Religious Holidays Calendar

2012-2013 Academic year

The list that follows is not exhaustive; it includes major festivals and holy days for many, but perhaps not all, religious traditions represented in the Whitman community. If it does not include an important date in the releigious calendar of your particular tradition, please notify Adam Kirtley, Stuart Coordinator of Religious and Spiritual Life, at kirtleam@whitman.edu.

Dates marked with an * indicate that observances begin at sundown on the preceding day. For holidays associated with Christianity, the following notations are used to denote observance by particular strands of the Christian tradition: RC-Roman Catholic P-Protestant O-Orthodox

Fall 2012

Date Description Tradition
Aug. 23-28 Opening Week Whitman College
Aug. 28* Dormition of the Theotokos Christianity (O)
Sept. 17*-18 Rosh Hashanah Judaism
Sept. 21* Birth of the Theotokos Christianity (O)
Sept. 27* Elevation of the Cross Christianity (O)
Oct. 1*-7 Sukkot Judaism
Oct. 16-23 Navaratri Hinduism
Oct. 26* Yom Kippur Judaism
Oct. 8* Atzeret - Simchat Torah Judaism
Oct. 19-21 Eckankar World Seminar Eckankar
Oct. 20* Birth of the Bab Baha'i
Nov. 1 All Saints Day Christian (RC, P)
Nov. 2 All Souls Day Christian (RC, P)
Nov. 6 Dusserah/Vijayadashami Hinduism
Nov. 13 Diwali Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism
Nov. 20 Birth of Baha'u'llah Baha'i
Nov. 26* Muharram (New Year) Islam
Dec. 8 Bodhi Day Buddhism
Dec. 9*-16 Hanukkah Judaism
Dec. 16 Fall Semester Ends Whitman College

 
Spring 2013

Date Description Tradition
Jan. 17 Spring Semester Classes Begin Whitman College
Jan. 19* Theophany Christianity (O)
Jan. 24* Mawlid al-Nabi (Birth of Muhammad) Islam
Jan. 26* Tu Bish'vat Judaism
Feb. 10 Lunar New Year Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist
Feb. 13 Ash Wednesday; Lent begins Christianity (RC, P)
Feb. 24* Purim Judaism
Mar. 10 Maha Shivaratri Hinduism
Mar. 18 Clean Monday: Lent begins Christianity (O)
Mar. 20 Nawruz Baha'i, Zoroastrian
Mar. 27 Holi Hinduism
Apr. 20 Rama Navami Hinduism
Mar. 26-Apr. 2 Pesach Judaism
Mar. 29 Good Friday Christianity (RC, P)
Mar. 31 Easter Christianity (RC, P)
Apr. 7* Annunciation Christianity (O)
Apr. 19* Yom HaShoah Judaism
Apr. *21-May 2 Ridvan Baha'i
Apr. 28* Lag Ba'Omer Judaism
Apr. 29-May 4 Holy Week Christianity (O)
May 5* Pascha Christianity (O)
May 5 Vesak (Buddha Day) Buddhism
May 19-20 Commencement weekend Whitman College