Holy days

McGill University recognizes and respects the diversity of its community, including diversity of religious faiths and observances. The University is committed to providing an environment in which its students can fulfill both their university and their religious commitments.


Faiths

The multifaith calendar is published as a service to the University community, according to Senate policy (see Chapter Seven in the Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities). This is not a conclusive list, and additional documentation may be requested from the student to demonstrate a religious commitment.

  • Baha'i
  • 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.

  • Indigenous Spirituality

    Each band may have unique spiritual observances which, while not listed here as a holy day, may require accommodation.

  • Islam

    Muslim holidays are based on a lunar calendar and observances may vary from the dates listed here, depending on the community. Congregation prayers are held every Friday 12:15 - 2:00 pm.

  • Judaism

    Sabbath starts Friday sundown. All holy days start sundown the night preceding the holiday.

  • Paganism

    Evening observances commence at sundown. Solstice observances commence at sunrise.

  • Shinto
  • Sikhism
  • Zoroastrianism

Holy days for current & future academic years

This information was compiled with the assistance of the McGill Office of Religious and Spiritual Life (MORSL). Questions about any date provided in this multifaith calendar should be sent to degeval.es [at] mcgill.ca (Enrolment Services).

* festival begins at sundown the day before this date
** date of celebration may vary based on local customs or according to moon sightings

Holy Days 2023–2024

September 2023
Date Faith Festival
September 16 *, 2023 - September 17, 2023 Judaism Rosh Hashanah *
September 19, 2023 Hinduism Ganesh Chaturthi
September 23 **, 2023 Paganism Mabon **
September 25 *, 2023 Judaism Yom Kippur *
September 27 *, 2023 Islam Mawlid al-Nabi *
September 29, 2023 - October 14, 2023 Hinduism Pitru Paksha

September 30 *, 2023 - October 6, 2023

September 30 and October 1 are the religious days where students would not attend class, work etc.

Judaism Sukkot *
October 2023
Date Faith Festival
October 7 *, 2023 Judaism Shemini Atzeret *
October 8 *, 2023 Judaism Simchat Torah * (Rejoicing of the Law) 
October 16 *, 2023 Baha'i The Birth of the Báb *
October 17 *, 2023 Baha'i The Birth of the Bahá'ulláh *
October 20, 2023 Sikhism Installation of the Guru Granth Sahib
October 20, 2023– October 24, 2023 Hinduism Durga Puja
October 24, 2023 Hinduism Dassehra
October 28, 2023 Hinduism Sharad Purnima
November 2023
Date Faith Festival
November 1, 2023 Christianity All Saints' Day
November 1 **, 2023 Paganism Samhain **
November 12, 2023 Hinduism/Sikhism Diwali
November 24, 2023 Sikhism Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji
November 26 *, 2023 Baha'i Day of the Covenant *
November 27, 2023 Sikhism Birth date of Guru Nanak Dev Ji
November 28, 2023 Baha'i Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
December 2023
Date Faith Festival
December 3, 2023 Christianity First Day of Advent
December 8 *, 2023 - December 15, 2023 Judaism Hanukkah *
December 22 **, 2023 Paganism Yule **
December 25 *, 2023 Christianity Christmas *
January 2024
Date Faith Festival
January 1, 2024 Shinto Gantan-Sai
January 6, 2024 Christianity Epiphany
January 6, 2024 Christianity (Orthodox, New Calendar) Theophany
January 7 **, 2024 Christianity (Orthodox, Old Calendar) Feast of the Nativity **
January 13, 2024 Sikhism Maghi
January 14, 2024 Hinduism Makar Sankranti
January 18, 2024 - January 25, 2024 Christianity Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
January 25 *, 2024 Judaism Tu B'Shvat *
February 2024
Date Faith Festival
February 2 *, 2024 Paganism Imbolc *
February 8 *, 2024 Islam Laylat al-Mi'rāj *
February 10 **, 2024 Buddhism Chinese/Vietnamese/Korean New Year **
February 14, 2024 Christianity Ash Wednesday
February 14, 2024 Hinduism Vasanta Panchami
February 25 *, 2024 Islam Laylat al Baraat *
March 2024
Date Faith Festival
March 12, 2024 Islam First of Ramadan
March 18, 2024 Christianity (Orthodox) Great Fast Begins
March 20 **, 2024 Paganism Ostara **
March 20 *, 2024 Baha'i Naw-Rúz *
March 21, 2024 Zoroastrianism Nowruz
March 24, 2024 - March 30, 2024  Christianity Holy Week
March 24, 2024 Christianity  Palm Sunday
March 24, 2024 Judaism  Purim *
March 25 **, 2024 Hinduism/Sikhism Holi **
March 26, 2024 Zoroastrianism Birth Anniversary of Prophet Zarathustra
March 29, 2024 Christianity Good Friday
March 31, 2024 Christianity Easter
April 2024
Date Faith Festival
April 6 *, 2024 Islam Laylat al-Qadr *
April 10 *, 2024 Islam ʻĪd al-Fiṭr *
April 13 **, 2024 Sikhism Vaisakhi **
April 17 **, 2024 Hinduism Rama Navami **
April 18, 2024 Sikhism Birthday of Guru Angad Dev
April 20*, 2024 Baha'i First day of the Festival of Riḍván *

April 23 *, 2024 - April 30, 2024

April 23-24 and April 29-30 are the religious days where students would not attend class, work, use electronics, etc.

Judaism Pesach (Passover) *
April 28 *, 2024 Baha'i Ninth Day of Riḍván *
April 28, 2024 Christianity (Eastern Orthodox) Palm Sunday
May 2024
Date Faith Festival
May 1 **, 2024 Baha'i Twelfth day of Riḍván *
May 1 **, 2024 Paganism Beltane *
May 3, 2024 Christianity (Orthodox) Good Friday
May 5, 2024 Christianity (Orthodox) Pascha (Easter)
May 6 *, 2024 Judaism Yom HaShoah *
May 19, 2024 Christianity Pentecost
May 23 *, 2024 Baha'i Declaration of the Báb *
May 28 *, 2024 Baha'i Ascension of the Bahá'u'lláh *
June 2024
Date Faith Festival
June 10, 2024 Sikhism Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Ji
June 12 *, 2024 - June 13, 2024 Judaism Shavuot *
June 16 *, 2024 Islam Day of Hajj (Day at ‘Arafāt) *
June 17 *, 2024 - June 20, 2024 Islam ʻĪd al-’Aḍḥá *
June 20 **, 2024 Paganism Litha **
June 21, 2024 Indigenous Spirituality National Indigenous People’s Day (Canada)
July 2024
Date Faith Festival
July 7 *, 2024 Islam First of Muharram *
July 9 *, 2024 Baha'i Martyrdom of the Báb *
July 16 *, 2024 Islam ʻĀshūrā’ *
August 2024
Date Faith Festival
August 1 **, 2024 Paganism Lammas **
August 6, 2024 Christianity Feast of the Transfiguration Celebration
August 13 *, 2024 Judaism Tish'a B'Av *
August 19 **, 2024 Hinduism Raksha Bandhan **
August 26 **, 2024 Hinduism Sri Krishna Jayanti **

Holy Days 2024–2025

September 2024
Date Faith Festival
September 7, 2024 Hinduism Ganesh Chaturthi
September 16 *, 2024 Islam Mawlid al-Nabi *
September 17, 2024 - October 2, 2024 Hinduism Pitru Paksha
September 22 **, 2024 Paganism Mabon **
October 2024
Date Faith Festival
October 3 *, 2024 - October 4, 2024 Judaism Rosh Hashanah *
October 9, 2024 – October 12, 2024 Hinduism Durga Puja
October 12, 2024 Judaism Yom Kippur *
October 12, 2024 Hinduism Dussehra
October 16, 2024 Hinduism Sharad Purnima

October 17 *, 2024 - October 23, 2024

October 17 and 18 are the religious days where students would not attend class, work etc.

Judaism Sukkot *
October 20, 2024 Sikhism Installation of the Guru Granth Sahib
October 24 *, 2024 Judaism Shemini Atzeret *
October 25 *, 2024 Judaism Simchat Torah * (Rejoicing of the Law) 
November 2024
Date Faith Festival
November 1 **, 2024 Paganism Samhain **
November 1, 2024 Hinduism/Sikhism Diwali
November 1, 2024 Christianity All Saints' Day
November 2 *, 2024 Baha'i The Birth of the Báb *
November 3 *, 2024 Baha'i The Birth of the Bahá'ulláh *
November 15, 2024 Sikhism Birth date of Guru Nanak Jayanti
November 24, 2024 Sikhism Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji
November 25 *, 2024 Baha'i Day of the Covenant *
November 27, 2024 Baha'i Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
December 2024
Date Faith Festival
December 1, 2024 Christianity First Day of Advent
December 21 **, 2024 Paganism Yule **
December 24 *, 2024 - January 2, 2025 Judaism Hanukkah *
December 25 *, 2024 Christianity Christmas *
January 2025
Date Faith Festival
January 1, 2025 Shinto Gantan-Sai
January 6, 2025 Christianity Epiphany
January 6, 2025 Christianity (Orthodox, New Calendar) Theophany
January 7 **, 2025 Christianity (Orthodox, Old Calendar) Feast of the Nativity **
January 13, 2025 Sikhism Maghi
January 14, 2025 Hinduism Makar Sankranti
January 18, 2025 - January 25, 2025 Christianity Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
January 27, 2025 Islam Laylat al-Mi'rāj *
January 29 **, 2025 Buddhism Chinese/Vietnamese/Korean New Year **
February 2025
Date Faith Festival
February 2 *, 2025 Paganism Imbolc *
February 2, 2025 Hinduism Vasanta Panchami
February 12, 2025 Buddhism Magha Puja (Sangha) Day
February 13 *, 2025 Judaism Tu B'Shvat *
February 14 *, 2025 Islam Laylat al Baraat *
February 26, 2025 Hinduism Mahashivaratri
February 28, 2025 Islam First of Ramadan
March 2025
Date Faith Festival
March 3, 2025 Christianity (Orthodox) Great Fast Begins
March 5, 2025 Christianity Ash Wednesday
March 14, 2025 Judaism Purim *
March 14 **, 2025 Hinduism/Sikhism Holi **
March 20 **, 2025 Paganism Ostara **
March 20 *, 2025 Baha'i Naw-Rúz *
March 20, 2025 Zoroastrianism Nowruz
March 26, 2025 Zoroastrianism Birth Anniversary of Prophet Zarathustra
March 27 *, 2025 Islam Laylat al-Qadr *
March 30 *, 2025 Islam ʻĪd al-Fiṭr *
April 2025
Date Faith Festival
April 6 **, 2025 Hinduism Rama Navami **
April 13, 2025 Christianity Palm Sunday
April 13, 2025 Christianity (Orthodox) Palm Sunday
April 13, 2025 - April 19, 2025 Christianity Holy Week

April 13 *, 2025 - April 20, 2025

April 13-14 and April 19-20 are the religious days where students would not attend class, work, use electronics, etc.

Judaism Pesach (Passover) *
April 14 **, 2025 Sikhism Vaisakhi **
April 18, 2025 Christianity Good Friday
April 18, 2025 Christianity (Orthodox) Good Friday
April 18, 2025 Sikhism Birthday of Guru Angad Dev
April 20 *, 2025 Baha'i First day of the Festival of Riḍván *
April 20, 2025 Christianity Easter
April 20, 2025 Christianity (Orthodox) Pascha (Easter)
April 24 *, 2025 Judaism Yom HaShoah *
April 29 *, 2025 Baha'i Ninth Day of Riḍván *
May 2025
Date Faith Festival
May 1 *, 2025 Baha'i Twelfth day of Riḍván *
May 1 *, 2025 Paganism Beltane *
May 23 *, 2025 Baha'i Declaration of the Báb *
May 28 *, 2025 Baha'i Ascension of the Bahá'u'lláh *
May 30, 2025 Sikhism Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Ji
June 2025
Date Faith Festival
June 3 *, 2025 Judaism Shavuot *
June 5 *, 2025 Islam Day of Hajj (Day at ‘Arafāt) *
June 6 *, 2025 Islam Eid al-Aḍḥá *
June 8, 2025 Christianity Pentecost
June 20 **, 2025 Paganism Litha **
June 21, 2025 Indigenous Spirituality National Indigenous People’s Day (Canada)
June 27 *, 2025 Islam First of Muharram *
July 2025
Date Faith Festival
July 6 *, 2025 Islam ʻĀshūrā’ *
July 9 *, 2025 Baha'i Martyrdom of the Báb *
August 2025
Date Faith Festival
August 1 **, 2025 Paganism Lammas **
August 3 *, 2025 Judaism Tish'a B'Av *
August 6, 2025 Christianity Feast of the Transfiguration Celebration
August 9 **, 2025 Hinduism Raksha Bandhan **
August 16 **, 2025 Hinduism Sri Krishna Jayanti **
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