Below is a list of cultural, religious, and spiritual celebrations/observances that are most prominent in the lives of students, faculty, and staff at the College of Wooster community. These three-year outlooks are not exhaustive, but meant to be a resource for those planning classes and programs, so that our values for diversity, equity, and inclusion can be reflected in our practices. By providing this resource, we hope to better highlight, uplift, and affirm the traditions and holy days that are most meaningful, and provide opportunities for education and community-building across lines of difference.
- The new Conscientious Religious Observance Policy
- The Conscientious Religious Observance Notification Form for submitting requests for exemptions
* = Indicates observance usually begins at sundown on that day
** = Local/regional or lunar sightings may impact observance
| Holiday | Community | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mary, Mother of God Holy Day | Christian | Jan. 1 | Jan. 1 | Jan. 1 |
| Shogatsu / Gantan-sai | Shinto | Jan. 1 | Jan. 1 | Jan. 1 |
| Epiphany / Theophany / Día de los Reyes (Three Kings Day) | Christian | Jan. 6 | Jan. 6 | Jan. 6 |
| Orthodox Christmas | Orthodox Christian | Jan. 7 | Jan. 7 | Jan. 7 |
| Maghi-Lohri | Sikh | Jan. 13 | Jan. 13 | Jan. 13 |
| Maker Sankranti | Hindu | Jan. 14-15 | Jan. 14-15 | Jan. 14-15 |
| Timkat | Ethiopian Christian | Jan. 19 | Jan. 19 | Jan. 19 |
| Birth of Guru Gobind Singh Ji Gurpurab | Sikh | Jan. 20 | Jan. 9 | Jan. 5 |
| Tu B’Shvat | Jewish | Jan. 27*-28 | Jan. 16*-17 | Feb. 5*-6 |
| Imbolc / St. Brigid’s Day** | Wiccan/Pagan | Feb. 1*-2 | Feb. 1*-2 | Feb. 1*-2 |
| Setsebun | Shinto | Feb. 3 | Feb. 3 | Feb. 3 |
| Lunar New Year | East Asian; Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist | Feb. 12 | Feb. 1 | Jan. 22 |
| Nirvana Day** | Buddhist | Feb. 15 | Feb. 15 | Feb. 15 |
| Vasant Panchami (Saraswati Puja) | Hindu, Jain, Sikh | Feb. 16 | Feb. 4 | Jan. 26 |
| Ash Wednesday (Lent begins) | Christian | Feb. 17 | Mar. 2 | Feb. 22 |
| Purim | Jewish | Feb. 25*-26 | Mar. 16*-17 | Mar. 6*-7 |
| Magha Puja | Buddhist | Feb. 26 | Feb. 16 | Mar. 6 |
| Lailat al-Mi’raj | Islamic | Mar. 10*-11 | Feb. 28*-Mar. 1 | Feb. 17*-18 |
| Maha Shivratri | Hindu | Mar. 11 | Mar. 1 | Feb. 18 |
| Clean Monday (Great Lent begins) | Orthodox Christian | Mar. 15 | Mar. 7 | Feb. 27 |
| Naw-Rúz / Nowruz (Persian New Year) | Bahá’í, Zoroastrian | Mar. 19*-20 | Mar. 19*-20 | Mar. 19*-20 |
| Ostara (Spring Equinox) | Wiccan/Pagan | Mar. 19*-20 | Mar. 19*-20 | Mar. 19*-20 |
| Passover / Pesach (begins) | Jewish | Mar. 27*-Apr. 4 | Apr. 15*-23 | Apr. 5*-13 |
| Khordad Sal (Birth of Prophet Zaranthushtra) | Zoroastrian | Mar. 28 | Mar. 28 | Mar. 28 |
| Palm Sunday (Holy Week begins) | Christian | Mar. 28 | Apr. 10 | Apr. 2 |
| Lailat al Bara’ah | Islamic | Mar. 28*-29 | Mar. 18*-19 | Mar. 7*-8 |
| Holi – Gaura Purnima | Hindu | Mar. 29 | Mar. 18 | Mar. 8 |
| Hola Mohalla | Sikh | Mar. 29-31 | Mar. 18-20 | Mar. 8-10 |
| Holy / Maundy Thursday | Christian | Apr. 1 | Apr. 14 | Apr. 6 |
| Good Friday | Christian | Apr. 2 | Apr. 15 | Apr. 7 |
| Holy Saturday / Easter Vigil | Christian | Apr. 3 | Apr. 16 | Apr. 8 |
| Easter** | Christian | Apr. 4 | Apr. 17 | Apr. 9 |
| Buddha Day** | East Asian/Buddhist | Apr. 8 | Apr. 8 | Apr. 8 |
| Yom ha-Shoah | Jewish | Apr. 8*-9 | Apr. 27*-28 | Apr. 17*-18 |
| Ramadan (begins) | Islamic | Apr. 12*-May 11 | Apr. 2*-May 3 | Mar. 22*-Apr. 20 |
| Chaitra Navratri | Hindu | Apr. 13-22 | Apr. 2-11 | Mar. 22-31 |
| Vaisakhi (Birth of the Khalsa Panth) | Sikh | Apr. 14 | Apr. 14 | Apr. 14 |
| Guru Angad Dev Ji Gurpurab (Birthday) | Sikh | Apr. 18 | Apr. 18 | Apr. 18 |
| Festival of Ridván (1st, 9th, 12th days are holiest) | Bahá’í | Apr. 19*-May 1 | Apr. 18*-May 1 | Apr. 20*-May 2 |
| Rama Navami | Hindu | Apr. 21 | Apr. 10 | Mar. 30 |
| Mahavir Jayanti Kalyak | Jain | Apr. 25 | Apr. 4 | Apr. 21 |
| Holy Thursday | Orthodox Christian | Apr. 29 | Apr. 21 | Apr. 13 |
| Holy Friday | Orthodox Christian | Apr. 30 | Apr. 22 | Apr. 14 |
| Beltane** | Wiccan/Pagan | Apr. 30*-May 1 | Apr. 30*-May 1 | Apr. 30*-May 1 |
| Holy Saturday | Orthodox Christian | May 1 | Apr. 23 | Apr. 15 |
| Orthodox Easter / Pascha | Orthodox Christian | May 2 | Apr. 24 | Apr. 16 |
| Laila al-Qadr | Islamic | May 7*-8 | Apr. 27*-28 | Apr. 16*-17 |
| Eid al Fitar (Ramadan ends) | Islamic | May 12*-13 | May 2*-3 | Apr. 21*-22 |
| Ascension of the Lord | Christian | May 13 | May 26 | May 18 |
| Akshaya Tritiya | Hindu | May 14 | May 3 | Apr. 23 |
| Shavout | Jewish | May 16*-18 | June 4*-6 | May 25*-27 |
| Pentecost | Christian | May 23 | June 5 | May 28 |
| Declaration of Báb | Bahá’í | May 23 | May 23 | May 23 |
| Marasinha Jayanti | Hindu | May 26 | May 14 | May 4 |
| Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh | Bahá’í | May 28 | May 28 | May 28 |
| Martyrdom of Guru ArJan. Dev Sahib | Sikh | June 16 | June 16 | June 16 |
| Pentecost (Orthodox) | Orthodox Christian | June 20 | June 12 | June 4 |
| World Humanist Day | Humanist, Secularist | June 21 | June 21 | June 21 |
| Litha (Summer Solstice)** | Wiccan/Pagan | June 21*-22 | June 21*-22 | June 21*-22 |
| Martyrdom of Báb | Bahá’í | July 9 | July 9 | July 9 |
| Eid al Adha | Islamic | July 19*-20 | July 9*-10 | June 28*-29 |
| Asalha Puja Day | Buddhist | July 24 | July 13 | July 3 |
| Pioneer Day | Latter-day Saints/Mormon | July 24 | July 24 | July 24 |
| Lughnassad** | Wiccan/Pagan | July 31*-Aug. 1 | July 31*-Aug. 1 | July 31*-Aug. 1 |
| Al-Hijra | Islamic | Aug. 9*-10 | July 29*-30 | July 18*-19 |
| Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary | Catholic/Orthodox Christian | Aug. 15 | Aug. 15 | Aug. 15 |
| Ashura | Islamic | Aug. 18*-19 | Aug. 7*-8 | July 27*-28 |
| Krishna Janmashtami | Hindu | Aug. 30 | Aug. 18 | Sept. 6 |
| Paryushana Parva | Jain | Sept. 4 | Aug. 23 | Sept. 11 |
| Rosh Hashanah | Jewish | Sept. 6*-7 | Sept. 25*-27 | Sept. 15*-17 |
| Ganesh Chaturhi | Hindu | Sept. 10 | Aug. 31 | Sept. 19 |
| Ethiopian New Year | African Ancestral, Rastafarian | Sept. 11 | Sept. 11 | Sept. 12 |
| Yom Kippur | Jewish | Sept. 15*-16 | Oct. 4*-5 | Sept. 24*-25 |
| Navaratri | Hindu | Sept. 17-24 | Sept. 26-Oct. 5 | Oct. 15-23 |
| Sukkot | Jewish | Sept. 20*-27 | Oct. 9*-16 | Sept. 29*-Oct. 6 |
| Mabon (Fall Solstice)** | Wiccan/Pagan | Sept. 21*-23 | Sept. 21*-23 | Sept. 21*-23 |
| Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah | Jewish | Sept. 27*-29 | Oct. 16*-18 | Oct. 7*-8 |
| Dasara / Dussehra | Hindu | Oct. 15 | Oct. 4 | Oct. 23 |
| Gurupurab Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji (Birthday) | Sikh | Oct. 20 | Oct. 20 | Oct. 20 |
| Karwa Chauth | Hindu | Oct. 23*-24 | Oct. 12*-13 | Oct. 31*-Nov. 1 |
| Sarad Purnima | Hindu | Oct. 30 | Oct. 9 | Oct. 28 |
| Samhaim** | Wiccan/Pagan | Oct. 30*-Nov. 1 | Oct. 30*-Nov. 1 | Oct. 30*-Nov. 1 |
| All Saints / Souls Day | Christian | Nov. 1-2 | Nov. 1-2 | Nov. 1-2 |
| Día de los Muertos | Latin American Indigenous | Nov. 1-2 | Nov. 1-2 | Nov. 1-2 |
| Diwali | Hindu, Sikh | Nov. 4 | Oct. 24 | Nov. 12 |
| Birth of Báb | Bahá’í | Nov. 6 | Oct. 26 | Oct. 16 |
| Birth of Bahá’u’lláh | Bahá’í | Nov. 7 | Oct. 27 | Oct. 17 |
| Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib | Sikh | Nov. 24 | Nov. 24 | Nov. 24 |
| Day of the Covenant | Bahá’í | Nov. 25 | Nov. 25 | Nov. 25 |
| Ascension of ‘Abud’l-Bahá | Bahá’í | Nov. 27 | Nov. 27 | Nov. 27 |
| Advent (begins) | Christian | Nov. 28-Dec. 24 | Nov. 27-Dec. 24 | Dec. 3-24 |
| Hanukkah | Jewish | Nov. 28*-Dec. 6 | Dec. 18*-26 | Dec. 7*-15 |
| Bodhi Day (Rohatsu) | Buddhist | Dec. 8 | Dec. 8 | Dec. 8 |
| Immaculate Conception | Catholic Christian | Dec. 8 | Dec. 8 | Dec. 8 |
| Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe | Latin American Indigenous, Hispanic Christian | Dec. 12 | Dec. 12 | Dec. 12 |
| Gita Jayanti | Hindu | Dec. 14 | Dec. 3 | Dec. 22 |
| Posadas Navidenas | Latin American/Hispanic Christian | Dec. 16-25 | Dec. 16-25 | Dec. 16-25 |
| Yule (Winter Solstice) | Wiccan/Pagan | Dec. 20*-Jan. 1 | Dec. 20*-Jan. 1 | Dec. 20*-Jan. 1 |
| Christmas | Christian | Dec. 24*-25 | Dec. 24*-25 | Dec. 24*-25 |
| Zarathosht Diso (Death of Prophet Zarathustra) | Zoroastrian | Dec. 26 | Dec. 26 | Dec. 26 |
| Kwanzaa | African Ancestral | Dec. 26-Jan. 1 | Dec. 26-Jan. 1 | Dec. 26-Jan. 1 |
If there are holidays, celebrations, or observances not listed here that should be added, please contact rsl@wooster.edu.