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Interfaith Calendar 2020

By: Erich TollDiversity Calendar
5:000 Comments
2020 Interfaith Calendar

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.

 

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