Holy days

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 academic calendar year 2019 - 2020

This table 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

January
Date	Faith	Festival
January 1, 2019	Shinto	Gantan-Sai (New Year's Day)
January 5, 2019	Sikhism	Birthday Guru Gobind Singh Ji
January 6, 2019	Christianity	Epiphany
January 6, 2019	Christianity (Orthodox)	Feast of the Theophany (modified Julian Calendar)
January 7, 2019	Christianity (Orthodox)	Feast of the Nativity **
January 13, 2019	Sikhism	Maghi
January 14, 2019	Hinduism	Makar Sankranti
January 18, 2019 - January 25, 2019	Christianity	Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
January 20, 2019	Baha'i	World Religion Day *
February
Date	Faith	Festival
February 2, 2019	Wicca	Imbolc * (The Feast of Waxing Light)
February 5, 2019	Buddhism	Chinese/Vietnamese/Korean/New Year
February 10, 2019	Hinduism	Vasant Pachami **
March
Date	Faith	Festival
March 6, 2019	Christianity	Ash Wednesday
March 11, 2019	Christianity (Orthodox)	Great Lent Begins
March 20, 2019	Wicca	Ostara *
March 21, 2019	Judaism	Purim *
March 21, 2019	Hinduism	Holi **
March 21, 2019	Baha'i	Naw Ruz (New Year's Day) *
March 21, 2019	Zoroastrianism	Norouz (New Year's Day)
March 22, 2019	Hinduism	Bikarami Samvat (Hindu New Year)
March 28, 2019	Zoroastrianism	Khordad Sal (Birth of Prophet Zarathustra)
April
Date	Faith	Festival
April 3, 2019	Islam	Israa & Miraj (Laylat al Miraj) *
April 14, 2019	Sikhism	Baisakhi
April 14, 2019	Christianity	Palm Sunday
April 14, 2019	Hinduism	Ramanavami
April 14, 2019 - April 20, 2019	Christianity	Holy Week
April 19, 2019	Christianity	Good Friday
April 20, 2019 - April 21, 2019, April 26, 2019 - April 27, 2019	Judaism	Pesach (Passover) *
April 21, 2019	Christianity	Easter
April 21, 2019	Islam	Mid-Sha'ban (Nisf Sha'ban) *
April 21, 2019	Christianity (Orthodox)	Palm Sunday
April 21, 2019 - April 28, 2019	Christianity (Orthodox)	Holy Week
April 21, 2019	Baha'i	The Feast of Ridvan *
April 26, 2019	Christianity (Orthodox)	Good Friday
April 28, 2019	Christianity (Orthodox)	Easter
May
Date	Faith	Festival
May 1, 2019	Wicca	Beltane *
May 2, 2019	Judaism	Holocaust Remembrance Day *
May 6, 2019	Islam	Ramadan Begins
May 18, 2019	Buddhism	Buddha Day O Visakha Puja ** (Vesak)
May 23, 2019	Baha'i	The Declaration of the Báb *
May 29, 2019	Baha'i	The Ascension of the Bahá'u'lláh *
May 30, 2019	Christianity	Ascension of Christ
June
Date	Faith	Festival
June 19, 2019	Islam	Laylat ul-Qadr (Laylat ul Kadar)
June 23, 2019 - June 24, 2019	Islam	Eid al-Fitr - Ramadan Ends
June 31, 2019	Christianity	Pentecost
June 29, 2019 - June 30, 2019	Judaism	Shavuot *
June 16, 2019	Sikhism	Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Ji
June 21, 2019	Wicca	Litha *
June 21, 2019	Aboriginal Spirituality	Aboriginal Day (Canada)
July
Date	Faith	Festival
July 9, 2019	Baha'i	The Martyrdom of the Báb *
August
Date	Faith	Festival
August 1, 2019	Wicca	Lammas (English/Scottish custom)
August 6, 2019	Christianity (Orthodox)	Transfiguration Day (modified Julian Calendar)
August 10, 2019	Islam	Day of Hajj *
August 11, 2019	Judaism	Tish'a B'Av *
August 12, 2019 - August 15, 2019	Islam	Eid ul-Adha * (The Festival of Sacrifice)
August 14, 2019	Hinduism	Raksha Bandhan **
August 23, 2019	Hinduism	Sri Krishna Jayanti (Krishna Janmashtami)
September
Date	Faith	Festival
September 1, 2019	Islam	Al-HijraMuhrram * (Islamic New Year's Day)
September 2, 2019	Hinduism	Ganesh Chaturthi
September 10, 2019	Islam	Ashura *
September 23, 2019	Wicca	Mabon *
September 30, 2019 - October 1, 2019	Judaism	Rosh Hashanah*
October
Date	Faith	Festival
October 8, 2019	Hinduism	Dussehra (Dasara) **
October 9, 2019	Judaism	Yom Kippur *
October 14, 2019 - October 15, 2019	Judaism	Sukkot *
October 20, 2019	Sikhism	Installation of Scriptures as Guru Granth
October 21, 2019	Judaism	Shemini Atzeret *
October 22, 2019	Judaism	Simhat Torah * (Rejoicing of the Law)
October 27, 2019	Hinduism/Sikhism	Diwali
October 29, 2019	Baha'i	The Birth of the Báb *
October 30, 2019	Baha'i	The Birth of the Bahá'ulláh
November
Date	Faith	Festival
November 1, 2019	Wicca	Samhain *
November 1, 2019	Christianity	All Saints' Day
November 10, 2019	Islam	Mawlid an-Nabi
November 12, 2019	Sikhism	Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Sahib
November 24, 2019	Sikhism	Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom
November 26, 2019	Baha'i	Day of Covenant *
December
Date	Faith	Festival
December 1, 2019	Christianity	First Day of Advent
December 23, 2019 - December 30, 2019	Judaism	Hanukkah *
December 21, 2019	Wicca	Yule *
December 25, 2019	Christianity	Christmas *
January
Date	Faith	Festival
January 1, 2020	Shinto	Gantan-Sai (New Year's Day)
January 5, 2020	Sikhism	Birthday Guru Gobind Singh Ji
January 6, 2020	Christianity	Epiphany
January 6, 2020	Christianity (Orthodox)	Feast of the Theophany (modified Julian Calendar)
January 7, 2020	Christianity (Orthodox)	Feast of the Nativity **
January 13, 2020	Sikhism	Maghi
January 15, 2020	Hinduism	Makar Sankranti
January 18, 2020 - January 25, 2020	Christianity	Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
January 19, 2020	Baha'i	World Religion Day *
January 25, 2020	Buddhism	Chinese/Vietnamese/Korean/New Year **
January 29, 2020	Hinduism	Vasant Pachami **
February
Date	Faith	Festival
February 2, 2020	Wicca	Imbolc * (The Feast of Waxing Light)
February 26, 2020	Christianity	Ash Wednesday
March
Date	Faith	Festival
March 2, 2020	Christianity (Orthodox)	Great Lent Begins
March 10, 2020	Hinduism	Holi **
March 10, 2020	Judaism	Purim *
March 20, 2020	Wicca	Ostara *
March 21, 2020	Hinduism	Bikarami Samvat (Hindu New Year) **
March 21, 2020	Baha'i	Naw Ruz (New Year's Day) *
March 21, 2020	Zoroastrianism	Norouz (New Year's Day)
March 22, 2020	Islam	Israa & Miraj (Laylat al Miraj) *
March 28, 2020	Zoroastrianism	Khordad Sal (Birth of Prophet Zarathustra) **
April
Date	Faith	Festival
April 2, 2020	Hinduism	Rama navami **
April 5, 2020	Christianity	Palm Sunday
April 5, 2020 - April 11, 2020	Christianity	Holy Week
April 9, 2020	Islam	Mid-Sha'ban (Nisf Sha'ban) *
April 9, 2020 - April 15, 2020	Judaism	Pesach (Passover) *
April 10, 2020	Christianity	Good Friday
April 12, 2020	Christianity	Easter
April 12, 2020	Christianity (Orthodox)	Palm Sunday
April 12, 2020 - April 19, 2020	Christianity (Orthodox)	Holy Week
April 14, 2020	Sikhism	Baisakhi **
April 17, 2020	Christianity (Orthodox)	Good Friday
April 19, 2020	Christianity (Orthodox)	Easter
April 21, 2020	Baha'i	The Feast of Ridvan *
April 21, 2020	Judaism	Yom HaShoah - Holocaust Remembrance Day *
April 24, 2020	Islam	Ramadan Begins *
May
Date	Faith	Festival
May 1, 2020	Wicca	Beltane *
May 7, 2020	Buddhism	Buddha Day O Visakha Puja ** (Vesak)
May 19, 2020	Islam	Laylat ul-Qadr (Laylat ul Kadar) *
May 21, 2020	Christianity	Ascension of Christ
May 23, 2020	Baha'i	The Declaration of the Báb *
May 23, 2020 - May 24, 2020	Islam	Eid ul-Fitr - Ramadan Ends
May 28, 2020	Baha'i	The Ascension of the Bahá'u'lláh
May 29, 2020 - May 30, 2020	Judaism	Shavuot *
May 31, 2020	Christianity	Pentecost
June
Date	Faith	Festival
June 16, 2020	Sikhism	Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Ji
June 21, 2020	Aboriginal Spirituality	Aboriginal Day (Canada)
June 21, 2020	Wicca	Litha *
July
Date	Faith	Festival
July 9, 2020	Baha'i	The Martyrdom of the Báb *
July 28, 2020	Islam	Day of Hajj **
July 30, 2020	Judaism	Tish'a B'Av *
July 31, 2020	Islam	Eid al-Adha * (The Festival of Sacrifice)
August
Date	Faith	Festival
August 1, 2020	Wicca	Lammas (English/Scottish custom)
August 3, 2020	Hinduism	Raksha Bandhan **
August 6, 2020	Christianity (Orthodox)	Transfiguration Day (modified Julian Calendar)
August 11, 2020	Hinduism	Sri Krishna Jayanti (Krishna Janmashtami) **
August 20, 2020	Islam	Al-Hijra Muharram * (Islamic New Year's Day)
August 22, 2020	Hinduism	Ganesh Chaturthi **
August 29, 2020	Islam	Ashura *

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Holy days

Faiths

Aboriginal Spirituality

Baha'i

Buddhism

Christianity

Hinduism

Islam

Judaism

Shinto

Sikhism

Wicca

Zoroastrianism

Holy days for the academic calendar year 2019 - 2020

Department and University Information

Important Dates for Students