Cultural and Religious Holy Days

• January 6 – Feast of the Epiphany: It always falls 12 days after Christmas to mark when the magi arrived in Bethlehem.
• January 7 – Orthodox Christmas: Using the Julian calendar, Orthodox Christians celebrate Jesus’ birth
• January 14 – Orthodox New Year: this date marks the start of the Julian calendar
• January 14 – Makar Sankranri: It is the only Hindu festival that is based on the solar calendar instead of the lunar. Makar means Capricorn and Sankranti means transition. Makara Sankranti is the celebration of the sun’s journey from the Southern to the Northern Hemisphere, and it is accepted as a special or auspicious time. 
• January 15 – World Religion Day: this date is celebrated in the Baha’i faith and highlights the common themes across various faiths and religions worldwide.
• January 20 – Guru Gobind Singh’s Birthday: Guru Gobind Singh is the tenth Sikh Guru and spiritual master. This date commemorates the day he was born.
• January 22 – Lunar New Year: Celebrated as the most important holiday of the year in the East Asian Lunar Calendar (also known as Chinese/Vietnamese/Korean New Year.) The holiday is observed primarily in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Vietnam, and Korea, and also many Southeast Asian countries with significant populations of the above regions. 

February 2023

• February 1 – Imbolc: This Pagan and Wiccan festival serves as the halfway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox, celebrating fire, light, and the return of life.
• February 2 – Candlemas: Also called Presentation of the Lord,Presentation of Christ in the Temple, or Hypapante in the Greek church. This Christian festival occurs 40 days after Christmas and commemorates the Mary’s dedication of Jesus to God in the Temple. Observed primarily in Catholic and Anglican communities.
• February 5 – Tu Bishvat: In Judaism, this holiday is an ancient and authentic “Earth Day.”
• February 15 – Parinirvana: In Mahãyãna Buddhism, this date is also known as Nirvana Day. It commemorates Buddha’s death and attainment of final nirvana.
• February 18 – Shivaratri: An annual Hindu festival, Maha Shivaratri gives reverence to the Lord Shiva god. The festival is also known as the Great Night of Shiva. On the day of the festival, devotees of Lord Shiva fast and spend the day focused on Lord Shiva, meditating and chanting “Om Namah Shivaya.” The Shiva-lingam (a distinguishing representation of Lord Shiva) is decorated with flowers and garlands. It is customary to spend the entire night awake singing the praises of Lord Shiva.
• February 18 – Lailat al Miraj: This Muslim holy day celebrates Muhammad’s pilgrimage from Mecca to Jerusalem. When Muhammad arrived, he ascended into Heaven.
• February 22 – Ash Wednesday: The start of Lent in the Christian Church. Lent is the 40-day period of reflection, prayer and fasting before Easter. Name derives from use of ashes to signify penitence. Refraining from assigned work is not expected, but some may request to be absent from class to attend a service. Some may fast. 
• February 22 - April 6 – The Christian observance of Lent, the 40-day period of reflection, prayer, and fasting before Easter.  Observance may include dietary restrictions, additional prayer times, and attendance at services.
• February 24 – Festival of Ayyam-i-Ha: This multi-day Baha’i festival highlights charity, hospitality, gift-giving, and preparation of fasting before the New Year.

March 2023

• March 7* – Purim: Also known as the “Feast of Lots,” this Jewish festival celebrates the survival of Jews who were marked for death by Persian rulers. Jews celebrate Purim by reading from the Book of Esther, giving tzedakah or charity, exchanging gifts, and attending festive meals. 
• March 8 – Holi: Holi is a major Hindu festival and celebrates the onset of spring, along with good harvests and the fertility of the land. This festival is known best for the way people throw brightly colored powder and water over each other to celebrate the advent of spring. Then they bathe and cleanse themselves after which they distribute sweets amongst friends and relatives. Vibrant processions accompanied by folk songs and dances are also a characteristic of Holi celebrations. 
• March 8 to March 10 – Hola Mohalla: This is a 3-day festival in which Sikhs enjoy communal meals, religious song and prayer, and martial arts performances.
• March 19 – St. Joseph’s Feast Day: This Christian day celebrates Jesus’ legal father and Mary’s spouse. Observed by Catholics (though not a holy day of obligation), some in the Anglican Communion, and some Lutherans.
• March 21 – Ostara: This Wiccan holiday is one of their eight Sabbats. It celebrates the spring equinox.
• March 21 – Naw Ruz: This day marks the Persian and Baha’i New Year, which also occurs on the vernal equinox.
• March 22 to March 31 – Navaratri: A festival in the Hindu faith that celebrates the Goddess Durga.
• March 22 to April 21 – Ramadan: Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community. Dates may vary and official dates may not be determined by religious authorities until the start of Ramadan. Observance may include fasting including abstention from all food and drink from sunrise to sunset, additional prayer times, and attendance at religious services.
• March 25 – The Annunciation: This is a Christian celebration of  Angel Gabriel’s announcement that Mary would give birth to Jesus.

April 2023 

• April 2-8 – Holy Week: Christian, primarily “Western” liturgical, including Palm Sunday (April 2) Maundy Thursday (April 6th) Good Friday (April 7th) and Holy Saturday (April 8th). Historically this week and Easter is the most sacred time of year for Christians. Observances may include attendance at religious services throughout the week. Good Friday and Holy Saturday observances may include dietary restrictions or fasting and abstention from celebratory activities, observance varies.
• April 4 – Mahavir Jayanti: This holiday celebrates the birthday of Jainism founder Lord Mahavira.
• April 5 (sundown) to April 13 (sundown) – Passover: A Jewish eight-day celebration, Passover marks the liberation of the children of Israel from bondage and their subsequent exodus from Egypt. A Passover seder - a meal following a specific ritual order retelling the story of the exodus, and including prayers, songs, and special food - is one of the most commonly observed Jewish practices. In addition to attending seders, many Jews observe Passover by refraining from eating or benefiting from chametz (leaven), bread or wheat/grain products, for the duration of the holiday. Observance may include dietary restrictions including abstention from leavened bread and many grain products, and attendance at religious services and Seders, especially the evenings of April 5 and April 6. 
• April 9 – Easter: No other day is traditionally as sacred for the Christian community as Easter. This is the day Christians commemorate the resurrection of Christ. In some traditions, the services begin the night before with the lighting of a new fire and the blessing of a large Easter candle. Water is blessed and many are baptized. In the Catholic Church, there is a sprinkling of all people with the newly blessed Easter water as a sign of renewal of the baptismal commitment. In many Protestant communities, Easter is celebrated at a sunrise service early on Easter morning.
• April 9-15  – Holy Week: Christian, primarily “Eastern” traditions. Observance may include dietary restrictions and attendance at additional services.
• April 14 – Vaisakhi: This ancient festival celebrates both the Solar New Year and springtime harvest.
• April 16 – Pascha/Easter: Christian, primarily “Eastern” traditions.
• April 16 – Feast of the Divine Mercy: This Catholic feast day, celebrated on the Second Sunday of Easter, is based on the private revelations of St. Faustina Kowalska. 
• April 22* – Eid al-Fitr: Eid al-Fitr is one of two major holidays celebrated by Muslims around the world. It can be translated as “the feast of fast-breaking” as it commemorates the end of the holy month of Ramadan in which Muslims who are able to do so will fast from before dawn until after sunset each day. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by holding a community-wide prayer service in an open field or large hall which often attracts a large number of attendees, even those who do not typically attend communal prayer services throughout the year. The names for the holiday differ from culture to culture and country to country, though the Arabic “Eid al-Fitr” has become the standard in North America. Dates may vary, but expected to be the evening of Friday, April 21 through the evening of Saturday April 22nd. Observance may include attendance at religious services, especially early to mid-morning.