing for extra credit to substitute for missed class work or participation
  • ĢƵվing an instructor during their office hours for missed lecture and/or instruction
  • Provision of flexible due dates for course assignments
  • Viewing recordings of class sessions (if applicable or available)
  • Be provided make-up assignments equivalent to the material missed
  • Or, in some cases, attending class with the understanding that no participation will take place until the religious holiday has concluded.

You may contact the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life at any time for clarification or guidance.