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Advent (Christian) | A four-week period for reflection, prayer, and preparation for celebrating the birth of Jesus. Christians also look forward to the second coming of Christ. Advent marks the beginning of the Christian year. |
All Saints' Day(Christian) | A day on which Christians honor their saints. |
Ascension Day(Christian) | A day to remember Jesus' ascension into heaven after his resurrection. |
Ascension of the Baha'u'llah(Baha'i) | A day to remember the death of the founder of the Baha'i faith. |
Ash Wednesday(Christian) | The beginning of the forty-day season of Lent. Many people go to worship, where their foreheads are marked with ashes as a sign of repentance for their sins. |
Ashura(Islam) | A feast day observed by some Muslims to remember creation, the time when Noah came out of the ark, and the time when the baby Moses was saved from Pharaoh. |
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Baisakhi (Sikhism) | A day to remember the founding of the Khalsa, the Sikh brotherhood. It is also the Sikh New Year. |
Basant Panchami (Hindu) | A day to celebrate the arrival of spring. Saraswti, the goddess of wisdom and knowledge, is worshiped and people bring her many flowers. Women dress in yellow, the color of spring. A popular activity on this day is the flying of kites. |
Birth of the Bab (Baha'i) | The birthday of the founder of the Baha'i faith, Mirza Ali- Muhammed, who was born in 1819. |
Birth of the Baha'u'llah (Baha'i) | The birthday of the teacher and Messiah of the Baha'i faith. |
Bodhi Day (Buddhist) | A day on which some Buddhists celebrate the time when the Buddha sat under a bodhi tree and vowed to stay there until he reached enlightenment. |
Buddha Day or Vesak Day (Buddhist) | A day some Buddhists remember the birthday of the Buddha. Others celebrate the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha on one day, called Visakha Puji. |
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Christmas (Christian) | The day on which Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. |
Day of the Dead (Christian) | A day on which Mexican Catholics visit cemeteries and decorate the graves of loved ones. |
Day of the Fourfold Assembly (Buddhist) | Also called Maghapuja and Dharma Day. On this day the Buddha preached the Principal Teaching of Buddhism to 1,250 monks. They were to follow his teachings and pass them on to others. |
Declaration of the Bab (Baha'i) | A day to remember the declaration by Ali Muhammad in 1844 that he was the anticipated "Coming One" of all religions. |
Diwali (Hindu) | The Festival of Lights, dedicated to Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity. Diwali is also called Deepaavali, which means "an array of lamps." Hindus also remember the return of Lord Rama from exile. People exchange gifts, decorate their homes with lamps, and set off fireworks. |
Diwali (Sikhism) | The Festival of Lights, also celebrated by Hindus. Sikhs celebrate it as the return of Guru Hargobind to Amritsar after he was released from the Gwalior jail. |
Dussehra (Hindu) | A festival celebrating the victory of good over evil. Lord Rama defeated the demon Ravan, and the goddess Durga also defeated a demon. It comes after the nine-day celebration of Durga Puja (worship) and Navaratri, a time for worshiping other Hindu goddesses. |
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Easter (Christian) | The most holy day of the year for Christians. It is a day to remember and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. |
Eid al Adha (Islam) | The Feast of the Sacrifice, the most important feast of Islam, which comes at the end of Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. Eid al Adha is a three-day festival during which Muslims remember Abrahma's willingness to obey Allah's command to sacrifice his son Ishmael. Animals are sacrificed, and the meat is given to the poor. |
Eid ul Fitr (Islam) | A three-day feast marking the end of Ramadan. It is a festival of thanksgiving to Allah for the joys of celebrating Ramadan. |
Epiphany (Christian) | A day to remember that Jesus Christ is the son of God. Some Christian churches honor the visit of the wise men to the child Jesus. Others remember the baptism of Jesus. |
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Ganesh Chaturthi (Hindu) | A festival honoring Ganesh, the Hindu god who removes obstacles and brings good luck. |
Good Friday (Christian) | A day on which Christians remember the suffering, crucifixion, and death of Jesus. |
Guru Gobind Singh's Birthday (Sikhism) | A day on which to celebrate the birthday of the tenth and final guru, or teacher. Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa, the Sikh brotherhood. |
Guru Nanak's Birthday (Sikhism) | A three-day celebration to remember and honor the founder of the Sikh religion. |
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Hajj (Islam) | The pilgrimage to Mecca, to be made once in a lifetime by every Muslim who is physically and financially able to do so. |
Hanukkah (Judaism) | The Festival of Lights, a time to remember when the Maccabees recaptured the Temple in Jerusalem in 165 B.C.E. It also celebrates the miraculous time when the oil for the consecrated lamps lasted for eight days, even though there was only enough oil for one day. |
Holi (Hindu) | A spring festival commemorating the god of pleasure, sometimes called the Festival of Colors. People enjoy showering each other with colored water and smearing red and green powder on each other. |
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Installation of the Guru Granth Sahib (Sikhism) | A commemoration of the day in 1708 when Guru Gobind Singh, the last human guru, made the Sikh scripture which is known as "Guru Granth Sahib, the eleventh guru." |
Intercalary Days (Baha'i) | Four days (five in a Leap Year) that come before the nineteenth month of the Baha'i calendar. They balance out the year, just as February 29th does in the western calendar during a Leap Year. The Baha'i calendar has nineteen months of nineteen days each. |
Janamashtmi (Hindu) | The celebration of the birthday of Lord Krishna. It is also called Sri Krishna Jayanti. Hindus pray in the temple all night long. Many sweet dishes are made, and many milk products - Lord Krishna's favorite childhood food - are given in offerings. |
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Lag B'Omer (Judaism) | The thirty-third day of Omer. (A "lag" is the number 33 in Hebrew; "omer" is a measure.) Jews count the days from the second night of Passover until Shavu'ot. On Lag B'Omer the mourning practices of the days of Omer are lifted. |
Lailat al Miraj (Islam) | A day on which Muslims remember Muhammad's night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascension into heaven. |
Lailat al-Quar
(Islam) | "Night of Power" - a special night during Ramadan on which Muslims remember when the prophet Muhammad received the first revelation from Allah. On Lailat al-Quar, Muslims often stay up all night at home reading the Qu'ran and praying. |
Lohri (Hindu) | The Hindu New Year, when bonfires are lit in India and people celebrate. |
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Maha Shivaratri (Hindu) | The great night of Shiva on which Hindus fast, pray, and worship the god Shiva. |
Makar Sakranti / Pongal (Hindu) | In some parts of India this celebration is called Mangal Sakranti. In other parts it is called Pongal. It is the only solar holiday in the Hindu calendar. People wear new clothing and eat sweet foods. Some use white rice powder to draw designs on the ground. |
Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev (Sikhism) | A time to remember when the sixth guru (teacher), Guru Arjan, was killed, and to honor him for his contributions to and compiling of the Sikh scriptures. |
Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur (Sikhism) | A day to remember the day on which Guru Tegh Bahadur was killed. |
Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha'i) | A day to remember the execution of Ali Muhammad in 1850 by Persian leaders. |
Mawlid al-Nabi (Islam) | A day on which some Muslims celebrate the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. |
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Navaratra Dashara (Hindu) | The Nine Nights, a festival of the divine mother, honoring Durga, wife of Shiva, and seeking her blessing. It is a time to remember the days of Lord Krishna and is also called the Durga Puja. |
Naw Ruz (Baha'i) | The day of the spring equinox, a time to consider ways to grow spiritually and to experience new life. It is the end of a month of fasting, a joyous time of celebration, the New Year for Baha'is. |
New Year's Day (Buddhist) | On this day, Buddhists in North America attend a special service in the local temple. |
New Year's Eve(Christian) | Some Christians have Watch Night services on the night before New Year's Day. |
Nirvana Day (Buddhist) | A day on which some Buddhists remember the death of Buddha. Other Buddhists remember the birth, enlightenment, and death of Buddha on separate days. |
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Palm or Passion Sunday (Christian) | This marks the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem. It is the beginning of Holy Week, also called Passion Week. |
Pentecost (Christian) | A day on which Christians remember when God's Holy Spirit came to the disciples in the form of rushing wind and tongues of fire. Many people are baptized or confirmed on this day. |
Pesach or Passover (Judaism) | An eight-day celebration to remember the delivery of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. |
Purim (Judaism) | A day of remembering the time when Jews were saved from being killed in Persia, a story told in the book of Esther. Purim is a time of sharing with the poor, as well as a wonderful celebration with good food and lots of fun. |
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Ram Navani (Hindu) | A day to remember the birthday of Lord Rama. People tell stories and go to the temple to act out the wedding of Lord Rama and his wife, Situ. |
Rama Krishna Jayanti (Hindu) | The birthday of Sri Krishna, or Lord Krishna. |
Ramadan (Islam) | The holiest period of the Islamic year, during its ninth month. It is a time to remember when Muhammad received the divine revelation recorded in the Qu'ran. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset each day. |
Reformation Day (Christian) | A day on which Christians remember the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted a statement of belief on the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany. |
Ridvan (Baha'i) | The most holy festival for Baha'is. It is a time to remember when Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i faith, declared that he was God's messenger for this age. |
Rosh Hashanah (Judaism) | The Jewish New Year, a time to reflect, ask forgiveness for sins, and pray. The story of Abraham is read, the shofar (ram's horn) is sounded, and special foods are prepared and enjoyed. |
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Seventeenth of Tammuz (Judaism) | A day of fasting to remember the first breach in the walls of Jerusalem, before the First Temple was destroyed. |
Shab e-barat (Islam) | A nighttime event observing the Muslim belief that the fortunes of people are registered in heaven. Blessings in the name of Muhammad, his daughter, and her husband, are said over sweet dishes and other food. |
Shavu'ot (Judaism) | A celebration Moses' descent from Mt. Sinai with the books of the law, or Torah. Shavu'ot is also called the Festival of Weeks or Pentecost. Plants and flowers are used to decorate for this celebration. |
Shemini Azterot (Judaism) | The day after the eighth day of Sukkoth. In some synagogues, ceremonies are held in honor of the beginning of a child's Jewish education. |
Shrove Tuesday (Christian) | The day before Ash Wednesday. Some Christians call this Carnival or Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras), and have a big celebration. Others go to a pancake supper at church. |
Simchat Torah (Judaism) | A day to celebrate the reading of the Torah. The last portion of the Torah is read, followed by the first chapter of Genesis, to remind Jews that the Torah is a never-ending circle. |
Sukkoth (Judaism) | The Feast of the Tabernacles, a time to celebrate the harvest and remember the time when the people of Israel wandered in the wilderness and lived in tents. |
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Three Kings Day (Christian) | A day on which some Spanish-speaking Christians celebrate the visit of the wise men to the child Jesus. |
Tisha B'Av (Judaism) | A day of fasting to remember the destruction of the First Temple in 516 B.C.E. by the Babylonians and the Second Temple in 70 C.E. by the Romans. It means "the ninth day of the month of Av" and is the end of a three-week period of mourning that begins with the Seventeenth of Tammuz. |
Trinity Sunday (Christian) | A day on which Christians honor their belief in one God with three natures: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. |
Tu B'Shevat (Judaism) | The New Year for Trees, one of four Jewish New Year days and the first day of the year for tithing the fruit of trees. Tu is the number 15 in Hebrew, so this is the fifteenth day of the month of Shevat. |
Twelfth Night (Christian) | The end of the season of Christmastide, the twelve days of Christmas. |
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Ullambana (Buddhist) | A day to make offerings on behalf of ancestors. Korean and Chinese Buddhists call it Happy Buddha Day. |
Visakha Puji (Buddhist) | A day on which some Buddhists celebrate the three most important events in the life of the Buddha: his birth, his enlightenment, and his death. Other Buddhists celebrate these three events separately as Vesak Day, Nirvana Day, and Bodhi Day. |
Vivekanana Jayanti (Hindu) | The birthday of Swami Vivekanana, the man who brought Hinduism to North America. |
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Yom Hashoah (Judaism) | Jewish Holocaust Day. A day to remember the six million Jews killed by the Nazis. Many non-Jews also observe this day. |
Yom Kippur (Judaism) | The Day of Atonement. This is the holiest day of the Jewish year, a time when Jews fast and repent of their sins. |
