Religious and Spiritual Days of Observance | Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-racism

The following are some commonly observed religious, spiritual, and/or cultural observances. The University of Waterloo has a duty to accommodate religious and spiritual observances under the Ontario Human Rights Code. Since this is a non-exhaustive list, absence of a date does not mean that the observance does not require an accommodation if requested.

Please use the dates below as a guide for planning class requirements, examinations or events. They should not be used to vet the legitimacy of accommodation requests.

Some dates may also vary (oftentimes substantially) due to diversity within communities, regional specificity, lunar calendars, time zone differences, incompatibility with the Western Gregorian calendar, etc. Deference regarding dates should be given to the individuals requesting accommodation.

Please contact the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-racism if you have questions about this list.

Winter Term

January 2023

January 1 – Gantan-sai (Shinto)
January 6 – Christmas (Armenian Apostolic Church)
January 6 – Epiphany/Theophany (Armenian Apostolic Church; Christian)
January 7 – Christmas/Feast of the Nativity (Orthodox Christian)
January 14 – Lohri (Sikhism)*
January 15 – Makar Sankranti/Pongal/Maghi/Uttarayan (Hinduism)*
January 19 – Epiphany/Theophany (Orthodox Christian)
January 22 – Lunar New Year (Buddhism; cultural observance in regions across Asia)*
January 26 – Vasant Panchami (Hinduism)*

February 2023

February 1 – Imbolc (Wiccan)
February 5 to 6 – Tu B'Shvat*
February 15 – Nirvana or Parinirvana Day (Buddhism)
February 18 – Lailat al-Miraj (Islam)*
February 18 – Maha Shivaratri (Hinduism)*
February 21 - International Mother Language Day (Indigenous Peoples around the world; observance around the world)
February 21 – Losar/Tibetan New Year (Buddhism; cultural observance in Tibet)*
February 22 – Ash Wednesday (Christian)*

March 2023

March 2 to March 20 – Nineteen Day Fast (Bahá’í)*
March 6 – Magha Puja (Buddhism)*
March 6 to 7 – Purim (Judaism)*
March 7 – Chötrul Düchen (Tibetan Buddhism)*
March 8 – Holi (Hinduism)*
March 20 – Ostara (Wiccan)
March 21 – Naw-Rúz/Norooz/Nowruz (Bahá’í; Zoroastrian; cultural observance in Iran)*
March 22 – First day of Chaitra/New Year/Gudi Padwa/Puthandu/Ugadi (Hinduism)*
March 22 to April 20 – Ramadan (Islam)*
March 26 – Khordad Sal (Zoroastrian)*
March 28 to April 6 – Chaitra Navapada Oli (Jainism)*
March 30 – Ram Navami (Hinduism)*

April 2023

April 2 – Palm Sunday (Christian)*
April 4 – Mahavir Jayanti (Jainism)*
April 5 to April 13 – Passover/Pesach (Judaism)*
April 6 – Hanuman Jayanti (Hinduism)*
April 6 to 8 – Theravada New Year (Buddhism)*
April 7 – Good Friday (Armenian Apostolic Church; Christian)*
April 9 – Easter (Armenian Apostolic Church; Christian)*
April 9 – Palm Sunday (Orthodox Christian)*
April 13 to 15 – Songkran (Cultural observance in Thailand)*
April 14 – Holy Friday (Orthodox Christian)*
April 14 – Vaisakhi (Sikhism)*
April 16 – Easter/Pascha (Orthodox Christian)*
April 18 – Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Power) (Islam)*
April 21 – First Day of Ridván (Bahá’i)*
April 21 to 22 – Eid-al-Fitr (Islam)*
April 29 – Ninth Day of Ridván (Bahá’i)*

Spring Term

May 2023

May 1 – Beltane (Wiccan)
May 2 – Twelfth Day of Ridván (Bahá’i)*
May 5 – National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ Peoples/Red Dress Day (Indigenous Peoples in Canada and USA; observance across Canada)
May 5 – Wesak/Vesak (Buddhism)*
May 24 – Declaration of the Báb (Bahá’í)*
May 25 to 27 – Shavuot (Judaism)*
May 29 – Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh (Bahá’í)*

June 2023

June 21 – National Indigenous Peoples Day (Indigenous Peoples in Canada; observance across Canada)
June 21 – Summer Solstice (Indigenous Peoples)
June 21 – Litha (Wiccan)
June 26 to July 1 – Hajj Pilgrimage (Islam)*
June 28 to July 2 – Eid-al-Adha (Islam)*

July 2023

July 3 – Asalha Puja/Dharma Day (Theravada Buddhism)*
July 3 – Guru Poornima (Buddhism; Hinduism; Jainism)*
July 10 – Martyrdom of the Báb (Bahá’í)*
July 11 – Imamat Day (Isma’ili Islam)*
July 19 – Islamic New Year/Hirji New Year (Islam)*
July 26 to 27 – Tish’a B’av (Judaism)*
July 28 – Ashura (Islam)*

August 2023

August 1 – Lammas (Wiccan)
August 9 – International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (Indigenous Peoples around the world)
August 13 to 15 – Obon (Japanese Buddhism)*
August 30 – Raksha Bandhan (Hinduism)*

Fall Term

September 2023

September 6 – Krishna Janmashtami (Hinduism)*
September 11 to 20 – Paryushan-Parvarambha (Jainism)*
September 15 to 17 – Rosh Hashanah (Judaism)*
September 19 – Ganesh Chaturthi (Hinduism)*
September 19 – Powley Day Ontario (Métis Nation of Ontario; Métis communities across Canada)
September 20 – Samvastsari Parva (Jainism)*
September 22 – Mabon (Wiccan)
September 24 to 25 – Yom Kippur (Judaism)*
September 27 – Mawlid al Nabi (Islam)*
September 29 to October 6 – Sukkot (Judaism)*
September 30 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Indigenous Peoples across Canada; observance across Canada)
September 30 – Orange Shirt Day (Indigenous Peoples across Canada; observance across Canada)
September 30 – Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre (WISC) Pow-wow (Indigenous Peoples and members of the University of Waterloo Community)

October 2023

October 6 – Hoshana Rabbah (Judaism)*
October 6 to 7 – Shemini Atzeret (Judaism)*
October 7 to 8 – Simchat Torah (Judaism)*
October 12 – Bandi Chhor Divas (Sikhism)*
October 15 to October 24 – Navratri (Hinduism)*
October 16 – Birth of the Báb (Bahá’í)*
October 17 – Birth of Bahá'u'lláh (Bahá’í)*
October 20 – Installation of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Sikhism)
October 21 to 28 – Ashwina Navapada Oli (Jainism)*
October 24 – Dussehra (Hinduism)*
October 25 – The Haldimand Treaty of 1784 Proclamation Anniversary (Observance of those working and living on the Haldimand Tract)
October 31 – Samhain (Wiccan)

November 2023

November 5 to 11 – Treaty Recognition Week (Indigenous Peoples across Ontario; observance across Ontario)*
November 7 – Inuit Day (Inuit around the world)
November 8 – Indigenous Veterans Day (Indigenous Peoples across Canada; observance across Canada)
November 12 – Diwali (Hinduism; Jainism; Sikhism)*
November 16 – Louis Riel Day (Métis Nation of Ontario)
November 26 – Day of the Convenant (Bahá’í)*
November 27 - Birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji (Sikhism)*
November 28 – Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Bahá’í)*

December 2023

December 7 to 15 – Hanukkah (Judaism)*
December 8 – Bodhi Day/Rohatsu (Buddhism)*
December 13 – Salgirah/Aga Khan’s Birthday (Islam Ismaili)
December 21 – Winter Solstice (Indigenous Peoples)
December 21 – Yalda (Zoroastrian)
December 21 – Yule (Wiccan)
December 25 – Christmas Day (Christian)
December 26 – Death of Prophet Zarathustra (Zoroastrian)*
December 26 to January 1, 2024 – Kwanzaa (Pan-African cultural observance)

*The date of this observance varies each year.