Multifaith Religious Calendar 2023-24
Academic Year 2023-24
This calendar was a joint effort of the Office of Diversity & Inclusion and the Memorial Chapel and we hope it will be useful as you plan events this year.
You can also view a more extensive external resource of dates.
Did we miss a date? Please email us at DiverseTerps@umd.edu or chapel@umd.edu.
Tuesday - Wednesday, Sept. 5-6: Arba'een** (Muslim)
Friday - Sunday, Sept. 15 - Sept. 17: Rosh Hashanah* (Jewish)
Thursday - Following Friday, Sept. 21 - Sept. 29: Autumn Equinox/Mabon (Pagan / Wiccan)
Sunday - Monday, Sept. 24-25: Yom Kippur*
Wednesday, Sept. 27: Mawlid (for Sunni Muslims)
Friday - Friday, Sept. 29 - October 6: Sukkot*
Monday, Oct. 2: Mawlid (for Shia Muslims)
Friday, Oct. 6 - Sunday, Oct. 8: Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah (Jewish)
Monday, Oct. 9: Indigenous Peoples Day
Monday - Wednesday, Oct. 15-24: Navaratri/Dusshera (Hindu)
Monday, Oct. 16: Birth of the Báb*** (Bahá'í)
Tuesday, Oct. 17: Birth of the Bahá’u’lláh*** Bahá'í
Sunday, Oct. 29: Pavarana (Buddhist)
Saturday - Monday, Oct. 29 - Nov. 27 - Kathina (Buddhist)
Tuesday - Wednesday, Oct. 31 - Nov. 1: Samhain (Pagan / Wiccan)
Saturday, Nov. 4: Lhabab Duchen (Buddhist)
Monday, Nov. 12: Diwali (Hindu)
Friday, Nov. 24: Native American Heritage Day
Monday, Nov. 27: Guru Nanak Jayanti (Sikh)
Friday - Following Friday, Dec. 7 - Dec. 15 - Hanukkah* (Jewish)
Friday, Dec. 8: Rohatsu/Bodhi Day (Buddhist)
Friday - Saturday, Dec. 15 - Dec. 16: Shabbat**** (Jewish)
Thursday - Monday , Dec. 21 - Jan. 1: Yule (Pagan / Wiccan)
Monday, Dec. 25: Christmas (Christian)
Tuesday - Monday, Dec. 26 - Jan. 1: Kwanzaa (Multifaith / African-American)
Saturday, Jan. 6: Feast of the Epiphany (Christian)
Sunday, Jan. 7: Eastern Orthodox Christmas (Christian Orthodox)
Monday, Jan. 15: Sankranti (Hindu)
Saturday, Jan. 20: Birth of Guru Gobind Singh (Sikh)
Thursday, Jan. 25: Birthday of Ali ibn Abi Talib** (Muslim)
Thursday - Friday, February 1 - 2: Imbolc (Pagan / Wiccan)
Saturday, February 10: Lunar New Year / Tet Nguyen Dan (Buddhist)
Saturday - Monday, February 10 - 12: Losar (Buddhist)
Wednesday, February 14: Ash Wednesday (Christian)
Thursday, February 15: Parinirvana Day (Buddhist)
Saturday, February 24: Magha Puja (Buddhist)
Saturday, February 24: Chotrul Duchen (Buddhist)
Friday, March 8: Maha Shivaratri (Hindu)
Sunday - Tuesday, March 10 - April 9: Ramadan** (Muslim)
Monday - Tuesday, May 7: Eastern Orthodox Beginning of Lent (Christian Orthodox)
Tuesday - Wednesday, March 19 - 20: NowRuz*** (Multifaith / Baha'i / Zoroastrianism)
Tuesday - Wednesday, March 19 - 20: Ostara ( Pagan / Wiccan)
Saturday - Sunday, March 23 - 24: Purim* (Jewish)
Sunday - Monday, March 24 - 25: Holi (Hindu)
Friday, March 29: Good Friday (Christian)
Sunday, March 31: Easter (Chrisitian)
Saturday, April 6: Laylat al-Qadr** (Muslim)
Monday, April 8: Hanamatsuri (Buddhist)
Tuesday - Friday, April 9 - 12: Eid al-Fitr** (Muslim)
Saturday, April 13: Vaisakhi (Sikh)
Wednesday, April 17: Ramanavami (Hindu)
Saturday, April 20: First Day of Ridván*** (Bahai'i)
Monday - the following Tuesday, April 22 - 30: Passover (Pesach)* (Jewish)
Sunday, April 28: Ninth Day of Ridván*** (Bahai'i)
Wednesday, May 1: Beltane (Pagan / Wiccan)
Wednesday, May 1: Twelfth Day of Ridván*** (Baha'i)
Friday, May 3: Eastern Orthodox Good Friday (Christian Orthodox)
Sunday, May 5: Eastern Orthodox Easter (Christian Orthodox)
Thursday, May 9: Ascension Day (Christian)
Friday - Saturday, May 10 -11: Shabbat**** (Jewish)
Wednesday, May 15: Buddha's Birthday (Buddhist)
Thursday, May 23: Vesak/Visakha (Buddhist)
Thursday, May 23: Declaration of the Bab*** (Baha'i)
* These holy days begin and end at sundown on the first and last days listed.
** These holidays are calculated on a lunar calendar and are approximate. Muslim holidays begin and end at sundown on the first and last days listed.
*** The Baha'i day ends and a new one begins at sunset; consequently, the day on which a Holy Day is observed begns at sunset of the day before the Gregorian calendar dates given above.
**** Please note also the weekly Jewish Shabbat restrictions and when those restrictions fall during Final Exams. For observant members of the Jewish community, no work or travel should take place from Friday at sundown through Saturday at sundown. During the 2023-2024 academic year, these dates are affected: Friday, Dec. 15 and Sat., Dec. 16; and Fri., May 10 and Sat. May, 11.