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Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà Calendar 2011-2012 Academic Schedule Multifaith List of Holy Days
Multifaith List of Holy Days

This list includes festivals or holy days for the following faiths:

Aboriginal Spirtuality
Baha'i
Buddhism
Christianity
Hinduism
Islam
Judaism
Shinto
Sikkism
Zoroasterianism

It was compiled on the basis of dates posted on the web in the 2012 Interfaith Calendar ().

Explanatory notes about dates for some faiths

Aboriginal Spirituality: Each band may have unique spiritual observances which, while not a Religious Holy Day, may require accommodation.

Buddhism: In the Western world, festivals are generally celebrated on the Sunday nearest the actual date.

Christianity: The Gregorian calendar has been adopted by all Christian churches of the West. Most Eastern churches, however, continue to use the Julian calendar for religious purposes, though only a few use it exclusively. Nearly all Eastern churches still determine Easter according to the "Old Style" or Julian system, but most have adopted the "New Style" or Gregorian calendar for Christmas or Pentecost. At the present time, the Julian and Gregorian calendars are approximately 15 days out of phase.

Hinduism: Specific dates may vary year to year based on the solar or lunar calendars. Dates can also vary depending on the time differential between Canada and India.

Islam: Muslim holidays are based on a Lunar Calendar and observances may vary by a day before or after from the dates given, depending on the community. Every Friday 12:15 - 2:00 pm there are Congregation prayers.

Judaism: Orthodox - Sabbath starts Friday sundown. All holy days start sundown the night preceding the holiday.

* The festival begins at sundown the day before this date.

** The date of celebration may vary from community to community based on local customs or according to moon sightings.

January 2012
Date Faith Festival
January 1 Shinto Gantan-Sai (New Year's Day)
January 1 Christianity (Orthodox) Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
January 5 Sikhism Birthday Guru Gobind Signh Ji
January 5 Christianity Twelfth Night
January 6 Christianity Epiphany
January 6 Christianity (Orthodox) Feast of the Theophany (modified Julian Calendar)
January 7 Christianity (Orthodox) Feast of the Nativity (Julian Calendar)
January 8 Christianity Baptism of Jesus
January 9-12 Buddhism Mahayana New Year
January 13 Sikhism Maghi
January 14 Hinduism Makar Sankranti
January 15 Baha'i World Religion Day
January 18-25 Christianity Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
January 23 Buddhism Chinese/Vietnamese/Korean/New Year (Year of the Dragon)
January 28 Hinduism Vasant Panchami**
February 2012
Date Faith Festival
February 2 Christianity Candlemas
February 2 Christianity (Orthodox) Triodion
February 3 Hinduism Maha Shavartri**
February 3 Shinto Setsubum-sai
February 3 Islam Mawlid an Nabi*
February 8 Judaism Tu BiShvat*
February 15 Buddhism Nirvana Day**
February 19 Christianity Transfiguration
February 19 Christianity (Orthodox) Meatfare (Judgement) Sunday
February 21 Christianity Shrove Tuesday
February 22 Christianity Ash Wednesday – Lent Begins
February 26-March 1 Baha'i Intercalary Days*
February 27 Christianity (Orthodox) Clean Monday – Great Lent begins
March 2012
Date Faith Festival
March 2-20 Baha'i Nineteen Day Fast*
March 4 Christianity (Orthodox) Orthodox Sunday
March 8

Judaism

Purim*
March 8 Hinduism Holi**
March 8 Buddhism Magha Puja Day**
March 9 Sikhism Hola Mohall
March 21 Baha'i Naw Ruz (New Year's Day)
March 21 Zoroastrianism Norouz (New Year's Day)
March 23 Hinduism New Year**
March 23 Zoroastrianism Prophet Zarathustra birth
March 23 Hinduism Ramayana**
March 28 Zoroastrianism Khordad Sal (Birth of Prophet Zarathustra)**
April 2012
Date Faith Festival

April 1

Christianity Palm Sunday

April 1

Hinduism Ramanavami

April 5

Christianity Maundy Thursday

April 6-9

Buddhism Theravadin New Year**

April 6

Christianity Good Friday
April 6 Hinduism Hanuman Jayanti
April 6 Jainism Mahavir Jayanti**
April 7-14 Judaism Pesach (Passover)*
April 7 Christianity (Orthodox) Lazarus Saturday
April 8 Christianity Easter
April 8 Christianity (Orthodox) Palm Sunday
April 13 Christianity (Orthodox) Holy Friday
April 14 Sikhism Baisakhi
April 15 Christianity (Orthodox) Easter (Pascha)
April 19 Judaism Yom HaShoah* (Holocaust Remembrance Day)
April 21 Baha'i First Day of Ridvan*
April 27 Judaism Yom Ha’Atzmaut*
April 29 Baha'i Ninth Day of Ridvan*
April 30 Christianity (Orthodox) Lazarus Saturday
May 2012
Date Faith Festival
May 1 Christianity (Orthodox) Palm Sunday
May 2 Baha'i Twelfth Day of Ridvan*
May 6 Buddhism Buddha Day - Visakha Puja** (Wesak)
May 10 Judaism Lag B’Omer*
May 17 Christianity Ascension Day
May 23 Baha'i The Declaration of the Báb*
May 24 Christianity (Orthodox) All Ascension of Jesus
May 27 Christianity Pentecost
May 27-28 Judaism Shavuot*
May 29 Baha'i The Ascension of the Bahá'u'lláh*
June 2012
Date Faith Festival
June 3 Christianity Trinity Sunday
June 3 Christianity (Orthodox) Pentecost
June 7 Christianity (Catholic) Corpus Christi
June 10 Christianity (Orthodox) All Saints
June 15 Christianity (Catholic) Sacred Heart of Jesus
June 16 Sikhism Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Ji
June 16

Islam

Lailat al Miraj* **
June 21 Aboriginal Sprituality Aboriginal Day (Canada)
July 2012
Date Faith Festival
July 3 Buddhism Asalha Puja Day**
July 4

Islam

Lailat at Bara’ah* **
July 9 Baha'i The Martyrdom of the Báb*
July 13-16 Buddhism - Shinto Obon**
July 20

Islam

Ramadam Begins* **
July 29 Judaism Tisha B’Av*
August 2012
Date Faith Festival
August 1 Christianity Lammas (English/Scottish custom)
August 1 Christianity (Orthodox) Fast in Honour of Holy Mother of Jesus
August 2 Hinduism Raksha Bandhan**
August 6 Christianity (Orthodox) Transfiguration of the Lord
August 20 Hinduism Krishna Janmashtami**
August 14

Islam

Laylat ul-Qadr (Lailat ul Kadar)* **
August 15 Christianity (Catholic) Assumption of the Virgin Mary
August 15 Christianity (Orthodox) Dormition of the Theotokos
August 19-21

Islam

Eid ul-Fitr - Ramadan ends* **
September 2012
Date

Faith

Festival

September 1 Christianity (Orthodox) Ecclesiastical Year begins
September 8 Christianity Nativity of Mary
September 17 Judaism Rosh Hashanah* (New Year's Day)
September 19 Hinduism Ganesh Chaturthi**
September 20-29 Jainism Paryushana Parva**
September 26 Jainism Yom Kippur*
October 2012

Date

Faith

Festival

October 1-7 Judaism Sukkot*
October 8 Judaism Shemini Atzeret*
October 9 Judaism Simhat Torah*
October 16-23 Hinduism Navaratri**
October 20 Baha'i The Birth of the Báb*
October 20 Sikhism Installation of Scriptures as Guru Granth
October 24 Hinduism Dasera**
October 25

Islam

Waqf al Arafa – Hajj Day*
October 26-29

Islam

Eid al Adha* **
November 2012

Date

Faith

Festival

November Christianity All Saints' Day
November

Christianity (Catholic)

All Soul’s Day
November Jainism Jain New Year**
November Hinduism Deepavali**
November Baha'i The Birth of the Bahá'ulláh*
November Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism Diwali – Deepavali**
November

Islam

Hijra – New Year* **
November

Islam

Ashura* **
November Sikhism Guru Tegh Bahadur Martydrom
November Baha'i Day of Covenant*
November Baha'i Ascension of the Abdu’l-Baha*
November Sikhism Guru Nanak Dev Sahib birthday
December 2012

Date

Faith

Festival

December 2 Christianity Advent – First Sunday
December 6 Christianity Saint Nicholas Day
December 8 Buddhism Rohatsu (Bodhi Day)**
December 8

Christianity (Catholic)

Immaculate Conception of Mary
December 9-16 Judaism Hanukkah*
December 16-25

Christianity (Hispanic)

Posadas Navidenas
December 21 Christianity Yule
December 25 Christianity Christmas*
December 26 Zoroastrianism Zarathosht Diso (Death of Prophet Zarathushtra)**