Source: NJ.com
By
TRENTON — The state Board of Education this week approved a list of religous holidays in the upcoming school year on which schools must allow excused absences.
The list, updated annually, includes more than 100 holidays for the 2016-17.
Students celebrating those holidays must present a written excuse signed by a parent or guardian. Schools are required to provide students the opportunity to make up any tests or other assessments that they missed.
Here is the list of religious holidays for 2016-17:
July 2016
July 2 Laylat as-Qadr (Islam)
July 7-9 Eid al Fitr (Islam)
July 9 Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha’i)
July 19 Asalha Puja Day (Buddhist)
July 19 Guru Purnima (Hindu)
August 2016
Aug. 1 Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Aug. 1 Lammas (Christian and Wicca)
Aug. 6 Transfiguration of the Lord (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Aug. 7 Naga Panchami (Hindu)
Aug. 14 Tish’a B’Av (Jewish)
Aug. 16 Ulambana/Obon (Buddhist)
Aug. 18 Raksha Bandhan (Hindu)
Aug. 25 Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu)
September 2016
Sept. 1 Ecclesiastical Year begins (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Sept. 5 Ganesha Chaturthi (Hindu)
Sept. 7 His Holiness Sakya Trizin’s Birthday (Buddhist)
Sept. 8 Nativity of Mary (Christian)
Sept. 8 Nativity of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Sept. 10  Hajj Day (Islam)
Sept. 11-14  Eid al Adha (Islam)
Sept. 14 Onam (Hindu)
Sept. 14 The Elevation of the Holy Cross (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
October 2016
Oct. 1-10  Navaratri (Hindu)
Oct. 3 Feast of Trumpets (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
Oct. 3-4 Rosh Hashanah (Jewish)
Oct. 11 Duserra (Hindu)
Oct. 12 Yom Kippur (Jewish)
Oct. 12 Day of Atonement (Christian, Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God) Oct. 17-23 Sukkot (Jewish)
Oct. 17-23 Feast of Tabernacles (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
Oct. 20 Birth of B’ab (Baha’i) Installation of the Scriptures as Guru Granth (Sikh)  Oct. 24 Last Great Day (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
Oct. 24 Shemini Atzeret (Jewish)
Oct. 25 Simcat Torah (Jewish)
Oct. 30 Diwali (Hindu, Jain and Sikh)
Oct. 31 Goverdhan Puja (Hindu)
November 2016
Nov. 1 All Saints’ Day (Christian) Samhain-Beltane (Wicca)
Nov. 2 All Souls’ Day (Christian)
Nov. 12 Birth of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)
Nov. 14 Guru Nanak Dev Sahib Birthday (Sikh
Nov. 15 Nativity Fast begins (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Nov. 21 The Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Nov. 24 Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom (Sikh)
Nov. 26 Day of Covenant (Baha’i)
Nov. 27 First Sunday of Advent (Christian)
Nov. 28 Ascension of ‘Abdu’l Baha (Baha’i)
December 2016
Dec. 8 Bodhi Day (Buddhist)
Dec. 8 Immaculate Conception (Christian)
Dec. 14 Mawlid an Nabi (Islam)
Dec. 21 Yule (Wicca and Christian)
Dec. 25 Christmas (Christian)
Dec. 25 The Nativity of Christ (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Dec. 25- Jan. 1 Hanukkah (Jewish)
Dec. 26 Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrian)
January 2017
Jan. 1 Gantan-sai (Shinto)
Jan. 1-8 Holy Convocation (Church of God and Saints of Christ)
Jan. 5 Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib (Sikh)
Jan. 6 Feast of Epiphany (Christian)
Jan. 6 Feast of Theophany (Eastern Orthodox Christian) Nativity of Christ
Jan. 6 (Armenian Orthodox)
Jan. 7 Feast of the Nativity (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Jan. 13 Maghi (Sikh)
Jan. 14 Makar Sankranti and Pongal (Hindu)
Jan. 15 World Religion Day (Baha’i)
Jan. 28 Chinese/Lunar New Year (Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist)
February 2017
Feb. 1 Vasant Panchami (Hindu)
Feb. 2 Imbolic-Candlemas (Wicca and Christian)
Feb. 2 The Presentation of Our Lord to the Temple (Eastern Orthodox Christian) Feb. 11 Tu B’shvat (Jewish)
Feb. 15 Nirvana Day (Buddhist)
Feb. 25 Maha Shivaratri (Hindu)
Feb. 25-28 Intercalary Days (Baha’i)
Feb. 28 Shrove Tuesday (Christian)
March 2017
March 1 Ash Wednesday (Christian)
March 12 Purim (Jewish)
March 13 L. Ron Hubbard’s Birthday (Church of Scientology)
March 13 Holi (Hindu)
March 13 Hola Mohalla (Sikh)
March 20 Ostara (Wicca)
March 21 Nowruz (Zoroastrian)
March 21 Naw Ruz (Baha’i)
March 25 The Annunciation of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
March 25 The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary(Christian)
March 27 Clean Monday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
March 28 Khordad Sal (Zoroastrian)
March 28 Chandramana Yugadi (Hindu)
April 2017
April 1 Lazarus Saturday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 2 Palm Sunday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 5 Ramnavami (Hindu)
April 9 Palm Sunday (Christian)
April 9-17 Passover/Days of Unleavened Bread (Church of God and Saints of Christ)
April 10 Passover (Philadelphia Church of God); Mahavir Jayanti (Jain)
April 11 Lord’s Evening Meal (Christian, Jehovah’s Witness) Hanuman Jayanti (Hindu)
First Day of Unleavened Bread (Church of God)
April 11-14 Theravadin New Year (Buddhist)
April 11-17 Days of Unleavened Bread (Philadelphia Church of God)
April 11-18 Passover (Jewish)
April 13 Holy Thursday (Christian, Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 14 Holy Friday (Christian, Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 16 Easter (Christian, Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 17 Easter Monday (Christian)
Last Day of Unleavened Bread (Church of God) Bright Monday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 21 First Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
April 24 Lailat al Miraj (Islam)
April 25 The 11th Panchen Lama’s Birthday (Buddhist)
April 29 Ninth Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
May 2017
May 1 Beltane (Wicca)
May 1 Yom Ha’Azmaut (Jewish)
May 2 Twelfth Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
May 10 Buddha’s Birthday/Buddha Day – Visakha Puja (Buddhist)
May 12 Lailat al Bara’ah (Islam)
May 14 Lag B’Omer (Jewish)
May 23 Declaration of the Bab (Baha’i)
May 25 Ascension of Our Lord (Christian)
May 27 Ramadan (Islam)
May 29 Ascension of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)
May 31 – June 1 Shavuot (Jewish)
June 2017
June 4 Pentecost (Christian)
June 4 Pentecost (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
June 16 Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (Sikh)
June 21 Litha (Wicca)
June 29 Fast of the Holy Apostles (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com.