Common Religious and Public Holidays for the 2018-19 school year
Many students end up missing school and important school events in order to honor their religious practices. For this reason, OSPI encourages districts not to schedule significant school events on major religious holidays. Schools that plan around major religious holidays convey to all students that they are a meaningful part of their school communities and that their religious traditions matter. The purpose of the calendar below is to assist in this effort to raise awareness about religious holidays practiced in public schools across the state of Washington.
OSPI encourages each local education agency to educate themselves on the religious traditions of the students and communities they serve, strive to honor all religious communities, and work to be inclusive of all students. School personnel can use this calendar when responding to student requests for excused absences for religious purposes or when planning events such as curriculum nights, field trips, school or team pictures, dances, and hearing and vision tests, etc.
For more information about the religions commonly practiced in your community:
Religious Landscape Study (Pew Research Center)
Calendar based on Calendar of Holidays and Religious Observances used by University of Washington
NOTES:
All Jewish and Islamic holidays begin at sundown on the evening before the first date shown.
* These holidays (or dates within holidays) are designated non-work (observance) days.
# Some of these dates are not fixed to a calendar but based on the actual sighting of the moon and therefore there may be some variance by a day.
Holiday or Observance |
Religious Group |
Dates |
Additional Notes |
Eid al-Adha | Islamic | Aug. 22, 2018 # | Date not fixed. See note above. |
Janmashtami | Hindu | Sept. 2, 2018 | |
Labor Day | | Sept. 3, 2018 | No school |
*Rosh Hashanah (New Year) | Jewish | Sept. 10-11, 2018 | Rosh Hashanah kicks off several weeks of Jewish holidays in the fall. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the two most-observed Jewish Holidays, called the high holy days. Designated non-work day for observers |
Muharram (Al Hijrah New Year) | Islamic | Sept. 12, 2018 | |
*Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) | Jewish | Sept. 19, 2018 | Holiest and most observed Jewish holidayDesignated non-work day for observers |
Holiday or Observance | Religious Group | Dates | Additional Notes |
*Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) | Jewish | Sept. 24-30 2018 | *Sept. 24-25 primary observation days Designated non-work day for observers |
*Shmini Atzeret | Jewish | Oct. 1, 2018 | Designated non-work day for observers |
*Simchat Torah | Jewish | Oct. 2, 2018 | Designated non-work day for observers |
Indigenous Peoples' Day | | Oct. 8, 2018 | |
Navaratri/Dassehra | Hindu | Oct. 9-18, 2018 | |
Diwali | Hindu | Nov. 7, 2018 | |
Veteran's Day | | Nov. 11, 2018 | Observed Nov. 12, 2018 |
Mawlid-al-Nabi (birthday of Mohammad) | Islamic | Nov. 20, 2018 # | Date not fixed. See note above. |
Thanksgiving Day | | Nov. 22-23, 2018 | No school |
Hanukkah (Chanukah) | Jewish | Dec. 3-10, 2018 | |
Christmas Day | Christian | Dec. 25, 2018 | No school |
New Year's Day | | Jan. 1, 2019 | No school |
Orthodox Christmas | Christian Orthodox | Jan. 7, 2019 | |
Martin Luther King Day | | Jan. 21, 2019 | No school |
Lunar New Year | | Feb. 5, 2019 | |
President's Day | | Feb. 18, 2019 | No school |
Maha Shivaratri | Hindu | Mar. 4, 2019 | |
Ash Wednesday | Christian | Mar. 6, 2019 | |
Beginning of Lent | Christian | Mar. 6, 2019 | |
Holi | Hindu | Mar. 21-22, 2019 | |
Purim | Jewish | Mar. 21, 2019 | |
Good Friday | Christian | Apr. 19, 2019 | |
Easter | Christian | Apr. 21, 2019 | |
Ramanavami | Hindu | Apr. 14, 2019 | |
*Passover (Pesach) | Jewish | Apr. 20-27, 2019 | *Apr. 20-21, 26-27 Primary Obligation Days, particularly the 20-21
Designated non-work day for observers |
Orthodox Good Friday | Christian Orthodox | Apr. 26, 2019 | |
Orthodox Easter | Christian Orthodox | Apr. 28, 2019 | |
Beginning of Ramadan | Islamic | May 6, 2019 # | Ramadan: May 6-Jun. 5, 2019
Dates not fixed. See note above. |
Memorial Day | | May 27, 2019 # | No school |
Lailat Ul Qadr | Islamic | May 31, 2019 # | Date not fixed. See note above. |
Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) | Islamic | Jun. 5, 2019 # | Ramadan: May 6-Jun. 5, 2019
Dates not fixed. See note above. |
*Shavuot | Jewish | Jun. 9-10, 2019 | Designated non-work day for observers |
Independence Day | | Jul. 4, 2019 | No school |
Eid al-Adha | Islamic | Aug. 12, 2019 # | Date not fixed. See note above. |
Janmashtami | Hindu | Aug. 23, 2019 | |
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Common Religious and Public Holidays for School Year
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