10 22 Religious Waqf al Arafa/Hajj Day | Ganesh Chaturthi | Hindu Muslim Festival honoring the god of (until 8/11) prosperity, prudence, and success Holidays Observance during Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, when pilgrims pray for forgiveness and 29 mercy Beheading of St. John the Baptist | Christian Provided by Krishna Janmashtani | Hindu Remembrance of the death of Commemoration of the birth of John the Baptist The President's Krishna Committee on September 15 Religious, Assumption of the Blessed 1 Virgin Mary | Catholic Christian Religious year begins | Spiritual and Commemorating the assumption of Orthodox Christian Mary, mother of Jesus, into Start of the religious calendar year Nonreligious heaven Diversity Dormition of the Virgin Mary | 2 Orthodox Christian Obon/Ulambana | Buddhist, Observance of the death, burial, Shinto and transfer to heaven of the Also known as Ancestor Day, a Virgin Mary time to relieve the suffering of ghosts by making offerings to deceased ancestors 2020 16 Paryushana Parva | Jain Chinese Ghost Festival | August Festival signifying human Taoist, Buddhist emergence into a new world of Celebration in which the deceased spiritual and moral refinement, and are believed to visit the living 1 a celebration of the natural Lammas | Wiccan/Pagan qualities of the soul Celebration of the early harvest 8 Nativity of the Blessed Virgin 17 Fast in Honor of Holy Mother Mary | Orthodox Christian Marcus Garvey’s Birthday | of Jesus | Orthodox Christian Celebration of the birth of Mary, Beginning of the 14-day period of Rastafarian the mother of Jesus Celebration of the birth of Marcus preparation, leading up to the Dormition of Mary Garvey 11 Ethiopian New Year’s Day | 18 3 Rastafarian Raksha Bandhan | Hindu Ashura | Muslim First day of the new year for the Festival honoring the loving ties Optional one-day fast marking Ethiopian calendar between brothers and sisters in the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali family (Shi’a Islam) and marking the day that Moses fasted in gratitude for 13 liberation of the Israelites (Sunni Auditor’s Day | Scientology 6 Islam) Scientology Auditors are Transfiguration of the Lord | acknowledged on this day for their Orthodox Christian dedication in helping their fellow Observance of the transfiguration 19 men and women of Jesus on Mt. Tabor in the Hijri-New Year | Muslim Marks presence of his disciples the beginning of the new Islamic calendar year 14 7 18 Exaltation of the Cross | Founding of the International Birth of the Bab | Baha’i Orthodox Christian Association of Scientologists Honoring of the founder of the Babi Commemorated the finding of the Scientology religion, forerunner to Baha’u’llah Cross of Christ, observed as a fast Scientologists rededicate and the Baha’i faith day themselves to the aims of Scientology: a world without criminals, suffering, and war 19 19 Birth of Baha’u’llah | Baha’i Rosh Hashanah | Jewish (until Celebration of the birth of the 9/20) 8 founder of the Baha’i faith Jewish New Year, marked by a call Birthday of Guru Ram Das | to repentance Sikh Commemoration of the birth 20 of one of the foremost 10 gurus of Sikhism Guru Granth Sahib Installation | Sikh 21 Mabon | Wiccan/Pagan Remembrance of the eternal Hoshanah Rabbah | Jewish installation of the holy books by Observance of the Autumnal (until 10/09) Equinox Granth Sahib Commemoration of the last of the reading of the Torah 27 28 Milvian Bridge Day | Christian Meskel | Ethiopian Orthodox 9 Day of solemn reflection on Christian Shemini Atzeret | Jewish the relationship of the spiritual Commemoration of the discovery (until 10/11) community and the powers of the of the True Cross by St. Helen Completion of the annual cycle of civil government the reading of the Torah Yom Kippur | Jewish Mawlid an Nabi | Muslim (until 9/28) Celebration of Prophet Also known as the Day of 10 Muhammad’s birthday Atonement with central themes of Simchat Torah | Jewish atonement and repentance (until 10/11) Day to celebrate the reading of the 31 28 Law All Hallow’s Eve | Christian Praying and fasting prior to the Confucius’ Birthday | feast day of All Saints Day Confucian Observance of the 12 birth of Confucius Thanksgiving- Canada | Reformation Day | Protestant Interfaith Celebration of the Christian harvest and other blessings in the Anniversary of the tradition of October past year Protestantism, marked by Martin Luther’s nailing of his 95 Theses 2 on a church door in Wittenberg, Sukkot | Jewish 25 Germany (until 10/9) Feast Tabernacles, Dussehra/Durga Puja | Hindu which celebrates the harvest and 10th day of Navrati. Celebration of the protection of the people of the victory of Lord Ram over November Israel as they wandered in the demon King Ravana and Goddess wilderness dwelling in tents Durga over buffalo-demon 1 Mahishasur All Saints Day | Christian 4 Day for honoring and remembering Christian saints St. Francis Day/Blessing of 17 the Animals | Catholic Navratri | Hindu (until 10/26) Samhain | Wiccan/Pagan Christian Festival of the divine mother Celebration of endings and Feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, (lasting 9 nights) honoring Durga, beginnings patron saint of animals and wife of Shiva, and seeking her ecology, often celebrated with blessing special blessing of animals 2 2 26 12 All Souls Day | Catholic Thanksgiving | Interfaith Feast of Our Lady of Christian Commemoration of the Celebration of the harvest and Guadalupe | souls of Christians who have died community Catholic Christian Honoring of legendary appearance 14 of the Virgin Mary near Mexico City 27 in 1531 Diwali | Sikh, Jain, Hindu The Festival of Lights marking the Ascension of Abdu’l-Baha | end of the Hindu year Baha’i 16 Celebration of the rising of the Posadas Navidenas | Hispanic spirit of Abdu’l’Baha to heavenly dwelling Christian (until 12/25/18) Nine- day religious observance during 15 which families participate in nightly Jain New Year | Jain Beginning 29 Christmas processions that re- of the Jain year Advent | Christian (until 12/24) create the Holy Pilgrimage of Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus Season observed as a time to on their way to Bethlehem Nativity Fast Begins | prepare for the birth of Jesus Orthodox Christian (until 1/6/20) Christ Period of abstinence and penance 21 in preparation for the birth of Jesus 30 Yule | Wiccan/Pagan Celebration of the Winter Solstice Guru Nanak Dev Sahib’s birthday | Sikh 16 Honoring of the birth of the founder 24 International Day for of Sikhism Christmas Eve | Christian Tolerance | Interfaith Day before Christmas, often United Nations observance day to celebrated with a midnight Mass/ generate public awareness of the December Liturgy of Jesus’ birth dangers of intolerance 6 Vikram New Year | Hindu St. Nicholas Day | Christian 25 Beginning of the Hindu year Celebration of St. Nicholas, patron Christmas /Feast of Nativity | saint of children and role model for Christian, Orthodox Christian gift-giving (New Calendar) 22 Celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ the King Sunday | 8 Christ Christian Immaculate Conception of Feast celebrating the all- Mary | 26 embracing authority of Christ, over Catholic Christian Kwanzaa | Pan-African and above governmental authority Celebrates the belief in the Immaculate Conception of the (until 1/1/19) Holiday celebrating family, 24 Blessed Virgin Mary community, and culture among Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bodhi Day | Buddhist people of African descent Bahadur | Sikh Celebration of the Enlightenment Commemoration of the death of of Buddha 27 Guru Tegh Bahadur Feast of the Holy Family | 10 Catholic Christian 25 Hanukkah | Jewish Celebration honoring Jesus, his Day of the Covenant | Baha’i mother Mary, and her husband (until 12/18) Celebration of the covenant given Joseph as a family Festival of Lights commemorating in the last will and testament of the recapture and rededication of Baha’u’llah the Jerusalem Temple 3 28 7 20 Holy Innocents | Christian Orthodox Christmas | The Birth of the Tenth Sikh Day of solemn memory of male Orthodox Christian (Old Master | Sikh children killed by King Herod in the Calendar) Honoring the birth of Guru Gobind same attempt to destroy Jesus Celebration of the birth of Jesus Singh Christ 30 Ethiopian Christmas | 25 Freedom Day | Scientology Rastafarian Celebration of the Conversion of St. Paul | Day celebrating the official birth of Jesus Christ Christian Event in the life of Paul recognition of the Church of the Apostle, after which he Scientology in the United States in became a follower of Jesus 1974 10 Baptism of the Lord Jesus | 27 31 Christian Tu B’Shvat | Jewish (until 1/28) Watch Night | Christian Commemorating the baptism of Celebration of the coming of spring Occasion to thank God for bringing Jesus in the Jordan River by people safely through another St. John the Baptist year, and to prepare for the next 28 year 11 Mahayana New Year | Buddhist Seijin no Hi | Shinto Buddhist New Year, as celebrated Holiday honoring those who have in Mayahana countries 2021 or will reach the age of twenty within the current year January 14 February 1 Makar Sankranti | Hindu Solemnity of Mary, Mother of Celebration marking the turning of God | Catholic Christian the sun toward the north; festival in 2 Celebration of the Blessed Virgin reverence to deity Surya, god of Presentation of Christ in the Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ the sun Temple | Christian, Orthodox Christian Remembrance of the infant Jesus Shogatsu/Gantan-sai | Shinto 17 New Year’s Day celebration being brought to the temple in World Religion Day | Baha’i Jerusalem Day dedicated