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 2022 - 2023 school year:

July 2022

Date	Observance
July 8	Yawm al-Arafa (Islam Dawoodi Bohara)*
July 9	Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha'i) Eid al-Adha (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
July 7-12	Hajj Day (Islam)*
July 10	Eid al Adha (Islam)*
July 13	Asalha Puja Day (Buddhist) Guru Purnima
July 17	Eid-e-Ghadeer (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
July 29	1st Muharram (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
July 29-August 7	Ashara Mubaraka (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*

 

August 2022

Date	Observance
August 1	Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus (Eastern Orthodox Christian and Wicca)
August 2	Naga Panchami (Hindu)*
August 6	Tish'a B'Av (Jewish) Transfiguration of the Lord (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
August 7	Yawm Aashura (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
August 9	1st Muharram (Islamic New Year)
August 11	Raksha Bandhan (Hindu)*
August 12	Ulambana (Buddhist)
August 13-15	Obon (Buddhist)
August 15	Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Catholic Christian) Dirmition of the Theotokos (Orthodox Christian)
August 19	Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu)*
August 23-24	Paryusshana (Jain)*
August 30 - September 8	Onam (Hindu)*
August 31	Ganesh Chaturthi (Hindu)*

 

September 2022

Date	Observance
September 1	Ecclesiastical Year begins (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
September 7	His Holiness Sakya Trizin's Birthday (Buddhist)
September 8	Nativity of Mary (Christian)
September 16	Chehlum Imam Hussain (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
September 21	Nativity of the Theotokos (Eastern Othodox Christian)
September 21-29	Mabon (Wicca/Pagan)
September 26-27	Rosh Hashanah (Jewish) Feast of Trumpets (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
September 26-October 5	Navaratri (Hindu)*
September 27	The Elevation of the Holy Cross (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

 

October 2022

Date	Observance
October 5	Yom Kippur (Jewish) Day of Atonement (Christian, Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
October 7	Milad an-Nabi (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
October 8	Maulid al-Nabi (Islam)*
October 9-16	Sukkot (Jewish) Feast of Tabernacles (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
October 11	Urus-Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
October 17	Last Great Day (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
October 17-18	Sh’mini Atzeret (Jewish)
October 18	Simchat Torah (Jewish)
October 20	Installation of the Scriptures as Guru Granth (Sikh)
October 22-26	Diwali (Hindu, Jain, Puja, Deepavali and Sikh)*
October 26	Goverdhan Puja (Hindu)* Birth of B’ab (Bah’i)
October 27	Birth of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)
October 29	Milad Imam-uz-Zamaan (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*

 

November 2022

Date	Observance
November 1	All Saints' Day (Christian) Samhain-Beltane (Wicca)
November 2	All Souls' Day (Christian)
November 8	Guru Nanak Dev Sahib Birthday (sikh)
November 14	Milad Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
November 21	Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
November 24	Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom (Sikh)
November 26	Day of Covenant (Baha'i)
November 27	First Sunday of Advent (Christian)
November 28	Nativity Fast begins (Eastern Orthodox Christian) Ascension of Abdul'l Baha (Baha'i)

 

December 2022

Date	Observance
December 8	Immaculate Conception (Christian) Bodhi Day (Buddhist)
December 19-26	Hanukkah (Jewish)
December 21	Yule (Wicca and Christian)
December 25	Christmas (Christian) The Nativity of Christ (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
December 26	Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrian)

 

January 2023

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 5	Birthday of Guru Gobindh Singh Sahib (Sikh)
January 6	Feast of Epiphany (Christian) Feast of Theophany (Eastern Orthodox Christian) Nativity of Christ (Armenian Orthodox)
January 7	Feast of the Nativity (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
January 13	Maghi (Sikh)
January 15	Makar Sankranti Pongal (Hindu)* World Religion Day (Baha'i)
January 22	Chinese/Lunar New Year (Confucian, Daosit, Buddhist)
January 24-February 2	Midwinter Ceremonies (Native American)
January 26	Vasant Panchami (Hindu)*

 

February 2023

Date	Observance
February 2	The Presentation of Our Lord to the Temple (Eastern Orthodox Christian Imbolic-Candlesmas (Wicca and Christian)
February 5	Ayyam al Beez (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
February 6	Tu B'shvat (Jewish)
February 9	Urus-Syedna Taher Saifuddin (Islam Dawoodi Bohra) Jonah's Passover (Eastern Orhodox Church)
February 15	Nirvana Day (Buddhist)
February 17	Yawm al-Mab'ath (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)
February 18	Maha Sivaratri (Hindu)* Lailat al Miraj (Islam)
February 21	Shrove Tuesday (Christian)
February 22	Ash Wednesday (Christian)
February 26 -March 1	Intercalary Days (Baha'i)
February 27	Clean Monday (Eastern Othodox Christian

 

March 2023

Date	Observance
March 3	Govinda Dwadashi (Hindu)*
March 6	Holika Dahan (Hindu)*
March 7	Purim (Jewish)
March 8	Lailat al Bara'ah (Islam)* Holi (Hindu)
March 8-10	Hola Mohalla (Sikh)*
March 13	L. Ron Hubbard's Birthday (Church of Scientology)
March 14	Meena Sankranthi (Hindu)*
March 20	Ostara (Wicca)
March 21	Naw-Ryz (Baha'i) Nowruz (Zoroastrian)
March 22	Souramana Yugadi (Hindu)* Chandramana Yugadi (Hindu)*
March 23- April 21	Ramadan (Islam)
March 25	The Annunciation of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian) The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary (Christian)
March 26	Khordad Sal (Zoroastrian)
March 30	Ramnavami (Hindu)*

 

April 2023

Date	Observance
April 2	Palm Sunday
April 4	Mahavir Jayanti (Jain)* Lord's Evening Meal (Christian, Jehovah's Wtiness)
April 5-13	Memorial of the Feast of the Lord's Passover (Church of God and Saints of Christ) Passover (United Church of God) Passover (Jewish)
April 8	Visakha Puja (Buddhist)
April 6	Holy Thursday (Christian) First Day of Unleavened Bread (Church of God) Hanuman Jayanti (Hindu)*
April 6-8	Theravadin New Year (Buddhist)
April 6-12	Days of Unleavended Bread (Philadelphia Church of God)
April 7	Holy Friday (Christian) The Last Friday of the Great Lent (Eastern Orthodox Church)
April 8	Lazarus Saturday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 9	Easter (Christian) Palm Sunday (Eastern Orthodox Christian) Shahadat - Amirul Mumineen (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
April 10	Easter Monday
April 12	Last Day of Unleavended Bread (Church of God)
April 12-13	Laylatul Qadr (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
April 13-20	Passover/Days of Unleavended Bread (Church of God and Saints of Christ)
April 13	Holy Thursday (Eastern Orthodox Christian) Milad Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
April 14	Holy Friday (Eastern Orthodox Christian) Aakhir Jumo’a (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)* Vaisakhi (Sikh)
April 16	Easter (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 17	Bright Monday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 18	Laylatul Qadr (Islam)*
April 21	First Day of Ridvan (Baha’i) Eid al-Fitr (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
April 21 or 22	Eid al Fitr (Islam)*
April 25	The 11th Panchen Lama’s Birthday (Buddhist)
April 26	Yom Ha’Azmaut (Jewish)
April 29	Ninth Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)

 

May 2023

Date	Observance
May 1	Beltane (Wicca)
May 2	Twelfth Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
May 9	Lag B’Omer (Jewish)
May 18	Ascension of Our Lord (Christian)
May 24	Declaration of the Bab (Baha’i)
May 25	Feast of Ascension (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
May 26	Buddha’s Birthday/Buddha Day*
May 26-27	Shavuot (Jewish)
May 28	Pentecost (Christian)
May 29	Ascension of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)

 

June 2023

Date	Observance
June 4	Pentecost (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
June 12-19	Fast of the Holy Apostles (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
June 16	Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (Sikh)
June 24	Litha (Wicca)