This calendar is provided as a planning guide for faculty and staff at COP member institutions to support curriculum, class syllabi, and examination planning and scheduling during the academic term. In accordance with RCW 28B.137.010, postsecondary institutions are required to accommodate student absences for religious observances.
The calendar includes commonly observed holidays and religious observances during the academic year; however, it is not an official or exhaustive list of all religious holidays. Questions about specific holidays or the designation of non-work days should be directed to individual institutions, as COP does not make these determinations. Users should consult their institution’s official holiday and leave policies for definitive guidance.
This calendar is for informational purposes only, does not confer any rights or obligations, and may be updated without notice. Please note that certain holidays, including those based on lunar calendars, may shift or be confirmed closer to the time of observance.
2025 – 2026 Academic Year Calendar
| Holiday/Observance | Religious Group | Dates | Year | Additional Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Day | September 1 | 2025 | Class not in session. | |
| **Milad un Nabi (birthday of Mohammad) | Islamic | September 5 | 2025 | Date not fixed. See note below. |
| *Rosh Hashanah (New Year) | Jewish | September 22-24 | 2025 | Designated non-work day for observers. |
| *Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) | Jewish | October 1-2 | 2025 | Designated non-work day for observers. |
| Navratri/Dussehra | Hindu | October 2 | 2025 | |
| *Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) | Jewish | October 6-13 | 2025 | *October 7 & 8 primary observation days. Designated non-work days for observers. |
| Indigenous Peoples Day | October 13 | 2025 | ||
| *Shemini Atzeret | Jewish | October 14 | 2025 | Designated non-work day for observers. |
| *Simchat Torah | Jewish | October 15 | 2025 | Designated non-work day for observers. |
| Diwali | Hindu | October 20 | 2025 | |
| Veterans Day | November 11 | 2025 | Class not in session. | |
| Thanksgiving Day | November 27 | 2025 | Class not in session. | |
| Native American Heritage Day | November 28 | 2025 | Class not in session. | |
| Christmas Day | Christian | December 25 | 2025 | Class not in session. |
| Hanukkah (Chanukah) | Jewish | December 14-22 | 2025 | |
| New Years Day | January 1 | 2026 | Class not in session. | |
| Orthodox Christmas | Christian Orthodox | January 7 | 2026 | |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | January 19 | 2026 | Class not in session. | |
| Lunar New Year | February 17 | 2026 | ||
| Maha Shivaratri | Hindu | February 15 | 2026 | Date not fixed. See note below. |
| Presidents' Day | February 16 | 2026 | Class not in session. | |
| Ash Wednesday | Christian | February 18 | 2026 | |
| **Beginning of Ramadan | Islamic | February 18 | 2026 | Date not fixed. See note below. |
| Beginning of Lent | Christian Orthodox | February 18 | 2026 | |
| Purim | Jewish | March 4 | 2026 | |
| Holi | Hindu | March 4 | 2026 | Begins evening of March 3 and ends the evening of March 4. |
| **Lailat al-Qadr | Islamic | March 16 | 2026 | Date not fixed. See note below. |
| **Eid al-Fitr | Islamic | March 20 | 2026 | Date not fixed. See note below. |
| Rama Navami | Hindu | March 26 | 2026 | |
| *Passover (Pesach) | Jewish | April 1-9 | 2026 | *April 1-2 and 8-9 primary obligation days. |
| Good Friday | Christian | April 3 | 2026 | |
| Easter | Christian | April 5 | 2026 | |
| Orthodox Good Friday | Christian Orthodox | April 10 | 2026 | |
| Orthodox Easter | Christian Orthodox | April 12 | 2026 | |
| *Shavuot | Jewish | May 21-23 | 2026 | Designated non-work day for observers. |
| Memorial Day | May 25 | 2026 | Class not in session. | |
| **Eid al-Adha | Islamic | May 27 | 2026 | Date not fixed. See note below. |
| Juneteenth | June 19 | 2026 | Class not in session. | |
| Muharram (Al Hijrah New Year) | Islamic | June 16-July 14 | 2026 | |
| Independence Day | July 4 | 2026 | Class not in session. |
Note: if a federal holiday falls on a weekend (Saturday or Sunday), it is generally observed on the nearest workday – Monday for a Sunday holiday and Friday for a Saturday holiday. Please check with your employer for additional details.
* These holidays (or dates within holidays) are designated non-work (observance) days.
** Some of these dates are not fixed to a calendar but based on the actual sighting of the moon and therefore there may be some variance by day.
All Jewish, Islamic, and Bahá’í holidays begin at sundown on the evening before the first date shown.