Religious Observances
UConn recognizes and welcomes the variety of religious and cultural observances present in our community. We believe that meaningful inclusion plays a critical role in the well-being of all members of the UConn community. In accordance with this mission, we advise faculty and staff to take dates of religious holidays into consideration when planning events or setting academic deadlines.
A detailed calendar of religious holidays and culturally significant events can be found below. We also encourage you to learn more about individual observances at the Interfaith Calendar. These resources provided to assist faculty and staff in planning activities and deadlines. This list is non-exhaustive, and requests to accommodate sincerely held religious practices must be assessed on an individualized basis. The University’s Religious Accommodation Policy provides further information and guidance.
Guidance for Religious Accommodations in an Academic Settings
Consistent with state law, any student who is unable to attend classes on a particular day or days or at a particular time of day because of the tenets of a sincerely held religious practice or belief may be excused from any academic activities on such particular day or days or at such particular time of day.
Students requesting a religious accommodation should understand the following:
- Requests must be made directly to the instructor with as much notice as possible.
- Students are responsible for obtaining the materials and information provided during any class(es) missed.
- Undergraduate students must work with Dean of Students to reschedule finals; graduate students (excluding law, medicine, and dental medicine) must work directly with their faculty member to reschedule finals.
Faculty and Course Instructors Responsibilities:
- It is the responsibility of course instructors to make available to each student who is absent from academic activities because of a sincerely held religious practice or belief an equivalent opportunity to make up any examination, study or work requirements which has been missed because of such absence.
- Course instructors should make every attempt to respect the privacy of students when making accommodations and should not ask the student for proof that their religious practices or beliefs are sincerely held. Course instructors can consult with their department head or dean for assistance.
Students with concerns are encouraged to discuss the matter with their course instructor or department head. Undergraduate students may also contact the Dean of Students Office for additional assistance, and graduate students may consult with The Graduate School (excluding law, medicine, and dental medicine students).
Any individual (students, faculty, and staff) with questions or concerns may also contact the Office of Institutional Equity at equity@uconn.edu or (860) 486-2943 or refer to equity.uconn.edu for further information.
2024 Religious & Cultural Important Dates
Dates marked in bold are major holidays for which accommodations are most requested. This list is not exhaustive and requests for accommodations relating to any religious observances must be assessed on an individualized basis pursuant to the University’s Religious Accommodation Policy.
We also encourage you to learn more about individual observances at the Interfaith Calendar.
*Begins at sundown
^Dietary restrictions or meal adjustments
|
Date |
Holiday |
Affiliation |
| January 1 | Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God | Roman Catholic |
| January 1 | Oshogatsu | Shinto |
| January 2 |
Last Day of Chanukah |
Judaism |
| January 6 | Feast of Epiphany | Christian |
| January 6 | Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib | Sikh |
| January 7 | Eastern Orthodox Christmas | Eastern Orthodox Christian/Coptic |
| January 10 | Asara B'Tevet | Judaism |
| January 14 | Mahayana New Year | Buddhist |
| January 14 | Sankranti | Hindu |
| January 14 | Orthodox New Year | Orthodox |
| January 27 | Isra and Mi’raj (Tent date) | Islam |
| January 29 | Lunar New Year | National |
| February 2 | Imbolc | Pagan and Wiccan |
| February 13 | Tu Bishvat/Tu B’Shevat | Judaism |
| February 14 | Feast of Saint Valentine | Christian |
| February 25-26 | Maha Shivaratri | Hindu |
| March 1-31 | Ramadan (Tent date) | Islam |
| March 3 | Eastern Orthodox Beginning of Lent^ | Eastern Orthodox Christian |
| March 4 | Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras | Christian |
| March 5 | Ash Wednesday^ | Christian |
| March 5 – April 17 | Lent | Christian |
| February 28 – March 29/30 | Ramadan*^ | Islam |
| March 13 – 14 | Purim* | Jewish |
| March 14 | Holi | Hindu |
| March 14 | Hola Mohalla | Sikh |
| March 15 | Shri Ramakrishna Jayanti | Hindu |
| March 17 | Feast of Saint Patrick | Christian |
| March 19-20 | Naw-Rúz | Bahá’í |
| March 20-21 | Nowruz | Persian |
| March 25 | Feast of the Annunciation | Christian/Catholic |
| March 26 | Lailat al-Qadr | Islam |
| March 29 – 30 | Eid al-Fitr^* | Islamic |
| March 30 | Ramadan ends | Islam |
| March 31 | Eid al-Fitr (Tent date) | Islam |
| April 6 | Rama Navami | Hindu |
| April 12 | Passover Eve | Jewish |
| April 12 | The Memorial of Jesus’ Death | Jehovah’s Witness |
| April 12 – 20 | Passover* ^ | Jewish |
| April 13 | Palm Sunday | Christian (Roman Catholic, Protestant and Eastern Orthodox Christianity) |
| April 14 | Vaisakhi | Sikh, Hindu |
| April 17 | Maundy Thursday | Christian (Roman Catholic and Protestant) |
| April 18 | Good Friday^ | Christian (Roman Catholic and Protestant) |
| April 19 | Holy Saturday | Christian |
| April 20 | Easter Sunday | Christian/ Eastern Orthodox Christian |
| April 20 | Ridván begins | Bahá’í |
| April 21 | Easter Monday | Christian/Orthodox |
| April 23 | Yom HaShoah | Jewish |
| May 1 | Beltane | Pagan, Wiccan, Druid |
| May 1 | Yom Ha’atzmaut | Jewish |
| May 2 | Ridván ends | Bahá’í |
| May 12 | Vesak Buddha Day^ | Buddhist |
| May 16 | Lag BaOmer | Jewish |
| May 22-23 | Declaration of the Bab | Bahá’í |
| May 27-28 | Ascension of Bahá u lláh | Bahá’í |
| May 28 | Ascension of Baha’u’llah | Baha’i |
| May 29 | Feast of the Ascension of Jesus | Roman Catholic |
| May 30 | Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib | Sikh |
| June 1 – 3 | Shavuot* | Jewish |
| June 4 – June 9 | Hajj* | Islamic |
| June 6 – 7 | Eid al-Adha* | Islamic |
| June 8 | Pentecost | Christian |
| June 8 | Race Unity Day | Baha’i |
| June 9 | Whit Monday | Christian |
| June 15 | Trinity Sunday | Christian |
| June 16 | Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib | Sikh |
| June 19 | Feast of Corpus Christi | Christian |
| June 20 | Summer Solstice | Pagan and Wiccan |
| June 20 | Litha | Pagan and Wiccan |
| June 22 | Corpus Christi Sunday | Christian/Catholic |
| June 24 | Nativity of St. John the Baptist | Christian/Catholic |
| June 26-27 | Islamic New Year | Islamic |
| June 27 | Muharram (Tent date) | Islamic |
| June 27 | Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus | Christian/Catholic |
| June 27 | Beginning of Hijri Year (1444 AH)* | Islamic |
| June 29 | Feast of Saints Peter and Paul | Christian/Catholic |
| July 6 | Ashura (Tent date) | Islamic |
| July 9 | Martyrdom of the Bab | Bahá’í |
| July 24 | Pioneer Day | Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints |
| July 31 | Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola | Christian/Catholic |
| August 1 | Lughnasadh | Pagan and Wiccan |
| August 2 - 3 | Tisha B’av*^ | Jewish |
| August 8 | Raksha Bandhan | Hindu |
| August 15 | Feast of the Assumption | Roman Catholic |
| August 14 - 15 | Arba'een | Islamic |
| August 16 | Krishna Janmashtami | Hindu |
| August 21-28 | Paryushana | Jain |
| August 26 | Ganesh Chaturthi | Hindu |
| September 4-5 | Mawlid-al-Nabi | Islam |
| September 5 - 6 | Mawlid | Islam |
| September 22 | Mabon | Pagan and Wiccan |
| September 22 - 24 | Rosh Hashanah* | Judaism |
| Sep. 22 – Oct. 1 | Navaratri | Hindu |
| September 25 | Tzom Gedaliah | Judaism |
| October 1 - 2 | Yom Kippur*^ | Judaism |
| October 2 | Dussehra | Hindu |
| October 4 | Feast of St Francis of Assisi | Christian |
| October 6 | Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival | National |
| October 6 - 13 | Sukkot* | Judaism |
| October 13 - 15 | Shemini Atzeret* | Judaism |
| October 14 - 15 | Simchat Torah* | Judaism |
| October 20 | Diwali/Deepavali | Hindu |
| October 22 | Birthday of Báb | Baha'i |
| October 23 | Birthday of Baha'u'llah | Baha'i |
| Oct 31 - Nov 1 | Samhain | Pagan and Wiccan |
| November 1 | All Saints Day | Christian |
| November 2 | All Souls' Day | Christian |
| November 3 | Birth of Baháúllah | Bahá’í |
| November 15 | Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Sahib | Sikh |
| November 15 - December 24 | Christmas Fast | Christian |
| November 16 | Remembering the Martyrs of the UCA | Secular |
| November 23 | Feast of Christ the King | Christian/Catholic |
| November 24 | Martyrdom of Guru Bahadur | Sikh |
| November 27-28 | Ascension of Abdul-Bahá | Bahá’í |
| November 30-December 1 - 24 | Advent | Christian |
| December 3 | Feast of St. Francis Xavier | Christian/Catholic |
| December 6 | St. Nicholas Day | Roman Catholic |
| December 8 | Bodhi Day | Buddhist |
| December 8 | Feast of the Immaculate Conception | Roman Catholic |
| December 12 | Our Lady of Guadalupe (Feast Day) | Christian |
| December 14 - 22 | Hanukkah* | Judaism |
| December 16 - 24 | Las Posadas | Christian |
| December 21 - January 1 | Yule | Pagan and Wiccan |
| December 24 | Christmas Eve | Christian |
| December 25 | Christmas Day | Christian |
| December 26 | St. Stephen's Day | Christian |
| December 26 - January 1 | Kwanzaa | Interfaith/African-American |
|
January 10 |
Asara B'Tevet | Judaism |
Additional Information:
UConn Religious Accommodation Policy: https://policy.uconn.edu/2018/08/01/religious-accommodation-policy/
FAQs Regarding Religious Accommodations: https://policy.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/243/2019/01/Religious-Accommodation-Policy-FAQ-1-17-19.pdf
Office of Institutional Equity: https://equity.uconn.edu/
UConn Faith: https://faith.studentaffairs.uconn.edu/
UConn Cultural Centers: https://office.diversity.uconn.edu/cultural-centers/
Dean of Students – Rescheduling Final Exams (Undergraduates): https://dos.uconn.edu/reschedule-finals/
The Graduate School: https://grad.uconn.edu/gspa/
Glossary of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Terms: https://diversity.uconn.edu/glossary/
Interfaith Calendar Definitions: http://www.interfaith-calendar.org/calendardefinitions.htm