Easter, which celebrates Christ's resurrection from the grave is always on a Sunday, and fluctuates from year to year in the months of March and April. Many Christians also consider Good Friday (the Friday before Easter) to be a holy day; this day marks Christ's crucifixion and death. It is appropriate that students be excused from school and civic responsibilities on Good Friday.
Less significant holy days are Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the 40-day season of Lent leading up to Easter, and Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday, the day before Good Friday, commemorating the Last Supper Jesus had with his disciples. Neither of these days requires students to be excused from school or civic responsibilities.
Orthodox Churches celebrate holy days based on the Julian calendar.
JEWISH:
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. It begins a ten-day period of repentance. During this time each person must judge his/her daily actions over the past year and take steps to eradicate personal sins as well as injuries inflicted to one’s fellow man. On Rosh Hashanah the Shofar (rams horn and one of the oldest of wind instruments) is sounded to awaken all worshipers to the need for prayer and repentance. This is a holy day when students must be excused from all school and civic responsibilities. Rosh Hashana begins at sunset on September 4 and continues through sunset on September 6.
Yom Kippur is the holiest of religious days and climaxes the ten days of
penitence. It is observed by
fasting and prayer for over twenty-four hours.
No food or drink is permitted through the entire period.
The worshiper learns that will power can overcome temptation, and
this lesson is applied to daily conduct.
It is the day when all Jews are judged by G-d and are placed in
the book of life or death for the coming year.
This too is a holy day when students must be excused from all
school and civic responsibilities.
Yom Kippur begins at sunset on September 13 and concludes at
sunset on September 14.
Hanukkah is a holiday commemorating the defeat of the Syrians by the
Jews. The Syrians had
restricted the religious worship of the Jews and destroyed the holy
Temple. It is related that
there was only enough oil to light the sacred eternal alter candle for
one day. Wondrously it burnt
for eight full days. The
Feast of Lights is celebrated for eight days and each day an additional
candle is lit on the Hanukkah lamp or “menorah.”
This is not a religious holy day but rather a joyful celebration.
All school and civic responsibilities can continue as normal.
Hanukkah begins at sunset on November 27.
Passover remembers the period of the Jew’s deliverance from Egyptian
bondage. The biblical story
of the Jew’s liberation from slavery is remembered in the reading of the
Hagadah. This reading is a
service performed at the home during a special dinner called the Seder.
It is a continuing message today of freedom and liberation for
all people of the world.
Although students usually attend school during the day, they should be
excused from homework and tests as the Seder dinner is celebrated with
family and friends and consumes the entire evening hours for the first
two days. Passover begins at
Sunset on April 14, 2014.
Every Friday night is the start of the Sabbath which is considered the
holiest of Jewish Holy Days.
It concludes at sunset on Saturday.
Students should be excused from homework and tests during this
time.
Ramadhan is the ninth month of Islamic lunar calendar. Muslims consider this whole month as a blessed month. They fast during the day and make special prayers at night. People also give more charity and do extra righteous deeds. Also, during this Holy Month, The Prophet Muhammad received the first revelation of the Qur’an (This happened on the 26th day of Ramadhan and is known as Lailatul Quadr). Ramadhan is the month of celebrations as well as the month of discipline and self-control. Muslims always wait for the first day of Ramadhan to come. In 2013 it begins on July 8 at sunset.
Eid-Al-Fitr takes place at the conclusion of the month of Ramadhan.
The significance of Eid is that it is the day of thanksgiving to
Allah that He gave the opportunity to Muslims to benefit from and enjoy
the blessing of the month of Ramadhan.
In 2013 this is on the eve of August 7.
Eid-Al Adha- This is a time of sacrifice.
Muslims commemorate Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice
everything for Allah including his beloved son, Ishmael.
Since
Allah gave Prophet Abraham a lamb to sacrifice instead of sacrificing
his son; Muslims also offer the sacrifice of animals.
The meat of the animals is given to needy people and friends and
a portion is also kept for one’s own consumption.
This begins on the eve of October 14.
The Islamic New Year day reminds Muslims of the Hijrah (migration) of
the Prophet Muhammad from Makkah to Madinah in the year 622C.E.
It begins on the eve of November 3.
Ashoora is a holy day associated with the martyrdom of Prophet
Muhammad’s grandson, Husain ibn Ali.
He was killed in the battle of Karbala’.
It is a day of sadness for all Muslims.
Ashoora begins at sunset on November 12.
Miladun Nabi is remembered as the birthday of the
Prophet Muhammad. It begins on the eve of January 12, 2014.
Regarding the participation of Muslim students in school and other civic
responsibilities during holy days, parental wishes should be respected.
BAHA'I:
There are nine Bahá’í Holy Days where students should be excused
from school. These special days are associated with significant events
in the lives of Bahá’u’lláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Baha'i Faith,
and the Báb, its Herald. The Holy Days are observed only on the dates
given from sundown the evening before to sundown that day; should they
fall on a weekend, students need not be excused on the proximate school
days.
Naw-Rúz
Baha'i New Year’s Day astronomically fixed to commence the year on the
spring equinox (March 21).
Festival of Ridván
Annual Baha'i festival commemorating the 12 days (April 21-May 2, 1863)
when Bahá’u’lláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, resided in a
garden called Ridván (Paradise) in Baghdad, Iraq. At this time he
publicly proclaimed His mission as God’s messenger for this age. The
first day (April 21), ninth day (April 29), and twelfth day (May 2) are
celebrated as holy days where work and school are suspended.
Declaration of the Báb
Baha'i commemoration of May 23, 1844, when the Báb, the Prophet-Herald
of the Baha'i Faith, announced in Shiraz, Persia, that he was the Herald
of a new messenger of God.
Ascension of Baha'u'llah
Baha'i observance of the anniversary of the death in exile of
Baha'u'llah, the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, on May 29, 1892.
Martyrdom of the Báb
Baha'i observance of the anniversary of the execution by a firing squad,
July 9, 1850, in Tabriz, Persia, of the 30-year-old Siyyid
‘Ali-Muhammad, the Báb, the Prophet-Herald of the Baha'i Faith.
Birth of the Báb
Baha'i observance of the anniversary of the birth, October 20, 1819, in
Shiraz, Persia, of Siyyid ‘Ali-Muhammad, who later took the title of
“the Báb”, meaning “the Gate”. The Báb was the Prophet-Herald of the
Baha'i Faith.
Birth of Baha'u'llah
Baha'i observance of the anniversary of the birth of Baha'u'llah
(born Mirza Husayn-‘Ali) on November 12, 1817, in Núr, Persia. Baha'u'llah,
which means the “Glory of God”, was the Prophet-Founder of the Baha'i
Faith.