Major Religious holidays in each faith: Hindu, Jewish, Christian, Eastern Orthodox, Muslim, Buddhist

[Anonymous]

S/O from a thread on the schools forum. I was wondering if in your faith, these would be considered the most important major holidays that a secular organization should try to schedule activities around? Obviously all religions have more holidays of importance but would you say these are the top two or three?


Hindu: 2
Krishna Janmashtami, Diwali

Jewish: 3
Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover

Islamic: 2 (plus month of Ramadan)
Eid al-Adha, Eid Al-Fitri

Christian(Roman Catholic and Protestant): 3
Christmas, Good Friday, Easter

Orthodox Christian:3
Christmas, Good Friday, Easter (different dates from above )

Buddhist: 2
Diwali (same date as Hindu) and Chinese New Year

[Anonymous]

Catholic here. This is accurate for me as the MOST important holidays but there are also other (non-Sunday) holy days of obligation to attend Mass.

[Anonymous]

Gearing up for that fight with the PTA officer, huh? lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Catholic here. This is accurate for me as the MOST important holidays but there are also other (non-Sunday) holy days of obligation to attend Mass.

But if you had to work those days, would you ask to have them off for religious observances? Or could you easily work around that (by attending mass in the am or evening before vigil?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:S/O from a thread on the schools forum. I was wondering if in your faith, these would be considered the most important major holidays that a secular organization should try to schedule activities around? Obviously all religions have more holidays of importance but would you say these are the top two or three?


Hindu: 5
Krishna Janmashtami, Diwali, Shivratri, Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri.

Jewish: 3
Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover

Islamic: 2 (plus month of Ramadan)
Eid al-Adha, Eid Al-Fitri

Christian(Roman Catholic and Protestant): 3
Christmas, Good Friday, Easter

Orthodox Christian:3
Christmas, Good Friday, Easter (different dates from above )

Buddhist: 2
Diwali (same date as Hindu) and Chinese New Year

Also adding, Sikh: 5
Diwali, Holi, Baisakhi, Lohri, Guru Nanak's birthday

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Catholic here. This is accurate for me as the MOST important holidays but there are also other (non-Sunday) holy days of obligation to attend Mass.

But if you had to work those days, would you ask to have them off for religious observances? Or could you easily work around that (by attending mass in the am or evening before vigil?)

Work/school wouldn't be a huge issue but adding other secular activities on top has forced us to chose in the past to attend Mass in the evening and miss the other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gearing up for that fight with the PTA officer, huh? lol

No, I'm not the OP Of that thread. But I was wondering if it would be possible to come to a consensus in the US as to what are the top 2 or 3 holidays to consider in planning.

I get that if you make allowances for one religion you have to make allowances for all, and if some religions are going to ask secular communities make accommodations for 5 major holidays, then ALL religions might start looking for 5 accommodations -- and with over 5 religions to consider that would be a big mess....

But could we all just agree to be aware of 2 or 3 holidays? For the sake of planning?

I'm willing to plan around Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur -- but not also Sukkot and Purim, for example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:S/O from a thread on the schools forum. I was wondering if in your faith, these would be considered the most important major holidays that a secular organization should try to schedule activities around? Obviously all religions have more holidays of importance but would you say these are the top two or three?


Hindu: 6
Krishna Janmashtami, Diwali, Shivratri, Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri.

Jewish: 3
Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover

Islamic: 2 (plus month of Ramadan)
Eid al-Adha, Eid Al-Fitri

Christian(Roman Catholic and Protestant): 3
Christmas, Good Friday, Easter

Orthodox Christian:3
Christmas, Good Friday, Easter (different dates from above )

Buddhist: 2
Diwali (same date as Hindu) and Chinese New Year

Also adding, Sikh: 5
Diwali, Holi, Baisakhi, Lohri, Guru Nanak's birthday

OK, 6 holidays per religion x 7 religions (and I am not even considering pagan/wicca etc. which I probably should have) would be too many to plan around. Even if some of the religious holiday observances would be the same date.

I can see why people are saying "federal holidays only".

[Anonymous]

I'm the OP of the schools thread. Yes, IMO, those are the top Jewish holidays. But context is everything. There's really no reason to schedule daytime events around Passover, for example. So, personally, I'd say in a secular context, being aware of Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashana for daytime events would be nice.

I also think the type of school event is important too. The major fall festival.... Would be nice not to have on Yom Kippur. But, our school has also scheduled teacher conferences on a high holiday (not a big deal, I can always schedule an alternate day) and my dd's music's programs fall recital (she can perform in spring as an alternate)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:S/O from a thread on the schools forum. I was wondering if in your faith, these would be considered the most important major holidays that a secular organization should try to schedule activities around? Obviously all religions have more holidays of importance but would you say these are the top two or three?


Christian(Roman Catholic and Protestant): 3
Christmas, Good Friday, Easter

I'm going to say as a practicing Roman Catholic, the entire Easter holiday is the most "important". From Ash Wednesday, through lent, to each day of holy week - which includes Good Friday.

[Anonymous]

(and I am not even considering pagan/wicca etc. which I probably should have)

Hi OP! I'm Pagan, and here are our major holidays (approximate dates; they change every year depending on the moon cycles/other factors):

Samhaim (Oct 31)
Yule (Dec 21)
Imbolc (Feb 1)
Spring Equinox (March 21)
Beltaine (May 1)
Summer Solstice (June 21)
Lammas (August 1 - today!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:S/O from a thread on the schools forum. I was wondering if in your faith, these would be considered the most important major holidays that a secular organization should try to schedule activities around? Obviously all religions have more holidays of importance but would you say these are the top two or three?


Hindu: 5
Krishna Janmashtami, Diwali, Shivratri, Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri.

Jewish: 3
Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover

Islamic: 2 (plus month of Ramadan)
Eid al-Adha, Eid Al-Fitri

Christian(Roman Catholic and Protestant): 3
Christmas, Good Friday, Easter

Orthodox Christian:3
Christmas, Good Friday, Easter (different dates from above )

Buddhist: 3
Diwali (same date as Hindu), Vesak (Buddha Purnima) and Chinese New Year

Also adding, Sikh: 5
Diwali, Holi, Baisakhi, Lohri, Guru Nanak's birthday

Talking only about Hindu (North Indian) and Sikh festivals =

Diwali and Lohri is usually celebrated at night and people do not fast for it.
Festivals like Krishna Janmashtami, Shivratri, Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratri - are also celebrated at nights with some people fasting for the day or just not eating non-veg food.

So, as an Indian I feel that people can work around not having a non-working day for these festivals, though it would be neat if these festivals were acknowledged and talked about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:S/O from a thread on the schools forum. I was wondering if in your faith, these would be considered the most important major holidays that a secular organization should try to schedule activities around? Obviously all religions have more holidays of importance but would you say these are the top two or three?


Hindu: 5
Krishna Janmashtami, Diwali, Shivratri, Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri.

Jewish: 3
Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover

Islamic: 2 (plus month of Ramadan)
Eid al-Adha, Eid Al-Fitri

Christian(Roman Catholic and Protestant): 3
Christmas, Good Friday, Easter

Orthodox Christian:3
Christmas, Good Friday, Easter (different dates from above )

Buddhist: 3
Diwali (same date as Hindu), Vesak (Buddha Purnima) and Chinese New Year

Also adding, Sikh: 5
Diwali, Holi, Baisakhi, Lohri, Guru Nanak's birthday

Talking only about Hindu (North Indian) and Sikh festivals =

Diwali and Lohri is usually celebrated at night and people do not fast for it.
Festivals like Krishna Janmashtami, Shivratri, Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratri - are also celebrated at nights with some people fasting for the day or just not eating non-veg food.

So, as an Indian I feel that people can work around not having a non-working day for these festivals, though it would be neat if these festivals were acknowledged and talked about.

I agree that the day of those dates are can be worked around, but these religious services go on into the wee hours of the night. It would be helpful to have the following day off. I go with my kids to the temple and keep my kids home the next day from school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

(and I am not even considering pagan/wicca etc. which I probably should have)

Hi OP! I'm Pagan, and here are our major holidays (approximate dates; they change every year depending on the moon cycles/other factors):

Samhaim (Oct 31)
Yule (Dec 21)
Imbolc (Feb 1)
Spring Equinox (March 21)
Beltaine (May 1)
Summer Solstice (June 21)
Lammas (August 1 - today!)

What would you say are the top 2?

Happy Lammas!