Below are many of the religious holidays observed by members of the Washington University in St. Louis community. Please note that individual practices may vary.
Presented here are many of the religious holidays observed by members of the Washington University in St. Louis community. Please note that individual practices may vary.
Fall 2026
*Begins sundown **Fasting or dietary restrictions ***Work restriction
August 1: Lughnasadh (Pagan/Wiccan)** – a festival marking the beginning of the harvest season
August 9: Raksha Bandhan (Hinduism) – a festival to symbolize the love between a brother and a sister
August 15: Feast of the Assumption of Mary (Catholic Christianity)** – holy day marking the assumption of Mary’s body and soul into heaven
August 26: Mawlid al-Nabi (Islam)* – celebrates the birth of Prophet Muhammad *Begins sundown August 25
September 3-4: Krishna Janmashtami (Hinduism)** – commemoration of the birth of Krishna *Fasting
September 11 to 18: Paryushan Parva (Jainism)** – eight-day festival of forgiveness and self-discipline *Fasting
September 12-13: Rosh Hashanah (Judaism)* *** – Jewish New Year and beginning of High Holy Days *Begins sundown September 11 and ends at nightfall of September 13, work restriction
September 14: Ganesh Chaturthi / Vinayaka Chaturthi (Hinduism) – commemorates the birth of Ganesh
September 14: Tzom Gedaliah (Judaism)** – Fast of the Gedaliah
September 21: Yom Kippur (Judaism)* *** – Day of Atonement
September 22: Mabon (Pagan/Wiccan) – celebrates the autumnal equinox
September 26-27: Sukkot (Judaism)* *** – Feast of Tabernacles
October 3-4: Shemini Atzeret & Simchat Torah (Judaism)* *** – eight day holiday and celebrating the Torah reading cycle
October 11 – October 20: Navaratri (Hinduism) – festival of the divine mother in all her forms
October 20: Dussehra (Hinduism)*** – commemoration of the last of the days of judgment
October 31: Reformation Day (Protestant Christianity) – celebration in remembrance of the onset of the Reformation
November 1: All Saints’ Day (Christianity) – honors all saints known and unknown
November 1: Samhain (Wiccan, Pagan)* – festival honoring endings, beginnings, and the dead. It is the start of the Pagan New Year.
November 2: All Souls’ Day (Christianity) – commemoration of the souls of those who have died
November 8: Diwali (Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism)*** – festival of Lights *Work restriction, five-day festival, observances may occur on other days
November 11 – 12: Twin Holy Days (Bahá’í Faith)* *** – celebration of the birth of the founder of the Bahá’í Faith
November 24: Guru Nanak Jayanti (Sikh) – celebrates the birth and founder of Sikhism
November 26: Day of the Covenant (Bahá’í)* – celebrates the appointment of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the Centre of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant
November 29: Yud Tes Kislev (Judaism) – celebrates the redemption of R. Schneur Zalman from false charges and imprisonment. Celebrated as Rosh Hashanah for the Chasidic movement.
December 8: Bodhi Day (Buddhism) – celebration of Buddha’s attainment of enlightenment
December 8: Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary (Catholic Christianity) – Observes the immaculate conception of Mary by Joachim and Anne
December 5-12: Hanukkah (Judaism)*– Festival of Lights
December 12: Our Lady of Guadalupe (Catholic Christianity) – celebration of the apparitions of Mary to St. Juan Diego in Tepeyac in 1531
December 20: Asara B’Tevet (Judaism) – the Tenth of Tevet
December 21: Yule (Pagan/Wiccan) – winter solstice in the northern hemisphere
December 25: Christmas (Christianity) – celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ
December 26: Zarathosht No-Diso (Zoroastrian)** – commemorates death of Zarathustra
Spring 2027
*Begins sundown **Fasting or dietary restrictions ***Work restriction
January 1: Feast of Mary Mother of God (Catholic Christianity) – celebration of the motherhood of Mary
January 1 : Oshogatsu (Shinto) – celebration of New Year, thanking the kami, and asking for good fortune
January 6: Epiphany (Christianity) – Feast Day celebrating the revelation of God the Son as a human in Jesus Christ
January 6: Christmas (Orthodox Christianity) – celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ
January 6: Lailat al-Miraj (Islam)* – celebration of the Prophet Muhammad’s ascent to heaven
January 15: Makar Sankranti (Hinduism) – celebration of the Sun god
January 15: Birth of Guru Gobind Singh (Sikh)
January 11: Vasant Panchami (Hinduism) – holy day dedicated to Goddess Saraswati
February 1: Imbolc (Pagan/Wiccan)* – marks the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, symbolizing the gradual return of light and warmth to the earth, begins at sundown on Sunday, January 31, Ends at sundown on Monday
February 6: Lunar New Year in 2027 will be celebrated on Saturday, celebration of a start of the new lunar cycle. Festivities traditionally begin on New Year’s Eve, which falls on Friday, February 5, 2027
February 7: Muharram (Islam)– Islamic New Year
February 8: Ramadan (Islam)* ** – commemoration of the Prophet Muhammad receiving divine revelation as recorded in the Qur’an. Begins evening of February 7, fasting daily from dawn until sundown; dates may vary by regional moon sightings.
February 10: Ash Wednesday (Christianity)** – beginning of Lent. Fasting and repentance; marks the start of a 40-day period leading up to Easter
February 15: Ashura (Islam)* – commemoration of the martyrdom of Hussein and Moses’ gratitude fasting.
March 6: Maha Shivratri** – festival of worship of the Hindu god Shiva, along with his wife Parvati, the “mother goddess in 2027will be observed on Saturday
March 10*: Eid al-Fitr is anticipated to begin on the evening of March 9, with the main day of celebration on Wednesday, March 10.
March 23: Magha Puja Day (Buddhism) – celebration of Lord Buddha’s teaching to an assembly
March 2–20: Nineteen Day Fast (Bahá’í Faith)** – Fast observed by Bahá’í adults. Fasting from sunrise to sunset.
March 15, 2027, Clean Monday (also known as Ash Monday in some traditions) which marks the beginning of Lent in Eastern Orthodox Christianity
March 20: Ostara (Pagan, Wiccan) – honors the awakening of the Earth, balance, renewal, and rebirth. Spring Equinox celebration.
March 20: Nowruz (Zoroastrianism and Bahá’í Faith)* – Persian New Year will begin on the evening of March 19 and be celebrated on March 20, 2027.
March 21: Palm Sunday (Christianity) – Celebration of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem
March 22: Ta’anit Esther (Judaism)** – commemorating the three-day fast observed by the Jewish people in the story of Purim.
March 22: Holi (Hinduism)** – Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colors, Love and Spring. It celebrates the eternal and divine love of the deities Radha and Krishna.
March 23: Purim (Judaism)* – Celebration of Jewish deliverance as told by Megilat Esther
March 25: Holy/Maundy Thursday (Christianity) – Commemoration of Jesus’ Last Supper
March 26: Good Friday (Christianity) – Commemoration of the crucifixion of Jesus Fasting
March 28: Easter (Christianity – Western tradition) – celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus, observed on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox
April 14: Vaisakhi (Sikhism) – celebration of the formation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh
April 19: Mahavir Jayanti** – celebrated by followers of Jainism to honor the birth and life of the founder of Jainism, Lord Mahavira.
April 22–29: Passover (Judaism)* ** *** – Festival of Freedom
April 23: Holy Thursday (Orthodox Christianity)** – commemoration of Jesus’ Last Supper, observed on the Thursday before Orthodox Easter
April 25: Palm Sunday (Orthodox Christianity) – commemoration of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, observed on the Sunday before Orthodox Easter
April 30: Good Friday (Orthodox Christianity) – commemoration of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ
April 20 – May 2: Ridván (Bahá’í Faith)** *** – Begins evening April 20; Work restrictions: 4/20 sundown – 4/21 sundown, 4/28 sundown – 4/29 sundown, 5/1 sundown – 5/2 sundown.
May 1: Beltane (Wicca, Paganism)* – Festival of Light honoring fertility and creation.
May 2: Easter (Orthodox Christianity) – celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus
May 6: Ascension (Christianity) – commemoration of the ascension of Jesus into heaven.
May 16: Pentecost (Christianity) – 50 days after Easter, commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit
May 16: Eid al-Adha (Islam)* *** – Festival of Sacrifice; begins sundown May 16, work restrictions May 16 sundown – May 17 sundown (Note: Islamic dates may vary by region due to moon sightings)
May 20: Buddha’s Birthday (Buddhism) – celebrated on different dates by different cultures and regions (usually in April or May).
May 24: Declaration of the Báb (Bahá’í Faith)** *** – celebration of Ali Muhammad’s announcement that he was the “gate” to the promised coming of all religions; begins sundown of May 23, continues through the day on Monday, May 24.
May 29: Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh (Bahá’í Faith)* *** – commemoration of the death of Bahá’u’lláh, founder of the Bahá’í Faith
June 6: Muharram (Islam)* – Islamic calendar new year, begins sundown June 5
June 11 – 12: Shavuot (Judaism)* – Festival of Receiving the Torah. Begins sundown on June 10, concludes at nightfall on Saturday, June 12
June 21: Litha (Pagan, Wiccan)** – celebration honoring the Summer Solstice and the peak of light
July 9: Martyrdom of the Báb (Bahá’í Faith)* *** – memorial of the execution of the Báb
Begins evening July 8, work restrictions July 9
July 22: Fast of 17 of Tammuz (Judaism)** – commemorating the breach of the walls of Jerusalem before the Second Temple’s destruction