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Religious Observances 2023

About Religious Observances

The calendar below is a month-by-month listing of religious observances for 2023. This list includes the dates for some of the most important religious celebrations of the major religions. Holy days may include fasting or abstaining from specific food or drink for specified periods ranging from a month to more than a day (25 hours) to daylight hours (sunrise to sundown). Absence from work or classes is also common observance, and some holy days start at sundown and end at sundown/nightfall of the concluding date. Dates may not be fixed to a calendar but based on the actual sighting of the moon and there may be variance by a day.

This list is not meant to be comprehensive. Additional holy day listings can be found on the Interfaith Calendar 2023 and Interfaith Calendar 2024.

Religious Observances 2023

ObservanceReligionBeginning DateEnd DateDay(s) of Week
Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin MaryChristianJan 1Sunday
Feast of the Holy FamilyChristianJan 1Sunday
Christmas (Feast of the Epiphany)Eastern OrthodoxJan 6Friday
Feast of the NativityOrthodox ChristianJan 7Saturday
Lunar New YearConfucian/Taoist /BuddhistJan 22Sunday
ImbolcWicca/PaganFeb 2Thursday
Lailat al MirajIslamicFeb 17Feb 18Friday- Saturday
Ash WednesdayChristianFeb 22Wednesday
Orthodox Great LentEastern OrthodoxFeb 22Apr 6Wednesday- Thursday
PurimJewishMar 6Mar 7Monday- Tuesday
HoliHinduMar 8Wednesday
OstaraWicca/PaganMar 20Monday
NowruzPersian/ZoroastrianMar 21Mar 22Tuesday- Wednesday
Ramadan (30 days)IslamicMar 22Apr 21Wednesday- Friday
Palm SundayChristianApr 2Sunday
Mahavir JayantiJainApr 4Tuesday
Passover (Pesach-8 days)JewishApr 5Apr 13Wednesday- Thursday
Maundy ThursdayChristianApr 6Thursday
Good FridayChristianApr 7Friday
EasterChristianApr 9Sunday
VaisakhiHindu/Sikh/BuddhistApr 14Friday
PaschaOrthodox EasterApr 16Sunday
RidvanBahá?íApr 20May 2Thursday-Tuesday
Eid al-FitrIslamicApr 21Apr 22Friday-Saturday
BeltaneWicca/PaganMay 1Monday
Vesak (Buddha Day)BuddhistMay 5Friday
Declaration of the BabBahá?íMay 23May 24Tuesday- Wednesday
ShavuotJewishMay 25May 27Thursday- Saturday
Buddha's BirthdayBuddhistMay 26Friday
Ascension of Baha'u'llahBahá?íMay 28May 29Sunday- Monday
Feast of PentecostChristianMay 28Sunday
Litha-Yule (Solstice)Wicca/PaganJun 21Wednesday
Eid al-AdhaIslamicJun 28Jun 29Wednesday- Thursday
First of MuharramIslamicJul 19Wednesday
AshuraIslamicJul 27Jul 28Thursday-Friday
Lughnasadh-ImbolcWicca/PaganAug 1Aug 2Tuesday- Wednesday
Ganesh ChaturthiHinduSep 9Tuesday
Paryushana ParvarambhaJainSep 11Monday
Rosh Hashanah (New Year)JewishSep 15Sep 17Friday-Sunday
MabonWicca/PaganSep 21Sep 29Thursday-Friday
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)JewishSep 24Sep 25Sunday-Monday
Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles-7 days)JewishSep 29Oct 6Friday-Friday
Shemini Atzeret and Simchat TorahJewishOct 6Oct 7Friday-Saturday
NavratriHinduOct 15Oct 24Sunday- Tuesday
Birth of the BabBahá?íOct 20Friday
SamhainWicca/PaganOct 31Nov 1Tuesday-Wednesday
All Saints Day/Day of the DeadChristian/LatinxNov 2Thursday
DiwaliJain/Sikh/HinduNov 12Sunday
Guru Nanak GurpurabSikhNov 27Monday
AdventChristianDec 3Dec 24Sunday-Sunday
HanukkahJewishDec 7Dec 15Thursday-Friday
Bodhi Day (Rohatsu)BuddhistDec 8Friday
Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary/Feast of the Immaculate ConceptionChristianDec 8Friday
Our Lady of GuadalupeChristianDec 12Tuesday
ChristmasChristianDec 25Monday
KwanzaaAfrican-AmericanDec 26Jan 1Monday- Sunday