McGill.CA / Important Dates for Students

Holy days

On this page: FaithsHoly Days 2019Holy Days 2020

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 current academic year

This information was compiled with the assistance of the McGill Office of Religious and Spiritual Life (MORSL), based on the interfaith calendar. Questions about any date provided in this multifaith calendar should be sent to degeval.es [at] mcgill.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

Holy Days 2020

September
Date Faith Festival
September 19 *, 2020 - September 20, 2020 Judaism Rosh Hashanah*
September 23, 2020 Wicca Mabon *
September 28 *, 2020 Judaism Yom Kippur *
October
Date Faith Festival
October 3 *, 2020 - October 9, 2020 Judaism Sukkot *
October 10 * , 2020 Judaism Shemini Atzeret *
October 11 *, 2020 Judaism Simhat Torah * (Rejoicing of the Law)

October 20, 2020

Sikhism

Installation of Scriptures as Guru Granth
October 20, 2020 Baha'i The Birth of the Báb *
October 25, 2020 Hinduism Dussehra (Dasara) **
November
Date Faith Festival
November 1, 2020

Wicca

Samhain *
November 1, 2020 Christianity All Saints' Day
November 12, 2020 Baha'i The Birth of the Bahá'ulláh
November 14, 2020 Hinduism/Sikhism Diwali
November 15, 2020 Hinduism Vikram New Year **
November 24, 2020 Sikhism Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom
November 26, 2020 Baha'i Day of Covenant *
November 30, 2020 Sikhism Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Sahib
December
Date Faith Festival
December 1, 2020 Christianity First Day of Advent
December 11*, 2020 - December 18, 2020 Judaism Hanukkah *
December 21, 2020 Wicca Yule *

December 25, 2020

 Christianity

Christmas *

Holy Days 2021

January
Date Faith Festival

January 1, 2021

 Shinto Gantan-Sai (New Year's Day)
January 5, 2021 Sikhism Birthday Guru Gobind Singh Ji
January 6, 2021 Christianity Epiphany
January 6, 2021 Christianity (Orthodox) Feast of the Theophany (modified Julian Calendar)
January 7, 2021 Christianity (Orthodox) Feast of the Nativity **
January 13, 2021 Sikhism Maghi
January 14, 2021 Hinduism Makar Sankranti
January 18, 2021 - January 25, 2021 Christianity Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

January 28, 2021

 Judaism

Tu B'Shvat *
February
Date Faith Festival
February 2, 2021 Wicca Imbolc * (The Feast of Waxing Light)
February 12, 2021 Buddhism Chinese/Vietnamese/Korean/New Year **
February 16, 2021 Hinduism Vasant Pachami **
February 17, 2021 Christianity Lent begins
February 21, 2021 Christianity (Orthodox) Great Lent Begins
February 26, 2021 Judaism Purim *
February 17, 2021

Christianity

Ash Wednesday
March
Date Faith Festival
March 10, 2021 Islam Israa & Miraj (Laylat al Miraj) *
March 21, 2021 Wicca

Ostara *

March 21, 2021

Baha'i

Naw Ruz (New Year's Day) *

March 21, 2021

Zoroastrianism

Norouz (New Year's Day)
March 26, 2021 Zoroastrianism Khordad Sal (Birth of Prophet Zarathustra) **

March 28 , 2021 - April 8, 2021

March 28-29; April 3-4 are the ‘religious days’

where students would not attend class, work, use electronics etc.

 Judaism Pesach (Passover) *
March 28, 2021 Islam Mid-Sha'ban (Nisf Sha'ban) *
March 29, 2021 Hinduism Holi **
April
Date Faith Festival
April 2, 2021 Christianity Good Friday
April 4, 2021 Christianity Easter
April 8, 2021 Judaism Yom HaShoah - Holocaust Remembrance Day *
April 13, 2021 Hinduism Bikarami Samvat (Hindu New Year) **
April 13, 2021 Islam Ramadan Begins *
April 14, 2021 Sikhism Baisakhi **
April 16, 2021 Baha'i The Feast of Ridvan *
April 21, 2021 Hinduism Rama navami **
April 25, 2021 Christianity (Orthodox) Palm Sunday
April 25, 2021 - May 2, 2021 Christianity (Orthodox) Holy Week
April 30, 2021 Christianity (Orthodox) Good Friday
May
Date Faith Festival
May 1, 2021 Wicca Beltane *
May 2, 2021 Christianity (Orthodox) Easter
May 2, 2021 Baha'i Last day of Ridvan *
May 8, 2021 Islam Laylat ul-Qadr (Laylat ul Kadar) *
May 14, 2021 - May 16, 2021 Islam Eid ul-Fitr - Ramadan End
May 16 *, 2021 - May 18, 2021 Judaism Shavuot *
May 23, 2021 Baha'i The Declaration of the Báb *
May 23, 2021 Christianity Pentecost
May 29, 2021 Baha'i The Ascension of the Bahá'u'lláh
June
Date Faith Festival
June 16, 2021 Sikhism Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Ji
June 22, 2021 Aboriginal Spirituality Aboriginal Day (Canada)
June 22, 2021 Wicca Litha *
July
Date Faith Festival
July 9, 2021 Baha'i The Martyrdom of the Báb *
July 17, 2021 Islam Day of Hajj **
July 17, 2021 - July 18, 2021 Judaism Tish'a B'Av *
July 20, 2021 Islam Eid al-Adha * (The Festival of Sacrifice)
August
Date Faith Festival
August 1, 2021 Wicca Lammas (English/Scottish custom)
August 3, 2021 Hinduism Sri Krishna Jayanti (Krishna Janmashtami) **
August 6, 2021 Christianity (Orthodox) Transfiguration Day (modified Julian Calendar)
August 10, 2021 Islam Al-Hijra Muharram * (Islamic New Year's Day)
August 18, 2021 Islam Ashura *
August 22, 2021

Hinduism

Raksha Bandhan **
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