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.
2026 – 2027 Academic Year Calendar
| Holiday/Observance | Affiliation | Dates | Year | Additional Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Milad un Nabi (birthday of Mohammad) | Islamic | August 26 | 2026 | Date not fixed. See note below. |
| Janmashtami | Hindu | September 4 | 2026 | |
| Labor Day | September 7 | 2026 | Class not in session. | |
| *Rosh Hashanah (New Year) | Jewish | September 11-13 | 2026 | Designated non-work day for observers. |
| *Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) | Jewish | September 20-21 | 2026 | Designated non-work day for observers. |
| *Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) | Jewish | September 25-October 2 | 2026 | *September 26-27 primary observation days. Designated non-work days for observers. |
| *Shemini Atzeret | Jewish | October 3 | 2026 | Designated non-work day for observers. |
| *Simchat Torah | Jewish | October 4 | 2026 | Designated non-work day for observers. |
| Navratri | Hindu | October 11 | 2026 | |
| Indigenous Peoples Day | October 12 | 2026 | ||
| Dussehra | Hindu | October 20 | 2026 | |
| Diwali | Hindu | November 8 | 2026 | |
| *Birth of the Báb | Bahá’í | November 10 | 2026 | Designated non-work day for observers |
| *Birth of Bahá’u’lláh | Bahá’í | November 11 | 2026 | Designated non-work day for observers |
| Veterans Day | November 11 | 2026 | Class not in session. | |
| Day of the Covenant | Bahá’í | November 26 | 2026 | |
| Thanksgiving Day | November 26 | 2026 | Class not in session. | |
| Native American Heritage Day | November 27 | 2026 | Class not in session. | |
| Ascension of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá | Bahá’í | November 28 | 2026 | |
| Christmas Day | Christian | December 25 | 2026 | Class not in session. |
| Hanukkah (Chanukah) | Jewish | December 5-12 | 2026 | |
| New Years Day | January 1 | 2027 | Class not in session. | |
| Orthodox Christmas | Christian Orthodox | January 7 | 2027 | |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | January 18 | 2027 | Class not in session. | |
| Lunar New Year | February 6 | 2027 | ||
| Maha Shivaratri | Hindu | March 6 | 2027 | Date not fixed. See note below. |
| Presidents' Day | February 15 | 2027 | Class not in session. | |
| Ash Wednesday | Christian | February 10 | 2027 | |
| **Beginning of Ramadan | Islamic | February 7 | 2027 | Date not fixed. See note below. |
| Beginning of Lent | Christian Orthodox | February 10 | 2027 | |
| Ayyám-i-Há | Bahá’í | February 26–March 1 | 2027 | |
| Bahá’í Fasting Period | Bahá’í | March 2–20 | 2027 | |
| Purim | Jewish | March 23 | 2027 | |
| Holi | Hindu | March 22 | 2027 | Begins evening of March 3 and ends the evening of March 4. |
| **Lailat al-Qadr | Islamic | March 5 | 2027 | Date not fixed. See note below. |
| **Eid al-Fitr | Islamic | March 10 | 2027 | Date not fixed. See note below. |
| *Naw‑Rúz (Bahá’í New Year) | Bahá’í | March 21 | 2027 | Designated non-work day for observers |
| Rama Navami | Hindu | April 15 | 2027 | |
| *Passover (Pesach) | Jewish | April 21-29 | 2027 | *April 21-22 and 28-29 primary obligation days. |
| Good Friday | Christian | March 26 | 2027 | |
| Easter | Christian | March 28 | 2027 | |
| *1st Day of Riḍván | Bahá’í | April 21 | 2027 | Designated non-work day for observers |
| Orthodox Good Friday | Christian Orthodox | April 30 | 2027 | |
| Orthodox Easter | Christian Orthodox | May 2 | 2027 | |
| *9th Day of Riḍván | Bahá’í | April 29 | 2027 | Designated non-work day for observers |
| *12th Day of Riḍván | Bahá’í | May 2 | 2027 | Designated non-work day for observers |
| *Shavuot | Jewish | June 11 | 2027 | Designated non-work day for observers. |
| *Declaration of the Báb | Bahá’í | May 24 | 2027 | Designated non-work day for observers |
| Memorial Day | May 31 | 2027 | Class not in session. | |
| **Eid al-Adha | Islamic | May 17 | 2027 | Date not fixed. See note below. |
| *Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh | Bahá’í | May 29 | 2027 | Designated non-work day for observers |
| Juneteenth | June 19 | 2027 | Class not in session. | |
| Muharram (Al Hijrah New Year) | Islamic | June 6 | 2027 | |
| *Martyrdom of the Báb | Bahá’í | July 10 | 2027 | Designated non-work day for observers |
| Independence Day | July 4 | 2027 | 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.