Religious Observances that Affect the Academic Calendar

To help instructors and staff in course and event planning, some of the religious observances that may affect the academic calendar are listed below. This table attempts to include dates for religions that are most widely observed by students and employees at the University of Illinois and is intended as an aid only.

Members of the University of Illinois community practice a diversity of religious, spiritual, and secular traditions, and individuals may celebrate observances not listed below. When planning around religious observances is not possible, employers and instructors must provide reasonable accommodations as per campus code, and state, and federal law.

Major Religious Observances

Fall 2025

ObservanceReligionDates
Birth of the Prophet MuhammadIslam (Sunni)Anticipated to begin at sundown on September 4, 2025 and end at sundown on September 5, 2025
Birth of the Prophet MuhammadIslam (Shia)Anticipated to begin at sundown on September 4, 2025, and end at sundown on September 5, 2025
Leil SelichotJudaismBegins at sundown on September 13, 2025
NavratriHinduismBegins on September 22, 2025 and ends on October 2, 2025
Rosh HashanahJudaismBegins at sundown on September 22, 2025, and ends at sundown on September 24, 2025
MabonWiccaSeptember 24, 2025
Yom KippurJudaismBegins at sundown on October 1, 2025 and ends at sundown on October 2, 2025
SukkotJudaismBegins at sundown on October 6, 2025 and ends at sundown on October 13, 2025
Shemini Atzeret/Simchat TorahJudaismBegins at sundown on October 13, 2025 and ends at nightfall on October 14, 2025
Birth of Guru GranthSikhismOctober 20, 2025
DiwaliHinduismOctober 20, 2025
Birth of the BábBaháʼí FaithBegins at sunset on October 21, 2025, and ends at sunset on October 22, 2025
Birth of Baha’u’llahBaháʼí FaithBegins at sunset on October 22, and ends at sunset on October 23, 2025
SamhainWiccaBegins at sunset on October 31, 2025 and ends at sunset on November 1, 2025
Guru Nanak BirthdaySikhismNovember 5, 2025
Loy KrathongBuddhismNovember 5, 2025
Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-BahaBaháʼí FaithBegins at sunset on November 26, 2025 and ends at sunset on November 27, 2025
Bodhi DayBuddhismDecember 8, 2025
HanukkahJudaismBegins at sundown on December 14, 2025 and ends at sundown on December 22, 2025
Yule (Winter Solstice)WiccaBegins on December 21, 2025, and ends on January 1, 2026
ChristmasChristianityDecember 25, 2025
KwanzaaInterfaith / African-AmericanBegins on December 26, 2025, and ends on January 1, 2026

Spring 2026

ObservanceReligionDates
Feast of the EpiphanyChristianityJanuary 6, 2026
Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti BirthdaySikhismJanuary 6, 2026
Eastern Orthodox ChristmasOrthodox ChristianityJanuary 7, 2026

Imbolc/Candlemas
Wicca/CelticBegins on February 1, 2026 and ends on February 2, 2026
Lunar New YearInterfaith/NationalFebruary 17, 2026
RamadanIslamAnticipated to begin at sundown on February 17, 2026 and end at sundown on March 18, 2026
Ash WednesdayChristianityFebruary 18, 2026
Nineteen Day FastBaháʼí FaithBegins at sunset on March 2, 2026 and ends at sunset on March, 20, 2026
PurimJudaismBegins at sundown on March 2, 2026 and ends at sundown on March 3, 2026
23rd Night of RamadanIslamAnticipated to begin at sundown on March 12, 2026
27th Night of RamadanIslamAnticipated to begin at sundown on March 16, 2026
Eid al-FitrIslamAnticipated to begin at sundown on March 18, 2026, and end at sundown on March 21, 2026
Eostara (Spring Equinox)WiccaMarch 20, 2026
Naw‐RúzBaháʼí Faith, ZoroastrianBegins at sunset on March 20, 2026, and ends at sunset on March 21, 2026
HoliHinduism, SikhismMarch 23, 2026
Passover (Pesach)JudaismBegins at sundown on April 1, 2026 and ends at sundown on April 9, 2026.
Good FridayChristianityApril 3, 2026
EasterChristianityApril 5, 2026
Eastern Orthodox Holy FridayOrthodox ChristianityApril 10, 2026
Eastern Orthodox Easter (Pascha)Orthodox ChristianityApril 12, 2026
VaisakhiSikhismApril 14, 2026
First Day of RidvánBaháʼí FaithBegins at sunset on April 21, 2026 and ends at sunset on April 22, 2026
Ninth Day of RidvánBaháʼí FaithBegins at sunset on April 28, 2026, and ends at sunset on April 29, 2026
BeltaneWiccaMay 1, 2026
Twelfth Day of RidvánBaháʼí FaithBegins at sunset on May 1, 2026 and ends at sunset on May 2, 2026
VesakBuddhismMay 1, 2026
Ascension DayCatholicismMay 14, 2026

Summer 2026

ObservanceReligionDates
Eastern Orthodox Ascension DayOrthodox ChristianityMay 21, 2026
ShavuotJudaismBegins at sundown on May 21, 2026, and ends at sundown on May 23, 2026
Declaration of the BábBaháʼí FaithBegins at sunset on May 23, 2026, and ends at sunset on May 24, 2026
Eid al-AdhaIslamAnticipated to begin at sundown on May 26, 2026 and end at sundown on May 30, 2026
Ascension of Bahá’u’lláhBaháʼí FaithBegins at sunset on May 28, 2026, and ends at sunset on May 29, 2026
Litha/Midsummer (Summer Solstice)WiccaJune 20, 2026
10th of Muharram (Ashura)IslamAnticipated to begin at sundown on June 25, 2026, and end at sundown on June 26, 2026
Martyrdom of the Báb
Baháʼí FaithBegins at sunset on July 9, 2026 and ends at sunset on July 10, 2026
Tish’a B’AvJudaismBegins at sunset on July 9, 2026, and ends at sunset on July 10, 2026
LammasWiccaAugust 1, 2026
Arba’een (Shia)IslamAugust 5, 2026

Fall 2026

ObservanceReligionDates
Birth of the Prophet MuhammadIslam (Sunni)Anticipated to begin at sundown on August 24, 2026, and end at sundown on August 25, 2026
Birth of the Prophet MuhammadIslam (Shia)Anticipated to begin at sundown on August 29, 2026, and end at sundown on August 30, 2026
Krishna JanmashtamiHinduismSeptember 4, 2026
Leil SelichotJudaismBegins at sundown on September 5, 2026
ParyushanJainismBegins September 8, 2026, and ends September 15, 2026
Rosh HashanahJudaismBegins at sundown on September 11, 2026, and ends at sundown on September 13, 2026
Yom KippurJudaismBegins at sundown on September 20, 2026, and ends at sundown on September 21, 2026
MabonWiccaSeptember 23, 2026
SukkotJudaismBegins at sundown on September 25, 2026, and ends at sundown on October 2, 2026
Shemini Atzeret/Simchat TorahJudaismBegins at sundown on October 3, 2026, and ends at nightfall on October 5, 2026
NavratriHinduismBegins October 11, 2026, and ends October 20, 2026
Birth of Guru GranthSikhismOctober 20, 2026
SamhainWiccaBegins at sunset on October 31, 2026, and ends at sunset on November 1, 2026
DiwaliHinduismNovember 8, 2026
Birth of the BábBaháʼí FaithBegins at sunset on November 9, 2026, and ends at sunset on November 10, 2026
Birth of Baha’u’llahBaháʼí FaithBegins at sunset on November 10, 2026, and ends at sunset on November 11, 2026
Guru Nanak BirthdaySikhismNovember 24, 2026
Loy KrathongBuddhismNovember 25, 2026
Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-BahaBaháʼí FaithBegins at sunset on November 27, 2026, and ends at sunset on November 28, 2026
Bodhi DayBuddhismDecember 8, 2026
HanukkahJudaismBegins at sundown on December 4, 2026, and ends at sundown on December 12, 2026
Yule (Winter Solstice)WiccaBegins December 21, 2026, and ends January 1, 2026
ChristmasChristianityDecember 25, 2026
KwanzaaInterfaith / African-AmericanBegins December 26, 2026, and ends January 1, 2027

Spring 2027

ObservanceReligionDates
Feast of the EpiphanyChristianityJanuary 6, 2027
Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti BirthdaySikhismJanuary 7, 2027
Eastern Orthodox ChristmasOrthodox ChristianityJanuary 7, 2027

Imbolc/Candlemas/Brigid
Wicca/CelticBegins February 1, 2027, and ends February 2, 2027
Lunar New YearInterfaith/National, Buddhism, Daoism, ConfucianismFebruary 6, 2027
RamadanIslamAnticipated to begin at sundown on February 7, 2027, and end at sundown on March 8, 2027
Ash WednesdayChristianityFebruary 10, 2027
Nineteen-Day FastBaháʼí FaithBegins at sunset on March 1, 2027, and ends at sunset on March 20, 2027
23rd Night of RamadanIslamAnticipated to begin at sundown on March 2, 2027
27th Night of RamadanIslamAnticipated to begin at sundown on March 6, 2027
Eid al-FitrIslamAnticipated to begin at sundown on March 9, 2027, and end at sundown on March 10, 2027
Eostara (Spring Equinox)WiccaMarch 20, 2027
Naw-Ruz/First of Baha – SplendourBaha’i Faith, ZoroastrianBegins at sunset on March 20, 2027, and ends at sunset on March 21, 2027
PurimJudaismBegins at sundown on March 22, 2027, and ends at sundown on March 23, 2027
HoliHinduism, SikhismMarch 22, 2027
Good FridayChristianityMarch 26, 2027
Easter SundayChristianityMarch 28, 2027
VaisakhiSikhism, HinduismApril 14, 2027
Pesach (Passover)JudaismBegins at sundown on April 21, 2027, and ends at sundown on April 29, 2027
First Day of RidvánBaháʼí FaithBegins at sunset on April 20, 2027, and ends at sunset on April 21, 2027
Ninth Day of RidvánBaháʼí FaithBegins at sunset on April 28, 2027, and ends at sunset on April 29, 2027
Eastern Orthodox Holy FridayOrthodox ChristianityApril 30, 2027
BeltaneWiccaMay 1, 2027 
Twelfth Day of RidvánBaháʼí FaithBegins at sunset on May 1, 2027, and ends at sunset on May 2, 2027
Easter (Pascha)Orthodox ChristianityMay 2, 2027
Ascension DayCatholicismMay 6, 2027

Summer 2027

ObservanceReligionDates
Eid al-AdhaIslamAnticipated to begin at sundown on May 16, 2027, and end at sundown on May 20, 2027
VesakBuddhismMay 20, 2027
Declaration of the BábBaháʼí FaithBegins at sunset on May 23, 2027, and ends at sunset on May 24, 2027
Ascension of Bahá’u’lláhBaháʼí FaithBegins at sunset on May 28, 2027, and ends at sunset on May 29, 2027
Eastern Orthodox Ascension DayEastern Orthodox ChristianityJune 10, 2027
ShavuotJudaismBegins at sundown on June 10, 2027, and ends at sundown on June 12, 2027
10th of Muharram (Ashura)IslamAnticipated to begin at sundown on June 14, 2027, and end at sundown on June 15, 2027
Litha/Midsummer (Summer Solstice)WiccaJune 21, 2027
Martyrdom of the Báb
Baháʼí FaithBegins at sunset on July 9, 2027, and ends at sunset on July 10, 2027
LammasWiccaAugust 1, 2027
Tish’a B’AvJudaismBegins at sunset on August 11, 2027, and ends at sunset on August 12, 2027

Special thanks to the following individuals for their assistance in reviewing the religious observances listed on this page and in the full Religious Observances calendar: Rabbi Alan Cook from Sinai Temple of Champaign-Urbana, Amy Felty from the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Urbana, Father Robert Lampitt from St. John’s Catholic Newman Center, Dr. Adam Newman from the Department of Religion, and Imam Ousmane Sawadogo from the Central Illinois Mosque and Islamic Center.

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