Taking time to recognize holy days, regardless of the religion that your employees participate in, is vital for any business or organization. This inclusive scheduling becomes more helpful with the help of our Interfaith Calendar 2024, which includes a variety of religious holidays and festivals. For more valuable information on diversity and inclusion, see our Diversity Calendar 2024. It’s not just a national day calendar 2024, it includes religious holidays, awareness days, commemorative events, and more.
Please note that the list we have shared below doesn’t include every holiday but is a sampling of some religious holidays that you should be aware of when scheduling important meetings or events. Subscribe to our interactive DEI calendar for all 200+ religious holidays.
If a holiday begins the evening before, we will mark it with an asterisk (*) below.
January 2024 Holy Days
January 6 – Epiphany
Known as the Theophany in Eastern Christianity, this feast day commemorates the visit of the Magi, Jesus’ baptism, and the Wedding at Cana. Also known as Three Kings’ Day or Little Christmas.
January 7 – Coptic Orthodox Christmas
This is the day Orthodox Christians celebrate Jesus’ birth. It corresponds with the date December 25 on the Julian Calendar.
January 13 – Maghi
This Hindu festival of Makar Sankranti is celebrated after the mid-winter celebration of Lohri, where bonfires are lit in Northern India. The following morning Hindus enjoy this festival which involves ritual baths in rivers and ponds.
January 14 – Orthodox New Year
This date marks the beginning of the Julian calendar.
January 21 – World Religion Day
First observed in 1950, this Baháʼí faith day is inspired by their idea of the oneness and evolution of religion. The purpose of this day is to highlight their principles and the role that all world religions play in uniting all humans.
January 24* – Tu Bishvat
This Jewish holiday is celebrated as an ancient Earth Day, where trees are planted annually.
For more January religious holidays, visit our January Diversity Calendar 2024. Make sure to also check out our Heritage Months 2024 highlights.
February Religious Holidays Calendar
February 1 – Imbolc
Pagans and Wiccans celebrate this festival as the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, which honors light, fire, and the return of life after a long winter.
February 2 – Candlemas
Occurring 40 days after Christmas, Candlemas celebrates the birth of light. It commemorates the presentation of Jesus at the Temple, which occurs in Luke 2:22-40. On this day, all candles to be used in the church for the next year are blessed. Also known as the Feast of the Holy Encounter, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ.
February 8 – Lailat al Miraj
Muslims remember Prophet Muhammad’s pilgrimage from Mecca to Jerusalem on this holy day. After his arrival, he ascended to Heaven.
February 10 – Chinese New Year
This celebration of the new year on the lunisolar Chinese Calendar is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture. It also influences the Lunar New Year celebrations of nearly 56 other ethnic groups, including Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
February 14 – Ash Wednesday
This day marks the start of Lent, 40 days of fasting and prayer for Christians before Easter.
February 15 – Parinirvana
Known as Nirvana Day in Mahãyãna Buddhism, this day honors the death of Buddha and his attainment of final nirvana.
February 26-29* – Intercalary / Ayyam-i-ha
This celebration and period of fasting celebrate giving back to the community and giving gifts to loved ones, which honors the Divine Essence of God. This celebration markets the start of the fasting month, where Bahá’ís 15 years and older abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset.
For more information about other religious holidays or cultural events, please see our DEI Calendar. Make sure to celebrate diversity months 2024.
March Inclusive Religious Calendar
March 11* – Ramadan begins
This marks the start of the holy month of fasting for Muslims.
March 21* – Nowruz
Occurring on the vernal equinox, this day celebrates the Persian and the Baha’i New Year.
March 24 – Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday falls on the Sunday before Easter. The crowd waved palm branches to honor Christ’s entry into Jerusalem.
March 25 – Holi
This is one of the most known Hinduism holy days, and it celebrates the arrival of spring and new life. This lasts for a night and a day, starting on the evening of the Full Moon Day.
March 29 – Good Friday
This Christian holiday honors Jesus’ crucifixion and death. Many different Christian denominations observe this holy day. From noon to 3 pm, it is known as the Service of the Great Three Hours’ Agony, where it is believed Jesus died at the cross. Also known as Great Friday, Holy Friday, Great and Holy Friday, and Black Friday.
March 31 – Easter
One of the most important Christian holidays, it memorializes the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is believed that this occurred on the third day of his burial. The week before Easter is known as Holy Week, which starts on Palm Sunday, Spy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Last Supper, and Good Friday, and ends on Easter Sunday. Also known as Resurrection Sunday or Pascha.
Visit our March Diversity Calendar 2024 to learn about March awareness days and March religious holidays.
April’s Major Religious Holidays
April 6 – Laylat al-Qadr
Laylat al-Qadr is for the holiest night of the year for Muslims as it’s believed it’s the night that the Quran was sent down from Heaven. The last ten nights of Ramadan are dedicated to praying and scripture reading as they believe this night of decree took place in one of those ten nights.
April 9-12 – Eid al-Fitr
On one of the most important Islamic holy days, a big meal is enjoyed to mark the end of Ramadan and celebrations go on for 3 days.
April 21* Ridvan
This Bahá’í 12-day festival commemorates Bahaullah’s declaration that he was a manifestation of God. The name means Paradise and is named after a garden found outside of Baghdad, where he was exiled before traveling to Constantinople.
April 22*-30 – Passover
This 7-day holiday week honors the freeing of the enslaved Israelites. It is one of three pilgrimage festivals and is a major Jewish holiday celebrated on the 15 days of Nisan, a Hebrew month.
Discover more with our April Diversity Calendar 2024 for other April awareness holidays and April religious celebrations.
May 2024 Religious Holidays
May 1 – Beltane
This Pagan and Wiccan festival honors and represents the peak time of Spring and the beginning of Summer.
May 9 – Ascension Day
This is precisely 40 days after Easter when Christians believe that Jesus ascended to Heaven.
Discover more May heritage months and May awareness days with our May Diversity Calendar 2024.
June 2024 Holy Days
June 7 – Feast of the Sacred Heart
This Roman Catholic feast day memorializes Jesus’ love for all humans.
June 12-13* – Shavuot
This major Jewish festival marks the harvest of wheat in Israel. According to Orthodox Judaism, the date also aligns with the revealing of the Ten Commandments to Moses and the Israelites. Also known as the Feast of Weeks.
June 14-19* – The Hajj
This annual pilgrimage to Mecca is perhaps the most important Muslim holy day. This trip of a lifetime is required of all Muslims if they are physically or financially able to.
June 17-20* – Eid-al-Adha
This Islamic faith holiday ends the Hajj pilgrimage. It celebrates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Ishmael, his son, to obey God. Because of this, a lamb is given to him to sacrifice in place of his son. On this day, animals, typically a sheep or a goat, are sacrificed and enjoyed by both the family and those in need. Also known as the Feast of Sacrifice.
June 21 – Litha
This Pagan and Wiccan festival is held on the summer solstice.
Our June Diversity Calendar 2024 offers valuable information about June religious holidays and June awareness days.
July Interfaith Calendar
July 7* – Hijri New Year
The Islamic New Year marks the beginning of the lunar Hijri year.
July 21 – Asalha Puja
For Buddhists, this day is the start of a three-month mandatory retreat for all monks. Buddhists visit temples to give offerings, pray and meditate and listen to sermons. It is intended to be a day of new beginnings and renewal.
July 24 – Pioneer Day
Celebrated in Utah, this day marks the settling of the Church of Latter-Day Saints pioneers along the Great Salt Lake.
Learn more about the religious holidays and diversity days in our DEI calendar.
August 2024 Religious Festivals Calendar
August 1 – Lughnasadh
This Gaelic festival and Irish holiday honors the first day of the harvest season. It occurs on the halfway point between the summer solstice and the fall equinox. Also known as Lughnasa.
August 13* – Tisha B’Av
This Jewish holiday is an annual fast day that remembers Jewish history and the destruction of Solomon’s Temple and the Second Temple.
August 15 – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
This Catholic holy day celebrates the day Mary’s body and soul ascended into heaven. Also known as Feast of the Assumption.
August 25* – Arbaeen
This day marks the end of the 40-day mourning period after Ashura for Shia Muslims. It marks the day that God delivered Israelites from the Egyptian Pharaoh by parting the Red Sea where they could safely cross.
August 26 – Krishna Janmashtami
This annual Hindu festival celebrates Krisha, a supreme God in the faith. This celebration includes the reading of religious texts, reenactments of his life, and dance. It is celebrated primarily in India. Also known as Gokulashtami, Janmashtami, or Krishanashtami.
Learn more about the diversity holidays 2024 on our August Diversity Calendar 2024.
Major Religious Holidays for September
September 21-29 – Mabon
Both Wiccans and Pagans use this day to celebrate the autumnal equinox, a day when the amount of sunlight and darkness is the same. This represents both balance and harmony.
September 15* – Mawlid al-Nabi
Muslims celebrate Prophet Muhammad’s birthday today. They honor this day as they believe he is a messenger of God.
Visit our Diversity Calendar 2024 for more diversity holidays and events, and check out the National Awareness Months 2024 blog post.
October Interfaith Holy Days
October 3 – Navratri
This ten-day Hindu festival celebrates the Goddess Durga and is a major crop season event. Each day a new goddess is worshiped and changing of Hindu scriptures occurs as well as a period of fasting.
October 3-4* – Rosh Hashanah
These two Jewish holy days remember the time that the world was created. It marks the 10 Days of Awe that focuses on repenting and reflection.
October 12* – Yom Kippur
This is one of the most important Jewish high holy days. The 10 Days of Awe period commemorates Yom Kippur which focuses on asking for forgiveness for your sins. During biblical times, this was the only day that a high priest could enter the most sacred part of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Also known as the Day of Atonement.
October 17 – 23 – Sukkot
This 7-day holiday commemorates when Jews journeyed through the desert to the promised land.
October 31 – November 4 – Diwali
This Hindu Festival of Lights symbolizes the fight of good over evil and its victory. It is celebrated by Sikhs, Hindus, Jains, and mostly Newar Buddhists.
To learn more about October awareness days and October religious celebrations, see the October Diversity Calendar 2024.
November World Religion Calendar
November 1 – All Saints’ Day
This day honors all holy men and women who the Catholic Church has canonized.
November 3 – Birth of Baha’u’llah
This holy day for the Baha’i faith honors its founder’s birthdays. He challenges people to fight back against racial prejudice and to be one human family.
November 25 – Day of the Covenant
This Baha’i Holy Day celebrates the day that Abdu’l-Baha was appointed the Covenant. His role is to safeguard the faith from any division.
November 27 – Ascension of Abdu’l-Baha
This day honors the day that Abdu’l-Baha, the Servant of Baha, died. His funeral was attended by over 10,000 people of different religious backgrounds. He is believed to be an exemplary example of living Baha’i principles to its fullest for its followers.
November 30 – St. Andrew’s Feast Day
This day celebrates the patron saint of Romania, Ukraine, Barbados, Greece, Russia, and Scotland by remembering his accomplishments and canonization in the Catholic Church.
Visit our November Interfaith Calendar 2024 for more information on November religious holidays.
Major Religious Holidays for December 2024
December 8 – Bodhi Day
This Buddhist holiday remembers the day that Gautama Buddha is believed to attain enlightenment. Also celebrated on the lunar date January 18, 2024.
December 21 to January 1 – Yule
Pagans and Wiccans celebrate the winter solstice today.
December 25 – Christmas
Happy Birthday Jesus! This important Christian remembers the birth of their Lord and Savior.
December 26 – January 1 – Kwanzaa
This seven-day cultural celebration focuses on seven main principles, Nguzo Saba. They all correspond to values that they believe help a person, their family, and their community to prosper.
December 26 – January 2* – Hanukkah
The 8-day Jewish celebration of the victory of Jews over Syrian Greeks begins today.
Reminder: All holidays marked with * begin the prior evening.
Learn more about other important diversity events and holidays on our December Diversity Calendar 2024, and check out the Awareness Months 2024. That concludes a sampling of some of the 2024 holy days.
For more information on important diversity topics, see our Diversity Calendar 2024. If you’re looking for a national day calendar 2024, you’ve found it but it’s much more comprehensive than just national days. It helps you to respectfully schedule meetings and for inclusion opportunities, enjoy this free trial of our interactive DEI calendar.
