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Holy days

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McGill University recognizes and respects the diversity of its community, including diversity of religious faiths and observances. The University is committed to providing an environment in which its students can fulfill both their university and their religious commitments.

Faiths

The multifaith calendar is published as a service to the University community, according to Senate policy (see Chapter Seven in the Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities). This is not a conclusive list, and additional documentation may be requested from the student to demonstrate a religious commitment.

Click here for a list of faiths included in the calendar.

  • Aboriginal Spirituality

    Each band may have unique spiritual observances which, while not listed here as a holy day, may require accommodation.

  • Baha'i

  • Buddhism

    In the Western world, festivals are generally celebrated on the Sunday nearest the actual date.

  • Christianity

    The Gregorian calendar has been adopted by all Christian churches of the West. Most Eastern churches, however, continue to use the Julian calendar for religious purposes, though only a few use it exclusively. Nearly all Eastern churches still determine Easter according to the "Old Style" or Julian system, but most have adopted the "New Style" or Gregorian calendar for Christmas or Pentecost. At the present time, the Julian and Gregorian calendars are approximately 15 days out of phase.

  • Hinduism

    Specific dates may vary year to year based on the solar or lunar calendars. Dates can also vary depending on the time differential between Canada and India.

  • Islam

    Muslim holidays are based on a lunar calendar and observances may vary from the dates listed here, depending on the community. Congregation prayers are held every Friday 12:15 - 2:00 pm.

  • Judaism

    Sabbath starts Friday sundown. All holy days start sundown the night preceding the holiday.

  • Shinto

  • Sikhism

  • Wicca

    Evening observances commence at sundown. Solstice observances commence at sunrise.

  • Zoroastrianism

Holy days for the calendar year 2013

This table was compiled with the assistance of the McGill Chaplaincy Services, based on the 2013 interfaith calendar. Questions about any date provided in this multifaith calendar should be sent to degeval [dot] es [at] mcgill [dot] ca (Enrolment Services).

* festival begins at sundown the day before this date
** date of celebration may vary based on local customs or according to moon sightings

January
Date Faith Festival
January 1, 2013 Shinto Gantan-Sai (New Year's Day)
January 5, 2013 Sikhism Birthday Guru Gobind Singh Ji
January 6, 2013 Christianity Epiphany
January 6, 2013 Christianity (Orthodox) Feast of the Theophany (modified Julian Calendar)
January 7, 2013 Christianity (Orthodox) Feast of the Nativity
January 13, 2013 Sikhism Maghi
January 14, 2013 Hinduism Makar Sankranti
January 15, 2013 Baha'i World Religion Day *
January 18, 2013 - January 25, 2013 Christianity Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
January 24, 2013 Islam Milad ul-Nabiy * (Mawlid an Nabi)
February
Date Faith Festival
February 2, 2013 Wicca Imbolc * (The Feast of Waxing Light)
February 10, 2013 Buddhism Chinese/Vietnamese/Korean/New Year (Year of the Snake)
February 13, 2013 Christianity Ash Wednesday
February 15, 2013 Hinduism Vasant Panchami **
February 24, 2013 Judaism Purim *
March
Date Faith Festival
March 18, 2013 Christianity Great Lent Begins (Clean Monday)
March 20, 2013 Wicca Ostara *
March 21, 2013 Baha'i Holla Muhalla
March 20, 2013 Wicca Ostara *
March 21, 2013 Baha'i Naw Ruz (New Year's Day)
March 21, 2013 Zoroastrianism Norouz (New Year's Day)
March 24, 2013 Christianity Palm Sunday
March 24, 2013 - March 31, 2013 Christianity Holy Week
March 26, 2013 Zoroastrianism Khordad Sal (Birth of Prophet Zarathustra)
March 26 - 27, 2013 Judaism Pesach (Passover) First two days *
March 27, 2013 Hinduism Holi **
March 28, 2013 Sikhism Hola Muhalla
March 29, 2013 Christianity Good Friday
March 31, 2013 Christianity Easter
April
Date Faith Festival
April 7, 2013 Judaism Yom Ha Shoah (Holocaust Day)
April 11, 2013 Hinduism Bikarami Samvat (New Year's Day)
April 14, 2013 Sikhism Baisakhi
April 20, 2013 Hinduism Ramanavami * (Rama Navmi)
April 21, 2013 Baha'i The Feast of Ridvan*
April 25, 2013 - April 28, 2013 Buddhism Theravadin New Year ***
April 28, 2013 Christianity (Orthodox) Palm Sunday
April 28, 2013 - May 5, 2013 Christianity (Orthodox) Holy Week
May
Date Faith Festival
May 1, 2013 Wicca Beltane *
May 3, 2013 Christianity (Orthodox) Holy Friday
May 5, 2013 Christianity (Orthodox) Easter (Pascha)
May 9, 2013 Christianity Ascencion of Christ
May 15, 2013 - May 16, 2013 Judaism Shavuot*
May 19, 2013 Christianity Pentecost
May 23, 2013 Baha'i The Declaration of the Báb *
May 25, 2013 Buddhism Buddha Day 0 Visakha Puja ** (Wesak)
May 29, 2013 Baha'i The Ascension of the Bahá'u'lláh *
June
Date Faith Festival
June 5, 2013 Islam Israa & Miraj (Lailat al Miraj) *
June 16, 2013 Sikhism Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Ji
June 21, 2013 Wicca Litha *
June 21, 2013 Aboriginal Spirituality Aboriginal Day (Canada)
June 23, 2013 Islam Mid-Sha'ban (Nisf Sha'ban) *
July
Date Faith Festival
July 9, 2013 Baha'i The Martyrdom of the Báb *
July 9, 2013 Islam Ramadan begins *
August
Date Faith Festival
August 1, 2013 Wicca Lammas (English/Scottish custom)
August 3, 2013 Islam Laylat ul-Qadr (Laylat ul Kadar)*
August 6, 2013 Christianity (Orthodox) Transfiguration Day (modified Julian Calendar)
August 8, 2013 - August 11, 2013 Islam Eid ul-Fitr - Ramadan ends*
August 21, 2013 Hinduism Raksha Bandhan **
August 28, 2013 Hinduism Sri Krishna Jayanti (Krishna Janmashtami)
September
Date Faith Festival
September 1, 2013 Sikhism Parkash
September 5, 2013 - September 6,  2013 Judaism Rosh Hashanah * (New Year's Day)
September 9, 2013 Hinduism Ganesa Chaturthi **
September 14, 2013 Judaism Yom Kippur *
September 19, 2013 - September 25, 2013 Judaism Sukkot *
September 22, 2013 Wicca Mabon*
September 26, 2013 Judaism Shemini Atzeret *
September 27, 2013 Judaism Simhat Torah * (Rejoicing of the Law)
October
Date Faith Festival
October 14, 2013 Hinduism Dasera (Dassehra) **
October 14, 2013 Islam Day of Hajj
October 15, 2013 - October 18, 2013 Islam Eid ul-Adha *(The Festival of Sacrifice)
October 20, 2013 Baha'i The Birth of the Báb *
October 20, 2013 Sikhism Installation of Scriptures as Guru Granth
November
Date Faith Festival
November 1, 2013 Christianity All Saints' Day
November 1, 2013 Wicca Samhain *
November 3, 2013 Hinduism – Sikhism Diwali – Deepavali **
November 4, 2013 Islam Al-HijraMuhrram * (Islamic New Year's Day)
November 12, 2013 Baha'i The Birth of the Bahá'ulláh *
November 13, 2013 Islam Ashura*
November 17, 2013 Sikhism Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Sahib
November 24, 2013 Sikhism Guru Tegh Bahadur Martydrom
December
Date Faith Festival
December 1, 2013 Christianity First Sunday of Advent
November 28, 2013 - December 5, 2013 Judaism Hanukkah *
December 21, 2013 Wicca Yule *
December 25, 2013 Christianity (Orthodox) Feast of the Nativity (Julian Calendar)
December 25, 2013 Christianity Christmas *
Updated on Wed, 2013-03-20 10:51
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