2021 Religious Calendar: Major Religious and Holy Days
For the current listings, see our Religious Holidays 2022 Calendar
Having an awareness of world religions and holidays is important for respectful scheduling and inclusivity year-round. To assist you, we’ve created our 2021 interfaith calendar and inclusive religious calendar with holy days.
Our inclusive 2021 religious calendar consists of major religious holidays and festivals, compiled from our interactive Diversity Calendar suite.
Note: Below is just a small list of religious holidays 2021. For all 200+ religious events, see our Diversity Calendar suite.
Holidays marked * begin the prior evening.
January 2021 Events
1/6 – Christian: Feast of the Epiphany – marks 12 days after Christmas when the three kings arrived in Bethlehem, commemorating the first manifestation of Jesus to the Gentiles
1/7 – Coptic Orthodox Christmas – the date on which many Orthodox Christians celebrate Jesus Christ’s birth as it corresponds with the Julian calendar
1/14 – Eastern Orthodox Christian: New Year – also known as the “Old New Year” or the “Orthodox New Year” as it celebrates the start of the Julian calendar
1/14 – Hindu: Makar Sankranti – believed to be a time for peace and prosperity, this festival is celebrated to mark the beginning of spring in various parts of India
1/17 – Baha’i: World Religion Day – celebrates themes in common of the major faiths in the world
1/20 – Sikh: Guru Gobind Singh’s Birthday – although born Dec 22, this date celebrates Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), the tenth Sikh Guru and spiritual master
Major Religious Holidays for February
2/2* – Pagan and Wiccan: Imbolc – marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, and celebrates fire, light, and the return of life
2/2 – Christian: Candlemas – holiday on which the church blesses its supply of candles for the year
2/17 – Christian: Ash Wednesday – this holiday begins the Lenten season, a 40-day period of prayer and fasting before Easter Sunday
2/17* – Jewish: Tu Bishvat – a minor environmental holiday that Jews consider to be the “New Year of the Trees”
2/15 – Buddhist: Parinirvana or Nirvana Day in Mahãyãna Buddhism – originally occurring in 483 BCE, this holiday marks Buddha’s death and his attainment of final nirvana
2/24 – Baha’i: Festival of Ayyam-i-Ha (2/24-2/28) – a time of gift-giving, hospitality, charity, and preparation for fasting preceding the New Year
For more detail, see our February Diversity Calendar
March Religious Holidays
3/11 – Islamic: Lailat al Miraj – this Muslim holiday begins at sundown and commemorates Muhammad’s nighttime journey from Mecca to Jerusalem where he ascended into heaven
3/11 – Hindu: Maha Shivaratri (Shiva’s Night) – this Hindu festival honors Shiva, a significant Hindu deity
3/17* – Jewish: Purim (Feast of Lots) – a joyous Jewish festival that begins at sundown, and commemorates the survival of ancient Persian Jews who were marked for death
3/19 – Roman Catholic: St. Joseph’s Feast Day — honors the husband of Mary, mother of Jesus
3/20 – Pagan and Wiccan: Ostara – celebration of the spring equinox
3/20* – Baha’i: Naw Ruz (New Year) – also known as “New Day,” this holiday marks the end of the Baha’i Fast and the beginning of the new year
3/20 – Zoroastrian: Naw Ruz (New Year) – holiday celebrated at the vernal equinox
3/25 – Christian: The Annunciation – This day honors the Angel Gabriel’s announcement to the Virgin Mary that she would become Jesus’s mother
3/28* to 4/4 – Jewish: Passover – a seven-day holiday of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, commemorating the freeing of Israeli slaves in Egypt and their exodus to freedom
03/28 to 3/29 – Hindu: Holi – a festival of colors that marks the coming of spring in India as well as the new harvest
3/29 to 3/31 – Sikh: Hola Mohalla – a three-day Sikh festival held at Anandpur Sahib in Punjab
Learn more about diversity days with our March 2021 Diversity Calendar
April 2021 Inclusive Religious Calendar
4/4 – Christian: Easter – celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, this is the most important holiday in Christianity
04/11 – Roman Catholic: Feast of Divine Mercy – a feast day celebrated on the second Sunday of Easter, wherein Christians seek Christ’s forgiveness and grace
4/12 – 5/12 – Islamic: Ramadan – celebrated by Muslims, it’s a holy month of fasting, introspection, and prayer
4/13 – Hindu: Vaisakhi – ancient festival for Hindus that marks the Solar New Year and celebrates the spring harvest
4/25 – Jain: Mahavir Jayanti – celebrates the birth of Lord Mahavira, who founded Jainism and renounced his throne and family to seek the truth of spiritual freedom and virtue
For more information about opportunities for inclusion, see our April 2021 Diversity Calendar