2013 Ethnic and Religious Calendar
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The calendar that follows was prepared to broaden the University community's recognition of its diverse ethnic perspectives. The listing is not exhaustive and some variances of dates will exist due to regional differences. It was prepared based on calendars or information posted on the web. |
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JANUARY |
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Diversity in the Workforce Month |
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Crime Stoppers Month |
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National Blood Donor Month |
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| 1st | New Year's Day / Gantan-sai | Gregorian; Shinto | |||||||||||
| 1st | Feast of Saint Basil (Commemorates the death of St. Basil) | Orthodox Christian | |||||||||||
| 5th | Birth of Guru Gobindh Singh (Last Sikh spiritual master) | Sikh | |||||||||||
| 5th | Twelfth Night (festival marking the coming of the Epiphany and concluding the Twelve Days of Christmas) | Christian | |||||||||||
| 6th | Feast of the Theophany (Commemorates the baptism of our Lord) | Orthodox Christian | |||||||||||
| 6th | Epiphany/Three Kings Day (Celebrates the Three Kings' visit to baby Jesus) | Christian | |||||||||||
| 6th | Festival of the Three Kings/Dia de los Reyes (Celebrate the visit of the Magi) | Hispanic Christian | |||||||||||
| 7th | Nativity of Jesus Christ (Account of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth) | Orthodox Christian | |||||||||||
| 7th | Feast of the Nativity | Orthodox Christian | |||||||||||
| 13th | Maghi (Commemorates the martyrdom of the "Forty Immortals") | Sikh | |||||||||||
| 14th | Makar Sankranti (Festival that signifies the beginning of the Harvest Season) | Hindu | |||||||||||
| 15th | World Religion Day (In celebration of unity and oneness of all world religions) | Bahá'í | |||||||||||
| 17th | Blessing of the Animals | Hispanic Christian | |||||||||||
| 18th - 25th | Week of prayer for Christian Unity | Christian | |||||||||||
| 21st | Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday Observed | United States | |||||||||||
| 24th | Mawlid al Nabi (The Prophet Muhammad's Birthday) | Islamic | |||||||||||
| 25th* | Tu B'Shevat (New Year of the Trees) | Judaism | |||||||||||
| 27th - 30th | Mahayana New Year | Buddhist | |||||||||||
| *Sunset | |||||||||||||
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FEBRUARY |
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African Americian History Month |
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American Heart Month |
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| 1st | National Freedom Day (Honors the signing of the 13th Amendment) | United States | |||||||||||
| 2nd | Candlemas (Celebration of the presentation of Jesus at the Temple) | Christian | |||||||||||
| 2nd | Ground Hog Day | United States | |||||||||||
| 3rd | Setsubun Sai (Celebration of the change of season with the coming of Spring) | Shinto | |||||||||||
| 5th | Triodion Begins (Lenten Period) | Orthodox Christian | |||||||||||
| 8th / 15th | Parinirvana (Festival marking the anniversary of Buddha's death - Nirvana Day) | Buddhist | |||||||||||
| 10th | Chinese New Year | Cufucian, Daoist, Buddhist | |||||||||||
| 12th | Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday) | Christian | |||||||||||
| 13th | Ash Wednesday | Christian | |||||||||||
| 13th | Lent Begins (40-day period of fasting and prayer before Easter) | Christian | |||||||||||
| 14th | Nirvana Day | Buddhist | |||||||||||
| 14th | St. Valentine's Day (Day in which lovers express their love for one another) | Christian | |||||||||||
| 15th | Vasant Panchami (Hindu festival celebrating Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning) | Hindu | |||||||||||
| 17th - 23rd | Brotherhood/Sisterhood Week (Reaffirmation of human brotherhood) | Interfaith | |||||||||||
| 18th | President's Day (In honor of great American presidents born in February) | United States | |||||||||||
| 23rd* | Purim (Commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people from destruction) | Judaism | |||||||||||
| 24th | Triodion Begins (Lenten Period) | Orthodox Christian | |||||||||||
| 26th - Mar. 1st | Ayyam-I-Ha (Intercalary Day in the Bahá'í calendar) | Bahá'í | |||||||||||
| *Sunset | |||||||||||||
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MARCH |
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National Women's History Month |
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Irish-American and Greek-American Heritage Month |
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American Red Cross Month |
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| 1st | St. David's Day (Commemorates St. David, Patron Saint of Wales) | Christian | |||||||||||
| 2nd - 20th | Nineteen-Day Fast (Observed to reinvigorate the soul and bring one closer to God) | Bahá'í | |||||||||||
| 8th | International Women's Day (Celebrates women's achievements throughout history) | - | |||||||||||
| 10th | Meatfare Sunday (Last day for eating meat before the Great Lent) | Orthodox Christian | |||||||||||
| 10th | Maha Shivaratri (Festival celebrated in honor of Lord Shiva) | ||||||||||||
| 17th | St. Patrick's Day | Christian | |||||||||||
| 18th | Clean Monday (Lent Begins) | Orthodox Christian | |||||||||||
| 19th | St. Joseph's Day (In remembrance of Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary) | Christian | |||||||||||
| 20th | Vernal Equinox (Spring) | - | |||||||||||
| 21st | Naw Ruz (Baha'i New Year) | Bahá'í | |||||||||||
| 23rd | Hindu New Year | Hindu | |||||||||||
| 24th | Palm Sunday | Christian | |||||||||||
| 25th | Feast of Annunciation of the Virgin Mary | Christian | |||||||||||
| 25th - April 2nd* | Passover (Pesach) | Judaism | |||||||||||
| 27th | Holi (Celebrating the joyful spring Festival of Colors) | Hindu | |||||||||||
| 27th | Magha Puja Day (Celebration in honor of the Sagnha or Buddhist community) | Buddhist | |||||||||||
| 28th | Hola Mohalla (Lunar New Year) | Sikh | |||||||||||
| 29th | Good Friday (Commemorates the crucifixion and eventual death of Jesus) | Christian | |||||||||||
| 31st | Easter | Christian | |||||||||||
| *Sunset | |||||||||||||
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APRIL |
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Holocaust Remembrance Month |
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Celebrate Diversity Month |
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National Autism Awareness Month |
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| 6th* | Yom Hasho'ah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) | Judaism | |||||||||||
| 8th | Hana Matsuri (Flower festival celebrating the birth of Buddha) | Buddhist | |||||||||||
| 11th | Hindu New Year | Hindu | |||||||||||
| 14th | Baisakhi/Vaisakhi (Ancient Harvest Festival which marks the beginning of a New Solar Year) | Sikh/Hindu | |||||||||||
| 14th* | Yom HaZikaron (Israeli Memorial Day) | Judaism | |||||||||||
| 15th* | Yom Ha'atzmaut (Commemorates Israel's Declaration of Independence in 1948) | Judaism | |||||||||||
| 20th | Ramanavami (Celebration of the birth of Rama) | Hindu | |||||||||||
| 21st | Ridvan Begins (12 Days) (Baha'ullah's Prophethood) | ||||||||||||
| 22nd | Earth Day (Promotes Environmental Awareness) | United Nations | |||||||||||
| 23rd | Mahavir Jayanti (Festival honoring the birth of Lord Mahavira) | Jain | |||||||||||
| 24th | Armenian Martyr's Day (Day of remembrance for the one million Armenians who died in the Turkish massacre of 1915-16) | Armenian | |||||||||||
| 25th | Theravadin New Year | Buddhist | |||||||||||
| 25th | Hanuman Jayanti (Celebration of the birth of Lord Hanuman, Hindu Deity of Power and Energy) | Hindu | |||||||||||
| 27th* | Lag B'Omer (Holiday celebrated on the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer) | Judaism | |||||||||||
| 29th | Ninth Day of Ridvan (Celebration of the arrival of Baha'ullah at a sacred garden) | Bahá'í | |||||||||||
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MAY |
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Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month |
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Judaism American Heritage Month |
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National Cancer Research Month |
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| 1st | May Day (Celebration of the coming of Spring) | United States; Canada | |||||||||||
| 2nd | Twelfth Day of Ridvan | Bahá'í | |||||||||||
| 3rd | National Day of Prayer | Interfaith USA | |||||||||||
| 5th | Cinco de Mayo (Mexican victory over the French Army in 1862) | Mexican | |||||||||||
| 8th | Jerusalem Day (Commemorates the Reunification of Jerusalem) | Judaism | |||||||||||
| 9th | Ascension Day (Celebrates the day that Christ ascended into Heaven) | Christian | |||||||||||
| 12th | Mother's Day | - | |||||||||||
| 14th - 16th* | Shavuot (Commemorating the anniversary of the day God gave the Torah to the entire Israelite nation assembled at Mount Sinai) | Judaism | |||||||||||
| 18th | Armed Forces Day | United States | |||||||||||
| 19th | Pentecost Day (Commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples) | Christian | |||||||||||
| 23rd | Declaration of the Bab | Bahá'í | |||||||||||
| 24th | Wesak/Buddha Day (Birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha) | Buddhist | |||||||||||
| 26th | Trinity Sunday (The first Sunday after Pentecost) | Christian | |||||||||||
| 27th | Memorial Day (Commemorates veterans who have died in military service to their country) | United States | |||||||||||
| 29th | Ascension of Baha'ullah (Founder of the Bahá'í Faith) | Bahá'í | |||||||||||
| 30th | Corpus Christi Day (Celebrates the Body of Christ, consecrated in the Mass) | Anglican; Catholic; Lutheran | |||||||||||
| *Sunset |
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JUNE |
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Gay and Lesbian Pride Month |
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Caribbean American Heritage Month |
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National Safety Month |
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| 5th | World Environment Day (Day to stimulate awareness of the environment) | United Nations | |||||||||||
| 5th | Lailat al Miraj (Recall the journey of Muhammad) | Islamic | |||||||||||
| 14th | Flag Day (Commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States) | United States | |||||||||||
| 16th | Martyrdom Day of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (5th of the 10 Gurus of Sikhism) | Sikh | |||||||||||
| 16th | Father's Day | United States | |||||||||||
| 19th | Juneteeth (Abolishment of slavery in Texas) | United States | |||||||||||
| 21st | Summer Solstice (The day of the year with the longest period of daylight) | - | |||||||||||
| 21st | First Nation's Day (Recognition of the Aboriginal people in Canada) | Canadian Native People | |||||||||||
| 24th | Nativity of St. John the Baptist (Celebrates the birthday of the cousin of Jesus) | Christian | |||||||||||
| 27th | Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith | Judaism | |||||||||||
| 29th | St. Peter and St. Paul Day (Liturgical feast in honor of the martyrdom in Rome of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul) | Christian | |||||||||||
| JULY | |||||||||||||
Celebrate Freedom Month
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Mental Illness Awareness Month
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1st
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Canada Day
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Canadian National Day
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4th
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Independence Day
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United States
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5th
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Birth of Guru Hargobind (Sixth Sikh Guru)
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Sikh
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9th
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Martyrdom of the Bab (Anniversary of the Bab's execution in 1850)
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Bahá'í
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9th
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Ramadan Begins
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Islamic |
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10th
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Rath Yatra in Puri (Festival commemorates the journey of Krishna from Gokul to Mathura)
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Hindu |
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13th - 15th
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Obon (Festival to honor deceased spirits of one's ancestors)
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Buddhist/Shinto |
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15th*
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Tisha B'Av (Annual day of fasting to commemorate the destruction of two Temples)
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Judaism |
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22nd
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Asalha Puja (Honors Buddha's 1st Sermon)
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Buddhist |
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23rd
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Lailat al Bara'at (Night of Repentance)
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Islam |
| 23rd | Birth of Guru Harkrishn (Eighth Sikh Guru) | Sikh | |||||||||||
| 24th | Pioneer Day (Commemorates the arrival of the first group of Mormon Pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley) | Mormon | |||||||||||
| 25th | St. James the Great (Disciple of Jesus) | Christian | |||||||||||
| *Sunset | |||||||||||||
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AUGUST |
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Equal Opportunity Month |
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National Immunization Awareness Month |
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| 1st | Lammas (Festival of the 1st Fruits of the Harvest) | Christian | |||||||||||
| 2nd | Raksha Bandhan (Celebrates Brother and Sisters) | Hindu | |||||||||||
| 3rd | Lailatur-Qadr (Anniversary of the night that the Qur'an is believed to have been revealed) | Islamic | |||||||||||
| 6th | Transfiguration of the Lord | Orthodox Christian | |||||||||||
| 8th | Eid-al-Fitr (Three-day Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan) | Islamic | |||||||||||
| 15th | Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary | Catholic; Christian | |||||||||||
| 28th | Krishna Janmashtami (Celebrates Birth of Krishna) | Hindu | |||||||||||
| 29th | Beheading of John the Baptist | Christian | |||||||||||
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SEPTEMBER |
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Hispanic Heritage Month |
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Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month |
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National Preparedness Month |
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| 1st | Ecclesiastical Year Begins | Orthodox Christian | |||||||||||
| 4th - 6th* | Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) | Judaism | |||||||||||
| 5th | Labor Day | United States | |||||||||||
| 9th | Ganesh Chaturthi (Celebration of the birth of Ganesh - God of Wisdom) | Hindu | |||||||||||
| 10th | Paryushana - Parva (8 day festival signifying human emergence into a new world of spiritual and moral refinement) | Jain | |||||||||||
| 11th | Patriot Day (Designated in memory of the 2,977 killed in the September 11, 2011 attacks) | United States | |||||||||||
| 13th* | Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) | Judaism | |||||||||||
| 16th | 16 de Septiembré (Mexican Independence Day) | Mexico | |||||||||||
| 17th | Constitution Day (Recognizes the ratification of the U.S. Constitution) | United States | |||||||||||
| 17th | Citizenship Day (Recognizes those who have become U.S. citizens) | United States | |||||||||||
| 19th | San Gennaro Day (Commemorates the day Saint Gennaro was martyred for the faith) | Italian American | |||||||||||
| 18th - 25th* | Sukkoth (7 day Feast of Tabernacles) | Judaism | |||||||||||
| 22nd | Autumnal Equinox (First day of Fall) | - | |||||||||||
| 26th* | Simchat Torah (Celebration marking the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings) | Judaism | |||||||||||
| *Sunset | |||||||||||||
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OCTOBER |
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German-American (Sept 15th - Oct 15), Italian-American and Polish-American Heritage Month |
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Filipino American History Month |
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National Breast Cancer Awareness Month |
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| 4th | St. Francis Day (Commemorates the life of St Francis, the patron saint of animals and the environment) | Catholic | |||||||||||
| 5th - 13th | Navaratri (Festival of the Divine Mother) | Hindu | |||||||||||
| 9th | Birthday of Guru Ram Das, Fourth of the Sikh Gurus | Sikh | |||||||||||
| 11th | National Coming Out Day (Celebrating individuals who publicly identify as bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgender) | Worldwide | |||||||||||
| 14th | Columbus Day Observance | United States | |||||||||||
| 14th | Dussehra (Dasera) (10 day celebration of Lord Rama's victory over Evil Ravana) | Hindu; Jain | |||||||||||
| 14th | Hajj (Annual Pilgrimage to Mecca) | Islamic | |||||||||||
| 14th | Waqf al Arafa (Observance day during Hajj when Muslim pilgrims pray for forgiveness and mercy) | Islamic | |||||||||||
| 15th - 18th | Eid-al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice) | Islamic | |||||||||||
| 20th | Birth of the Bab (Birth of Siyyid Ali-Muhammad) | Bahá'í | |||||||||||
| 24th | United Nations Day | Worldwide | |||||||||||
| 27th | Reformation Day (the great rediscovery of the doctrine of justification) | Lutheran; Protestant Christian | |||||||||||
| 31st | All Hallows Eve | Christian | |||||||||||
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NOVEMBER |
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National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month |
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National Alzheimer's Disease Month |
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| 1st | All Saints Day (Honors all Saints who do not have their own special Feast Day) | Christian | |||||||||||
| 2nd | All Soul's Day (Solemn feast commemorating the faithful departed) | Christian | |||||||||||
| 3rd - 7th | Diwali/Deepavali (Festival of Lights) | Hindu; Jain; Sikh | |||||||||||
| 5th - Dec. 3rd | Al Hijra/Muharram (First month of the Islam year) | Islamic | |||||||||||
| 11th | Veteran's Day (Armitice Day) | United States | |||||||||||
| 12th | Birth of Bahá'u'lláh (Founder of the Bahá'í faith) | Bahá'í | |||||||||||
| 13th | Ashura (Day of mourning commemorating the martyrdom of Iman Hussain, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad) | Islamic | |||||||||||
| 17th | Birth of Guru Nanak Dev Sahib (Founder of the Sikhism) | Sikh | |||||||||||
| 24th | Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur | Sikh | |||||||||||
| 25th - Jan 6th | Nativity Fast (Period of abstinence and penance in preparation for the Nativity of Christ) | Orthodox Christian | |||||||||||
| 26th | Day of the Covenant (Festival celebrating the appointment of 'Abdu'l-Bahá as the Centre of Bahá'u'lláh's Covenant) | Bahá'í | |||||||||||
| 28th | Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Bahá (Commemorates the passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the eldest son and successor of Bahá’u’lláh) | Bahá'í | |||||||||||
| 28th | Thanksgiving | United States | |||||||||||
| 27th - Dec. 5th* | Hanukkah | Judaism | |||||||||||
| 30th | Saint Andrew's Day (Coming of Christianity to area now known as Scotland) | Christian | |||||||||||
| *Sunset | |||||||||||||
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DECEMBER |
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World AIDS Awarenss Month |
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National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month |
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| 5th | Ashura (Day of mourning commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of The Prophet Muhammad) | Islam | |||||||||||
| 6th | St. Nicholas Day (Celebrates the life of Saint Nicholas of Myra) | Christian | |||||||||||
| 7th | Pearl Harbor Day (National observance of the attacks on Pearl Harbor) | - | |||||||||||
| 8th | Bodhi Day (Rohatsu) (Buddha's Enlightenment) | Buddhist | |||||||||||
| 8th | Immaculate Conception of Mary | Roman Catholic | |||||||||||
| 9th | Hanukkah (Chanukah) Festival of Lights | Judaism | |||||||||||
| 12th | Festival of Our Lady of Guadalupe | Roman Catholic | |||||||||||
| 21st | Winter Solstice (The shortest day and the longest night of the year) | - | |||||||||||
| 25th | Christmas (Celebrates the Birth of Jesus) | Christian | |||||||||||
| 26th | Boxing Day (Giving of gifts to the less fortunate and those in service positions) | Canada; United Kingdom | |||||||||||
| 26th | Kwanzaa (7 day ceremony honoring African Heritage) | African/Interfaith | |||||||||||
| 28th | Holy Innocents (Celebrates the memory of the infant Christian martyrs.) | ||||||||||||
| 30th | Feast of the Holy Family (Celebrates the family unit and the Holy Family: Jesus, Mary and Joseph) | Christian | |||||||||||
| 31st | Watch Night (Occasion to thank God for bringing people safely through the year) | Christian | |||||||||||
