Major Religious Holidays, Inclusive Calendar of Holy Days
For the most current events, see our 2021 Interfaith Calendar
Being aware of world religions and holidays is key for respectful scheduling and creating inclusion, 365 days a year. To help you, here’s our 2020 interfaith calendar, and inclusive religious calendar of holy days.
This major religious holidays calendar and list of world religious festivals is compiled from a list of all events – as well as inclusion tips, diet restrictions and more – you’ll find in our interactive Electronic Diversity Calendar.
Note: below you’ll find a small sampling of this year’s religious observances. To view all 200+ events and religious observances, see our Diversity Calendar suite
January 2020 Events
01/02 – Sikh: Guru Gobind Singh’s Birthday – honors Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), the Sikhs’ tenth great master and teacher
01/06 – Christian: Epiphany – celebrated in Hispanic and some European countries, marking 12 days after Christmas and the three kings arriving in Bethlehem with gifts for baby Jesus
01/07 – Coptic Orthodox Christian: Christmas – observed on this date by the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt and several Eastern Orthodox Christian communities (Eastern Europe)
01/14 – Eastern Orthodox Christian: New Year
01/15 – Hindu: Makar Sankranti – harvest festival, marking the beginning of spring in India
01/19 – Baha’i : World Religion Day- celebrates oneness of world religions and a motivating force for world unity
February Inclusive Religious Calendar
02/01 – Pagan and Wiccan: Imbolc begins at sundown, celebration of fire and light and the return of life
02/02 – Christian: Candlemas – the blessing of the church’s supply of candles for the year
02/10 – Jewish: Tu Bishvat begins at sundown – a minor holiday, New Year of the Trees is widely celebrated to renew the land and plant trees
02/15 – Buddhist: Parinirvana or Nirvana Day – in Mahãyãna Buddhism, marks Buddha’s death in 483 BCE and attainment of final nirvana
02/21 – Hindu: Maha Shivaratri (Shiva’s Night) – honors Shiva, one of the most important Hindu deities
02/25 – Baha’i: Festival of Ayyam-i-Ha (2/25-2/29) – gifts, charity and preparation for fasting preceding the New Year
02/26 – Christian: Ash Wednesday – marks the beginning of Lent, 40 days of prayer and fasting before Easter Sunday
List of Religious Holidays in March
03/09 – Jewish: Purim (Feast of Lots) – begins at sundown, celebrates the rescue of ancient Persian Jews from a plot to destroy them
03/10 – Hindu: Holi – festival of colors, marking the coming of spring in India and new harvest of winter crop
03/10 – Sikh: Hola Mohalla – three-day Sikh festival celebrated in Punjab
03/19 – Pagan and Wiccan: Ostara – begins at sundown, sabbat observed on the vernal equinox
03/19 – Roman Catholic: Feast of St Joseph – honors St Joseph, the husband of Mary
03/20 – Baha’i: Naw Ruz (New Year) begins at sundown – marks the end of the Baha’i Fast and beginning of new year
03/22 – Islamic: Lailat al Miraj begins at sundown – the Night of the Ascension commemorates the journey of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem, where he ascended to heaven
03/20 – Zoroastrian: Naw Ruz (New Year) – celebrated at the vernal equinox
03/25 – Christian: The Annunciation – honors the Angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary of Galilee that she would become the mother of Jesus
Find out about more diversity celebrations, with our March 2020 Diversity Calendar
April 2020 Interfaith Calendar of Holy Days
04/06 – Jain: Mahavir Jayanti – most important holiday in Jainism, celebrated with prayer and visits to shrines
04/08 – Buddhist: Buddha’s Birth
04/09 – Jewish: Passover – begins at sundown, observed for eight days and celebrates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt
04/12 – Christian: Easter – celebrates the resurrection of Jesus after he was crucified and died in Jerusalem
04/13 – Hindu: Vaisakhi (New Year)
04/19 – Roman Catholic: Feast of Divine Mercy – on this Sunday, all those who go to Confession and receive Holy Communion will be forgiven of sins and receive divine grace
04/19 – Coptic Orthodox Christian: Ascension Day – Coptic Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Christians mark the anniversary of Jesus rising to heaven
04/24 – Islamic: Ramadan (4/24-5/23) – begins at sighting of crescent moon, the first day of Ramadan, a month of fasting and the holiest time of the Muslim year
04/30 – Pagan and Wiccan: Beltaine begins at sundown – the second most important Sabbat, marking the beginning of summer and celebrating life and fertility
For more diversity events, see our April 2020 Diversity Calendar
Major Religious Holidays for May
05/07 – Buddhist: Vesak – also called Buddha Day, commemorates the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha
05/21 – Christian: Ascension Day – marks the anniversary of the day Jesus rose to heaven
05/23 – Baha’i: Declaration of the Bab – commemorates the Bab’s prediction of the new messenger of God
05/23 – Islamic: Eid al-Fitr – begins at sighting of crescent moon, the Feast of Breaking the Fast marking the end of Ramadan
05/29 – Jewish: Shavuot – begins at sundown, festival of first fruits, following the key harvest season
To find out about more inclusion opportunities, enjoy our May 2020 Diversity Calendar
June Religious Festivals Calendar
06/07 – Christian: Trinity Sunday – celebrates the Christian doctrine of the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
06/11 – Roman Catholic: Feast of Corpus Christi – Latin for ‘Body of Christ’, this movable Christian feast commemorates the Holy Eucharist
06/14 – Baha’i: Race Unity Day – celebrated worldwide to promote racial harmony and understanding
06/14 – Eastern Orthodox Christian: All Saints Day – marks the close of the Easter season
06/16 – Sikh: Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib
06/19 – Roman Catholic: Feast of the Sacred Heart – one of the most popular of all devotions in the Roman Catholic Church
06/20 – Pagan and Wiccan: Litha (Summer Solstice) begins at sundown – sabbat observed on the summer solstice
For more information, see our June 2020 Diversity Calendar
July 2020 Religious Holidays Calendar
07/10 – Baha’i: Martyrdom of the Bab – commemorates the arrest, torture, imprisonment and execution of the Bab
07/23 – Rastafarian: Birthday of Haile Selassie – one of the holiest Rastafarians holidays, it celebrates Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, believed to be the incarnation of God
07/24 – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: Pioneer Day – commemorates Brigham Young leading believers to the Great Salt Lake, where they would establish their church and Salt Lake City
07/28 – Islamic: The Hajj (7/29-8/2) – begins at sundown, an annual pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia; all able Muslims must make the pilgrimage at least once
07/29 – Jewish: Tisha B’Av begins at sundown – marks the destruction of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem in 586 BCE and again in 70 CE
07/30 – Islamic: Eid al-Adha – three-day festival ending the Hajj pilgrimage
Get more diversity events, with our July 2020 Diversity Calendar
World Religion Calendar for August
08/01 – Pagan and Wiccan: Lughnasadh – also known as the festival of the first fruits, it’s the first of three harvest sabbats, celebrating the ripening of grains and corn
08/15 – Roman Catholic: Feast of the Assumption – honors the belief by Roman Catholics in Mary’s assumption to heaven
08/19 – Islamic: Islamic New Year – beginning at the sighting of crescent moon, it’s also known as the Hijri or Arabic New Year
08/16 – Jain: Paryushana – also know as the Festival of Forgiveness, it’s the most important Jain religious observance
Discover more diversity holidays, with our August 2020 Diversity Calendar
September Interfaith Holy Days
09/01 – Hindu: Pitru Paksha begins – 16 days when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors, especially through food offerings
09/11 – Coptic Orthodox Christian: Nayrouz (Coptic New Year) – begins the new year for the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt
09/18 – Jewish: Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown – begins the Jewish New Year and the Days of Awe, a period of reflection on the past year and the year to come
09/21 – Pagan and Wiccan: Mabon (Autumnal Equinox) begins at sundown – Sabbat observed on the autumnal equinox
09/28 – Jewish: Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) – ends the Days of Awe or Days of Repentance, 10 days during which Jews reflect on their sins and seek forgiveness
Discover more diversity events with our September 2020 Diversity Calendar
October 2020 Inclusive Calendar
10/02 – Jewish: Sukkot (10/3-10/9) begins at sundown, celebrating the end of the holiday season that began with Rosh Hashanah
10/07 – Islamic: Arbaeen begins at sundown – marks the end of the 40-day mourning period following Ashura, the anniversary of the martyrdom of Hussein ibn Ali, grandson of Islam’s prophet Muhammad
10/17 – Hindu: Navratri begins – one of the greatest Hindu festivals, honoring the Goddess Durga
10/19 – Baha’i: Birthday of the Bab – marks the birthday of the Bab (1819-1850), who is honored by the Baha’is as the one who announced God’s messenger would soon appear
10/25 – Hindu: Dussehra – meaning ‘the tenth day,’ it’s celebrated at the culmination of the ‘nine nights’ festival of Asuj Navratras
10/28 – Islamic: Mawlid (Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday) begins at sundown, marks the birth of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam
10/31 – Pagan and Wiccan: Samhain – the most important sabbat, it marks the end of the year’s final harvest, a time to remember the dead and celebrate the cycle of life
Unlock more diversity events with our October 2020 Diversity Calendar
Major Holy Days in November
11/01 – Christian: All Saints Day – Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) celebrates the memory of the Christian saints and martyrs, and deceased family members
11/02 – Rastafarian: Anniversary of the Crowning of Haile Selassie – commemorates the coronation of Ras (Prince) Tafari Makonnen as Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia
11/12 – Baha’i: Birthday of Baha’u’llah – marks the birthday of Baha’u’llah (1817-1892), prophet-founder of the Baha’i faith
11/14 – Hindu: Diwali – one of the most important Hindu festivals, combines a number of festivals to honor different gods and goddesses
11/15 – Jain: New Year – also known as Veer Samvat, a joyful celebration the day following the Diwali festival
11/30 – Roman Catholic: St Andrew’s Day – feast honoring the patron saint of Scotland, Greece, Russia, Ukraine, Barbados, and Romania
11/30 – Sikh: Guru Nanak Ji’s Birthday – celebrates the birth of the founder of Sikhism
Find out more diversity holidays with our November 2020 Diversity Calendar
December Religious Holidays Calendar
12/08 – Roman Catholic: Feast of the Immaculate Conception – celebrates the Roman Catholic belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, conceived without original sin
12/08 – Buddhist: Bodhi Day (Buddha’s Enlightenment) – Mahãyãna Buddhists celebrate Buddha’s attainment of understanding
12/10 – Jewish: Hanukkah (12/11-12/18) begins at sundown – commemorates the Jewish victory over the Syrian Greeks, ending a three-year period of religious persecution
12/20 – Pagan and Wiccan: Yule begins at sundown – sabbat celebrated on the winter solstice, often observed as the rebirth of the great horned hunter god and the newborn solstice sun
12/25 – Christian: Christmas – celebrates the birth of Jesus, a public holiday in many countries worldwide
12/26 – Roman Catholic: St Stephen’s Day – public holiday
For more diversity events, see our December 2020 Diversity Calendar
We hope you’ve enjoyed highlights from our interfaith calendar for 2020. To see our list of major religious holidays – and get inclusion tips, religious dietary restrictions and more – see our interactive, online Electronic Diversity Calendar.