Governor Phil Murphy • Lt. Governor Tahesha Way

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:
  • prescribe such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this act; and
  • prepare a list of religious holidays on which it shall be mandatory to excuse a 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 2025 - 2026 school year:

July
Observance
July 26- July 5 Ashara Mubaraka (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
July 2 Foundation Stone of Shri Akal Takht Sahib Ji (Sikh)
July 5 Yawm Aashura (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
July 5-6 Ashura (Islam)
July 9 Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha’i)
July 10
  • Guru Purnima
  • Asalha Puja Day (Buddhist)
July 29 Naga Panchami (Hindu)*
August
Date Observance
August 1
  • Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
  • Lammas (Christian and Wicca)
August 3 Tish’a B’Av (Jewish)
August 6 Transfiguration of the Lord (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
August 9 Raksha Bandhan (Hindu)*
August 13–16 Obon (Buddhist)
August 14 Chehlum Imam Hussain (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
August 15
  • Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Catholic Christian)
  • Dormition of the Theotokos (Orthodox Christian)
August 16 Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu)*
August 20-27 Paryushan (Jain)*
August 26-27 Ganesh Chaturthi (Hindu)*
August 26- September 5 Onam (Hindu)*
September
Date Observance
September 1
  • Ecclesiastical Year begins (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
  • First Prakash Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji (Sikh)
September 5 Milad al-Nabi (Islam, Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
September 6 Ullambana (Buddhist)
September 7 His Holiness Sakya Trizin’s Birthday (Buddhist)
September 8
  • Nativity of Mary (Christian)
  • Urus-Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
September 21 Nativity of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
September 22
  • Jyoti Jot Guru Nanak Dev Ji (Sikh)
  • Mabon (Wicca/Pagan)
September 22-October 2 Navaratri (Hindu)*
September 23 Feast of Trumpets (Christian, Church of God, Philadelphia Church of  God)
September 23-24 Rosh Hashanah (Jewish)
September 26 Milad Imam-uz-Zamaan (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
September 27 The Elevation of the Holy Cross (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
October
Observance
October 2
  • Day of Atonement (Christian, Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
  • Yom Kippur (Jewish)
October 7-13
  • Sukkot (Jewish)
  • Feast of Tabernacles (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
October 12 Milad Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
October 14 Last Great Day (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
October 14-15 Sh’mini Atzeret (Jewish)
October 15 Simchat Torah (Jewish)
October 18-22 Diwali (Hindu, Jain, Puja and Deepavali)*
October 20 Installation of the Scriptures as Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh)
October 21 Bandi Chhor Diwas (Sikh)
October 22
  • Goverdhan Puja (Hindu)*
  • Birth of B’ab (Bah’i)
October 23 Birth of Baha’u’llah (Bah’i)
November
Observance
November 1
  • All Saints Day (Christian)
  • Samhain (Wicca)
November 2 All Souls’ Day (Christian)
November 5 Guru Nanak Dev Ji Birthday (Sikh)
November 15 Nativity Fast begins (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
November 21 The Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
November 24
  • Day of Covenant (Baha’i)`
  • Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur (Sikh)
November 28 Ascension of ‘Abdul’l Baha (Baha’i)
November 30 First Sunday of Advent (Christian)
December
Observance
December 8
  • Immaculate Conception (Christian)
  • Bodhi Day (Buddhist)
December 14-22 Hanukkah (Jewish)
December 21
  • Yule (Wicca, Christian)
  • Martyrdom of Wadde Sahibzade (Sikh)
December 25 Christmas (Christian)
December 21
  • Yule (Wicca, Christian)
  • Martyrdom Chotte Sahibzade (Sikh)
December 26
  • Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrian)
  • Martyrdom Chotte Sahibzada (Sikh)
January
Observance
January 1
  • Gantan-sai (Shinto)
  • Mary, Mother of God - Catholic Christian
January 3 Ayyam al Beez (Islam Dawoodi Borha)*
January 3-10 Holy Convocation (Church of God and Saints of Christ)
January 6
  • Feast of Epiphany (Christian)
  • Nativity of Christ (Armenian Orthodox)
  • Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib (Sikh)
January 7
  • Feast of the Nativity (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
  • Urus – Syedna Taher Saifuddin (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)
January 13
  • Maghi-Lohri (Sikh)
  • Foundation of Shri Darbar Sahib (Maghi)
January 14 Makar Sankranti and Pongal (Hindu)*
January 15 Yawm al-Mab’ath (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
January 16 Lailat al Miraj (Islam)*
January 18 World Religion Day (Baha’i)
January 19 Feast of Theophany (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
January 23 Vasant Panchami (Hindu)*
February
Observance
February 1 Imbolic-Candlemas (Wicca and Christian)
February 2 Tu B’shvat (Jewish)
February 3 Lailat al Bara’ah (Islam)*
February 5 Jonah’s Passover (Eastern Orthodox Church)
February 15
  • The Presentation of Our Lord Christ in the Temple (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
  • Nirvana Day (Buddhist)
February 16 Maha Shivaratri (Hindu)*
February 17
  • Chinese/Lunar New Year (Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist)
  • Shrove Tuesday (Christian)
February 18 Ash Wednesday (Christian)
February 18- March 18 Ramadan (Islam)
February 19-28 Midwinter Ceremonies (Native American)*
February 23 Clean Monday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
February 25- March 1 Intercalary Days (Baha'i)
February 28 Govinda Dwadashi (Hindu)*
March
Observance
March 3
  • Holika Dahan (Hindu)*
  • Ron Hubbard’s Birthday (Church of Scientology)
  • Purim (Jewish)
March 4 Holi (Hindu)*
March 4-6 Hola Mohalla (Sikh)*
March 7 Shahadat – Amirul Mumineen (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
March 10-11 Laylatul Qadr (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
March 11 Milad Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
March 13 Aakhir Jumo’a (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
March 15
  • Laylatul Qadr (Islam)*
  • Meena Sankranthi (Hindu)*
March 19 Eid al-Fitr  (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
March 19-27 Navaratri (Hindu)*
March 20
  • Naw-Ryz (Baha’i)
  • Nowruz (Zoroastrian)
  • Ostara (Wicca)
  • Souramana Yugadi (Hindu)*
  • Chandramana Yugadi (Hindu)*
March 20-22 Eid ul-Fitr (Islam)
March 25 The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary (Christian)
March 26
  • Khordad Sal (Zoroastrian)
  • Ramnavami (Hindu)*
March 27 The Last Friday of the Great Lent (Eastern Orthodox Church)
March 29 Palm Sunday
March 31 Mahavir Jayanti (Jain)*
April
Observance
April 1
  • Hanuman Jayanti (Hindu)*
  • Prakash Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji (Sikh)
April 1-9
  • Passover (Jewish)
  • Passover (United Church of God)
April 1-8 Memorial Feast of the Lords Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread (Church of God and Saints of Christ)
April 2
  • First Day of Unleavened Bread (Church of God)
  • Theravadin New Year (Buddhist)
  • Lord’s Evening Meal (Christian, Jehovah’s Witness)
  • Holy Thursday (Christian)
April 2-8 Passover/Days of Unleavened Bread (Church of God and Saints of Christ, Philadelphia Church of God)
April 3 Holy Friday (Christian)
April 4 Lazarus Saturday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 5
  • Palm Sunday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
  • Easter (Christian)
April 6 Easter Monday (Christian)
April 7 The Annunciation of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 8 Last Day of Unleavened Bread (Church of God)
April 9 Holy Thursday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 10 Holy Friday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 12 Easter (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 13 Bright Monday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 14 Vaisakhi (Sikh)
April 20 First Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
April 22 Yom Ha’Azmaut (Jewish)
April 25 The 11th Panchen Lama’s Birthday (Buddhist)
April 29 Ninth Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
May
Observance
May 1
  • Beltane (Wicca)
  • Visakha Puja (Buddhist)
May 2 Twelfth Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
May 5 Lag B’Omer (Jewish)
May 14 Ascension of Our Lord (Christian)
May 21 Feast of Ascension (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
May 22-23 Shavuot (Jewish)
May 24
  • Declaration of the Bab (Baha’i)
  • Buddha’s Birthday/Buddha Day*
  • Pentecost (Christian, Eastern Orthodox Christian
May  Hajj Day (Islam)*
May  Yawm al-Arafa (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
May  Eid al-Adha (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
May  Eid ul-Adha (Islam)*
May  Ascension of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)
June
Date Observance
June 3 Eid-e-Ghadeer (Muslim, Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
June 8 Fast of the Holy Apostles (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
June 15 Foundation Stone of Shri Akal Takht Sahib Ji (Sikh)
June 16 1st Muharram (Islamic New Year)
June 18 Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (Sikh)
June 21 Litha (Wicca)

* 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.

Kevin Dehmer, Commissioner
Acting Secretary, N.J. State Board of Education

Kathy Goldenberg, President
N.J. State Board of Education