Calendar of Religious Holidays at Colby

The list that follows is not exhaustive; it includes major festivals and holy days for many, though by no means all, religious traditions present in the Colby community. (If it does not include an important date in the religious calendar of your particular tradition, please let us know.)

Every effort has been made to insure that this information is accurate. Note that some holidays in some traditions are tied to the lunar calendar or to particular cultural patterns that vary by region or by sect, which make their location in the calendar somewhat more fluid.

Dates marked with a double asterisk (**) denote occasions on which the precept of a particular tradition, and the practice of nearly all its adherents, includes significant restrictions on academic activity.

A note on Islamic holidays

Regional customs or moon sightings may cause a variation of the date for Islamic holidays, which begin at sundown the day before the date specified for the holiday. The Islamic calendar is lunar and the days begin at sunset, so there may be one-day error depending on when the new moon is first seen.

Notations for Christian holidays

For holidays associated with Christianity, the following notations are used to denote observance by particular strands of the Christian tradition: RC-Roman Catholic P-Protestant O-Orthodox

2017DAYS HOLIDAY RELIGION
Aug. 31 - Sept. 1Sundown-Thursday - Sundown Friday**Eid al AdhaIslam
Sept. 20-22Sundown-Wednesday - Sundown Friday
**Rosh HashanahJudaism
Sept. 21-29Thursday- FridayNavaratriHinduism
Sept. 29-30Sundown-Friday Sundown-Saturday**Yom KippurJudaism
Sept. 30SaturdayDussehra/DasaraHinduism
Sept. 30 - Oct. 1Sundown-Saturday - Sundown-SundayAshuraIslam
Oct. 1-2Sundown-Sunday - Sundown-MondayMuharram/New YearIslam
Oct. 4-6Sundown-Wednesday - Sundown- Friday**Sukkot (1st 2 days)Judaism
Oct. 11Sundown-Wednesday**Shemini AtzeretJudaism
Oct. 13Sundown-Friday**Simchat TorahJudaism
Oct. 19-20Sundown-Thursday - Sundown-FridayBirth of the BábBahá'í
Oct. 19Thursday**Diwali/DeepavaliHinduism -Jain - Sikh
Nov. 1 WednesdayAll Saints DayChristianity (RC, P)
Nov. 2ThursdayAll Souls DayChristianity (RC, P)
Nov. 4SaturdayGuru Nanak Jayanti BirthdaySikh
Nov. 11-12Sundown-Saturday - Sundown-SundayBirth of Bahá'u'lláhBahá'í
Nov. 30 - Dec. 1Sundown-Thursday - Sundown-FridayMawlid an NabiIslam
Dec. 3SundayAdvent BeginsChristianity (P, RC)
Dec. 8 FridayBodhi DayBuddhism
Dec. 8 FridayFeast of the Immaculate ConceptionChristianity (RC, P)
Dec. 12-20Sundown-Monday - Sundown-WednesdayChanukahJudaism
Dec. 21ThursdayWinter Solstice Zoroastrian, Pagan
Dec. 25MondayChristmasChristianity (O, RC, P)
Dec. 26 - Jan. 1Tuesday - MondayKwanzaaAfrican American
2018201720172017
Jan. 2-4Tuesday - ThursdayMahayana New YearBuddhism
Jan. 6SaturdayEpiphany/TheophanyChristian (RC, P, O)
Jan. 7SundayFeast of the Nativity (Christmas)Orthodox Christian
Feb. 8ThursdayNirvana DayBuddhism
Feb. 12MondayLent begins, Clean MondayChristianity (O)
Feb. 14WednesdayAsh Wednesday, Lent beginsChristianity (RC, P)
Feb. 14WednesdayMaha ShivaratriHinduism
Feb. 16Friday**Chinese New YearConfucian, Daiost, Buddhist
Feb. 28 - Mar. 1Sundown-Wednesday - Sundown-ThursdayPurimJudaism
Mar. 1-2Sundown Thursday - Sundown WednesdayHoliHinduism
Mar. 20-21Sundown-Tuesday - Sundown-WednesdayNaw-RuzBahá'í, Zoroastrian
Mar. 25SundayPalm SundayChristianity (RC, P)
Mar 25- 26Sunrise - Sunday - Sunddown-MondayRam NavamiHinduism
Mar. 30FridayGood FridayChristianity (RC, P, O)
Mar. 30 - Apr. 7Sundown-Monday - Sundown-Tuesday**Pesach (Passover.
Work restriction on first two and last two days)		Judaism
Mar.31SaturdayMagha Puja DayBuddhism
Apr. 1SundayEasterChristianity (RC, P)
Apr. 6FridayHoly FridayChristianity (O)
Apr. 8SundayEaster/PaschaChristianity (O)
Apr. 11-12Sundown-Wednesday - Sundown-ThursdayYom HaShoahJudaism
Apr. 12-13Sundown-Thursday - Sundown-FridayLailat al Mi'rajIslam
Apr.18-19Sundown-Wednesday - Sundown-ThursdayYom Ha’AtzmautJudaism
Apr. 20 - 21Sundown-Friday - Sundown-Saturday**Ridván (1st day)Bahá'í
Apr. 28 - 29Sundown-Saturday - Sundown-Sunday**Ridván (9th day)Bahá'í
Apr. 29SundayBuddha Day - Viaskha PujaBuddhism
May 1-2Sundown-Tuesday - Sundown-Wednesday**Ridván (12th day)Bahá'í
May 10ThursdayAscension of JesusChristianity (P, RC)
May 14MondayVaisakhiSikhism, Buddhism
May 15 - Jun. 14Sundown-Tuesday - Sundown-ThursdayRamadan Islam
May 19-21Sundown-Saturday - Sundown-Monday**ShavuotJudaism
May 22-23Sundown-Monday - Sundown-TuesdayDeclaration of the BábBahá'í
May 27SundayPentecostChristianity (RC, P)
May 28-29Sundown-Monday - Sundown-Tuesday**Ascension of Baha'u'lláhBahá'í
May 29TuesdayVesak (Buddha Day)Buddhism
Jun. 2SaturdayAll Saints DayChristianity (O)
Jun. 14-15Sundown-Thursday - Sundown-Friday (date will vary)Eid al-Fitr Islam
Aug. 21-22Sundown-Tuesday - Sundown-Wednesday**Eid al-AdhaIslam

Sources: Williams College Chaplains’ Office, when-is.com, jewfaq.org, bbc.co.uk/religion

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