Holiday & Observance Calendar

Washington’s public four-year college and universities support and recognize the holidays, traditional observances and major days of religious significance of the diverse students we serve.

We are supportive and engaged in the continual education of our faculty/staff/students around the traditions of the communities we serve and work to be inclusive of all students. The intent of this calendar is to assist faculty/staff in planning and developing their curriculum, class syllabus and examinations during the term.

2022 – 2023 Academic Year Calendar

Holiday or ObservanceReligious GroupDatesAdditional Notes
Labor DaySeptember 5Class not in session
*Rosh Hashanah (New Year)JewishSeptember 26-27Designated non-work day for observers
Navaratri/DussehraHinduSeptember 26-October 5
*Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)JewishOctober 5Designated non-work day for observers
# Mawlid al-Nabi (birthday of Mohammad)IslamicOctober 8Date not fixed. See note below.
Indigenous Peoples DayOctober 10
*Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)JewishOctober 10-16*Oct. 10-11 primary observation days. Designated non-work days for observers
*Shemini AtzeretJewishOctober 17-18Designated non-work day for observers
*Simchat TorahJewishOctober 18Designated non-work day for observers
DiwaliHinduOctober 24
Veterans DayNovember 11Class not in session
Thanksgiving DayNovember 24Class not in session
Native American Heritage DayNovember 25Class not in session
Hanukkah (Chanukah)JewishDecember 19-26
Christmas DayChristianDecember 25Class not in session
New Years DayJanuary 1Class not in session
Orthodox ChristmasChristian OrthodoxJanuary 7-9
Martin Luther King Jr. DayJanuary 16Class not in session
Lunar New YearJanuary 22
Maha ShivaratriHinduFebruary 18
Presidents DayFebruary 20Class not in session
Beginning of LentChristian OrthodoxFebruary 22
Ash WednesdayChristianFebruary 22
PurimJewishMarch 7
HoliHinduMarch 8Begins evening of March 7 and ends the evening of March 8
# Beginning of RamadanIslamicMarch 23Date not fixed. See note below.Evening of March 23-April 21
RamanavamiHinduMarch 30
*Passover (Pesach)JewishApril 6-13*Apr. 6-7 & 12-13 primary obligation days
Good FridayChristianApril 7
EasterChristianApril 9
Orthodox Good FridayChristian OrthodoxApril 14
Orthodox EasterChristian OrthodoxApril 16
# Lailat al-QadrIslamicApril 17Date not fixed. See note below.
# Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)IslamicApril 21Date not fixed. See note below.
*ShavuotJewishMay 26-27Designated non-work day for observers
Memorial DayMay 29Class not in session
JuneteenthJune 19
# Eid al-AdhaIslamicJune 29-July 2Date not fixed. See note below.
Independence DayJuly 4
Muharram (Al Hijrah New Year)IslamicJuly 19 - August 17

* 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.


Future Religious and U.S. Public Holiday Calendars