2021-22 School Year Observances
*Revised on March 2, 2022 to reflect addition of the Govinda Dawadashi (Hindu), Meena
Sankranthi (Hindu) and Holika Dahan (Hindu) holidays.
The List of Religious Holidays Permitting Student Absence from School
WHEREAS, according to N.J.S.A. 18A:36-14 through 16 and N.J.A.C. 6A:32-8.3(j), regarding
student absence from school because of religious holidays, the Commissioner of Education, with the
approval of the State Board of Education, is charged with the responsibility of prescribing such rules and
regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purpose of the law; and
WHEREAS, the law provides that:
1. Any student absent from school because of a religious holiday may not be deprived of
any award or of eligibility or opportunity to compete for any award because of such
absence;
2. Students who miss a test or examination because of absence on a religious holiday must
be given the right to take an alternate test or examination;
3. To be entitled to the privileges set forth above, the student must present a written excuse
signed by a parent or person standing in place of a parent;
4. Any absence because of a religious holiday must be recorded in the school register or
in any group or class attendance record as an excused absence;
5. Such absence must not be recorded on any transcript or application or employment
form or on any similar form; and
6. The Commissioner, with the approval of the State Board of Education, is required to:
(a) prescribe such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purposes
of this act; and
(b) prepare a list of religious holidays on which it shall be mandatory to excuse a
student. The list, however, is to be a minimum list. Boards of education, at their
discretion, may add other days to the list for the schools of their districts; and
WHEREAS, the New Jersey Department of Education makes every attempt to ensure the accuracy
of the dates using the lunar, Gregorian and Julian calendars; and
WHEREAS, the district board of education has the right to add any bona fide religious holiday to
the list for its own schools;
WHEREAS, dates within this resolution may not be fixed before the State Board adopts the annual
calendar and may require additional revision; now therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the State Board of Education permits the Commissioner of Education, after
annual adoption by the State Board of Education, to revise the dates provided in list of religious holidays;
and be it further
RESOLVED, that the State Board of Education adopts the following list of religious holidays for
the 2021 - 2022 school year:
2021-22 School Year Observances
July 2021
Date | Observance |
July 9 | Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha’i) |
July 17 - 22 | Hajj Day (Islam)* |
July 18 |
|
July 19 | Eid al-Adha (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)* |
July 19 - 23 | Eid al-Adha (Islam)* |
July 24 |
|
July 27 | Eid-e-Ghadeer (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)* |
August 2021
Date | Observance |
August 1 |
|
August 6 | Transfiguration of the Lord (Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
August 9 |
|
August 9 - 18 | Ashara Mubaraka (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)* |
August 12 - 23 | Onam (Hindu)* |
August 13 | Naga Panchami (Hindu)* |
August 13 - 15 | Obon (Buddhist) |
August 15 |
|
August 18 | Yawm Aashura (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)* |
August 22 |
|
August 30 | Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu)* |
September 2021
Date | Observance |
September 1 | Ecclesiastical Year begins (Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
September 3 - 10 | Paryushana (Jain)* |
September 6 - 8 | Rosh Hashanah (Jewish) |
September 7 |
|
September 8 | Nativity of Mary (Christian) |
September 10 | Ganesh Chaturthi (Hindu)* |
September 16 |
|
September 21 | Nativity of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
September 21 - 27 |
|
September 21 - 29 | Mabon (Wicca/Pagan) |
September 27 |
|
September 28 |
|
September 29 | Simchat Torah (Jewish) |
October 2021
Date | Observance |
October 7 - 15 | Navaratri (Hindu)* |
October 18 | Milad an-Nabi (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)* |
October 19 | Maulid al-Nabi (Islam)* |
October 20 |
|
October 22 | Urus-Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)* |
November 2021
Date | Observance |
November 1 |
|
November 1 - 5 | Diwali (Hindu, Jain, Puja, Deepavali and Sikh)* |
November 2 | All Souls’ Day (Christian) |
November 5 | Goverdhan Puja (Hindu)* |
November 7 | Birth of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i) |
November 9 | Milad Imam-uz-Zamaan (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)* |
November 21 | The Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple (Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
November 24 |
Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom (Sikh) |
November 25 |
|
November 27 | Ascension of ‘Abdul’l Baha (Baha’i) |
November 28th |
|
November 28 - December 6th | Hanukkah (Jewish) |
December 2021
Date | Observance |
December 8 | Immaculate Conception (Christian) |
December 21 - 22 | Yule (Wicca and Christian) |
December 25 |
|
December 26 | Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrian) |
January 2022
Date | Observance |
January 1 |
|
January 3 - 10 | Holy Convocation (Church of God and Saints of Christ) |
January 5 | Birthday of Guru Gobindh Singh Sahib (Sikh) |
January 6 |
|
January 7 | Feast of the Nativity (Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
January 10 | Bodhi Day (Buddhist) |
January 13 | Maghi (Sikh) |
January 14 | Makar Sankranti and Pongal (Hindu)* |
January 16 | World Religion Day (Baha’i) |
January 17 | Tu B’shvat (Jewish) |
February 2022
Date | Observance |
February 1 | Chinese/Lunar New Year (Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist) |
February 2 |
|
February 3 - 12 | Midwinter Ceremonies (Native American) |
February 5 | Vasant Panchami (Hindu)* |
February 15 | Nirvana Day (Buddhist) |
February 16 | Ayyam al Beez (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)* |
February 17 | Jonah’s Passover (Eastern Orthodox Church) |
February 20 | Urus – Syedna Taher Saifuddin (Islam Dawoodi Bohra) |
February 26 - March 1 | Intercalary Days (Baha'i) |
February 28 | Yawm al-Mab’ath (Islam Dawoodi Bohra) |
March 2022
Date | Observance |
March 1 |
|
March 2 | Ash Wednesday (Christian) |
March 7 | Clean Monday (Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
March 13 | L. Ron Hubbard’s Birthday (Church of Scientology) |
March 14 | Govinda Dwadashi (Hindu)* |
March 15 | Meena Sankranthi (Hindu)* |
March 17 |
|
March 18 |
|
March 19 | Lailat al Bara’ah (Islam)* |
March 20 | Ostara (Wicca) |
March 21 | Naw-Ryz (Baha’i) |
March 22 | Nowruz (Zoroastrian) |
March 25 |
|
March 26 | Khordad Sal (Zoroastrian) |
April 2022
Date | Observance |
April 1 |
|
April 2-May1 | Ramadan (Islam) |
April 8 |
|
April 10 |
|
April 13 - 20 | Memorial of the Feast of the Lord’s Passover (Church of God and Saints of Christ) |
April 14 |
|
April 15 |
|
April 15 - 22 | Passover (Jewish) |
April 16 |
|
April 16 - 22 | Days of Unleavened Bread (Philadelphia Church of God) |
April 17 |
|
April 18 | Easter Monday (Christian) |
April 20 |
|
April 21 | Holy Thursday (Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
April 22 |
|
April 23 - 24 | Laylatul Qadr (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)* |
April 24 |
|
April 25 |
|
April 26 | Hanuman Jayanti (Hindu)* |
April 28 |
|
April 29 | Aakhir Jumo’a (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)* |
May 2022
Date | Observance |
May 1 |
|
May 2 |
|
May 5 - 6 | Yom Ha’Azmaut (Jewish) |
May 19 | Lag B’Omer (Jewish) |
May 24 | Declaration of the Bab (Baha’i) |
May 26 | Ascension of Our Lord (Christian) |
May 29 | Ascension of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i) |
June 2022
Date | Observance |
June 5 | Pentecost (Christian) |
June 4 - 6 | Shavuot (Jewish) |
June 12 | Pentecost (Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
June 16 | Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (Sikh) |
June 20 | Fast of the Holy Apostles (Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
June 24 | Litha (Wicca) |