Religious Observance Resources

The Office of the Provost maintains a religious observance calendar in accordance with the Religious Observance Policy to identify major holidays and reduce scheduling conflicts in addition to providing resources related to the religious observances and overall policy.

Visit the Office of the Registrar to view the Academic Calendar.


Religious Observance FAQs

Michigan State University's policy on religious observance accommodations is designed to ensure that students and instructors can observe their religious beliefs without academic penalty. It provides guidelines and procedures for requesting and granting religious accommodations. View the Religious Observance Policy here. Faculty do not need to make a request in order to observe a major religious holiday. 

Both students and instructors at Michigan State University are eligible for religious observance accommodations. This policy is applicable to all members of the university community.

Accommodations can include rescheduling of exams, assignments, or classes, as well as alternative arrangements for attendance, to accommodate religious observance.

To request accommodation, students should communicate their request to their instructors as soon as possible, preferably at the beginning of the semester, but need to provide at least a two-week notice. Instructors should communicate their request to their Department Chair at the beginning of the semester or as soon as possible.

Students are not required to provide documentation of their religious beliefs, and faculty cannot ask any questions about if, or how, they celebrate these holidays. Requests for accommodation should be taken at face value. 

The policy requires instructors and administrators to include reference to the religious observance policy in syllabi and inform incoming students of the policy in all orientation programs. University leadership has also sent out reminders to faculty and administrators about the policy and related guidelines. 

Instructors should make every effort to avoid scheduling exams and oral presentations during the major religious days on campus (Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, etc.). If a professor or the university has scheduled such an exam or oral presentation, they must be reasonably rescheduled without academic penalty.

You can find detailed information about Michigan State University's religious observance policy, including a link to policy information, academic calendar and specific holidays on the official webpage at provost.msu.edu/academic-resources/religious-observance-calendar

Please note that policies and procedures may evolve over time, so it's essential to refer to the most current information on the university's official website and consult with relevant university offices for the latest guidance on religious observance accommodations. If you have questions, please reach out to inclusion@msu.edu.

Religious Days During the 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27 Academic Years

Religious days of observance that may conflict with academic requirements are reflected in the calendar below. This is not an exhaustive list, as dates may vary and there may be additional days that pose conflicts. Faculty members should provide every opportunity for students to be absent without penalty on all dates.

Faculty will consult the calendar when planning their syllabi to make every effort to avoid having major exams or presentations on major holidays, observed by many adherents of that faith at MSU when the university is open. Reasonable accommodations must be given to individual students celebrating any holiday on the list.

This calendar will be updated annually. To learn more about each religious observance, click on the observance name in the tables below to view an informational PDF. You can also view this same information in the following MS Word documents:

To provide suggestions or feedback, email inclusion@msu.edu. Click here to access an MS Word version of the tables below.

2025-26

Religious
Observance
FaithDate(s)Major Holidays
(University Open)
Ganesh 
Chaturthi
HinduismAugust 26, 2025
(date may vary)
 
OnamHinduismAugust 26 - 
September 7, 2025
(dates may vary)
 
MabonPagan/NeopaganSeptember 21 - 29, 2025 
NavratriHinduismSeptember 22 - 
October 1, 2025
 
Rosh HashanahNew Year - 
Judaism (High Holy Days)
September 23 - 24, 20251

X

Yom KippurJudaism - 
High Holy Days
October 2, 20251

X

Vijayadashami, Dasara, 
Dussehra Puja
HinduismOctober 1, 2025
(date may vary)

X

SukkotJudaism - 
High Holy Days
October 7 - 13, 20251
(first two days)

X

Indigenous Peoples’ Day2 October 13, 2025 
Shemini AtzeretJudaism - 
High Holy Days
October 14, 20251 
Simchat TorahJudaism - 
High Holy Days
October 15, 20251 
DiwaliHinduism/
Sikh/Jainism
October 20, 2025

X

Birth of the Báb 
and Baha'u'llah
Bahá'iOctober 22 - 23, 20251

X

SamhainPagan/NeopaganNovember 1, 20251 
All Saints DayCatholicism and 
Protestant Christianity
November 1, 2025

X

All Souls DayCatholicism 
and Christianity
November 2, 2025

X

Guru Nanak 
Gurpurab
SikhNovember 5, 2025

X

Solemnity of the 
Immaculate Conception
Catholicism and 
Christianity
December 8, 2025

X

HanukkahJudaismDecember 15 - 22, 20251 
YulePagan/NeopaganDecember 21, 2025 - 
January 1, 2026
 
ChristmasCatholicism and 
Christianity
December 25, 2025 
St. Basil's Day 
(Eastern)
Eastern Orthodox 
Christianity
January 1, 2026 
St. Basil's DayOrthodox 
Christianity
January 2, 2026 
EpiphanyCatholicism and 
Christianity
January 6, 2026 
Makar Sankranti/
Pongal
HinduismJanuary 14, 2026 
(date may vary)
 
ImbolcPagan/NeopaganFebruary 1, 2026 
Maha ShivaratriHinduismFebruary 15, 2026 
Lunar New Year/
Spring Festival
Multicultural HolidayFebruary 17, 2026
(Year of the Horse)
 
RamadanIslamFebruary 18 - March 18, 2026 
(dates may vary)1
(dates may vary)
 
Ash WednesdayCatholicism and 
Protestant Christianity
February 18, 2026 
Nineteen Day 
Fast Period
Bahá'iMarch 2 - 20, 2026 
HoliHinduismMarch 4, 2026 
OstaraPagan/NeopaganMarch 20, 2026 
Eid al-FitrIslamMarch 20, 20261
(dates may vary)

X

NowruzBahá'i 
and Persian
March 22, 20261

X

Mahavir Janma 
Kalyanak
JainismMarch 31, 2026 
(dates may vary)

X

PassoverJudaismApril 2 - 9, 20261
(first two days)

X

PassoverJudaismApril 2 - 9, 20261
(last two days)
 
Good FridayCatholicism and 
Protestant Christianity
April 3, 2026

X

EasterCatholicism and 
Protestant Christianity
April 5, 2026

X

Easter "Pascha"Orthodox 
Christianity
April 12, 2026

X

VaisakhiSikh/
Hinduism
April 14, 2026

X

RidvanBahá'iApril 21 - 
May 2, 20261
(1, 9, 12th days)

X

BeltanePagan/NeopaganMay 1, 2026 
AscensionChristianityMay 14, 2026

X

Orthodox 
Ascension
Orthodox 
Christianity
May 21, 2026 
ShavuotJudaismMay 22 - 23, 20261 
Buddha 
Purnima
BuddhismMay 24, 2026

X

Eid al-AdhaIslamMay 26 - 29, 20261
(first day, dates may vary)

X

Juneteenth June 19, 2026 
LithaPagan/NeopaganJune 21, 2026 
Muharram/
Ashura
Islam (Shia)June 26, 20261

X

Tish'a B'AvJudaismJuly 23, 20261 
LughnasadhPagan/NeopaganAugust 1, 2026 
Assumption 
of Mary
Catholicism 
and Christianity
August 15, 2026

X

Krishna 
Janmashtami
HinduismSeptember 4, 2026 



 

2026-27

Religious
Observance
FaithDate(s)Major Holidays
(University Open)
OnamHinduismAugust 15 - 27, 2026
(dates may vary)
 
Rosh HashanahNew Year - 
Judaism (High Holy Days)
September 12 - 13, 20261

X

Ganesh 
Chaturthi
HinduismSeptember 14, 2026
(date may vary)
 
Yom KippurJudaism - 
High Holy Days
September 21, 20261

X

MabonPagan/NeopaganSeptember 21 - 29, 2026 
SukkotJudaism - 
High Holy Days
September 26 - 
October 2, 20261
(first two days)

X

Shemini AtzeretJudaism - 
High Holy Days
October 3, 20261 
Simchat TorahJudaism - 
High Holy Days
October 4, 20261 
NavratriHinduismOctober 11 - 20, 2026 
Indigenous Peoples’ Day2 October 12, 2026 
Vijayadashami, Dasara, 
Dussehra Puja
HinduismOctober 20, 2026
(date may vary)

X

SamhainPagan/NeopaganNovember 1, 20261 
All Saints DayCatholicism and 
Protestant Christianity
November 1, 2026

X

All Souls DayCatholicism 
and Christianity
November 2, 2026

X

DiwaliHinduism/
Sikh/Jainism
November 8, 2026
(date may vary)

X

Birth of the Báb 
and Baha'u'llah
Bahá'iNovember 10 - 11, 20261

X

Guru Nanak 
Gurpurab
SikhNovember 24, 2026

X

HanukkahJudaismDecember 5 - 12, 20261 
Solemnity of the 
Immaculate Conception
Catholicism and 
Christianity
December 8, 2026

X

YulePagan/NeopaganDecember 21, 2026 - 
January 1, 2027
 
ChristmasCatholicism and 
Christianity
December 25, 2026 
St. Basil's Day 
(Eastern)
Eastern Orthodox 
Christianity
January 1, 2027 
St. Basil's DayOrthodox 
Christianity
January 2, 2027 
EpiphanyCatholicism and 
Christianity
January 6, 2027 
Makar Sankranti/
Pongal
HinduismJanuary 15, 2027
(date may vary)
 
ImbolcPagan/NeopaganFebruary 1, 2027 
Lunar New Year/
Spring Festival
Multicultural HolidayFebruary 6, 2027
(Year of the Goat)
 
RamadanIslamFebruary 8 - March 9, 20271
(dates may vary)
 
Ash WednesdayCatholicism and 
Protestant Christianity
February 10, 2027 
Nineteen Day 
Fast Period
Bahá'iMarch 2 - 20, 2027 
Maha ShivaratriHinduismMarch 6, 2027 
Eid al-FitrIslamMarch 10, 20271
(date may vary)

X

OstaraPagan/NeopaganMarch 20, 2027 
NowruzBahá'i 
and Persian
March 20 - April 3, 20271
(dates may vary)

X

HoliHinduismMarch 22, 2027
(date may vary)
 
Good FridayCatholicism and 
Protestant Christianity
March 26, 2027

X

EasterCatholicism and 
Protestant Christianity
March 28, 2027

X

VaisakhiSikh/
Hinduism
April 14, 2027

X

Mahavir Janma 
Kalyanak
JainismApril 19, 2027 
(dates may vary)

X

RidvanBahá'iApril 21 - 
May 2, 20271
(1, 9, 12th days)

X

PassoverJudaismApril 22 - 29, 20271
(first two days)

X

PassoverJudaismApril 22 - 29, 20271
(last two days)
 
BeltanePagan/NeopaganMay 1, 2027 
Easter "Pascha"Orthodox 
Christianity
May 2, 2027

X

AscensionChristianityMay 6, 2027

X

Buddha 
Purnima
BuddhismMay 13, 2027

X

Eid al-AdhaIslamMay 16 - 17, 20271
(first day, dates may vary)

X

Orthodox 
Ascension
Orthodox 
Christianity
June 10, 2027 
ShavuotJudaismJune 11 - 12, 20271 
Muharram/
Ashura
Islam (Shia)June 15, 20271

X

Juneteenth June 19, 2027 
LithaPagan/NeopaganJune 21, 2027 
LughnasadhPagan/NeopaganAugust 1, 2027 
Tish'a B'AvJudaismAugust 11 - 12, 20271 
Assumption 
of Mary
Catholicism 
and Christianity
August 15, 2027

X

Krishna 
Janmashtami
HinduismAugust 25, 2027 



 

1Indicates the holiday begins at sundown the night prior


 

2Ceremonial and spiritual components include prayer, drumming and singing songs. At MSU, elders are invited through the day for prayer and to teach traditional practices.