Multicultural Holidays (2024)

At-a-glance Multicultural Calendar 2024

Click on the month (under construction) to learn more about these religious observances and multicultural holidays, including the general practices, dates in future years, and more.

• January - Click here to learn more about these observances and holidays

• 1: Feast Day of Saint Basil
  1: Gantan-sai | Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events and activities.
  1: Solemnity of Mary / Mary, Mother of God
  6: Epiphany / Twelfth Night / Three Kings Day / Dia de los Reyes
  7: Christmas / Feast of the Nativity | Because this holiday does not fall within the winter break, Eastern Orthodox practitioners will likely request this day off.
  7: Nativity of Christ
  7: Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
  8: Bodhi Day
  13: Lohri
  14: Maghi / Makar Sankranti
  17: Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti
  17: Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib
  18-25: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
  20: Timkat
  21: World Religion Day
  24-25: Tu B'shvat
  25: Mahayana New Year
  25: Conversion of Saint Paul

• February

• 1: Imbolc / Candlemas
  2: Presentation of Our Lord to the Temple
  3: Saint Blaze Day
  3: Setsubum-sai
  5: Saint Brighid of Kildare
  8: Isra'a and Mi'raj
  10: Lunar New Year / Chinese New Year / Tet / Spring Festival | Avoid
  scheduling important academic deadlines, events, and activities on this date.
  13: Shrove Tuesday / Fat Tuesday
  14: Ash Wednesday | Provide food accommodations (prohibitions include animal products).
  14: Saint Valentine's Day
  15: Vasant Panchami
  15: Parinirvana / Nirvana Day
  24: Lailat al-Bara'ah
  25: Triodion
  26-29: Intercalary Days / Ayyam-i-Ha
  29-March 19: Nineteen Day Fast

• March

• 8: Maha Shivaratri
  10-April 9: Ramadan | If possible, avoid scheduling major academic deadlines
  during this time. Be sensitive to the fact that students and employees celebrating Ramadan will be fasting during the day (continuously for 30 days) and will likely have less stamina as a result. If planning an evening event, provide food accommodations (halal dietary restrictions apply).
  13: L. Ron Hubbard's Birthday
  15: Hamaspathmaidyem Gahambar
  17: Saint Patrick's Day
  18: Clean Monday
  21: Saint Benedict Day
  21: Fast of Esther
  23: Purim | Purim is not subject to the restrictions on work that affect some other holidays. However, some sources indicate that Jews should not go about their ordinary business on Purim out of respect for the festival. If planning an evening event, provide food accommodations (kosher restrictions apply).
  24: Orthodox Sunday
  24: Pioneer Day
  25: Holi
  26:Khordad Sal
  25-27: Hola Mohalla
  28: Maundy Thursday
  29: Good Friday / Good Friday | Provide food accommodations: Meat is prohibited during meals for some (fish is not considered meat).Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events and activities on the date.
  31: Easter

• April

• 6: Lailat as-Qadr / Nuzulul Qur'an
  6: Laylat al-Qadr
  9: Eid al-Fitr | Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events, or activities on this date. Employees will likely ask to take a vacation day on this day, and that request should be granted if at all possible. If planning an evening event, provide food accommodations (halal dietary restrictions apply).
  13: Baisakhi / Vaisakhi
  20-May 1: First Day of Ridvan | Those celebrating will likely ask for the day off.
  21: Mahavir Jayanti
  22-30: Pesach / Passover | Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events and activities after sundown on the first days, on the following two full days, and on last two days of the holiday. Provide food accommodation (kosher restrictions apply; the use of leavening is prohibited so, for example, matzah is eaten in place of bread.)
  23: Hanuman Jayanti
  23: Saint George's Day
  24-26: Theravadin New Year
  28-29: Ninth Day of Ridvan | Those celebrating will likely ask for the day off.
  30: Maidyozarem Gahanbar

• May

• 1: Beltane
  1-2: Twelfth Day of Ridvan | Those celebrating will likely ask for the day off.
  2: National Day of Prayer
  2: National Day of Reason
  3: Saint Phillip and James
  5: Pascha / Easter
  9: Ascension of Jesus
  12-13: Yom Hazikaron
  12-13: Yom Ha'atzmaut
  19: Pentecost
  27-28: Ascension of Baha'u'llah | Those celebrating will likely request the day off.
  22-23: Declaration of the Bab | Those celebrating will likely ask for the day off.
  23: Visakha Puja / Vesak | Provide food accommodations and offer vegetarian options when planning menus for events on this date.
  25: Lag Ba'Omer
  26: Trinity Sunday
  30: Corpus Christi

• June

• 7: Feast of the Sacred Heart
  9: St. Columba of Iona
  10: Martyrdom of Guru Arjan
  11-13: Shavuot | Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events and activities. Provide food accommodations (kosher restrictions apply‚ although, it is customary to eat dairy).
  15-16: Day of Arafat in Hajj
  16-17: Eid al-Adha | Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events, and activities. If planning an evening event, provide food accommodations (halal dietary restrictions apply).
  19: Juneteenth
  19: New Church Day
  24: Litha / Midsomer / Alban Hefin / Summer Solstice
  24: Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
  29: Feast Day of Saints Peter and Paul
  29-July 3: Maidyoshahem Gahanbar

• July

• 7-8: Al-Hijra - New Year
  9: Martydom of the Bab | If possible, avoid scheduling major academic deadlines during this time.
  11: Imamat Day
  15: Saint Vladimir the Great Day
  16-17: Day of Ashura | Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events, or activities on this date.
  21: Guru Purnima / Poornima
  23: Seventeenth of Tammuz
  23: Birthday of Emperor Haile Selassi
  25: Saint James the Great Day

• August

• 1: Lammas
  1: Lughnasadh / Imbolc
  6: Transfiguration of the Lord
  6: Transfiguration Sunday
  12-13: Tisha Ba'Av | Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines,
  events, or activities on this date and after a day of fasting.
  13-15: Obon
  15: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  15: Dormition of the Theotokis
  15: Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus / Dormition Fast | If planning an evening event, provide food accommodations as stipulated.
  18: The Ghost Festival / Ullambrana
  19: Raksha Bandhan
  26: Krishna Janmashtami | Avoid scheduling major academic deadlines on this day, since it is likely that students will be operating on very little sleep.
  29: Beheading of John the Baptist
  30: Paryushana Parva | Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events or activities during the eight days of fasting.

• September

• 7: Ganesh Chaturthi / Vinayak Chaturthi / Vinayaka Chaturthi / Ganeshotsav
  8: Nativity of Mary
  12:Paitishahem Gahanbar
  15-16: Mawlid al-Nabi
  22: Mabon
  22: Alban Elfed / Autumnal Equinox
  27: Elevation of the Life-Giving Cross, Holy Cross Day
  27: Meskel
  30: International Blasphemy Rights Day

• October

• 2: Mehregan
  2-4: Rosh Hashanah | Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events, or activities on this date. If planning an event, provide food accommodation (kosher restrictions apply).
  3-12: Navratri
  4: Blessing of the Animals
  4: Saint Francis Day
  5: Fast of Gedaliah
  11-12: Yom Kippur | Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events, or activities on this date and after a day of fasting. Avoid scheduling activities after 3:00 pm on the first day.
  12: Dasara / Dussehra
  12: Ayathrem Gahanbar
  28: Milvian Bridge Day
  16-17: Twin Holy Days, Birth of the Bab and Baha’u’llah | Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events, or activities on this date. Those celebrating will likely request to have these days off.
  16-23: Sukkot | Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events, or activities after sundown on the first evening and on the following two days. If planning an event, provide food accommodation (kosher restrictions apply).
  20: First Installation of Guru Granth Sahib in the Golden Temple
  23-25: Shemini Atzeret | Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events, or activities on this date. If planning an event, provide food accommodations (kosher restrictions apply).
  24-25: Simchat Torah | Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events, and activities on this date. If planning an event, provide food accommodation (kosher restrictions apply).
  31: All Hallows' Eve / All Saints' Eve / Halloween
  31: Reformation Day
  31-November 1: Samhain

• November

• 1: New Year
  1: Diwali / Deepavali | Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events, and activities on this date. Those celebrating will likely request the day off.
  1-2: Día de los Muertos / Day of the Dead / Día de Muertos
  1: All Hallows' Day / All Saints' Day / Hallowmas
  2: All Souls'Day
  15: Guru Nanak Gurpurab
  15-December 24: Nativity Fast | If planning an event, provide food accommodations as stipulated
  24Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur
  24: Feast of Christ the King
  24-25: Day of Covenant
  26-27: Ascension of Abdu'l-Baha
  30: Saint Andrew's Day

• December

• 2-24: Advent
  6: Saint Nicholas Day
  8: Feast of the Immaculate Conception
  12: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
  13: Salgirah
  16: Posadas Navideñas
  20: Yalda Night / Shab-e Yalda / Shab-e Chelleh
  24: Christmas | This is a national holiday in the United States, so special accommodations are likely not required.
  26-January 1, 2025: Kwanzaa
  25-January 2, 2025: Hanukkah / Chanukah | Work is permitted, not a work holiday. Provide food accommodation (kosher restrictions apply—potato pancakes, doughnuts or other fried food is customary).
  26: Zartosht No-Diso
  29: Holy Innocents Day
  29: Feast of the Holy Family
  30: Feast of the Holy Family
  31: Watch Night