Interfaith Calendar
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18-MONTH INTERFAITH CALENDAR 2021 - 2022 18-MONTH INTERFAITH CALENDAR To foster and support inclusive communities, Diversity Awareness Partnership is pleased to present the 2021-2022 18-Month Interfaith Calendar. This publication can be a useful guide to oberservances celebrated and practiced across many religious traditions. When planning your organization’s schedule, refer to our Interfaith Calendar to honor the special practices and important days of the traditions that your colleagues and friends may observe. Considerations In order to be more accommodating for people with varying religious practices, consider the following: FOOD Food and drink are central to many traditions rituals and practices. Consider vegetarian, vegan, non-alchoholic, and decaf options. Additionally, think about the abstinence from food and drink, which is common for those who observe fasting in different ways. HOURS Some holidays or special days may require individuals to worship, pray, or break fast during different or odd hours than they may the rest of the year. Consider a flexible schedule that takes into account the work and objectives of your employee, student, or colleague, rather than enforcing standard work hours. TIME OFF Many organizations have standard holidays for all that center a specific religion, like Christianity. Consider allowing practitioners of other religions to float these holidays or make shifts in their schedules. DEADLINES/WORK FLOW During holidays or special days that require prayer at late/early hours or that require fasting, some individuals may experience decreased stamina. Try to show empathy, and possibly examine schedules or work deadlines to see if they can be adjusted. PRAYER Some religions require daily or periodic prayer that requires solitude and quiet. Consider designating a space for individuals to pray that is clean, well furnished, and accessible. ATTIRE For some religions, dress is part of an outward and ongoing commitment to that faith tradition. Make sure that your organization’s attire policy is inclusive and broad enough, and provides flexibility should somone need it. Page 2 Online Resource Interfaith Calendar of primary sacred times for world religions: www. interfaith-calendar.org Notes This calendar strives to be as inclusive as possible. We are always open to adding more holidays, sacred days, and religions. Please contact us directly if there’s something you’d like us to consider adding for next year’s calendar. All content in this calendar represents information that was available at the time of production. To the greatest extent possible, holidays based on lunar phases or other variables that change every Gregorian calendar year have been factored into observance dates. The spelling of certain observances may vary as well, based on different ways of representing words from other languages. All Bahá’í, Jewish, and Muslim holidays begin at sunset unless otherwise noted. We encourage all places of worship to be accessible to persons with disabilities by making necessary accommodations. Contact DAP for additional information on how your organization can become more inclusive in this way. COLOR KEY Bahá’í Faith The Church of Jesus Christ of Buddhism Latter-day Saints Catholic Christianity/Catholicism Orthodox Christianity Christianity Pan-Africanism Confucianism Protestant Christianity Coptic Christianity Rastafari Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity Shinto Faith Hinduism Sikhism Hispanic Christianity Swedenborgian Christianity Interfaith Taoism Islam Unitarian Universalist Jainism Wicca/Paganism Jehovah’s Witnesses Zoroastrianism Judaism Page 3 JANUARY 2021 1 Friday 11 Monday 19 Tuesday Solemnity of Mary, Mother of Seijin no Hi | Shinto Faith Timkat | Ethiopian Orthodox God | Catholic Christianity Honors those who have or Christianity Celebration of the Blessed will reach the age of twenty Commemoration of the Virgin Mary, the mother of within the current year baptism of Jesus in the Jesus Christ Jordan River by John the 13 Wednesday Baptist 3 Sunday Maghi | Sikhism Epiphany/Three Kings Day | Commemoration of a battle in 20 Wednesday Christianity which 40 Sikhs died for Guru The Birth of the Tenth Sikh Feast to celebrate the visit of Gobind Singh Master | Sikhism the Three Wise Men to Baby Honoring the birth of Guru Jesus 14 Thursday Gobind Singh Makar Sankranti | Hinduism 5 Tuesday Celebration marking the 25 Monday Twelfth Night | Christianity turning of the Sun toward the Conversion of St. Paul | Conclusion of the Twelve north in reverence to deity Christianity Days of Christmas and Surya, god of the Sun Honoring the conversion of marking of the coming of the Paul the Apostle, after which Epiphany 17 Sunday he became a follower of Feast of St. Anthony Jesus 7 Thursday the Abbot/Blessing of Orthodox Christmas | the Animals | Hispanic 27 Wednesday Orthodox Christianity Catholicism Tu B’Shvat | Judaism (until Celebration of the birth of Observance of showing 1/28/21) Jesus Christ respect for domestic animals Celebration of the coming of that are significant to people spring Ethiopian Christmas | Rastafari World Religion Day | Bahá’í 28 Thursday Celebration of the birth of Faith Mahayana New Year | Jesus Christ Day dedicated to the unity Buddhism and oneness of the world Buddhist New Year, as Coptic Chrismas | Coptic religions celebrated in Mayahana Christianity countries Celebration of the birth of 18 Monday Jesus Christ Week of Prayer for Christian Unity | Christianity (until 10 Sunday 1/25/21) Baptism of the Lord Jesus | Ecumenical observance Christianity focused on prayer for church Commemoration of the unity baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by St. John the Baptist Page 4 FEBRUARY 2021 2 Tuesday 14 Sunday 24 Wednesday Imbolc | Wicca/Paganism Race Relations Day | Intercalary Days | Bahá’í Faith Celebration of the passage Christianity (until 3/1/21) from winter to spring Day recognizing the Insertion of days into the importance of interracial calendar in order to maintain Presentation of Christ in the relations and learning the solar calendar, considered Temple | Christianity “days outside of time” Remembrance of the infant St. Valentine’s Day | Jesus being brought to the Christianity 25 Thursday temple in Jerusalem Feast day of St. Valentine, Ta’anit Esther | Judaism celebrating love and affection Fast on Purim eve, 3 Wednesday commemorating the fast of Four Chaplains Sunday | 15 Monday the Jewish people in the story Interfaith Nirvana Day (Parinivarna Day) of Purim Commemoration of U.S. Army | Buddhism chaplains who gave their lives A day to remember the death Purim | Judaism (until to save others during WWII of Buddha when he reached 2/26/21) Nirvana and marks the end of Commemorates the saving Setsubun-sai | Shinto Faith the cycle of birth and rebirth of the Jewish people from Celebration of the traditional Haman, who was planning to beginning of spring and the 16 Tuesday kill them end of winter Vasant Panchami | Hinduism Festival of spring honoring 26 Friday 12 Friday the goddess of learning Spring Lantern Festival Triodion begins| Orthodox | Confucianism, Taoism, Christianity Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday) Buddhism Time period leading up to | Christianity Marks the final day of the Lent Carnival day on the eve of Lunar New Year celebrations Ash Wednesday Lunar New Year | 27 Saturday Confucianism, Taoism, 17 Wednesday Magha Puja Day | Buddhism Buddhism (until 2/26/21) Ash Wednesday | Christianity Celebration of the teachings Celebration marking the start Observance to begin the by Lord Buddha to an of the lunar new year and a 40-day season of Lent; ashes assembly of holy men time to give thanks for family are marked on worshippers’ and remember ancestors foreheads as a sign of repentance Page 5 MARCH 2021 1 Monday Nowruz (Persian New Year) | 28 Sunday Nineteen Day Fast | Bahá’í Bahá’í Faith, Zoroastrianism, Laylat al Bara’ah (Night of Faith (until 3/19/21) Interfaith Forgiveness) | Islam Fast to be observed by adults Marks the start of the New A significant day where of the Bahá’í faith in good Year which occurs on the date Muslims seek forgiveness for health from sunrise to sunset of Spring Equinox their sins and believe that on this night, one’s destiny for 11 Thursday 21 Sunday the coming year is written by Maha Shivaratri | Hinduism Orthodox Sunday | Orthodox God Festival honoring Lord Shiva Christianity and his marriage to the First Sunday of Lent, at which Palm Sunday | Christianity goddess Parvati time restoration of icons in Celebration of the entry of the church is celebrated Jesus into Jerusalem which Laylat al Miraj | Islam marks the start of Holy Week Commemorates the Prophet 25 Thursday Muhammed’s nighttime Annunciation of the Blessed Holi | Hinduism (until 3/29/21) journey from Mecca to Virgin Mary | Christianity Spring festival known as Jerusalem, where he then Feast day commemorating the “Festival of Colors” that acended to heaven Mary being told by the angel signifies the victory of good Gabriel that she would be the over evil 15 Monday mother of Jesus, the son of Clean Monday | Orthodox God 29 Monday Christianity Hola Mohalla | Sikhism (until Start of Lent for Orthodox 26 Friday 3/31/21) Christians, refers to the Khordad Sal | Zoroastrianism Created by Guru Gobind leaving behind of sinful Remembrance of the birth of Singh as an occasion for Sikhs attitudes and non-fasting the prophet Zarathustra to show their martial arts skills foods and host mock battles 27 Saturday 17 Wednesday Lord’s Evening Meal | St. Patrick’s Day | Christianity Jehovah’s Witnesses Feast Day of