Holy Days for 2012 - Diversity and Equal Opportunity Office

- USF Diversity and Equal Opportunity Discrimination and Harassment Policy
- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

MAJOR HOLY DAYS FOR 2012

These are days suggested by various religious leaders as days when classes or work may need to be missed for religious observances. It is not an exhaustive list of Holy days.

USF Policy:

For more information on these Holy Days and other important events visit:
USF Diversity and Equal Opportunity Office Calendar of Events

* Holy days usually begin at sundown the day before this date.
** Local or regional customs may use a variation of this date.

JANUARY 2012

1
- Mary, Mother of God - Catholic Christian
- Feast of St Basil - Orthodox Christian
- Gantan-sai (New Years) - Shinto
- Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus - Orthodox Christian
5
- Twelfth Night - Christian
- Guru Gobindh Singh birthday - Sikh
6
- Epiphany - Christian
- Feast of the Theophany - Orthodox Christian
- Dia de los Reyes - Hispanic Christians
- Nativity of Christ - Armenian Orthodox
7
- Feast of the Nativity ** - Orthodox Christian
8
- Baptism of Jesus - Christian
9-12
- Mahayana New Year ** - Buddhist
13
- Maghi - Sikh
15
- World Religion Day * - Baha'i
17
- Blessing of the Animals - Hispanic Catholic Christian
18-25
- Week of Prayer for Christian Unity - Christian
20
- Timkat - Ethiopian Orthodox Christian
23
- Chinese New Year - Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist
25
- Conversion of Saint Paul - Christian
28
- Vasant Panchami ** - Hindu

FEBRUARY 2012

2
- Candlemas - Christian
- Presentation of Christ in the Temple - Anglican Christian
- Triodion - Orthodox Christian
- Imbolc - Lughnassad * - Wicca/Pagan Northern and southern hemispheres
3
- Maha Shavartri ** - Hindu
- Setsubum-sai - Shinto
4
- Mawlid an Nabi * - Islam
5
- Four Chaplains Sunday- Interfaith
8
- Tu BiShvat * - Judaism
14
- Saint Valentines Day - Christian
15
- Nirvana Day ** - Buddhist - Jain
19
- Meatfare Sunday - Orthodox Christian
- Transfiguration - Christian
21
- Shrove Tuesday - Christian
22
- Ash Wednesday - Lent begins- Christian
26 - March 1
- Intercalary Days * - Baha'i
- Cheesefare Sunday - Orthodox Christian
27
- Clean Monday - Great Lent begins - Orthodox Christian

MARCH 2012

1
- Saint David of Wales - Christian
2 - 20
- Nineteen Day Fast * - Baha'i
4
- Orthodox Sunday - Orthodox Christian
8
- Purim * - Judaism
- Magha Puja Day ** - Buddhist
- Holi ** - Hindu
9
- Hola Mohalla - Sikh
13
- L Ron Hubbard birthday ** - Scientology
17
- St Patrick's Day - Christian
19
- Saint Joseph's Day - Christian
20 Equinox
- Ostara * - Wicca/Pagan northern hemisphere
- Mabon * - Wicca/Pagan southern hemisphere
21
- Naw Ruz (New Year) * - Baha'i
- Norouz (New Year) - Persian/Zoroastrian
23
- New Year ** - Hindu
- Prophet Zarathustra birth - Zoroastrian
23-April 1
- Ramayana ** - Hindu
25
- Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Christian
28
- Khordad Sal (Birth of Prophet Zaranhushtra) ** - Zoroastrian

APRIL 2012

1
- Palm Sunday - Christian
- Ramanavami - Hindu
5
- Maundy Thursday - Christian
6-9
- Theravadin New Year ** - Buddhist
6
- Good Friday - Christian
- Lord's Evening Meal - Jehovah's Witness Christians
- Hanuman Jayanti - Hindu
- Mahavir Jayanti ** - Jain
7-14
- Pesach (Passover) * - Judaism
7
- Lazarus Saturday - Orthodox Christian
8
- Easter - Christian
- Palm Sunday - Orthodox Christian
13
- Holy Friday - Orthodox Christian
14
- Baisakhi New Year - Sikh
15
- Easter/Pascha - Orthodox Christian
19
- Yom HaShoah * - Judaism
21
- First Day of Ridvan * - Baha'i
23
- St. George Day - Christian
27
- Yom Ha'Atzmaut * - Jewish
29
- Ninth Day of Ridvan * - Baha'i
30
- Saint James the Great Day - Orthodox Christian
- Lazarus Saturday - Orthodox Christian

MAY 2012

Beltane - Samhain - Wicca/Pagan Northern and Southern hemispheres

2
- Twelfth Day of Ridvan * - Baha'i
3
- National Day of Prayer - Interfaith USA
6
- Visakha Puja - Buddha Day ** - Buddhist
10
- Lag B'Omer * - Jewish
17
- Ascension Day - Christian
23
- Declaration of the Bab * - Baha'i
24
- All Ascension of Jesus - Orthodox Christian
27
- Pentecost - Christian
27-28
- Shavuot * - Jewish
29
- Ascension of Baha'u'llah * - Baha'i

JUNE 2012

3
- Trinity Sunday - Christian
7
- Corpus Christi - Catholic Christian
3
- Pentecost - Orthodox Christian
9
- Saint Columba of Iona - Christian
10
- All Saints - Orthodox Christian
16
- Lailat al Miraj * ** - Islam
- Guru Arjan Dev martyrdom - Sikh
15
- Sacred Heart of Jesus - Catholic Christian
19
- New Church Day - Swedenborgian Christian
20 Solstice
- Litha * - Wicca/Pagan northern hemisphere
- Yule * - Wicca/Pagan southern hemisphere
29
- Saints Peter and Paul - Christian

JULY 2012

3
- Asalha Puja Day ** - Buddhist
4
- Lailat at Bara'ah * ** - Islam
9
- Martyrdom of the Bab * - Baha'i
13-16
- Obon ** - Buddhist - Shinto
15
- Saint Vladimir Day - Christian
20
- Ramadan Begins * ** - Islam
23
- Emperor Haile Selassi I birthday - Rastafari
24
- Pioneer Day - Mormon Christian
25
- Saint James the Great Day - Christian
29
- Tisha B'Av * - Judaism

AUGUST 2012

1
- Fast in Honor of Holy Mother of Jesus - Orthodox Christian
- Lammas - Christian
2
- Raksha Bandhan ** - Hindu
- Lugnassad - Imbolc * - Wicca/Pagan Northern and southern hemispheres
6
- Transfiguration of the Lord - Orthodox Christian
10
- Krishna Janmashtami ** - Hindu
14
- Lailat al Kadr * ** - Islam
15
- Assumption of Virgin Mary - Catholic Christian
- Dormition of the Theotokos - Orthodox Christian
19-21
- Eid al Fitr * ** - Islam
29
- Beheading of John the Baptist - Christian

SEPTEMBER 2012

1
- Ecclesiastical Year begins - Orthodox Christian
8
- Nativity of Mary - Christian
14
- Elevation of the Life Giving Cross - Holy Cross Day - Christian
17-18
- Rosh HaShanah * - Judaism
19
- Ganesh Chaturthi ** - Hindu
20-29
- Paryushana Parva ** - Jain
22 Equinox
- Mabon * - Wicca/Pagan northern hemisphere
- Ostata * - Wicca/ Pagan southern hemisphere
26
- Yom Kippur * - Judaism
28
- Mesket- Ethiopian Orthodox Christian
29

Michael and All Angels - Christian

OCTOBER 2012

4
- Saint Francis DayCatholic Christian
1-7 (1-2 Primary Obligation Days)
- Sukkot * - Judaism
8
- Shemini Atzeret * - Judaism
- Thanksgiving - Canada - Interfaith
9
- Simhat Torah *- Judaism
16-23
- Navaratri ** - Hindu
18
- Saint Luke - Apostle and Evangelist - Christian
20
- Birth of the Báb * - Baha'i
- Installation of Scriptures as Gukru Granth - Sikh
24
- Dasera ** - Hindu
25
- Waqf al Arafa - Hajj Day * - Islam
26-29
- Eid al Adha * ** - Islam
28
- Milvian Bridge Day - Christian
- Reformation Day ** - Protestant Christian
31
- All Hallows Eve - Christian

NOVEMBER 2012

1
- All Saint's Day - Christian
- Samhain - Beltane * - Wicca/Pagan Northern and Southern hemispheres
2
- All Soul's Day - Catholic Christian
11
- Jain New Year ** - Jain
11-15
- Deepavali ** - Hindu
12
- Birth of Baha'u'llah * - Bahai
13
- Diwali - Deepavali ** - Hindu - Jain - Sikh
15
- Hijra - New Year * ** - Islam
- Nativity Fast through 12-25 - Orthodox Christian
22
- Thanksgiving USA - Interfaith
21
- Yule - Christian
24
- Ashura * ** - Islam
- Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom - Sikh
25
- Christ the King - Christian
26
- Day of the Covenant * - Baha'i
28
- Ascension of Abdu'l-Baha * - Baha'i
- Guru Nanak Dev Sahib birthday - Sikh
30
- Saint Andrew's Day - Christian

DECEMBER 2012

2
- Advent - First Sunday - Christian
6
- Saint Nicholas Day - Christian
8
- Rohatsu (Bodhi Day) ** - Buddhist
- Immaculate Conception of Mary - Catholic Christian
9-16
- Hanukkah * - Judaism
16-25
- Posadas Navidenas - Christian
21 Solstice
- Yule * - Wicca/Pagan northern hemisphere
- Litha * - Wicca/Pagan southern hemisphere
- Yule - Christian
25
- Christmas * - Christian
- Feast of the Nativity ** - Orthodox Christians
26
- Zarathosht Diso (Death of Prophet Zarathushtra ** - Zoroastrian
28
- Holy Innocents - Christian
30
- Feast of the Holy Family - Catholic Christian
31
- Watch Night - Christian

Diversity and Equal Opportunity Office - University of South Florida