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2013 MAJOR RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS
2004-10 | 2011 | 2012
March 21 Thursday Naw-Ruz (Baha'i New Year) (follows fasting March 2-20)
March 26 Tuesday Passover (Slavery to Freedom) (1st of 8 days)
March 29 Friday Good Friday (Crucifixion of Jesus)
March 31 Sunday Easter (western) (Resurrection of Jesus)
April 21 Sunday Ridvan begins (Festival commemorates declaration of Baha'u'llah in garden of Ridvan in Baghdad 1863) (12 days)
May 5 Sunday Easter (Orthodox) (Resurrection of Jesus)
May 15 Wednesday Shavuot (Moses receives Ten Commandments) (1st day of 2)
July 9* Tuesday Ramadan begins (Month of Fasting) (30 days)
August 8* Thursday Eid al-Fitr (Feast of Fast-breaking) Ramadan ends
September 5 Thursday Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) (1st day of 2)
September 14 Saturday Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)
September 19 Thursday Sukkot (Celebrate harvest in small booths in desert)
(1st of 8 or 9)
October 15* Tuesday Eid Ul Adha (Feast of sacrifice, ending Hajj) (3 Days)
November 3# Sunday Diwali (Festival of Lights; Coronation of Lord Rama; worship of Mahalakshmi)
November 12 Tuesday Birth of Baha'u'llah (Prophet-founder of Baha'i faith, b. 1817)
November 28 Thursday Hanukkah begins (Festival of Lights) (1st of 8 days)
December 25 Wednesday Christmas (Birth of Jesus)
December 26 Thurssday Kwanzaa (African-American cultural celebration)(1st day of 7)
  • All Jewish, Islamic and Baha'i holidays begin at sundown on the evening before the date given
  • (*) Islamic holidays are subject to the actual first sighting of the new crescent moon
  • (#) Hindu holidays are subject to change depending on the Hindu lunar calendar as interpreted in India and on local customs.
  • On the 9 Baha'i holy days, including the 3 listed here, work should be suspended.