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University of Calgary Calendar 2015-2016 Academic Schedule Multifaith List of Holy Days
Multifaith List of Holy Days

This calendar includes festivals or holy days for the following faiths:

Aboriginal Spirtuality
Baha'i
Buddhism
Christianity
Hinduism
Islam
Judaism
Shinto
Sikkism
Zoroasterianism

Please note, if an asterisk “*” follows the name of a festival, the festival begins at sundown the day before this date. When two asterisks “**” follow the name of a festival, the date of celebration may vary from community to community based on local customs or according to moon sightings.

Explanatory notes about dates for some faiths:

Aboriginal Spirituality: Each band may have unique spiritual observances which, while not a Religious Holy Day, may require accommodation.

Buddhism: In the Western world, festivals are generally celebrated on the Sunday nearest the actual date.

Christianity: The Gregorian calendar has been adopted by all Christian churches of the West. Most Eastern churches, however, continue to use the Julian calendar for religious purposes, though only a few use it exclusively. Nearly all Eastern churches still determine Easter according to the "Old Style" or Julian system, but most have adopted the "New Style" or Gregorian calendar for Christmas or Pentecost. At the present time, the Julian and Gregorian calendars are approximately 15 days out of phase.

Hinduism: Specific dates may vary year to year based on the solar or lunar calendars. Dates can also vary depending on the time differential between Canada and India.

Islam: Muslim holidays are based on a Lunar Calendar and observances may vary by a day before or after from the dates given, depending on the community. Every Friday 12:15 - 2:00 pm there are Congregation prayers.

Judaism: Sabbath starts Friday sundown and lasts 25 hours. All holy days start sundown the night preceding the holiday.

March, 2015
Date Faith Festival
March 1

Christianity

Saint David of Wales
March 2 Christianity (Orthodox) Orthodox Sunday
March 2-20 Baha'i Nineteen Day Fast *
March 5 Judaism Purim *
March 5 Buddhism Magha Puja Day **
March 6 Hinduism Holi **
March 6 Sikhism Hola Mohalla
March 17 Christianity St Patrick's Day
March 17 Hinduism Maha Shivaratri **
March 21

Hinduism

New Year
March 21

Zoroastrian/Persian

Norouz (New Year)
March 21 Baha'i Naw Ruz (New Year) *
March 21-28 Hinduism Ramayana **
March 22

Christianity

Saint Joseph's Day
March 25 Christianity Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin
March 28 Zoroastrian Khordad Sal (Birth of Prophet Zaranhushtra)
March 28 Hinduism Ramanavami **
March 29 Christianity Palm Sunday
April, 2015
Date Faith Festival
April 2 Christianity Maundy Thursday
April 3 Christianity Good Friday
April 3 Jainism Mahavir Jayanti **
April 4-11 Judaism Pesach (Passover) *
April 4 Buddhism Therevadin New Year **
April 4 Hinduism Hanuman Jayanti **
April 4 Christianity (Orthodox) Lazarus Saturday
April 5 Christianity Easter
April 5 Christianity (Orthodox) Palm Sunday
April 10 Christianity (Orthodox) Holy Friday
April 12 Christianity (Orthodox) Pascha (Easter)
April 14 Sikhism Baisakhi
April 16 Judaism Yom HaShoah *
April 21 Baha'i First Day of Ridvan *
April 23 Christianity St. George Day
April 24 Judaism Yom Ha'Atzmaut *
April 29 Baha'i Ninth Day of Ridvan *
May, 2015
Date Faith Festival
May 2 Baha'i Twelfth Day of Ridvan*
May 2 Christianity (Orthodox) Ascension of Jesus
May 4 Buddhism Visakha Puja - Buddha Day **
May 7 Judaism Lag B'Omer*
May 13 Islam Lailat al Miraj *
May 21 Baha'i Declaration of the Bab *
May 24-25 Judaism Shavuot *
May 24 Christianity Pentecost
May 29 Baha'i Ascension of Baha'u'llah *
May 31 Christianity (Orthodox) Pentecost
May 31 Christianity Trinity Sunday
June, 2015
Date Faith Festival
June 1 Islam Lailat al Bara'ah *
June 4 Christianity (Catholic) Corpus Christi
June 7 Christianity (Orthodox) All Saints
June 16 Sikhism Guru Arjan Dev martyrdom
June 18 Islam Ramadan begins *
June 19 Christianity (Catholic) Sacred Heart of Jesus
June 29 Christianity Saints Peter and Paul
July, 2015
Date Faith Festival
July 2 Buddhism Asalha Puja day **
July 9 Baha'i Martyrdom of the Bab *
July 13 Buddhism Ulambana (Obon) **
July 13 Islam Lailat al Kadr *
July 18-21 Islam Eid al Fitr *
July 26 Judaism Tish'a B'av *
August, 2015
Date Faith Festival
August 1 Christianity (Orthodox) Fast in honor of Mother of Jesus
August 1 Christianity Lammas
August 6 Christianity (Orthodox) Transfiguration of the Lord
August 13-15 Shintoism Obon **
August 15 Christianity (Catholic) Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
August 15 Christianity (Orthodox) Dormition of the Theotokis
August 29 Hinduism Raksha Bandhan **
August 29 Christianity Beheading of John the Baptist
September, 2015
Date Faith Festival
September 1 Christianity (Orthodox) Ecclesiastical year begins
September 5 Hinduism Krishna Janmashtami **
September 8 Christianity Nativity of Mary
September 14 Christianity Elevation of the Life Giving Cross - Holy Cross Day
September 14-15 Judaism Rosh Hashanah *
September 17 Hinduism Ganesh Chaturthi **
September 18 Jainism Paryushana Parva **
September 22 Islam Waqf al Arafa - Hajj *
September 23 Judaism Yom Kippur *
September 23-26 Islam Eid al Adha - Sacrifice Day *
September 27 Christianity (Ethiopian Orthodox) Meskel
September 28-October 4 Judaism Sukkot *
September 29 Christianity Michael and All Angels
October, 2015
Date Faith Festival
October 4 Christianity Saint Francis Day
October 5 Judaism Shemini Atzeret *
October 6 Judaism Simchat Torah *
October 12 Interfaith Thanksgiving - Canada
October 13-21 Hinduism Navaratri **
October 14 Islam Hijra - New Year *
October 20 Baha'i Birth of the Báb
October 20 Sikhism Installation of Scriptures as Guru Granth
October 22 Hinduism Dasara **
October 23 Christianity Saint George's Day
October 23 Islam Ashura *
October 25 Christianity (Protestant) Reformation Day **
October 28 Christianity Milvian Bridge Day
October 31 Christianity All Hallows Eve
November, 2015
Date Faith Festival
November 1 Christianity All Saint's Day
November 2 Christianity (Catholic) All Soul's Day
November 9-13 Hinduism Deepavali **
November 11 Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism Diwali (Deepavali) **
November 12 Baha'i Birth of Baha'u'llah
November 12 Jainism New Year **
November 15 Christianity (Orthodox) Nativity Fast begins through 12/24
November 22 Christianity Christ the King
November 24 Sikhism Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom
November 25 Sikhism Guru Nanak Dev Sahib birthday
November 26 Interfaith Thanksgiving - USA
November 26 Baha'i Day of the Covenant
November 28 Baha'i Ascension of Abdu'l-Baha
November 29 Christianity Advent begin
November 30 Christianity Saint Andrew's Day
December, 2015
Date Faith Festival
December 6 Christianity Saint Nicholas Day
December 7-14 Judaism Hanukkah *
December 8 Buddhism Rohatsu (Bodhi Day) **
December 8 Christianity (Catholic) Immaculate Conception
December 12 Christianity (Orthodox) Advent Fast begins
December 12 Christianity (Catholic) Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe
December 16 Christianity Posadas Navidenas through 12/25
December 21 Christianity Yule
December 23 Islam Mawlid an Nabi *
December 25 Christianity Christmas *
December 26 Zoroastrian Zarathosht Diso (Death of Prophet Zarathushtra) **
December 27 Christianity (Catholic) Feast of the Holy Family
December 28 Christianity Holy Innocents
December 31 Christianity Watch Night
January, 2016
Date Faith Festival
January 1 Christian (Roman Catholic) Mary, Mother of God
January 1 Christian (Orthodox) Feast Day of St Basil
January 1 Shinto Gantan-sai (New Years)
January 5 Christian Twelfth Night
January 5 Sikh Guru Gobindh Singh birthday
January 6 Christian (Orthodox) Feast of the Epiphany (Theophany)
January 6 Christian Epiphany
January 6 Christian Dia de los Reyes (Three Kings Day)
January 7 Christian (Armenian Orthodox) Nativity of Christ
January 8 Christian (Roman Catholic) Feast of the Nativity
January 10 Christian Baptism of the Lord Jesus
January 13 Sikh Maghi
January 17 Baha'i World Religion Da
January 20 Christian (Ethiopian Orthodox) Timkat
January 24-27 Buddhist Mahayana New Year **
January 25 Christian Conversion of St. Paul
January 25 Jewish Tu BiShvat
February, 2016
Date Faith Festival
February 1 Christian (Orthodox) Clean Monday
February 2 Christian Candlemas - Presentation of Christ in the Temple
February 3 Christian St. Blaze Day
February 3 Shinto Setsebun sai **
February 7 Christian Transfiguration Sunday
February 8 Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist Chinese New Year
February 9 Christian Shrove Tuesday
February 10 Christian Ash Wednesday
February 12 Christian (Orthodox) Triodion
February 12 Hindu Vasant Panshami **
February 15 Buddhist - Jain Nirvana Day **
February 26 Baha'i Intercalary Days begin
March, 2016
March 1 Christian St. David of Wales
March 1 Baha'i Intercalary Days end
March 2-20 Baha'i
March 6 Christian (Orthodox) Orthodox Sunday
March 8 Hindu Maha Shivaratri **
March 13 Christian (Orthodox) Cheesefare Sunday
March 17 Christian St Patrick's Day
March 20 Christian Palm Sunday
March 21 Persian/Zoroastrian Norooz (New Year)
March 21 Baha'i Naw-Rúz (New Year) *
March 23 Hindu Holi **
March 23 Buddhist Magha Puja Day **
March 24 Jewish Purim *
March 24 Christian Maundy Thursday
March 24 Sikh Hola Mohalla
March 25 Christian Good Friday
March 25 Christian (Roman Catholic) Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
March 27 Christian Easter
March 28 Khordad Sal (Birth of Prophet Zaranthushtra) ** Zoroastrian
March 30 Mahavir Jayanti ** Jain
April, 2016
Date Faith Festival
April 8 Hindu Hindu New Year **
April 8-15 Hindu Ramayana **
April 14 Sikh Baisakhi (Vaisakhi) **
April 15 Hindu Ramanavami **
April 21 Baha'i First Day of Ridvan *
April 22 Hindu Hanuman Jayanti **
April 22-23 Buddhist Theravadin New Year **
April 23 Christian (Orthodox) Lazarus Satuday
April 23 Christian St. George's Day
April 23-30 Jewish Pesach (Passover) *
April 24 Christian (Orthodox) Palm Sunday
April 29 Baha'i Ninth Day of Ridvan *
April 29 Christian (Orthodox) Holy Friday
April 30 Christian (Orthodox) St. James the Great Day
April 30 Jain Mahavir Jayanti **