McGill.CA / Important Dates for Students

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 calendar year 2019

This table was compiled with the assistance of the McGill Chaplaincy Services, based on the 2019 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 (Lailatal 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 1, 2019

Islam

Laylat ul-Qadr (Laylat ul Kadar) *
June 5, 2019 - June 7, 2019

Islam

Eid ul-Fitr - Ramadan Ends
June 9, 2019

Christianity

 Pentecost
June 9, 2019 - June 10, 2019

Judaism

Shavuot *
June 16, 2019 Sikhism Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Ji
June 21, 2019 Wicca Litha *
June 22, 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 *
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