Office of Religious Life

Primary Sacred Times for World Religions

2008

Notes:

* Usually begins at sundown the day before this date
** Local customs may vary this date.

BOLD titles are primary holy days of a tradition.

The following information is obtained from Interfaith Calendar.org

JANUARY 2008

1
- Mary, Mother of God - Catholic Christian
- Feast Day of St. Basil - Orthodox Christian
- Gantan-sai (New Years) - Shinto
5
- Twelfth Night - Christian
- Guru Gobindh Singh birthday - Sikh
6
- Epiphany - Christian
- Feast of the Theophany - Orthodox Christian
- Dia de los Reyes (Three Kings Day - Hispanic Christian
7
- Feast of the Nativity - Orthodox Christian
10
- Muharram - (New Year) * - Islam
13
- Baptism of the Lord Jesus - Christian
- Maghi - Sikh
17
- Blessing of the Animals - Hispanic Christian
18-25
- Week of Prayer for Christian Unity - Christian
19
- Ashura * - Islam
20
- World Religion Day - Baha'i
22
- Tu B'shvat * - Jewish
22-25
- Mahayana New Year ** - Buddhist
25
- Conversion of Saint Paul - Christian
Definitions

FEBRUARY 2008

1
- Lammas - Christian - Southern hemisphere
2
- Candlemas - Presentation of Christ in the Temple - Christian
- Imbolc * - Wicca- Northern Hemisphere
- Lughanssad * - Wicca- Southern Hemisphere
3
- Four Chaplains Sunday - Interfaith
- Transfiguration Sunday - Christian
- Setsubun Sai - Shinto
5
- Shrove Tuesday - Christian
6
- Ash Wednesday - Lent begins - Christian
7
- Chinese New Year - Confucian/Daoist/Buddhist
11
- Vasant Panchami ** - Hindu
14
- St. Valentine's Day - Christian
15
- Nirvana Day ** - Buddhist
17
- Triodion - Orthodox Christian
26-March 1
- Intercalary Days * - Baha'i
Definitions

MARCH 2008

1
- Saturday of Souls - Orthodox Christian
- St. David of Wales - Christian
2
- Meatfare Sunday - Orthodox Christian
6
- Maha Shivaratri ** - Hindu
9
- Cheesefare Sunday - Orthodox Christian
- Passion Sunday ** - Christian
10
- Lent begins - Clean Monday- Orthodox Christian
13
- L. Ron Hubbard Birthday - Scientology
16
- Palm/Passion Sunday - Christian
- Orthodox Sunday - Orthodox Christian
17
- St Patrick's Day - Christian
20 Vernal Equinox
- Mawlid an Nabi * - Islam
- Ostara * - Wicca - Northern Hemisphere
- Mabon * - Wicca - Southern Hemisphere
- Maunday Thursday - Christian
21
- Good Friday - Christian
- Purim * - Jewish
- Norouz (New Year) - Persian/Zoroastrian
- Naw Ruz (New Year) * - Baha'i
- Magha Puja ** - Buddhist
22
- Holi ** - Hindu
- Hola Mohalla - Sikh
23
- Easter - Christian
25
- Annunciation of the Virgin Mary - Christian
26
- Khordad Sal (Birth of Prophet Zaranhushtra) - Zoroastrian
Definitions

APRIL 2008

6
- New Year ** - Hindu
6-14
- Ramayana ** - Hindu
13
- Baisakhi - Sikh
14
- Ramanavami ** - Hindu
- Baisakhi - Sikh
18
- Mahavir Jayanti - Jain
19
- Lazarus Saturday - Orthodox Christian
20
- Hanuman Jayanti ** - Hindu
- Palm Sunday - Orthodox Christian
20-23
- Theravadin New Year ** - Buddhist
20-21 *
- Pesach (Passover) first two days * - Jewish
21
- First Day of Ridvan * - Baha'i
23
- St. George's Day - Christian
25
- Holy Friday - Orthodox Christian
26-27
- Pesach (Passover) final two days * - Jewish
27
- Easter/Pascha - Orthodox Christian
29
- Ninth Day of Ridvan * - Baha'i
30
- St. James the Great Day - Orthodox Christian
Definitions

MAY 2008

1
- Ascension of Christ - Christian
- Beltane * - Wicca Northern Hemisphere
- Samhain * - Wicca Southern Hemisphere
2
- Yom HaSho'ah * - Jewish
- Twelfth Day of Ridvan * - Baha'i
8
- Yom Ha'Atzmaut * - Jewish
11
- Pentecost - Christian
18
- Trinity Sunday - Christian
20
- Buddha Day - Visakha Puja ** - Buddhist
22
- Corpus Christi - Catholic Christian
23
- Declaration of the Bab * - Baha'i
- Lag B'Omer * - Jewish
- 29
  - Ascension of Baha'u'llah * - Baha'i
- 30
  - Sacred Heart of Jesus - Catholic Christian
  Definitions
JUNE 2008
- 4
  - Pentecost - Christian
- 5
  - Ascension of Jesus- Orthodox Christian
- 9
  - St. Columba of Iona - Christian
- 9-10
  - Shavuot * - Jewish
- 11
  - Trinity - Christian
- 15
  - Corpus Christi- Catholic Christian
  - Pentecost - Orthodox Christian
- 16
  - Guru Arjan Dev martyrdom - Sikh
- 19
  - New Church Day - Swedenborgian Christian
- 20 Summer Solstice
  - Litha * - Wicca Northern Hemisphere
  - Yule * - Wicca Southern Hemisphere
- 21
  - First Nations Day - Canadian Native People
- 22
  - All Saints - Orthodox Christian
- 23
  - Sacred Heart of Jesus- Catholic Christian
- 29
  - Feast Day of Saints Peter and Paul - Christian
JULY 2008
- 9
  - Martyrdom of the Bab * - Baha'i
- 11
  - St. Benedict Day - Catholic Christian
- 13-16
  - Ulambana - Obon ** - Buddhist
- 18
  - Asalha Puja Day - Dharma Day ** - Buddhist
- 19
  - Mandaen New Years ** - Mandaen
- 23
  - Birthday of Emperor Hailie Selassi I - Rastafaria
- 24
  - Pioneer Day- Mormon Christian
- 25
  - St. James the Great Day - Christian
- 31
  - Lailat al Miraj * - Islam
  Definitions
AUGUST 2008
- 1
  - Lammas - Christian
  - Fast in honor of Holy Mother of Lord Jesus - Orthodox Christian
- 2
  - Lughnassad * - Wicca Northern Hemisphere
  - Imbolc * - Wicca Southern Hemisphere
- 6
  - Transfiguration of Our Lord - Orthodox Christian
- 10
  - Tisha B'Av * - Jewish
- 15
  - Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary - Catholic Christian
  - Dormition of the Theotokos - Orthodox Christian
- 16
  - Raksha Bandhan ** - Hindu
- 18
  - Lailat al Bara'ah * - Islam
- 24
  - Krishna Janmashtami ** - Hindu
- 25
  - Assumption of the Virgin Mary - Catholic Christian
- 28
  - Paryushana - Jain
- 29
  - Beheading of John the Baptist - Christian
- 31
  - Lailat al Miraj * - Islam
Definitions

SEPTEMBER 2008

1
- Church year begins - Orthodox Christian
2
- Ramadan begins * - Islam
3
- Ganesa Chaturthi ** - Hindu
8
- Nativity of Mary - Christian
14
- Holy Cross Day - Christian
15
- Moon Cake Festival - Chinese Taoist tradition
22 Autumnal Equinox
- Mabon * - Wicca Northern Hemisphere
- Ostara * - Wicca Southern Hemisphere
28
- Laylat al Kadar - Islam
29
- Michael and All Angels - Christian
30-Oct 1
- Rosh Hashanah * - Jewish
30-Oct 8
- Navaratri ** - Hindu
Definitions

OCTOBER 2008

2
- Eid al Fitr - Ramadan ends * - Islam
4
- St Francis Day - Catholic Chrisian
9
- Yom Kippur * - Jewish
9
- Dasera ** - Hindu
13
- Thanksgiving - Interfaith - Canada
14-20
- Sukkot * - Jewish
20
- Birth of the B'ab * - Baha'i
- Installation of Scriptures as Guru Granth - Sikh
21
- Semini Atzeret * - Jewish
22
- Simhat Torah * - Jewish
27
- Reformation Day - Protestant Christian
28
- Milvian Bridge Day - Christian
- Diwali - Deepavali ** - Hindu - Sikh - Jain
31
- All Hallows Eve - Christian
- Reformation Day - Protestant Christian
Definitions

NOVEMBER 2008

1
- All Saints' Day - Christian
- Samhain * - Wicca Northern Hemisphere
- Beltane * - Wicca Southern Hemisphere
2
- All Souls' Day - Christian
12
- Birth of Baha'u'llah * - Baha'i
13
- Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Sahib - Sikh
15
- Nativity Fast begins - Orthodox Christian
23
- Christ the King - Christian
24
- Guru Tegh Bahadur Martydrom - Sikh
26
- Day of Covenant * - Baha'i
27
- Thanksgiving - Interfaith - USA
28
- Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Baha * - Baha'i
30
- First Sunday of Advent - Christian
- St. Andrew's Day - Christian
Definitions

DECEMBER 2008

8
- Bodhi Day (Rohatsu) ** - Buddhism
- Immaculate Conception - Catholic Christian
6
- Saint Nicholas Day - Christian
6-9
- Hajj - Islam
9
- Eid al Adha * - Islam
12
- Feast day - Our Lady of Guadalupe - Catholic Christian
- Advent Fast begins - Orthodox Christian
16-25
- Posedas Novidenas - Christian
21 Winter Solstice
- Yule * - Wicca Northern Hemisphere
- Litha * - Wicca Southern Hemisphere
- Yule - Christian
22-29
- Hanukkah * - Jewish
25
- Christmas * - Christian
- Feast of the Nativity ** - Orthodox Christian
26
- Zarathosht Diso (Death of Prophet Zarathushtra) - Zoroastrian
28
- Holy Innocents - Christian
- Feast of the Holy Family - Catholic Christian
29
- Muharram (first day of new year) * - Islam
31
- Watch Night - Christian
  Definitions

Definitions

For additional information and reference, go to Interfaith Calendar.org