2021-2022 Calendar of Religious Holidays, Festivals, and Observances for the RISD Community The Religious Practices Advisory Committee developed this calendar as an informational guide for RISD teachers and administrators. It is based on information obtained from committee members and religious leaders in our community about holy days, religious holidays, or other observances they consider to be widely recognized, and on which students of the respective faiths might be absent from school. Teachers and administrators should refer to the calendar when planning major tests and other curricular, extracurricular and special activities, and be sensitive to anticipated student absences or other needs for observances on these dates. Of course, not all dates on which individual students may be absent for religious observances are included on this calendar. Teachers and administrators will consider student absences for religious observances on an individual basis. Parents are urged to discuss with the teacher or principal in advance any particular needs of their students for religious observances. Student absences for religious observances are recorded as “R” days. Religious observances of some faiths are based on a lunar calendar and may change annually. Calendar updates will be available on the RISD intranet. Holy Days, Religious Observations and Other Observances • WIDELY RECOGNIZED indicated in bold: DATE OBSERVANCE DATE OBSERVANCE Eid al-Adha* Reformation Day Jul. 20-23, 2021 Oct. 31, 2021 ISLAMIC PROTESTANT/EPISCOPALIAN Hijra (New Year) - 1st Day of Muharram* All Hallows Eve Aug. 10, 2021 Oct. 31, 2021 ISLAMIC ROMAN CATHOLIC, PROTESTANT/EPISCOPALIAN Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Theotokos All Saints Day Aug. 15, 2021 Nov. 1, 2021 EASTERN ORTHODOX ROMAN CATHOLIC, PROTESTANT/EPISCOPALIAN Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary All Saints Day Aug. 15, 2021 Nov. 1, 2021 ROMAN CATHOLIC EASTERN ORTHODOX Ashura* All Souls Day Aug. 18, 2021 Nov. 2, 2021 ISLAMIC ROMAN CATHOLIC Raksha Bandhan Diwali Aug. 22, 2021 Nov. 4, 2021 HINDU HINDU, JAIN, SIKH Krishna Janmashtami* Birth of the B’ab* Aug. 30, 2021 Nov. 6, 2021 HINDU BAHÁ’Í Religious year begins Birth of Bahau’llah* Sep. 1, 2021 Nov. 7, 2021 EASTERN ORTHODOX BAHÁ’Í Rosh Hashanah* Birth of Guru Nanak Dev Sahib* Sep. 7-8, 2021 Nov. 19, 2021 JEWISH SIKH Nativity of Virgin Mary Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahdur Sep. 8, 2021 Nov. 24, 2021 EASTERN ORTHODOX, CHRISTIAN SIKH Ganesh Chaturthi Sep. 10, 2021 Nov. 25, 2021 Thanksgiving HINDU Holy Cross Day Day of Covenant* Sep. 14, 2021 Nov. 25, 2021 EASTERN ORTHODOX BAHÁ’Í Yom Kippur* Ascension of Abdu’l-Baha* Sep. 16, 2021 Nov. 28, 2021 JEWISH BAHÁ’Í Paryushana Parva* Advent Sep. 21, 2021 Nov. 28 - Dec. 24, 2021 JAIN CHRISTIAN Sukkot* Hanukkah* Sep. 21-22, 2021 Nov. 29 - Dec. 6, 2021 JEWISH JEWISH Shemini Atzeret* St. Andrew’s Day Sep. 28, 2021 Nov. 30, 2021 JEWISH CHRISTIAN Simchat Torah* Immaculate Conception Sep. 29, 2021 Dec. 8, 2021 JEWISH ROMAN CATHOLIC St. Francis Day Bodhi Day Oct. 4, 2021 Dec. 8, 2021 ROMAN CATHOLIC, CHRISTIAN BUDDHIST Navaratri Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Oct. 6-14, 2021 Dec. 12, 2021 HINDU ROMAN CATHOLIC Dasara Yule Oct. 15, 2021 Dec. 21, 2021 HINDU CHRISTIAN Mawlid An-Nabi* Christmas Oct. 18, 2021 Dec. 25, 2021 ISLAMIC CHRISTIAN *Observance may begin the evening before. DATE OBSERVANCE DATE OBSERVANCE Feast of the Nativity Palm Sunday Dec. 25, 2021 Apr. 10, 2022 EASTERN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN St. Stephen’s Day Ramanavami Dec. 26, 2021 Apr. 10, 2022 EASTERN ORTHODOX, ROMAN CATHOLIC HINDU Zarathosht Diso Good Friday Dec. 26, 2021 Apr. 15, 2022 ZOROASTRIAN CHRISTIAN Gantan-sai Apr. 16-17 and Passover* Jan. 1, 2022 SIKH 22-23, 2022 JEWISH Feast of St. Basil Easter Sunday Jan. 1, 2022 Apr. 17, 2022 EASTERN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN Mary, Mother of God Baisakhi Jan. 1, 2022 Apr. 14, 2022 ROMAN CATHOLIC SIKH Feast of Epiphany (Theophany) First Day of Ridvan* Jan. 6, 2022 Apr. 21, 2022 EASTERN ORTHODOX BAHÁ’Í Epiphany St. George’s Day Jan. 6, 2022 Apr. 23, 2022 ROMAN CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN Birth of Guru Gobind Singh Ji Pascha Jan. 9, 2022 Apr. 24, 2022 SIKH EASTERN ORTHODOX Maghi Yom HaShoah* Jan. 13, 2022 Apr. 28, 2022 SIKH JEWISH World Religion Day* Laylat-al Qadr* Jan. 16, 2022 Apr. 28, 2022 BAHÁ’Í ISLAMIC Lunar New Year Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)* Feb. 1, 2022 May 2, 2022 BUDDHIST ISLAMIC Presentation of Christ in the Temple Feb. 2, 2022 May 5, 2022 National Day of Prayer EASTERN ORTHODOX, CHRISTIAN Vasant Panchami Yom Ha’Atzmaut* Feb. 5, 2022 May 5, 2022 HINDU JEWISH Magha Puja Day Lag B’Omer* Feb. 16, 2022 May 19, 2022 BUDDHIST JEWISH Intercalary Days Declaration of the Bab* Feb. 25-28, 2022 May 24, 2022 BAHÁ’Í BAHÁ’Í Laylat-al Miraj* Ascension of Jesus Feb. 28, 2022 May 26, 2022 ISLAMIC EASTERN ORTHODOX Maha Shivaratri Buddha Day-Visakha Puja Mar. 1, 2022 May 27, 2022 HINDU BUDDHIST Ash Wednesday Ascension of Baha’ullah* Mar. 2, 2022 May 29, 2022 CHRISTIAN BAHÁ’Í St. Patrick’s Day Pentecost Mar. 17, 2022 Jun. 5, 2022 ROMAN CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN Purim* Shavuot* Mar. 17, 2022 Jun. 5-6, 2022 JEWISH JEWISH Holi Trinity Sunday Mar. 18, 2022 Jun. 12, 2022 HINDU CHRISTIAN Naw Ruz* Corpus Christi Mar. 21, 2022 Jun. 16, 2022 BAHÁ’Í ROMAN CATHOLIC Norooz (New Year) Sacred Heart Day Mar. 21, 2022 Jun. 24, 2022 ZOROASTRIAN IRANIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC Annunciation of Virgin Mary Martyrdom of the Bab* Mar. 25, 2022 Jul. 10, 2022 EASTERN ORTHODOX, ROMAN CATHOLIC BAHÁ’Í Khordad Sal (Birth of Prophet Zarathustra) Eid al Adha* Mar. 26, 2022 Jul. 9, 2022 ZOROASTRIAN ISLAMIC Ramadan* Asalha Puja Day Apr. 2, 2022 Jul. 13, 2022 ISLAMIC BUDDHIST *Observance may begin the evening before..