Governor Mikie Sherrill • Lt. Governor Dr. Dale G. Caldwell

List of Religious Holidays Permitting Pupil Absence From School

WHEREAS, according to N.J.S.A. 18A:36-14 through 16 and N.J.A.C. 6A:32-8.4(e)1i, 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: 
    1. prescribe such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this act; and 
    2. 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 2026 - 2027 school year:

July
Date Observance
July 2 Foundation Stone of Shri Akal Takht Sahib Ji (Sikh)
July 10 Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha’i)
July 23 Tish’a B’Av (Jewish)
July 29
  • Guru Purnima
  • Asalha Puja Day (Buddhist)
August
Date Observance
August 1 Lammas (Christian and Wicca)
August 3 Chehlum Imam Hussain (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
August 13-15 Obon (Buddhist)
August 14 Mawlid al-Nabi (Islam)*
August 15
  • Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
  • Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Catholic Christian)
  • Dormition of the Theotokos (Orthodox Christian)
August 17 Naga Panchami (Hindu)*
August 19 Transfiguration of the Lord (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
August 24 Mawlid al-Nabi (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
August 26 Onam (Hindu)*
August 27 Ullambana (Buddhist)
August 28
  • Urus-Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
  • Raksha Bandhan (Hindu)*
September
Date Observance
September 1
  • Ecclesiastical Year begins (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
  • First Prakash Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji (Sikh)
September 4 Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu)*
September 7 His Holiness Sakya Trizin’s Birthday (Buddhist)
September 8
  • Nativity of Mary (Christian)
  • Nativity of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
September 8-15 Paryushan (Jain)*
September 22
  • Jyoti Jot Guru Nanak Dev Ji (Sikh)
  • Mabon (Wicca/Pagan)
September 11-13 Rosh Hashanah (Jewish)
September 12 Feast of Trumpets (Christian, Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
September 14
  • Ganesh Chaturthi (Hindu)*
  • The Elevation of the Holy Cross (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
September 15 Milad Imam-uz-Zamaan (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
September 21
  • Day of Atonement (Christian)
  • Yom Kippur (Jewish)
September 22
  • Jyoti Jot Guru Nanak Dev Ji (Sikh)
  • Mabon (Wicca/Pagan)
September 25 Day of Atonement (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
September 26-October 2
  • Sukkot (Jewish)
  • Feast of Tabernacles (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
October
Date Observance
October 1 Milad Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
October 2
  • Last Great Day (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
  • Sh’mini Atzeret (Jewish)
October 4 Simchat Torah (Jewish)
October 20 Installation of the Scriptures as Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh)
November
Date Observance
November 1
  • All Saints Day (Christian)
  • Samhain (Wicca)
November 2 All Souls’ Day (Christian)
November 8
  • Diwali (Hindu, Jain, Puja and Deepavali)*
  • Bandi Chhor Diwas (Sikh)
November 9 Goverdhan Puja (Hindu)*
November 10 Birth of B’ab (Bah’i)
November 11 Birth of Baha’u’llah (Bah’i)
November 15 Nativity Fast begins (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
November 21 The Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
November 24
  • Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur (Sikh)
  • Guru Nanak Dev Ji Birthday (Sikh)
November 26 Day of Covenant (Baha’i)
November 28 Ascension of ‘Abdul’l Baha (Baha’i)
November 29 First Sunday of Advent (Christian)
December
Date Observance
December 5-12 Hanukkah (Jewish)
December 8
  • Immaculate Conception (Christian)
  • Bodhi Day (Buddhist)
December 21
  • Yule (Wicca, Christian)
  • Martyrdom of Wadde Sahibzade (Sikh)
December 23 Ayyam al Beez (Islam Dawoodi Borha)*
December 25 Christmas (Christian)
December 26
  • Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrian)
  • Martyrdom Chotte Sahibzada (Sikh)
December 27 Urus – Syedna Taher Saifuddin (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
January
Date Observance
January 1
  • Gantan-sai (Shinto)
  • Mary, Mother of God - Catholic Christian
January 3-10 Holy Convocation (Church of God and Saints of Christ)
January 4 Yawm al-Mab’ath (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
January 5
  • Lailat al Miraj (Islam)*
  • Guru Gobind Singh Ji Birthday (Sikh)
January 6
  • Feast of Epiphany (Christian)
  • Nativity of Christ (Armenian Orthodox)
  • Feast of Theophany (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
January 7 Feast of the Nativity (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
January 13
  • Maghi-Lohri (Sikh)
  • Foundation of Shri Darbar Sahib (Maghi)
January 14 Makar Sankranti and Pongal (Hindu)*
January 15 Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib (Sikh)
January 17 World Religion Day (Baha’i)
January 23 Tu B’shvat (Jewish)
January 24 Lailat al Bara’ah (Islam)*
February
Date Observance
February 1 Imbolic-Candlemas (Wicca and Christian)
February 2 The Presentation of Our Lord Christ in the Temple (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
February 6 Chinese/Lunar New Year (Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist)
February 8-17 Midwinter Ceremonies (Native American)*
February 8-March 8 Ramadan (Islam)
February 9 Shrove Tuesday (Christian)
February 10 Ash Wednesday (Christian)
February 11 Vasant Panchami (Hindu)*
February 15 Nirvana Day (Buddhist)
February 24 Shahadat – Amirul Mumineen (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
February 25 Jonah’s Passover (Eastern Orthodox Church)
February 25 – March 1 Intercalary Days (Baha'i)
February 27-28 Laylatul Qadr (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
February 28 Milad Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
March
Date Observance
March 5 Aakhir Jumo’a (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
March 6
  • Laylatul Qadr (Islam)*
  • Maha Shivaratri (Hindu)*
March 8 Eid al-Fitr (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
March 9-10 Eid ul-Fitr (Islam)
March 13 L. Ron Hubbard’s Birthday (Church of Scientology)
March 15
  • Meena Sankranthi (Hindu)*
  • Clean Monday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
March 16 Eid ul-Adha (Islam)*
March 19 Govinda Dwadashi (Hindu)*
March 20
  • Nowruz (Zoroastrian)
  • Ostara (Wicca)
March 21
  • Naw-Ruz (Baha’i)
  • Holika Dahan (Hindu)*
  • Palm Sunday
March 22 Lord’s Evening Meal (Christian, Jehovah’s Witness)
March 23
  • Purim (Jewish)
  • Holi (Hindu)*
  • Hola Mohalla (Sikh)*
March 25
  • Holy Thursday (Christian)
  • The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary (Christian)
  • The Annunciation of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
March 26
  • Khordad Sal (Zoroastrian)
  • Holy Friday (Christian)
March 28 Easter (Christian)
March 29 Easter Monday (Christian)
April
Date Observance
April 7 Chandramana Yugadi (Hindu)*
April 7-15 Chaitra Navratri (Hindu)*
April 13 Theravadin New Year (Buddhist)
April 13-20 Memorial of the Feast of the Lord's Passover (Church of God and Saints of Christ)
April 14
  • Souramana Yugadi (Hindu)* Vaisakhi (Sikh)
  • Vaisakhi (Sikh)
April 15 Ramnavami (Hindu)*
April 18 Prakash Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji (Sikh)
April 19 Mahavir Jayanti (Jain)*
April 20
  • Passover (United Church of God)
  • Hanuman Jayanti (Hindu)*
April 22
  • First Day of Unleavened Bread (Church of God)
  • First Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
April 22-28
  • Passover/Days of Unleavened Bread (Church of God and Saints of Christ, Philadelphia Church of God)
  • Memorial Feast of the Lord's Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread (Church of God and Saints of Christ)
April 22-29 Passover (Jewish)
April 24 Lazarus Saturday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 25
  • Palm Sunday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
  • The 11th Panchen Lama’s Birthday (Buddhist)
April 28 Last Day of Unleavened Bread (Church of God)
April 29
  • Holy Thursday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
  • Ninth Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
April 30
  • Holy Friday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
  • The Last Friday of the Great Lent (Eastern Orthodox Church)
May
Date Observance
May 1 Beltane (Wicca)
May 2
  • Easter (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
  • Twelfth Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
May 3 Bright Monday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
May 6 Ascension of Our Lord (Christian)
May 12 Yom Ha’Azmaut (Jewish)
May 14 Yawm al-Arafa (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
May 15
  • Hajj Day (Islam)*
  • Eid al-Adha (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
May 16 Pentecost (Christian)
May 17 Eid al-Adha (Islam)
May 19 Buddha’s Birthday/Buddha Day*
May 20 Visakha Puja (Buddhist)*
May 22 Declaration of the Bab (Baha’i)
May 23 Eid-e-Ghadeer (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
May 25
  • Lag B’Omer (Jewish)
  • Eid-e-Ghadeer (Muslim)
May 29 Ascension of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)
June
Date Observance
June 5 1st Muharram (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
June 5-14 Ashara Mubaraka (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
June 6 1st Muharram (Islamic New Year)
June 10 Feast of Ascension (Eastern Orthodox)
June 11-12 Shavuot (Jewish)
June 14 Yawm Aashura (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
June 15
  • Foundation Stone of Shri Akal Takht Sahib Ji (Sikh)
  • Ashura (Islam)
June 16 Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (Sikh)
June 20 Pentecost (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
June 21 Litha (Wicca)
June 29 Fast of the Holy Apostles (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

* Disclaimer: New Jersey Department of Education has made every attempt to ensure the accuracy of the dates. The information has been verified through the use of various sources and some dates may vary due to the lunar, Gregorian and Julian calendars. Dr. Lily Laux, Commissioner
Acting Secretary, N.J. State Board of Education Kathy Goldenberg, President
N.J. State Board of Education

Page Last Updated: 06/03/2026