N.J. Now Has More Than 100 School Religious Holidays You May Not Know About

The state Board of Education has approved a list of religious holidays in the upcoming school year that you may not know about.

The list, which is updated annually, includes more than 100 holidays for the 2016-17 on which schools must allow excused absences. Students celebrating those holidays must present a written excuse signed by a parent or guardian.

Students have the opportunity to make up any tests or other assessments that they missed.

Here is the list:

July 2016

• July 2 Laylat as-Qadr (Islam)
• July 7-9 Eid al Fitr (Islam)
• July 9 Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha’i)
• July 19 Asalha Puja Day (Buddhist) Guru Purnima (Hindu)
• August 16 Ulambana/Obon (Buddhist)

August 2016

• August 1 Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus (Eastern Orthodox Christian) Lammas (Christian and Wicca)
• August 6 Transfiguration of the Lord (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
• August 7 Naga Panchami (Hindu)
• August 14 Tish’a B’Av (Jewish)
• August 18 Raksha Bandhan (Hindu)
• August 25 Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu)

September 2016

• September 1 Ecclesiastical Year begins (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
• September 5 Ganesha Chaturthi (Hindu)
• September 7 His Holiness Sakya Trizin’s Birthday (Buddhist)
• September 8 Nativity of Mary (Christian) Nativity of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
• September 10 Hajj Day (Islam)
• September 11-14 Eid al Adha (Islam)
• September 14 Onam (Hindu)
• The Elevation of the Holy Cross (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

October 2016

• October 1-10 Navaratri (Hindu)
• October 3 Feast of Trumpets (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
• October 3-4 Rosh Hashanah (Jewish) October 11 Duserra (Hindu)
• October 12 Yom Kippur (Jewish) Day of Atonement (Christian, Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
• October 17-23 Sukkot (Jewish) Feast of Tabernacles (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
• October 20 Birth of B’ab (Baha’i) Installation of the Scriptures as Guru Granth (Sikh)
• October 24 Last Great Day (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God); Shemini Atzeret (Jewish)
• October 25 Simcat Torah (Jewish) October 30 Diwali (Hindu, Jain and Sikh)
• October 31 Goverdhan Puja (Hindu)

November 2016

• November 1 All Saints’ Day (Christian) Samhain-Beltane (Wicca)
• November 2 All Souls’ Day (Christian)
• November 12 Birth of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)
• November 14 Guru Nanak Dev Sahib Birthday (Sikh)
• November 15 Nativity Fast begins (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
• November 21 The Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple (Eastern Orthodox Christian) November 24 Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom (Sikh)
• November 26 Day of Covenant (Baha’i)
• November 27 First Sunday of Advent (Christian)
• November 28 Ascension of ‘Abdu’l Baha (Baha’i)

December 2016

• December 8 Bodhi Day (Buddhist) Immaculate Conception (Christian)
• December 14 Mawlid an Nabi (Islam)
• December 21 Yule (Wicca and Christian)
• December 25 Christmas (Christian) The Nativity of Christ (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
• December 25-January 1 Hanukkah (Jewish)
• December 26 Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrian)

January 2017

• January 1 Gantan-sai (Shinto)
• January 1 through 8 Holy Convocation (Church of God and Saints of Christ)
• January 5 Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib (Sikh)
• January 6 Feast of Epiphany (Christian)
• Feast of Theophany (Eastern Orthodox Christian) Nativity of Christ (Armenian Orthodox)
• January 7 Feast of the Nativity (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
• January 13 Maghi (Sikh)
• January 14 Makar Sankranti and Pongal (Hindu)
• January 15 World Religion Day (Baha’i)
• January 28 Chinese/Lunar New Year (Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist)

February 2017

• February 1 Vasant Panchami (Hindu)
• February 2 Imbolic-Candlemas (Wicca and Christian); The Presentation of Our Lord to the Temple (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
• February 11 Tu B’shvat (Jewish)
• February 15 Nirvana Day (Buddhist)
• February 25 Maha Shivaratri (Hindu)
• February 25 -28 Intercalary Days (Baha'i)
• February 28 Shrove Tuesday (Christian)

March 2017

• March 1 Ash Wednesday (Christian)
• March 12 Purim (Jewish)
• March 13 L. Ron Hubbard’s Birthday (Church of Scientology) Holi (Hindu) Hola Mohalla (Sikh) March 20 Ostara (Wicca)
• March 21 Nowruz (Zoroastrian) Naw Ruz (Baha’i)
• March 25 The Annunciation of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian) The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary(Christian)
• March 27 Clean Monday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
• March 28 Khordad Sal (Zoroastrian) Chandramana Yugadi (Hindu) Souramana Yugadi (Hindu)

April 2017

• April 1 Lazarus Saturday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
• April 2 Palm Sunday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
• April 5 Ramnavami (Hindu)* April 9 Palm Sunday (Christian)
• April 9-17 Passover/Days of Unleavened Bread (Church of God and Saints of Christ)
• April 10 Passover (Philadelphia Church of God); Mahavir Jayanti (Jain)
• April 11 Lord’s Evening Meal (Christian, Jehovah’s Witness) Hanuman Jayanti (Hindu)* First Day of Unleavened Bread (Church of God)
• April 11-14 Theravadin New Year (Buddhist)
• April 11-17 Days of Unleavened Bread (Philadelphia Church of God)
• April 11-18 Passover (Jewish) April 13 Holy Thursday (Christian, Eastern Orthodox Christian)
• April 14 Holy Friday (Christian, Eastern Orthodox Christian)
• April 16 Easter (Christian, Eastern Orthodox Christian)
• April 17 Easter Monday (Christian) Last Day of Unleavened Bread (Church of God) Bright Monday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
• April 21 First Day of Ridvan (Baha’i) April 24 Lailat al Miraj (Islam)
• April 25 The 11th Panchen Lama’s Birthday (Buddhist)
• April 29 Ninth Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)

May 2017

• May 1 Beltane (Wicca) Yom Ha’Azmaut (Jewish)
• May 2 Twelfth Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
• May 10 Buddha’s Birthday/Buddha Day – Visakha Puja (Buddhist)
• May 12 Lailat al Bara’ah (Islam)
• May 14 Lag B’Omer (Jewish)
• May 23 Declaration of the Bab (Baha’i)
• May 25 Ascension of Our Lord (Christian)
• May 27 Ramadan (Islam)
• May 29 Ascension of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)
• May 31 – June 1 Shavuot (Jewish)

June 2017

• June 4 Pentecost (Christian) Pentecost (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
• June 16 Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (Sikh)
• June 21 Litha (Wicca)
• June 29 Fast of the Holy Apostles (Eastern Orthodox Christian)