The Jewish New Year and the anniversary of the creation of the world, Rosh Hashanah is the first of the Ten Days of Awe (also known as the Ten Days […]

Also known as the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur is the the holiest and most solemn of all days in the Jewish year and the conclusion of the Ten Days […]

Wicca/Paganism recognize the Autumnal equinox and the second harvest festival, celebrating the equivalence of light and dark, the arrival of Autumn and thanksgiving for the Earth’s bounty. Mabon begins at […]

Also known as Feast of Booths, Sukkot is the eight-day Jewish festival of booths (or tabernacles) and the fall harvest. The name refers to the booths (sukkot) used by Israelites […]

A holiday in the United States, first formally recognized by President Joe Biden in 2021 after decades of being celebrated by states and municipalities, honoring the traditions and resilience of […]

Reformation Day commemorates the beginning of the Protestant Reformation of Christianity with Martin Luther’s challenge to the Roman church in the 1517, in which tradition says he nailed his 95 […]

In Wicca/Paganism, Samhain is the New Year and the final harvest festival, celebrating the last gifts of the Earth before winter and the return of the spirits of the dead.

All Saints Day is the Christian celebration of the lives of all the saints, especially those not having a special day dedicated to their commemoration.

Diwali is celebrated by both Hindus and Jains. For Hindus, also known as the Festival of Lights, it is dedicated to the goddess Kali in Bengal and to Lakshmi, the […]

Advent is a period of four weeks in which Christians prepare for Christmas and meditate on the end of all time. In Western churches, the first Sunday of Advent marks […]

The Feast of Lights (Feast of Dedication) is celebrated for eight days to commemorate the rededication of the Temple following the Jews’ victory over occupying forces in 165 BCE, which […]

In Wicca/Paganism, Yule or Winter Solstice, celebrating the longest night and the blessings of darkness as well as the rebirth of the sun god. Begins at sundown.

Celebrates the anniversary of the birth of Jesus.

An annual celebration of African American culture and based on the Seven Principles of Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity) […]

Celebrates the anniversary of the birth of Jesus. Orthodox Christian holidays are celebrated about two weeks later than Roman Catholic and Protestant holidays because of their use of the Julian […]

Celebrated in East and Southeast Asia, marking the beginning of the new year based on the lunisolar calendar.

The Holy Month of Ramadan is the month of fasting during which Muslims who are physically able do not eat or drink from the first sign of dawn until sunset […]

A special day of repentance observed by Protestant and Roman Catholic Christians to mark the beginning of Lent, the 40-day period (excluding Sundays) of prayer, repentance, and self-denial preceding Easter. […]

Eid al-Fitr, also known as the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast, is one of the two main Islamic festivals (the other is Eid al-Adha). This day celebrates the […]

In Wicca/Paganism, the Spring or Vernal Equinox, celebrating the equivalence of light and dark and the arrival of Spring.

Purim celebrates Jewish tenacity and survival through the reading of the Book of Esther. This political farce uses a story about Jews in ancient Persia using subterfuge and faith to […]

Holi is a joyous spring Hindu festival that is dedicated to Krishna in some parts of India; in other parts of India, it is dedicated to Kama, the God of […]

Maundy or Holy Thursday is the Christian commemoration of the institution of the Lord’s Supper/the Eucharist by Jesus prior to his arrest and execution. “Maundy” is derived from the Latin […]

Good Friday is the Christian commemoration of the Passion of Jesus Christ, i.e., his death by crucifixion.