Interfaith Religious Holidays - Emporia State University

Interfaith Religious Holidays
Christian Calendar
All Saints Day
November 01, 2018
All Saints' Day is a Christian festival, celebrated to pay tribute to all the saints. The celebration
day may vary from place to place but the motto remains the same. Western Christianity
celebrates this day on 1st November while the Eastern Christianity celebrates on the first
Sunday after Pentecost.

Christmas Eve
December 24, 2018
On the Christmas Eve, churches around the world hold evening services. At midnight, most
churches hold special candlelight services. Santa Claus is a popular character in the Christmas
celebration who brings gifts for the children.

Christmas Day
December 25, 2018
Christmas is an annual holiday celebrated by the Christians, on 25th December, in the major
part of the world, to celebrate the Nativity of Jesus Christ. Christians believe that Jesus is the
son of God, the Messiah sent from Heaven to save the world. It is believed that Jesus was born
to Mary in Bethlehem around two thousand years ago. Jesus was born in a manger because
there was no room for him and for his parents, Mary and Joseph. The word Christmas comes
from Cristes maesse, an early English phrase that means Mass of Christ.

Watch Night
December 31, 2018
It is a tradition in the Black Church in America that five minutes before midnight, men, women
and children will kneel, hold hands and pray to God from the present year into the New Year.

Epiphany
January 06, 2019
Epiphany is one of the most important Christian festivals, as it shows how God comes to His
people and reveals His salvation to the world. The word Epiphany comes from the Greek word
"epiphaneia", which means "appearance" or "manifestation". Every year this day falls on 6th
January or in some countries, on the Sunday that falls between 2nd January and 8th January.

Ash Wednesday
March 01, 2019
Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting, is the first day of Lent in Western Christianity. It occurs 46
days (40 fasting days, if the six Sundays, which are not days of fast, are excluded) before
Easter and can fall as early as February 4 or as late as March 10.

Palm Sunday
April 09, 2019
The Sunday before Easter, when the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem is celebrated in
many Christian churches by processions in which palm fronds are carried.

Maundy Thursday
April 13th, 2019
Maundy Thursday is a Christian festival celebrated by Christians around the world, especially in
countries dominated by Christianity such as large parts of Europe, USA etc. The day is
celebrated on a Thursday before Easter and usually falls in the early parts of April. The day is
celebrated to commemorate the occasion of Last Supper of Jesus Christ, as described in the
Bible, whereby Jesus shared a meal with his disciples a day before his crucifixion.

Good Friday
April 14, 2019
Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday or Black Friday is one of the major
holidays primarily observed by Christians. Good Friday is the Friday during Holy Week and falls
before Easter Day. This is basically a time of fasting and penance, commemorating the
anniversary of Jesus Christ's death on the Cross.

Easter (Resurrection Sunday)
April 16, 2019
Easter is a festival celebrated by Christians to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The festival celebrates the resurrection of Jesus and is considered as a rebirth of Christianity.
The earliest references of the celebration of this festival date back to the 2nd century.

Ascension of Jesus
May 25, 2019
Ascension Day also known as the Feast of Ascension is one of the important Christian festivals
celebrated in all over the world. This day marks the last appearance of Lord Jesus Christ to his
followers after His resurrection at Easter. Ascension Day falls on the Thursday, exactly 40 days
after the Easter.

Islamic Holidays
Milad un Nabi
November 20 – 21, 2018
The Prophet's Birthday, or Milad un Nabi as it is commonly known in Muslim culture, is
celebrated in most of the Muslim countries and in India as well. The day is celebrated to
commemorate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. It is celebrated in the third month of the
Islamic calendar. While the Shias celebrate it on the 17th of the month, the Sunnis celebrate on
the 12th of the month, according to the Islamic calendar. The date of this festival varies in the
Gregorian calendar.

Leilat al-Meiraj
April 3, 2019
Muslims worldwide celebrate the Leilat al-Meiraj, also known as The Prophet's Ascension. Due
to the Gregorian solar calendar, the date varies each year compared to the Islamic lunar
calendar, according to which the journey takes place on the night of the 27th of Rajab. This
journey is one of the wonders of Muhammad, which was a gift by Allah. He wanted to show the
prophet some signs to demonstrate his power in the universe. Allah led Muhammad in one night
from Mecca to Jerusalem and then to heaven and back.

Lailatul Barat
April 20, 2019
The time of religious reflection starts and leads to the holy month of Ramadan. This event takes
place on the night between the 14th and the 15th of the holy month of Sha'ban. Due to the lunar
calendar, which is used in the Islamic world, the date varies every year in the Gregorian solar
calendar. According to tradition, the Prophet Muhammad referred to this special night and the
goodness of Allah, and motivated the people to stay awake at night and to fast during the day.

Ramadan

May 5, 2018 – June 4, 2019
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which is spent by Muslims fasting from
dawn to sunset, and with extra prayers. While fasting Muslims refrain from consuming food,
drinking liquids, smoking, and engaging in sexual relations. As the Islamic calendar is a lunar
calendar, Ramadan begins when the first crescent of a new moon is sighted. The religious feast
is celebrated during the entire month.

Laylat al-Qadr
May 31, 2019
That night Allah sent the Koran to the Prophet Mohammad. The exact date of this night has
never been exposed to the people by Allah. The majority of scholars, however, assumes that
the correct date is the 27th night of the month of Ramadan. Due to the Islamic lunar calendar,
the date varies in the Gregorian solar calendar every year.

Eid al-Fitr
June 3-4, 2018
The Islamic festival is also calls Feast of Breaking the Fast, Bayram or Sugar Feast. It belongs
to the most important religious holidays celebrated by Muslims worldwide. Eid al-Fitr marks the
end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of dawn-to-sunset fasting. It is forbidden to fast during
Eid al-Fitr.

Hindu Holidays
Dhanteras
November 5, 2018
Indian culture is one of the ancient and unique cultures in the world. India is often and justly
described as a land of fairs and festivals. Every month of the calendar holds a festival that one
can enjoy and celebrate. It is impossible to understand India, and her people fully without the

knowledge of Indian festivals. Festivals are India's pride and treasure. They are the fragrance of
our religion. In the ancient India, festivals went hand in hand with religion. In one sense we may
say that festival turned inward is religion and religion turned outward is festival. Thus, the
festivals are so deeply imbued with our culture that we (Indians) have great adherent with them.

Bhai Dooj
November 9, 2018
A festival celebrated by Hindus of India and Nepal on the second lunar day of Shukla Paksha
(bright fortnight) in the Vikram Samvat Hindu calendar month of Kartika. It is celebrated during
the Diwali or Tihar festival.

Kartik Poornima
November 23, 2018
Hindu and Jain holy festival, celebrated on the Purnima (full moon) day or the fifteenth lunar day
of Kartik (November–December). It is also known as Tripuri Purnima and Tripurari Purnima. It is
sometimes called Deva-Diwali or Deva-Deepawali - the festival of lights of the gods.

Geeta Jayanti
December 18, 2018
The birthday of Bhagvad Gita, the sacred text of the Hindus. It is celebrated on the Shukla
Ekadashi, 11th day of the waxing moon of Margashirsha month of the Hindu calendar.

Dhanu Sankranti
December 16, 2018

Dhanu Sankranti or Dhanu Sankraman is an auspicious day as per Hindu mythology and occurs
when the Sun enters the Sagittarius sun sign or the dhanu rashi. It is of special importance in
the state of Orissa where this day is celebrated with great joy. The start of Dhanur Mas is
observed with special puja offered to Lord Jagannath. Dhanur Mas is said to start on makar
Sankranti. This day is also celebrated by worshipping the Sun God.

Maha Shivaratri
March 4, 2019
Hindu festival celebrated annually in honor of the god Shiva. It is a major festival in Hinduism,
but one that is solemn and marks a remembrance of "overcoming darkness and ignorance" in
life and the world.

Holi
March 20-21, 2019
Holi (also known as Phagwah or Bhojpuri) is celebrated on the Phalgun Purnima (or
Pooranmashi, Full Moon) in the month of Phalgun according to the Hindu calendar. It lasts for a
night and a day, starting on the evening of the Purnima (Full Moon day). The first evening is
known as Holika Dahan or Chhoti Holi and the following day as Holi, Rangwali Holi, Dhuleti,
Dhulandi, or Phagwah.

Ram Navami
April 14, 2019
Hindu festival that celebrates the birthday of god Rama. The festival is a part of the spring
Navratri, and falls on the ninth day of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) in the Hindu calendar
month of Chaitra.

Rath Yatra
July 4, 2019
Rath Yatra (sometimes Ratha Yatra or Jagannatha Puri Ratha Yatra) is a large annual festival
originating in the city of Puri. Most of the city’s society is based around the worship of Lord
Jagannath (Krishna) with the ancient famous Jagannatha temple being the fulcrum of the area.
Rath Yatra day is decided based on Hindu Lunar calendar and it is fixed on Dwitiya Tithi during
Shukla Paksha of Ashada month. Currently, it falls in the months of June or July in the
Gregorian calendar.

Buddhist Holiday
Mahayana New Year
January 21-23, 2019
In Mahayana countries the New Year starts on the first full moon day in January. However, the
Buddhist New Year depends on the country of origin or ethnic background of the people. As for
example, Chinese, Koreans and Vietnamese celebrate late January or early February according
to the lunar calendar, whilst the Tibetans usually celebrate about one month later.

Bodhi day
January 24, 2019
Buddhist we take the day to focus our commitment to the path by practicing longer meditation.
Many Buddhist will recite the five precepts on the Bodhi day to help reaffirm their belief and
conviction towards the path. A great way to get kids involved how the Buddha gained
enlightenment. It is the essential day to plant and grow seeds of enlightenment of Buddha within
you. Bodhi day is of importance to Buddhists being especially celebrated by Buddhists of the
Pure Land, but participating in your own way can be noteworthy experience for any one of any
culture.

Ritual Purification (Dugzhuuba)
February 3, 2019
A special purification ceremony on the eve of the New Year. Since ancient times, the people
who practice Buddhism, are very sensitive and serious about this rite.

Parinirvana of Buddha Shakyamuni
February 15, 2019

In Buddhism, the term parinirvana (Sanskrit: parinirvāṇa; Pali: parinibbāna) is commonly used to
refer to nirvana-after-death, which occurs upon the death of the body of someone who has
attained nirvana during his or her lifetime. It implies a release from the Saṃsāra, karma and
rebirth as well as the dissolution of the skandhas. In some Mahāyāna scriptures, notably the
Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, Parinirvāṇa is described as the realm of the eternal true Self
of the Buddha.

Tibetan New Year (Losar)
February 5-7, 2018
Losar is celebrated for 15 days, with the main celebrations on the first three days. On the first
day of Losar, a beverage called changkol is made from chhaang (a Tibetan cousin of beer). The
second day of Losar is known as King's Losar (gyalpo losar). Losar is traditionally preceded by
the five day practice of Vajrakilaya. Because the Uyghurs adopted the Chinese calendar, and
the Mongols and Tibetans adopted the Uyghur calendar, Losar occurs near or on the same day
as the Chinese New Year and the Mongolian New Year, but the traditions of Losar are unique to
Tibet, and predate both Indian and Chinese influences. Originally, ancient celebrations of Losar
occurred solely on the winter solstice, and was only moved to coincide with the Chinese and
Mongolian New Year by a leader of the Gelug school of Buddhism.

Mongolian New Year (Tsagaan Sar)
February 5, 2019
The Mongolian Lunar New Year, commonly known as Tsagaan Sar (Mongolian: Цагаан сар /
!"#"$ %"&'; Buryat: Сагаан һара; Oirat: Цаһан сар or literally White Moon), is the first day of the
year according to the Mongolian lunar calendar. The festival of the lunar New Year is celebrated
by the Mongols. The White Moon festival is celebrated one month after the first new moon
following the winter solstice. Tsagaan Sar is one of the most important Mongolian holidays.

15 Wonders of the Buddha (Monlam Chenmo)
February 5, 2019
Monlam Chenmo is a two-week period during which the Buddha performed various miracles.
The two weeks of holy days are observed with the Tibetan Great Prayer Festival beginning on
Tibetan New Year, and, on the final day - the Day of Miracles - many fesitvals and rituals are
held.

Sangha Day
February 19, 2019
A holiday dedicated to the brotherhood of Buddhist monks and those who keep this doctrine. It
is celebrated on the full moon of the first lunar month.

Magha Puja
February 19, 2019
Buddhist festival celebrated on the full moon day of Māgha in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and
Tabodwe in Myanmar. The spiritual aims of the day are: not to commit any kind of sins; do only
good; purify one's mind. Māgha Pūjā is a public holiday in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and

Thailand and is an occasion when Buddhists tend to go to the temple to perform merit-making
activities.

Choutrul Duchen
March 02, 2019
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Buddhism in
Tibet, Mongolia, Tuva, Bhutan, Kalmykia, Buryatia and certain regions of the Himalayas,
including northern Nepal, and India (particularly in Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Dharamsala,
Lahaul and Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim). It is the state religion of Bhutan. It is
also practiced in Mongolia and parts of Russia (Kalmykia, Buryatia, and Tuva) and Northeast
China. Religious texts and commentaries are contained in the Tibetan Buddhist canon such that
Tibetan is a spiritual language of these areas. Tibetan Buddhism preserves the Vajrayana
teachings of eighth century India. Tibetan Buddhism aspires to Buddhahood or rainbow body.

Avalokitesvara's Birthday
March 21, 2019
Buddhist holiday is especially popular in Nepal and Tibet. Celebrated on the full moon day of the
second month of the lunar calendar.

Thai New Year (Songkran)
April 13-15, 2019
Songkran celebration is rich with symbolic traditions. The morning begins with merit-making.
Visiting local temple and offering food to the Buddhist monks are commonly practiced; however,
on this specific occasion, performing water pouring on Buddha statues is considered an iconic
ritual for this holiday – it represents purification and the washing away all of their sins and bad
luck. As a festival of unity, people who have moved away usually return homes to their loved
ones and elder family members.

Theravada New Year
April 19, 2019
Theravada New Year - Buddhist festival celebrated followers of Theravada. Celebrated for three
days from the first full moon day in April. During the festival at the monasteries and churches
are built sand hills, symbolizing Mount Meru - the center of the universe and the abode of the
deities in the Buddhist cosmology. On Buddha statues wearing robes, which are then distributed
to the monks. In Burma and Laos, there is a custom to buy live fish and release it into the wild,
thus showing compassion for living beings. In Thailand, made to pour water on each other with
water and sprinkle Buddha statues.

Kalachakra festival (Duynhor-Khural)
April 19, 2019
The Duynhor-Khural is celebrated during three days, from 14th to 16th day of the third month of
the lunar calendar (April-May). The main celebration falls on full moon day. During the days of
the festival, solemn prayers (Khural) are held in monasteries by reading the Kalachakra Tantra
laghu-raja treatise. A typical element of these prayers is that while reading the monks wear
special head-dresses and use sacred objects which symbolize the elements of the Kalachakra
Tantra teaching. During these days particular importance is given to reading mantras.

Plowing day (Raek Na Khwan)
May 22, 2019
An ancient royal rite held in many Asian countries to mark the traditional beginning of the rice
growing season. The royal ploughing ceremony, called Lehtun Mingala or Mingala Ledaw, was
also practiced in pre-colonial Burma until 1885 when the monarchy was abolished.

Buddha's Birthday

May 11, 2019
The birthday of the Prince Siddhartha Gautama, is a holiday traditionally celebrated in
Mahayana Buddhism. According to the Theravada Tripitaka scriptures (from Pali, meaning
"three baskets"), Gautama was born in Lumbini in modern-day Nepal, around the year 563
BCE, and raised in Kapilavastu.

Vesak
May 19, 2019
Also known as Buddha Purnima and Buddha Day, is a holiday observed traditionally by
Buddhists on different days in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Tibet, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia,
Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Myanmar and in
other places all over the world. Sometimes informally called "Buddha's Birthday", it actually
commemorates the birth, enlightenment (nirvāna), and death (Parinirvāna) of Gautama Buddha
in the Theravada or southern tradition.

Poson Poya Day
June 17, 2019
Poson full-moon poya day (Poson Poya Day / Poson Festival) is celebrated the arrival of
Buddhism in Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BC, a festival of great historical and religious
significance celebrated island-wide by Buddhists. Poson, held on the full moon day of June,
commemorates the occasion over 2,000 years ago when Arahat Mahinda, son of Emperor
Asoka of India, converted King Devanampiyatissa to Buddhism. The main center of celebration
is Mihintale, the ancient monastic complex where the royal missionary monk Mahinda perched
the first sermon to the ruling king and at Anuradhapura the ancient capital, to which large crowd
of pilgrims converge. Mass religious observances, illuminations pageants are part of the
celebrations.

Dzam Ling Chi Sang
June 17, 2019

It is the state religion of Bhutan. It is also practiced in Mongolia and parts of Russia (Kalmykia,
Buryatia, and Tuva) and Northeast China. Religious texts and commentaries are contained in
the Tibetan Buddhist canon such that Tibetan is a spiritual language of these areas. Tibetan
Buddhism preserves the Vajrayana teachings of eighth century India. Tibetan Buddhism aspires
to Buddhahood or rainbow body.

Jewish Holidays
Sukkot
September 24-25 2018
September 26-30 2018
A Biblical holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei (late September to late
October). It is one of the three biblically mandated festivals Shalosh regalim on which Jews
were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.

Shmini Atzeret
October 1, 2018
It is celebrated on the 22nd day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei (first month of calendar). In the
Diaspora, an additional day is celebrated, the second day being separately referred to as
Simchat Torah. In Israel and Reform Judaism, the holidays of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat
Torah are combined into a single day and the names are used interchangeably.

Simchat Torah
October 2, 2018
A celebration marking the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and the
beginning of a new cycle. Simchat Torah is a component of the Biblical Jewish holiday of

Shemini Atzeret ("Eighth Day of Assembly"), which follows immediately after the festival of
Sukkot in the month of Tishrei (mid-September to early October on the Gregorian calendar).

Chanukah
December 3-10, 2018
Known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication
of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of
the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day
of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to
late December in the Gregorian calendar.

Purim
March 21, 2019
A Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient
Persian Empire from destruction in the wake of a plot by Haman, a story recorded in the Biblical
Book of Esther (Megillat Esther).

Pesach
April 20-27, 2019
Passover (Hebrew: ‫ פֶּסַח‬Pesach) commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the
ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. Passover begins on the 15th day of the
month of Nisan in the Jewish calendar, which is in spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and is
celebrated for seven or eight days. It is one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays.

Shavuot
June 9-10, 2019
The festival of Shavuot (or Shavuos, in Ashkenazi usage; Shabhuʿoth in Classical and Mizrahi
Hebrew Hebrew: ‫שבועות‬, lit. "Weeks") is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the
Hebrew month of Sivan (late May or early June). Shavuot commemorates the anniversary of the

day God gave the Torah to the entire Israelite nation assembled at Mount Sinai, although the
association between the giving of the Torah (Matan Torah) and Shavuot is not explicit in the
Biblical text. The holiday is one of the Shalosh Regalim, the three Biblical pilgrimage festivals. It
marks the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer.

Tish'a B'Av
August 11, 2019
An annual fast day in Judaism, named for the ninth day (Tisha) of the month of Av in the
Hebrew calendar. The fast commemorates the destruction of both the First Temple and Second
Temple in Jerusalem, which occurred about 655 years apart, but on the same Hebrew calendar
date. Tisha B'Av is never observed on Shabbat. If the 9th of Av falls on a Saturday, the fast is
postponed until the 10th of Av.