Calendar of Religious and Holy Days
Inclusive scheduling is a must for businesses and organizations. It allows everyone to recognize holy days regardless of which world religion their employees or members participate in. Below is our 2023 Interfaith Calendar which includes holidays, religious holidays and religious festivals. For more diversity topics, see our Diversity Calendar 2023.
Please note the list below is not exhaustive. It samples some religious holidays you should be mindful of while scheduling. For all 2023 religious holidays, see our interactive DEI Calendar for all 200+ religious events. All holidays marked with an asterisk (*) below begin the evening prior.
January 2023 Holy Days
January 6 – Feast of the Epiphany: On this feast day, Christians celebrate the first manifestation of Jesus to the Gentiles. It always falls 12 days after Christmas to mark when the three kings arrived in Bethlehem. Thus it’s celebrated on January 6
January 7 – Coptic Orthodox Christmas: Using the Julian calendar, Orthodox Christians celebrate Jesus’ birth
January 14 – Orthodox New Year: this date marks the start of the Julian calendar
January 15 – World Religion Day: this date is celebrated in the Baha’i faith and highlights the common themes across various faiths and religions worldwide.
January 20 – Guru Gobind Singh’s Birthday: Guru Gobind Singh is the tenth Sikh Guru and spiritual master. This date commemorates the day he was born.
For additional details, visit our January 2023 Diversity Calendar.
February Religious Holidays Calendar
February 1 – Imbolc: This Pagan and Wiccan festival serves as the halfway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox, celebrating fire, light, and the return of life.
February 2 – Candlemas: This celebration occurs 40 days after Christmas and celebrates the birth of light. On this day, all candles that the church will use in the coming year are blessed.
February 5 – Tu Bishvat: In Judaism, this holiday is an ancient and authentic “Earth Day.”
February 15 – Parinirvana: In Mahãyãna Buddhism, this date is also known as Nirvana Day. It commemorates Buddha’s death and attainment of final nirvana.
February 18 – Lailat al Miraj: This Muslim holy day celebrates Muhammad’s pilgrimage from Mecca to Jerusalem. When Muhammad arrived, he ascended into Heaven.
February 22 – Ash Wednesday: The start of Lent in the Christian Church. Lent is the 40-day period of prayer and fasting before Easter.
February 24 – Festival of Ayyam-i-Ha: This multi-day Baha’i festival highlights charity, hospitality, gift-giving, and preparation of fasting before the New Year.
For more information, please see our February 2023 Diversity Calendar.
March Inclusive Religious Calendar
March 6 to March 7 – Purium: Also known as the “Feast of Lots,” this festival celebrates the survival of Jews who were marked for death by Persian rulers.
March 8 – Holi: This Hindu Festival celebrates spring, love, and new life.
March 8 to March 10 – Hola Mohalla: This is a 3-day festival in which Sikhs enjoy communal meals, religious song and prayer, and martial arts performances.
March 19 – St Joseph’s Feast Day: This day celebrates Jesus’ surrogate father and Mary’s husband.
March 21 – Ostara: This Wiccan holiday is one of their eight Sabbats. It celebrates the spring equinox.
March 21 – Naw Ruz: This day marks the Persian and Baha’i New Year, which also occurs on the vernal equinox.
March 22 to March 31 – Navaratri: A festival in the Hindu faith that celebrates the Goddess Durga.
March 22 to April 21 – Ramadan: During this time, Muslims observe a holy month of fasting.
March 25 – The Annunciation: On this day, Christians believe the Angel Gabriel announced that Mary would give birth to Jesus.
Visit our March 2023 Diversity Calendar to learn more about diversity days this month.
April’s Major Religious Holidays
April 4 – Mahavir Jayanti: This holiday celebrates the birthday of Jainism founder Lord Mahavira.
April 5 to April 13 – Passover: This holiday spans 7-days and commemorates the Israelites being freed from slavery in Egypt.
April 9 – Easter: Easter is the most important holiday in Christianity. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ — Lord and Savior of Christians.
April 14 – Vaisakhi: This ancient festival celebrates both the Solar New Year and springtime harvest.
April 16 – Feast of the Divine Mercy: This day, celebrated on the Second Sunday of Easter, is based on the private revelations of St. Faustina Kowalska. St. John Paul II declared that it would be celebrated when he canonized her in 2000.
April 21 to April 22* – Eid al-Fitr: The holiday that marks the end of Ramadan. To end the fast, a big meal is its primary event.
Our April 2023 Diversity Calendar has more information about the various diversity days.
May 2023 Religious Holidays
May 1 – Beltane: A festival honoring life in the Pagan and Wiccan religions. It represents the peak of Spring and the beginning of Summer.
May 5 – Buddha’s Birthday: A celebration of the Buddha’s birthday, and for some Buddhists, a day that also marks his enlightenment.
May 5* – Vesak: A Theravada Buddhist festival that observes the birth, death, and enlightenment of the Buddha.
May 18 – Ascension Day: This day is 40 days following Easter when Christians believe that Jesus ascended to Heaven.
May 23 – Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib: A day observed by Sikhs to celebrate the first martyr in their faith.
May 25 to May 27 – Shavuot: This holiday celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai and a grain harvest.
Use our May 2023 Diversity Calendar to get more information about the diversity days in May.
June 2023 Holy Days
June 4 – Trinity Sunday: A Sunday that centers on the doctrine in the Christian church that God is three in one — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
June 11 – Race Unity Day: A holiday in the Baha’i faith that promotes racial harmony and understanding.
June 8 – Feast of Corpus Christi: A Roman Catholic feast day marking the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
June 16 – Feast of the Sacred Heart: A Roman Catholic feast day commemorating Jesus’ heart and his love for all of humanity.
June 24 – Litha: A Pagan and Wiccan festival that starts on the summer solstice and celebrates midsummer.
June 18 to June 29 – Eid al-Adha: A holiday in the Islamic faith that ends the Hajj pilgrimage.
June 26 to July 1 – The Hajj: The annual pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca that’s required for all Muslims during their lifetime.
Our June 2023 Diversity Calendar offers more information about all diversity events in the month.
July Interfaith Calendar
July 9 – Declaration of the Bab: A significant day in the Baha’i faith that observes the Bab as the messenger of God.
July 9 – Martyrdom of the Bab: A day remembering the execution of one of the founders of the Baha’i faith.
July 26 to July 27 – Tisha B’Av: A holiday in the Jewish faith that commemorates the destruction of the Jewish temple that occurred once in 586 BCE and once in 70 CE in Jerusalem.
July 23 – Haile Selassie’s Birthday: The birthday of Emperor Haile Selassie, which is celebrated in Rastafarianism.
July 24 – Pioneer Day: A holiday celebrated in the state of Utah that marks the settling of LDS pioneers in the Great Salt Lake area.
Learn more about the religious holidays and diversity days in the July 2023 Diversity Calendar.
August 2023 Religious Festivals Calendar
August 1 – Lughnasadh: This Pagan and Wiccan festival designates the start of the harvest season.
August 15 – Feast of the Assumption: This is a holy day in the Catholic faith when Mary, the mother of Jesus, was assumed (body and soul) into Heaven.
8/29* – Hirjiri: This holiday begins the Islamic lunar calendar. You may also hear it called Islamic New Year. It begins when the crescent moon is spotted.
Learn more about the diversity days this month with our August 2023 Diversity Calendar.
Major Religious Holidays for September
September 5 to September 6 – Arbaeen: The day marking the end of the 40-day mourning period after the Day of Ashura for Muslims.
September 11 – Coptic New Year: A feast day (also called Nayrouz) that commemorates martyrs and confessors in Coptic Orthodox Christianity.
September 21 to September 29 – Mabon: Pagan and Wiccan religions use this day to mark the autumnal equinox.
September 15 to September 17 – Rosh Hashanah: The two-day Jewish New Year that highlights rest and reflection.
September 24 to September 25 – Yom Kippur: This is the holiest day of the year in the Jewish faith. The central themes of Yom Kippur are atonement and repentance.
September 27* – Mawlid: The celebration of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad in the Islamic faith.
September 29 to October 14 – Pitru Paksha: A period when members of the Hindu faith pay homage to their ancestors.
September 29* to October 6 – Sukkot: A day commemorating when Jews journeyed to the desert on the way to the promised land.
Visit our 2023 September Diversity Calendar for more information.
October Interfaith Holy Days
October 24 – Dussehra: The final day of a 10-day Hindu festival that honors Asuj Navratras.
October 16* – Birth of the Bab: A day honoring the birthday of a co-founder of the Baha’i faith.
October 17 – Birth of Baha’u’llah: One of the nine holy days in the Baha’i faith that honors the birthday of one of the co-founders.
To learn more about diversity days this month, see the October 2023 Diversity Calendar.
November World Religion Calendar
November 1* – Samhain: A Pagan and Wiccan festival marking the end of the harvest season.
November 1 – All Saints Day: A day to honor all holy men and women who have been canonized in the Catholic Church.
November 2 – Anniversary of the Crowning of Haile Selassie: The day when Haile Selassie ascended the Ethiopian throne. This is one of the holiest days in the Rastafarian year.
November 27* – Guru Nanak Ji’s Birthday: A day commemorating the birth of Guru Nanak Ji who founded Sikhism.
November 12 – Diwali: A 5-day festival celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains. It honors gods, goddesses, harvests, New Years, etc.
November 27 – Jain New Year: A day celebrated on the first day after the month of Kartika.
November 30 – St. Andrew’s Feast Day: St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, Greece, Russia, Ukraine, Barbados, and Romania. This day honors him, his good works, and his canonization in the Catholic Church.
Visit our November 2023 Diversity Calendar for all the details on holy days this month.
Major Religious Holidays for December
December 8 – Feast of the Immaculate Conception: The day that Roman Catholics celebrate Mary’s conception without original sin.
December 7 to December 15 – Hanukkah: An 8-day celebration in the Jewish faith that honors the victory of Jews over Syrian Greeks.
December 21 – Yule: A Pagan and Wiccan holiday that celebrates the winter solstice.
December 25 – Christmas: An important Christian holiday commemorating the birth of Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
December 26 – St. Stephen’s Feast Day: The day commemorating St. Stephen’s life and service as he became the first Christian to die for the faith.
Visit our December 2023 Diversity Calendar for more information.
Reminder: All holidays marked with * begin the prior evening.
That’s all for our list of 2023 holy days. For more diversity topics, see our Diversity Calendar 2023. And for respectful scheduling and inclusion opportunities, enjoy a free trial of interactive DEI Calendar.