Sacred Calendar

The Japanese New Year, the most important holiday of the Japanese year, rich in Shinto and Buddhist customs.

The Magi visit the Christ child, the revelation of Jesus to the Gentiles.

Christmas celebrated by Eastern Orthodox churches following the Julian calendar.

Makar Sankranti is a solar festival marking the sun's entry into sidereal Capricorn (Makara). It usually falls on January 14, and on January 15 in some years depending on the exact time of the transit.

Sadeh is celebrated on 10 Bahman in the Iranian solar calendar, usually January 30 and sometimes January 29 or 31, fifty days before Nowruz.

Thai Pongal falls on the first day of the Tamil solar month of Thai, when the sun enters Capricorn (Makara Sankranti), which lands on January 14 or 15. The four-day festival runs from Bhogi the day before through Kaanum Pongal.

The SGPC and most gurdwaras observe Guru Gobind Singh's Gurpurab on Poh Sudi 7 in the traditional lunar Sikh calendar, which falls in late December or January, occasionally twice in one Gregorian year. The original Nanakshahi calendar fixes it on January 5.

Timkat falls on 11 Terr in the Ethiopian calendar, which is January 19 in most years and January 20 in Gregorian leap years. Celebrations usually span about three days, beginning on the eve (Ketera).

The Presentation of the infant Jesus at the Temple, the last feast of the Christmas season.

Honoring the founder of the Nation of Gods and Earths, Clarence 13X (Father Allah).

Ash Wednesday falls 46 days before Easter Sunday, so it moves with Easter and lands between February 4 and March 10. It is observed mainly in Western churches.

Most Mahayana communities observe Parinirvana Day on February 15, and some on February 8. Theravada Buddhists commemorate the Buddha's passing at Vesak, and in Bhutan it follows the lunar calendar.

Chinese New Year falls on the first day of the first month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, a new moon between January 21 and February 20. Celebrations traditionally continue 15 days to the Lantern Festival.

Setsubun falls on the day before Risshun, the solar start of spring in the traditional Japanese calendar. It is usually February 3, but can fall on February 2 or 4.

Tu B'Shvat falls on 15 Shevat in the Hebrew calendar, usually in late January or February.

Magha Puja falls on the full moon of the third lunar month in the Thai and related Theravada calendars, usually in February or early March. In years with an extra lunar month it moves to the following full moon, in March.

Losar begins on the first day of the first month of the Tibetan lunisolar calendar, usually in February or early March. It often falls near Chinese New Year but can differ by a month, and some Himalayan communities keep their own Losar on other dates.

Maha Shivaratri falls on the 14th night of the waning moon in the Hindu month of Phalguna (Magha in the amanta reckoning used in South India), usually in February or early March.

Vasant Panchami falls on the fifth day of the waxing moon in the Hindu month of Magha, usually in late January or February.

The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the 1st month in the Chinese lunisolar calendar, the first full moon of the new year, usually in February or early March.

The Jade Emperor's Birthday falls on the 9th day of the 1st month in the Chinese lunisolar calendar, eight days after Lunar New Year, usually in late January or February.

Japanese Girls Day, a prayer for the health and happiness of daughters.

The feast of Ireland's patron saint, missionary, bishop, and apostle of the Irish.

Purim falls on 14 Adar in the Hebrew calendar (15 Adar, Shushan Purim, in Jerusalem), usually in late February or March. In a Hebrew leap year it is observed in Adar II.

Holi falls on the full moon (Purnima) of the Hindu lunar month Phalguna, usually in March and occasionally in late February. Holika Dahan bonfires are lit on the eve, and colors are played the next day.

Nowruz begins on the March equinox, usually March 20 or 21 depending on the exact moment of the equinox, and in Iran celebrations last 13 days, ending with Sizdah Bedar.

Naw-Ruz falls on the March equinox, March 20 or 21, as calculated for Tehran in the Baha'i (Badi) calendar. The Baha'i day begins at sunset the evening before.

The Annunciation is kept on March 25, nine months before Christmas, but in Catholic and some Anglican calendars it is moved when that date falls in Holy Week or Easter week, usually to the Monday after the Easter octave. Churches using the Julian calendar keep March 25 on their calendar, which is April 7 on the Gregorian calendar.

Hola Mohalla begins the day after Holi, on the first day of the lunar month of Chet, usually in March (occasionally late February). The main gathering at Anandpur Sahib lasts about three days.

Chaharshanbe Suri is held on the evening before the last Wednesday of the Iranian year, that is, the last Tuesday night before Nowruz, usually in mid March.

The Baha'i Fast fills the month of 'Ala, the last month of the Baha'i year, ending the day before Naw-Ruz, so it runs from March 1 or 2 through March 19 or 20.

Shunbun no Hi is Japan's Vernal Equinox Day, held on the March equinox in Japan Standard Time, which is March 20 or 21. The date is officially announced in February of the previous year.

Passover begins on 15 Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, usually in late March or April. It lasts seven days in Israel and eight days in most diaspora communities, beginning at sundown with the first Seder.

Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the spring equinox, as calculated by the church. In Western churches it falls between March 22 and April 25; Eastern Orthodox churches often celebrate it later, between April 4 and May 8.

Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday, so in Western churches it falls between March 20 and April 23. Eastern Orthodox churches observe it before their own Easter date, which is often later.

Rama Navami falls on the ninth day (Navami) of the bright half of the Hindu lunar month Chaitra, usually in late March or April, at the close of Chaitra Navratri.

Vaisakhi falls on April 13 or 14, the first day of the solar month Vaisakh, when the sun enters sidereal Aries. The date drifts very slowly later over centuries.

Qingming is set by the solar calendar, not the lunar one: it falls on the first day of the Qingming solar term, usually April 4 or 5 and occasionally April 6.

Mahavir Jayanti falls on the 13th day of the bright half (Shukla Trayodashi) of the month of Chaitra in the Indian lunisolar calendar, usually in March or April.

Ridvan is a twelve-day festival beginning on April 20 or 21 and ending on May 1 or 2, depending on when the March equinox sets Naw-Ruz. Its first, ninth, and twelfth days are holy days on which work is suspended.

Yom HaShoah is observed on 27 Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, moved a day earlier or later when that date would fall next to Shabbat. It usually falls in April or early May, about a week after Passover.

Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter, so it moves with the Easter date. In Western churches it falls between March 15 and April 18; in Orthodox churches it is the Sunday before Orthodox Easter and is often later.

Maundy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter, so it moves with the Easter date. In Western churches it falls between March 19 and April 22; Orthodox churches observe it before Orthodox Easter, often later.

Holy Saturday is the day before Easter Sunday, so it moves with the Easter date. In Western churches it falls between March 21 and April 24; Orthodox churches observe it before Orthodox Easter, often later.

Akshaya Tritiya falls on the third day of the waxing moon in the Hindu month of Vaishakha, usually in late April or May.

The Blessingway has no calendar date. It is held when needed, usually over two nights, for occasions such as a new home, a pregnancy, a marriage, or a girl's Kinaalda, and a Blessingway rite also closes other ceremonies.

Confucian ancestor rites have no single date. Many families gather at Qingming, which falls on April 4 or 5 (rarely April 6), and offerings are also made at the lunar new year, autumn festivals, and on death anniversaries.

Shavuot falls on 6 Sivan in the Hebrew calendar, 50 days after the start of Passover, usually in May or early June. It is one day in Israel and two days in most diaspora communities.

Pentecost falls on the seventh Sunday after Easter, 50 days counting Easter itself, so in Western churches it lands between May 10 and June 13.

Vesak falls on the full moon of the lunar month of Vesakha, usually in May and sometimes in April or June. Countries follow different lunar calendars, so dates can differ, and several East Asian traditions celebrate the Buddha's birth separately in spring.

The Ascension of Baha'u'llah falls on 13 'Azamat in the Baha'i calendar, May 28 or 29 depending on the date of Naw-Ruz, and is commemorated at 3:00 in the morning.

Lag B'Omer falls on 18 Iyar in the Hebrew calendar, the 33rd day of the Omer count, usually in May and occasionally in late April.

Yom Ha'atzmaut is observed on 5 Iyar in the Hebrew calendar, shifted by a day or two in some years so that it and Yom HaZikaron do not conflict with Shabbat. It usually falls in late April or May.

The Declaration of the Bab is fixed in the Baha'i solar calendar, so it falls on May 23 or 24 depending on the date of Naw-Ruz that year, commemorated from the evening before.

Powwow season peaks in summer, roughly May through September, when most outdoor powwows are held. Each hosting nation or organization sets its own dates, and indoor powwows continue through the rest of the year.

Since 2007 Seokjeon Daeje has been held twice a year at Sungkyunkwan and Korea's local hyanggyo, on May 11 in spring and September 28 in autumn. Before 2007 it followed the lunar calendar in the second and eighth months.

Sun Dance dates are set by each nation and ceremonial leader, typically in early summer to midsummer, often near the summer solstice. Many ceremonies are private and not publicly announced.

The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, usually in late May or June.

Corpus Christi falls on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, 60 days after Easter, between May 21 and June 24. In the United States and many other countries it is moved to the following Sunday.

In Western churches Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost, eight weeks after Easter, falling between May 17 and June 20. In Eastern Orthodox usage, Pentecost Sunday itself is often called Trinity Sunday.

Saga Dawa is the fourth month of the Tibetan lunar calendar, usually running from May into June or early July. Its holiest day, Saga Dawa Duchen, falls on the full moon (the 15th day) of that month, usually in late May or June.

The SGPC observes the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev on Jeth Sudi 4 in the traditional lunar Sikh calendar, usually in late May or June. The original Nanakshahi calendar fixes it on June 16.

Shruta Panchami falls on Jyeshtha Shukla Panchami, the 5th day of the bright half of Jyeshtha in the Hindu lunisolar calendar, usually in May or June.

Egungun festivals have no single date. Each Yoruba town and lineage sets its own annual festival, and timing differs widely from place to place, with many held around the middle of the year.

Show and Prove is held each year in June, on the second weekend of the month, at the Allah School in Mecca in Harlem, New York, around the anniversary of the death of Allah the Father.

The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, usually between late May and late June.

The Star Festival, celebrating the annual meeting of two celestial lovers across the Milky Way.

Asalha Puja falls on the full moon of the lunar month Asalha, the eighth month of the Buddhist lunar calendar, usually in July and occasionally in early August. The Vassa rains retreat begins the next day.

Vassa begins on the day after the full moon of Asalha, the eighth lunar month, usually in July (occasionally early August in years with an added lunar month). The retreat lasts three lunar months and ends at the full moon of the eleventh month, usually in October.

Guru Purnima falls on the full moon of the Hindu month of Ashadha, usually in July and sometimes in late June.

Rath Yatra begins on the second day of the waxing moon in the Hindu month of Ashadha, usually in late June or July. The deities return to the Jagannath Temple about nine days later in the Bahuda Yatra.

The Martyrdom of the Bab is fixed in the Baha'i solar calendar, so it falls on July 9 or 10 depending on the date of Naw-Ruz that year, commemorated at about noon.

The Green Corn Ceremony is held in late summer when the first corn ripens, usually between July and September. Each ceremonial ground or community sets its own date.

The moment Jesus revealed his divine glory to three disciples on a mountaintop.

Mary is taken body and soul into heavenly glory, a major Catholic and Orthodox feast.

Krishna Janmashtami falls on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the dark half of the Hindu lunar month Bhadrapada (Shravana in amanta calendars), usually in August and sometimes in early September.

Paryushana is held in the Jain lunar months of Shravana and Bhadrapada, usually in August or September. Svetambara Jains observe eight days ending on Samvatsari, and Digambara Jains observe the ten-day Das Lakshana that follows.

Obon is most widely observed around August 13 to 16. Tokyo and parts of eastern Japan keep it around July 15, and some regions, including Okinawa, follow the old lunar date (15th day of the seventh lunar month), which moves each year.

Tisha B'Av falls on 9 Av in the Hebrew calendar, usually in late July or August. When 9 Av falls on Shabbat, the fast is postponed to 10 Av.

Tu B'Av falls on 15 Av in the Hebrew calendar, six days after Tisha B'Av. It usually lands in late July or August.

Ganesh Chaturthi falls on the fourth day of the waxing moon in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada, usually in late August or September. Public celebrations often run up to ten days, ending on Anant Chaturdashi.

Onam is celebrated in the Malayalam solar month of Chingam, with the main day, Thiruvonam, falling when the moon is in the Thiruvonam (Shravana) nakshatra, usually in late August or September. The festival season begins about ten days earlier with Atham.

Raksha Bandhan falls on the full moon of the Hindu month of Shravana, usually in August.

Khordad Sal falls on the sixth day of the first Zoroastrian month, so its date depends on the calendar a community follows: most Parsis (Shahenshahi) mark it in August, Kadmi followers about a month earlier in July, and Fasli (seasonal) followers on March 26.

The Ghost Festival falls on the 15th day of the 7th month in the Chinese lunisolar calendar (the 14th in parts of southern China), usually in August or early September. The whole 7th lunar month is observed as Ghost Month.

Qixi falls on the 7th day of the 7th month in the Chinese lunisolar calendar, usually in August and occasionally in late July.

Homowo is usually celebrated in August, sometimes in July or September, after a month-long ban on drumming in the planting season. Each Ga traditional area sets its own dates by its traditional calendar.

The New Yam Festival is held at the end of the rainy season when the yam harvest begins, most often in August, though each Igbo community sets its own date and some celebrate as late as October.

The Osun-Osogbo Festival is held every year in August at the Osun Sacred Grove in Osogbo, Nigeria. It runs for about two weeks, ending in a grand procession to the river, with dates announced by the Ataoja's palace.

There is no single fixed date for honoring White Buffalo Calf Woman. Lakota communities honor her through the seven sacred rites and the Sacred Pipe throughout the year, and special ceremonies are held when communities call them, such as at the birth of a white buffalo calf.

There is no widely established date for the urs of Rabia al-Adawiyya. Even her death year is uncertain (752 and 801 CE are both reported), and Sufi communities that honor her set their own commemorations.

Rosh Hashanah falls on 1 and 2 Tishrei in the Hebrew calendar, usually in September or early October. Like all Jewish holidays, it begins at sundown the evening before.

Odwira is celebrated in Akuapem towns such as Akropong, usually in September or October. The traditional authorities set the dates each year according to the Akan ritual calendar.

Confucius's Birthday is traditionally held on the 27th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, usually in late September or October. Taiwan observes it every year on September 28 as Teachers' Day.

The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th month in the Chinese lunisolar calendar, at the full moon, usually between early September and early October.

Das Lakshana Parva runs for ten days from Bhadrapada Shukla Panchami to Ananta Chaturdashi in the Hindu lunisolar calendar, beginning right after the Svetambara Paryushana, usually in August or September.

Samvatsari falls on the last day of the Svetambara Paryushana, Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi in the Hindu lunisolar calendar (Panchami in some communities), usually in August or September.

Tsukimi (Jugoya) is held on the 15th night of the 8th month of the traditional Japanese lunisolar calendar, usually between mid-September and early October.

Enkutatash falls on 1 Meskerem, the first day of the Ethiopian year, which is September 11 in most years and September 12 in the year before a Gregorian leap year.

Honoring the patron saint of animals and ecology, a celebration of all creation.

Martin Luther posts the 95 Theses, the birth of the Protestant Reformation.

Yom Kippur falls on 10 Tishrei in the Hebrew calendar, ten days after Rosh Hashanah, usually in late September or early to mid October. It begins at sundown the evening before.

Sukkot begins on 15 Tishrei in the Hebrew calendar, five days after Yom Kippur, usually in late September or October. It lasts seven days and is followed by Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.

Diwali's main day falls on the new moon (Amavasya) of the Hindu lunar month Kartika (Ashvin in some regional calendars), usually in October or early November, within a festival of about five days.

Sharad Navratri, the most widely observed Navratri, begins on the first day of the bright half of the Hindu lunar month Ashvin, in late September or October. A second Navratri, Chaitra Navratri, is held in spring, usually March or April.

Bandi Chhor Divas falls on the same day as Diwali, the new moon (Amavasya) of the lunar month Kartik, usually in October or early November.

Mehregan falls on 16 Mehr, the 16th day of the seventh month. On the Fasli calendar used by many Zoroastrians this is October 2, while on Iran's Solar Hijri calendar it falls around October 8.

The Double Ninth Festival (Chongyang) falls on the 9th day of the 9th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, usually in October.

Jains mark Mahavira's nirvana on Diwali, the new moon night (Amavasya) of Kartika in the traditional reckoning, usually in October or November.

Simchat Torah falls on 23 Tishrei in the Hebrew calendar outside Israel and on 22 Tishrei in Israel, where it coincides with Shemini Atzeret. It usually lands in late September or October, right after Sukkot.

Hoshanah Rabbah falls on 21 Tishrei in the Hebrew calendar, the seventh day of Sukkot. It usually lands in late September or October.

Kathina is held during the one-month season after the Vassa rains retreat ends at the full moon of the eleventh lunar month. Each monastery chooses its own day within that window, usually from October to November.

Karva Chauth falls on the fourth day of the waning moon in the Hindu month of Kartika (purnimanta reckoning), about ten or eleven days before Diwali, usually in October or early November.

The Birth of the Bab is the first of the Twin Holy Birthdays, observed on the first day after the eighth new moon following Naw-Ruz, so it moves between mid-October and mid-November.

The Birth of Baha'u'llah is the second of the Twin Holy Birthdays, observed on the second day after the eighth new moon following Naw-Ruz, so it moves between mid-October and mid-November.

Honoring all the saints, known and unknown, who have attained heaven.

Praying for the souls of the faithful departed, a day of remembrance for the dead.

A blessing for children aged 7, 5, and 3, celebrating their growth and praying for their future.

The Emperor's sacred rice harvest ceremony, offering the first fruits to the kami.

In most Western churches Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, always between November 27 and December 3, and runs to Christmas Eve. The Ambrosian rite starts earlier, and Eastern churches keep a separate Nativity Fast.

Guru Nanak Gurpurab is observed on the full moon of the lunar month Kartik (Katak Puranmashi), usually in November.

The Day of the Covenant falls on 4 Qawl in the Baha'i calendar, which is November 25 or 26 depending on the date of Naw-Ruz. It is a holy day on which work need not be suspended.

Chhath Puja is a four-day festival centered on the sixth day of the waxing moon in the Hindu month of Kartika, about six days after Diwali, usually in late October or November.

The Jain New Year falls on Kartika Shukla Pratipada, the day after Diwali, starting a new year of the Vira Nirvana Samvat era. It usually falls in late October or November.

The death anniversary of Jalal al-Din Rumi, the 'Wedding Night' with the Divine.

The Nativity of Jesus Christ, the most celebrated Christian holiday worldwide.

A week-long celebration honoring African heritage and community values.

Hanukkah begins on 25 Kislev in the Hebrew calendar and lasts eight nights, usually starting in December and occasionally in late November. The first candle is lit on the evening it begins.

Bodhi Day is observed on December 8 in Japan (Rohatsu) and many Western Zen and Pure Land communities, while communities following the Chinese lunar calendar mark it on the 8th day of the 12th lunar month, usually in January.

The winter solstice falls on December 21 or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere, where most of the ceremonies described here take place. In the Southern Hemisphere, the winter solstice falls on June 20 or 21.

Yalda Night is celebrated on the eve of the winter solstice, the last night of the Iranian month of Azar before 1 Dey, which usually falls on the night of December 20 or 21.

Dongzhi falls on the winter solstice, when the sun reaches celestial longitude 270 degrees, which is December 21, 22 or 23, usually around December 22 in East Asia.

A potlatch has no fixed calendar date. A family or house hosts one to mark events such as births, namings, marriages, memorials for the dead, or the transfer of rights and titles.

Sama ceremonies are performed throughout the year. The largest takes place in Konya on December 17, Seb-i Arus, the anniversary of Rumi's death, at the close of a commemoration that runs from about December 7 to 17.