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Traditional Observances and Major Days of Religious Significance

This calendar lists some traditional observances, and major days of religious significance. Also, see link to the NYS Department of Civil Service Calendar of Legal Holidays and Days of Religious Significance http://www.cs.ny.gov/attendance_leave/TM_39.cfm. Use these dates to aid in developing class syllabus and planning for examinations during the academic year 2013-14. If you are aware of other observances or major days of religious significance that should be listed, or if you see a misrepresentation on this list, please contact the Office of Assistant Provost for Diversity, 585-399-5876 or dlamphro@brockport.edu .

Although classes are in session many of these days, faculty are asked to use this information and their discretion when responding to student requests for time off for religious purposes. Students have certain rights to make up work missed due to observation of religious holidays. The following quote is from S 224-A of the New York State Education Law: “each student who is absent from school, because of her/his religious beliefs, must be given an equivalent opportunity to register for classes or make up any examination, study or work requirements which s/he may have missed because of such absence on any particular day or days.” The full text of this law is found in the affirmative action policy: Student Absence due to Religious Beliefs — Section 224-A of the New York State Education Law. Please take special note of those holidays that have been designated non-work days by the religions that celebrate them. Complaints or appeals related to denial of these rights by instructors should be addressed first with the chairperson of the department offering the course and, if necessary, the dean of the school.

The calendar is intended as a guide, since special and local conditions may cause variation from official practice. It is impossible here to note every observance, such as an individual saint’s day, which ordinarily would not require absence from work.

The following further explains days of religious significance and the calendar notations:

1. An asterisk (*) indicates a day of required religious observance. The letters before an asterisk indicate the faiths for which the day is a day of required religious observance. The abbreviations used correspond to the following denominations or subdenominations:
   

   EO - Eastern Orthodox
   P - Protestant
   RC - Roman Catholic
   OJ - Orthodox Jew
   CJ - Conservative Jew
   RJ - Reform Jew
   M - Muslim

2. All days of religious significance for the Jewish faith begin at sundown on the evening before the date given.
3. The Orthodox Jewish faith requires its members to observe each Saturday as the Sabbath. Its members are not permitted to travel by car or common carrier after sundown on Friday evening.
4. Reform Jews observe one day of required religious observance at the beginning and end of holy days rather than the two days Conservative and Orthodox Jews observe.
5. The Roman Catholic Church requires its members to attend Mass every Sunday and on days of required religious observance. In some areas, this obligation may be fulfilled by attending Mass after 4 p.m. on the preceding day. In some communities, the Solemnity of the Mother of God (January 1), The Assumption (August 15), and All Saints Day (November 1) are not considered to be days of required religious observance if they fall on a Saturday or a Monday.
6. The Eastern Orthodox Church requires its members to attend Divine Liturgy on Sundays and on days of required religious observance.
7. Some Eastern Orthodox churches, including many Russian Orthodox parishes, follow the Julian rather than the Gregorian calendar. For this reason, they celebrate certain days of religious significance 13 days later than the dates listed by the Eastern Orthodox Church.
8. Members of the Islamic faith observe Fridays as their major day of worship. The fast of Ramadan begins at sundown on the evening before the date given; there is no prohibition on working during Ramadan. The two days of required religious observance are Eid-ul-Fitr (Festival of Fastbreaking) and Eid-ul-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice). Members of the Islamic faith are prohibited from working on those two days. All of the dates of Islamic observance are tentative because they are based on sightings of the moon. Those wishing to confirm the exact dates should call the Attendance and Leave Unit no more than 30 days before the date listed on the calendar.

Last Updated 8/16/13

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