Holy Days 2009-2010
This list is a partial list of holy days that are commonly observed by students, faculty, and staff at Yale.
Individuals’ observance of these holy days will vary depending on personal practice. If you are curious, simply ask!
An asterisk (*) indicates that the holy day begins or ends at sundown.
2009
August 22: 1st day of Ramadan. Muslim. Adults abstain from food and drink from dawn until sunset. Continues until Sept 20th.
Sept 15*-16*: Laylat al-Qadr. Muslim. Night of Power: commemorates the night the Qur’an (Muslim holy book) was revealed.
Sept 18*-20*: Rosh Hashanah. Jewish. The beginning of the Jewish year.
Beginning of the High Holy Days.
Sept 20: Eid al-Fitr. Muslim. The Festival of the Breaking of the Fast,
celebrates the end of Ramadan.
Sept 27*-28*: Yom Kippur. Jewish. The Day of Atonement. Most solemn Jewish Holiday. Adults fast from food and drink.
Oct 2*-9*: Sukkot. Jewish. The Feast of the Tabernacles. Harvest Festival. Meals are consumed in a temporary outdoor structure.
Oct 9: Shemini Atzeret. Jewish. The Assembly of the Eight Day. May be combined with
Simchat Torah
Oct 10*-11*: Simchat Torah. Jewish. Celebrates the beginning of the Torah Reading Cycle.
Oct 17: Diwali. Hindu, Jain, Sikh. Festival of lights that celebrates several sacred stories.
Nov 2: Guru Nanak Dev’s Birthday. Sikh. Celebration of the birth of the founder
of Sikhism.
Nov 27: Eid al-Adha. Muslim. The Festival of Sacrifice remembers Abraham’s devotion in offering his son as a sacrifice.
Dec 8: Bodhi Day. Buddhist. Celebrates the Buddha’s attainment of Enlightenment.
Dec 11*-19*: Hanukkah. Jewish. Festival of Lights. Marks the victory of the Maccabees
and the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem.
Dec 25: Christmas. Christian. Celebrates the birth of Jesus.
2010
Feb 8 or 15: Nirvana Day. Buddhist. Celebrates the day when Gautama Buddha died.
Feb 17: Ash Wednesday. Christian. The beginning of Lent, the 40-day period
that precedes Easter.
Feb 27*-28*: Purim. Jewish. Celebration of victory over oppressors.
Mar 1: Holi. Hindu. Festival where people throw colored power at each other to celebrate the life of Krishna
March 2-20: 19 Day Fast. Bahai Faith. Bahá'ís between the ages of 15 and 70 fast without food or drink from sunrise to sunset.
March 21: Naw Rouz. Zoroastrian/Bahai/Iran. New Year Celebration.
Mar 28: Palm Sunday. Christian. Celebrates the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem.
Mar 29*-Apr 6*: Passover. Jewish. Commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.
Apr 1: Maundy/Holy Thursday. Christian. Commemorates the last supper of Jesus with his apostles.
Apr 2: Good Friday. Christian. Commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus.
Apr 4: Easter. Christian. Commemorates the resurrection of Jesus.
Apr 14: Vaisakhi. Sikh/Hindu. Marks the New Year for Hindus and the formation of the Khalsa (religions community of Sikhs by Guru Gobind Singh.
Apr 21*-May2*: Ridvan. Baha’i. Commemorates the 12 days when the founder, Baha’u’llah declared his mission.
May 18*-20*: Shavuot. Jewish. The Feast of Weeks. Celebrates the giving of the
Torah on Mt. Sinai to Moses.
May21 or 27: Vesak. Buddhist. Honors the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha.
