WESLEYAN MULTIFAITH CALENDAR
From the Wesleyan Office of Religious and Spiritual LifeReligious/Spiritual Observance Resources:
If you anticipate that your religious/spiritual observance may conflict with academic obligations such as attending class, taking examinations, or submitting assignments, you can work directly with your professor to make reasonable arrangements. Should you require additional support or guidance, please feel free to reach out to Rabbi David Teva, Director of the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life at dleipziger@wesleyan.edu or any of the chaplains in the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life
The list that follows is not exhaustive. It includes the more notable festivals and holy days that may require appropriate accommodations for students although not all religious traditions below are represented in the Wesleyan community. (If this calendar does not include a significant date of your religious tradition, please let the chaplains at ORSL know.) Every effort has been made to ensure 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 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.
We have also included information regarding food and religious observance so that faculty can better understand the diverse needs of the Wesleyan student community.
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.
Jewish Holidays: Begin at sundown on date listed below, and end aprox. 50 minutes after sunset on the last day of the holiday listed below.
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 Please visit this link for more religious holidays.
INTERFAITH CALENDAR: Primary sacred times for world religions
| 2021 | Days | Holiday | Religion | ||
| 30 August | Monday | Krishna Janmashtami Recommended Accommodations: Avoid scheduling major academic deadlines on this day, since it is likely that Hindu students will be operating on very little sleep. | Hinduism | ||
| 6 September - 8 September | Sundown Monday -Evening Wednesday | Rosh Hashanah Recommended Accommodations: Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events, or activities on this date. Students may be observing at home with their families, or on campus. Many students do not write or use technology on these days. | Judaism | ||
| 15 September - 16 September | Sundown Wednesday - Evening Thursday | Yom Kippur Recommended Accommodations: Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events, or activities on this date. Jewish students may be fasting all day. Students may be observing at home with their families, or on campus. Many students do not write or use technology on these days. |
Judaism | ||
| 20 September - 22 September | Sundown Monday - Evening Wednesday | Sukkot Recommended Accommodations: Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events, or activities on this date. Students may be observing at home with their families, or on campus. Many students do not write or use technology on these days. |
Judaism | ||
| 28 September - 29 September | Sundown Tuesday - Evening Wednesday | Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah Recommended Accommodations: Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events, or activities on this date. |
Judaism | ||
| 18 October - 19 October | Sundown Monday - Sundown Tuesday | Mawlid al-Nabi (dates can vary by a day) Muslim students may be fasting |
Islam | ||
| 24 November | Thursday | Diwali (Deppavali) Religious Accommodation: Religious accommodations may be requested. |
Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism | ||
| 28 November - 6 December | Sunday Sundown-Evening Monday | Hanukkah Recommended Accommodations: Academics and work permitted. |
Judaism | ||
| 25 December | Saturday | Christmas Recommended Accommodations: Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events, or activities on this date. |
Christianity (RC,P)
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| 26 December - 1 January | Sunday - Saturday | Kwanzaa |
African American
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| 2022 | |||||
| 7 January | Friday | Feast of the Nativity (Christmas) |
Orthodox Christian
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| 2 March | Wednesday | Ash Wednesday, Lent begins For Ash Wednesday and all Fridays during Lent. Meat (fish not considered meat) is prohibited on Fridays during Lent. If planning an event please provide food accommodations if requested by the student(s). |
Christianity (RC, P)
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| 16 March - 17 March | Sundown Wednesday - Sundown Thursday | Purim Recommended Accommodations: Purim is not subject to the restrictions on work that affect some other holidays |
Judaism | ||
| 7 March | Monday | Great Lent begins-Clean Monday |
Orthodox Christian
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| April 2 | Dawn Saturday | Ramadan Begins Recommended Accommodations: Be aware of students fasting from dawn to sun down. Iftar (breaking of the fast) is always in the evenings. Please avoid scheduling important academic or event deadlines so that students can break their fast and eat. If planning an event please provide halal or vegetarian food accommodations if requested by the student(s). |
Islam
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| 10 April | Sunday | Palm Sunday Recommended Accommodations: Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events and activities. |
Christianity
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| 14 April | Thursday | Mahavira-Jayanti Religious accommodation may be requested. | Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism | ||
| 15 April - 23 April | Sundown Friday - Sundown Saturday | Passover **Pesach is 8 days with the first two days 3/28, and 3/29 and last two days on 4/7 and 4/8 being the ones that require accommodations Recommended Accommodations: Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events, and activities on the first two and last two days of the holiday. Some students will only be eating food that is specifically kosher for Passover. If planning an event please provide food accommodations if requested by the student(s). |
Judaism | ||
| 15 April | Friday | Good Friday Recommended Accommodations: Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events, and activities. Provide food accommodation if requested by student (s). Meat (fish not considered meat) is prohibited on Good Friday. |
Christianity (RC, P)
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| 17 April | Sunday | Easter Sunday (Holy Day of Obligation) Recommended Accommodations: Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events, and activities. |
Christianity (RC, P)
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| 22 April | Friday | Holy Friday Recommended Accommodations: Great Friday is a strict day of fasting for many Greek Orthodox Christians in the United States. |
Orthodox Christian
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| 24 April | Sunday | Easter/Pascha Recommended Accommodations: Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events and activities. |
Orthodox Christian
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| 2 May - 3 May | Sundown Monday | Eid al-Fitr Recommended Accommodations: Avoid scheduling important academic or event deadlines. If planning an event please provide food accommodations if requested by the student(s). |
Islam | ||
| 4 June - 6 June | Sundown Saturday - Evening Monday | Shavuot Recommended Accommodations: Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events, and activities on these two days. |
Judaism | ||
| 9 July - 10 July | Sundown Saturday - Sundown Sunday | Eid al-Adha Recommended Accommodations: Avoid scheduling important academic deadlines, events, or activities on this date. This is the most important holiday of the Islamic calendar. |
Islam |