Religious Holidays

Religious Holidays and Observances, are specific days of the year set aside to celebrate something that is religion based.  There are many different religions in the world, and many have different special days relative to their religion. 

Many days like Religious Freedom Day, apply to ALL religions, and promote the idea that we should all be free to celebrate our individual religion. In many Countries around the World, this is not the case, and there is persecution, and even death for practicing your chosen religion. In late 2013, it has been reported that Christians are now, the most persecuted religion around the world. (Previously, it had been the Jews)

Some religious days, are established to celebrate the life of a person within an individual Religion that made an impact.  Some special days like World Prayer Day, can apply to any religion, or any individual. Anyone can pray whether they are religious or not. Often, in a moment of crisis, or danger many will turn to God for help.

What is Religion?

According to Dictionary.com, Religion is defined as: 

1. A set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
2. A specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.
3. The body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions.
4. The life, or state of a monk, nun etc.: to enter religion.
5. The practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith.

What is Faith?

In the Bible, in Hebrews 1:1 Faith is defined as:

1. Now Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

In the Merriam Webster Dictionary, Faith is defined as:

1. Strong belief or trust in someone or something
2. Belief in the existence of God: strong religious feelings or beliefs
3. A system of religious beliefs

Religious Holidays By Month

January 2025 Religious Holidays

2025 Weeks: (Sorted Alphabetically)

• Catholic Schools Week - January 26 - February 1, 2025 (Begins on the last Sunday in January)
• International Week of Prayer for Christian Unity - January 18-25
• Isra and Mi'raj (Muslim Holiday) - Evening of January 26, 2025 to Evening of January 27, 2025

2025 Days: (Sorted by Date)

• Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God - January 1 (Catholic)
• St. Basil's Day - January 1 in Eastern Churches; January 2 in Western Churches; January 14 in Churches that follow the Julian Calendar
  
• Vasant Panchami (India) - January 2, 2025 (Fifth Day of Magh in Hindu Calendar)
• Day of Los Reyes - January 6 (Catholic Holiday in Uruguay)
• Epiphany, or Three Kings Day - January 6 (12th Day after Christmas)
• Orthodox Christmas Day - January 7
  
• Play God Day - January 9
• Baptism of the Lord - January 12, 2025 (Sunday after Epiphany)
• Feast of the Ass (Donkey) - January 14 (Celebrates all the donkeys of the Bible)
• Mahayana New Year - January 14, 2025 (Buddhist)
• Orthodox New Year - January 14
• Take a Missionary to Lunch Day - January 14
• Religious Freedom Day - January 16
• National Sanctity of Human Life Day - January 18
  
• World Religion Day - January 19, 2025 (Third Sunday in January)
• National Bible Day - January 27

February 2025 Religious Holidays

Month: (Sorted Alphabetically)

• Spiritual Teachers Month

2025 Weeks: (Sorted Alphabetically)

• Brotherhood / Sisterhood Week - February 16-22, 2025 (Third Week in February)
• Catholic Schools Week - January 26 - February 1, 2025 (Begins on the last Sunday in January)
• Losar - February 28 - March 2, 2025 - The Tibetan New Year, typically a three-day festival that mixes sacred and secular practices that include prayers, ceremonies, hanging prayer flags, as well as sacred and folk dancing and partying. The first day is the most important. (Buddhist)
• Tu B'Shevat (Arbor Day) - Evening of February 12, 2025 - Evening of February 13, 2025
• World Interfaith Harmony Week - February 1-7 (First Week of February)
  

2025 Days: (Sorted by Date)

• Candlemas Day - February 2
• Imbolic - February 2 (Pagan)
• Four Chaplains Day - February 3
• Feast of St. Agatha - February 5
• World Day of the Sick - February 11
  
• Race Relations Day - February 14
  
• Valentine's Day - February 14 
• Nirvana Day - February 15 (Buddhist)
• Orthodox Meatfare Sunday - February 23, 2025
• Maha Shivaratri - February 25, 2025 (Hindu Holiday in the U.S. - other Countries celebrate on February 26, 2025)
• Fat Thursday - February 27, 2025 (Catholic)

March 2025 Religious Holidays

Month: (Sorted Alphabetically)

• Spiritual Wellness Month

2025 Weeks: (Sorted Alphabetically)

• Consider Christianity Week - March 6-12, 2025 (Begins the Second Sunday before Easter)
  
• Holi - Evening of March 13 - Evening of March 14, 2025 (Hindu)
• Jewish Book Week - March 2-8, 2025 (First Full Week in March)
  
• Lent - Begins on Ash Wednesday - March 5 - April 17, 2025 (Begins on Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday)
• Losar - February 28 - March 2, 2025 - The Tibetan New Year, typically a three-day festival that mixes sacred and secular practices that include prayers, ceremonies, hanging prayer flags, as well as sacred and folk dancing and partying. The first day is the most important. (Buddhist)
• National Catholic Sisters Week - March 8-14
  
• Orthodox Lent - Begins on Ash Wednesday - March 3, 2025 - April 19, 2025 (Begins on Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday)
  
• Ramadan - Evening of February 28, 2025 - Evening of March 30, 2025 (Muslim Holiday)
• Shrovetide - March 2-4, 2025 (Shove Tuesday plus two days before)
  

2025 Days: (Sorted by Date)

• St. David's Day - March 1
  
• Orthodox Forgiveness Sunday - March 2, 2025
• Clean Monday - March 3, 2025 (Orthodox Christian)
• Orthodox Green Monday - March 3, 2025
• Holy Experiment Day - March 4
  
• Paczki Day - March 4, 2025 (Always Shrove Tuesday - 47 Days Before Easter)
• Shrove Tuesday / Mardi Gras - March 4, 2025
• Ash Wednesday - March 5, 2025 (First Day of Lent)
• Shabbot Across America / Canada - March 7, 2025
• World Day of Prayer - March 7, 2025 (First Friday in March)
• Good Samaritan Involvement Day - March 13
  
• Ta' Anit Esther - March 13, 2025 (Jewish)
• International Day to Combat Islamophobia - March 15
• St. Patrick's Day - March 17
  
• Goddess of Fertility Day - March 18
  
• Saint Joseph's Day - March 19
  
• Atheists Pride Day - March 20 and June 6
  
• Spring Equinox - March 20, 2025 (Pagan)
• International Day of Nowruz - March 21
• Nowruz - March 21
• The Annunciation - Known also as The Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the Feast of the Annunciation (Christianity) - March 25
• Knights of Columbus Founders Day - March 29
  
• Mothering Sunday - March 30, 2025 (21 Days before Easter)

We are Currently Updating 2025 Movable Dates

April 2024 Religious Holidays

Month: (Sorted Alphabetically)

• Holy Humor Month

2024 Weeks: (Sorted Alphabetically)

• Eid-Al-Fitr - Evening of April 9, 2024 through the Evening of April 10, 2024 (Muslim)
  
• Festival of Ridvan - April 20 - May 2, 2024
• Golden Rule Week - April 1-7
• Holy Week - April 13-19, 2025 (Begins on Palm Sunday and Ends on Holy Saturday)
• Just Pray No! Worldwide Weekend of Prayer and Fasting - April 6-7, 2024
• Lent - Begins on Ash Wednesday - March 5 - April 17, 2025 (Begins on Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday)
• Orthodox Holy Week - April 13-21, 2025
  
• Orthodox Lent - Begins on Ash Wednesday - March 3, 2025 - April 19, 2025 (Begins on Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday)
• Passion Week - April 6-12, 2025 (Week Before Holy Week)
• Passiontide - April 6-19, 2025 (The Last Two Weeks of Lent - Passion Week and Holy Week)
• Passover (also known as Pesach) - Evening of April 12 - Evening of April 20, 2025
  
• Pesach (also known as Passover) - Evening of April 22 - Evening of April 30, 2024
• Ramadan - Evening of March 10, 2024 - Evening of April 8, 2024 (Dates may vary depending on location) - (Muslim Holiday)

2024 Days: (Sorted by Date)

• Easter Monday - April 1, 2024 (The Monday after Easter)
• National Atheist Day - April 1
• Victims of Violence Holy Day - April 4
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Day - April 6
• Buddha Day - April 8 (Buddhist - Historical Birth Date)
• Palm Sunday - April 13, 2025 (The Sunday one week prior to Easter)
• Holy Monday - April 14, 2025 (6 Days Before Easter)
• Father Damien Day - April 15
• Holy Tuesday - April 15, 2025 (Tuesday of Holy Week)
• Holy Wednesday - April 16, 2025 (4 Days Before Easter)
• Holy Thursday - April 17, 2025
• Maundy Thursday - April 17, 2025
• Good Friday - April 18, 2025
• National Ask An Atheist Day - April 18, 2024 (Third Thursday in April)
• Holy Saturday - April 19, 2025
• Easter Sunday - April 20, 2025
• "In God We Trust Day" - April 22
• First Day of Passover - April 23, 2024
  
• Orthodox Palm Sunday - April 28, 2024
• Beltane (Pagan) - April 30
• Last Day of Passover - April 30, 2024
• Walpurgis Night - April 30 (Pagan)

May 2024 Religious Holidays

Month: (Sorted Alphabetically)

• Jewish American Heritage Month

2024 Weeks: (Sorted Alphabetically)

• Festival of Ridvan - April 20 - May 2, 2024
  
• Lag B'omer - Evening of May 25 - Evening of May 26, 2024 (18th Day of the Month of Lyar in Jewish Calendar)
• Yom HaAtzmaut - Evening of May 13, 2024 to Evening of May 14, 2024
• Yom HaShoah - Evening of May 5, 2024 to Evening of May 6, 2024
• Yom HaZikaron - Evening of May 12, 2024 to Evening of May 13, 2024

2024 Days: (Sorted by Date)

• National Day of Prayer - May 2, 2024 (First Thursday in May)
  
• National Day of Reason - May 2, 2024 (First Thursday in May) - Set up in 2003 by Humanists/Atheists on the same day as the National Day of Prayer for a secular alternative.
• Orthodox Good Friday - May 3, 2024
• Orthodox Holy Saturday - May 4, 2024
• Orthodox Easter - May 5, 2024
• Joseph Brackett Day - May 6
• Orthodox Easter Monday - May 6, 2024
• Ascension Day (of Jesus) - May 9, 2024
• Pentecost - May 19, 2024
• Whit Sunday - May 19, 2024 (Seventh Sunday after Easter) Also known as Pentecost or Whitsunday
• Pentecost Monday - May 20, 2024 
• Whit Monday - May 20, 2024
• End of the World or Rapture Party Day - May 21
• Day of Vesak - May 23, 2024 (Buddhist)
• Declaration of the Bab Day (Bahai Faith) - May 23
• Trinity Sunday - May 26, 2024
• Ascension of Baha'u'Llah - May 29 (Baha'i) 
• Corpus Christi - May 30, 2024 (Catholic)

June 2024 Religious Holidays

2024 Days: (Sorted by Date)

• Atheists Pride Day - June 6 and March 20
  
• Hug An Atheist Day - June 7, 2024 (First Friday in June)
• World Peace and Prayer Day - June 20, 2024 (First Day of Summer)
• Atheists Solidarity Day - June 21
  
• Summer Solstice - June 21 (Pagan)
• St. Baptiste Day - June 24
  
• School Prayer Banned Anniversary - June 25
• Feast of Saints Peter and Paul - June 29

July 2024 Religious Holidays

2024 Weeks: (Sorted Alphabetically)

• Ashura - Evening of July 16 - Evening of July 17, 2024
• Islamic New Year - Evening of July 7, 2024 to Evening of July 8, 2024
  
• Muharram (Islamic New Year) - Evening of July 7, 2024 to Evening of July 8, 2024

2024 Days: (Sorted by Date)

• Saint Swithin's Day - July 15
• Fast of Tammuz - July 23, 2024
• Church of Latter Day Saints Pioneer Day - July 24
• Feast of Saint James - July 25
• National Day of Lament - July 27, 2024 (Last Saturday in July)
• Army Chaplain Corps Anniversary - July 29

August 2024 Religious Holidays

2024 Weeks: (Sorted Alphabetically)

• Janmashtami - Evening of August 25, 2024 - Evening of August 26, 2024 (Hindu Holiday)
• Tish B'av - Evening of August 12, 2024 - Evening of August 13, 2024 (Jewish)
• Tu B'av - Evening of August 18, 2024 to Evening of August 19, 2024
  

2024 Days: (Sorted by Date)

• International Forgiveness Day - August 4, 2024 (First Sunday in August)
• Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - August 15 (Catholic)
• God's Preeminence Day - August 18, 2024 (Third Sunday in August)
• Raksha Bandhan - August 19, 2024 (Hindu Holiday)
• Be an Angel Day - August 22

September 2024 Religious Holidays

2024 Weeks: (Sorted Alphabetically)

• Global Week of Student Prayer - September 23-27, 2024
• Yom Kippur - Evening of September 24, 2024 to Evening of September 25, 2024 (Jewish)

2024 Days: (Sorted by Date)

• Ganesh Chaturthi - (Hindu Holiday) - September 6, 2024
• Virgin Mary Day - September 8
• The Exaltation of the Holy Cross - September 14
  
• National Back to Church Sunday - September 15, 2024 (Third Sunday in September)
• Mabon - September 23, 2024 (Always on Autumnal Equinox)
  
• See You at the Pole - September 25, 2024 (Fourth Wednesday in September)
• Blasphemy Day - September 30

October 2024 Religious Holidays

Month: (Sorted Alphabetically)

• Church Library Month
• Church Safety and Security Month
• Clergy Appreciation Month

2024 Weeks: (Sorted Alphabetically)

• Rosh Hashanah - Evening of October 2, 2024 to Evening of October 4, 2024
  
• Shemini Atzeret - Evening of October 23, 2024 to Evening of October 24, 2024
• Simchat Torah - Evening of October 24, 2024 to Evening of October 25, 2024 (Jewish)
• Sukkot - Evening of October 16, 2024 to Evening of October 23, 2024 (Jewish)

2024 Days: (Sorted by Date)

• St. Francis of Assisi's Feast Day - October 4
• Clergy (or Pastor) Appreciation Day - October 13, 2024 (Second Sunday in October
• Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Day - October 19
• Separation of Church and State Day - October 28
  
• All Hallows' Eve - October 31
• Samhain - October 31 (Paganism)

November 2024 Religious Holidays

2024 Weeks: (Sorted Alphabetically)

• Birth of Baha'u 'Llah - Evening of November 11 - Evening of November 12, 2024
  
• Birth of the Bab - Evening of November 1 - Evening of November 2, 2024
• Church / State Separation Week - November 24-30, 2024 (Always Thanksgiving Week)
• National Bible Week - November 24 - December 1, 2024 (Week of U.S. Thanksgiving from Sunday to Sunday)

2024 Days: (Sorted by Date)

• All Saint's Day - November 1
• Diwali - November 1, 2024 (Hinduism)
• All Soul's Day - November 2

December 2023 Religious Holidays

2024 Weeks: (Sorted Alphabetically)

• Advent - December 1 - December 24, 2024
• Hanukkah - Evening of December 25, 2024 through Evening of January 2, 2024 (Jewish)
  
• Kwanzaa - Evening of December 26, 2024 - January 1, 2025
  
• National Bible Week - November 24 - December 1, 2024 (Week of U.S. Thanksgiving from Sunday to Sunday)

2024 Days: (Sorted by Date)

• Advent Sunday - December 1, 2024 (Fourth Sunday Prior to Christmas Day)
• St. Nicholas Day - December 6
• Feast of the Immaculate Conception - December 8 (Catholic)
• Zionism Day - December 16
• Festivus - December 23
• Human Light Celebration - December 23
• Christmas Eve - December 24
• Christmas - December 25
• Holy Innocents Day - December 28

One Minute Sermon

I Love this video from Tamara Lowe: (How many TV show titles can you pick up on?)

Different World Religions

Here are some of the Religions that are popular in the world today.  We will do a devoted page on each of these, and talk about the different holidays and observances that each Religion celebrates:

• Baha'i
• Buddhism
• Candomble
• Christianity
• Christian Science
• Confucianism
• Hinduism
• Islam
• Jainism
• Judaism
• Paganism
• Shamanism
• Shintoism
• Sikhism
• Taoism
• Unitarianism
• Zoroastrianism

Non Religious:

• Agnosticism
• Atheism
• Secular Humanism

Religious Music

Above, is one of my favorite Christian bands, Switchfoot.  There are many different types of religious music and dance, and we will take a more detailed look into many of them.

Each type of religion often has their own traditions, and songs.  There is much diversity, for example, Christian music can range from the traditional hymns like "Amazing Grace" (our Dad's favorite song), to praise and worship music, to contemporary Christian music like the song above that has crossed over into mainstream music, to Gospel music, that is full of soul and hard to sit still when listening to it. Catholic music is pretty traditional and conservative. 

Religious Quotes

Popular Holiday Music

Many of the Popular Religious Holidays have music that is specific to that holiday. We will have a devoted page for each of these with some of the highlights.

• Christmas Music
• Easter Music
• Halloween Music
• Hanukkah Music

Worldwide Religious Festivals and Events

Information will be coming soon!

We have just recently launched our Festivals and Events summary page, and I'm debating about adding a separate Google Calendar for all the Festivals and Event type things.

Pinterest

Follow our Holidays and Observances Religious Holidays Board on Pinterest - below you will see our 30 most recent pins to this photo board!

Click on the SEE ON PINTEREST bar right above, (link opens in Pinterest) to see all the rest of our photo's on this board, and to Follow the board.  This is one board where I'll constantly be adding new pictures to!!

Also....Check out our Pinterest Board on Bible Journaling, using Art & Calligraphy!