Discussion Resolution
February 6, 2013
RESOLUTION
The List of Religious Holidays Permitting Pupil Absence from School
WHEREAS , according to N.J.S.A. 18A:36-14 through 16 and N.J.A.C. 6A:32-8.3(j), regarding student absence from school because of religious holidays, the Commissioner of
Education, with the approval of the State Board of Education, is charged with the responsibility of prescribing such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purpose of the law; and
WHEREAS, the law provides that:
1.
Any student absent from school because of a religious holiday may not be deprived of any award or of eligibility or opportunity to compete for any award because of such absence;
2.
Students who miss a test or examination because of absence on a religious holiday must be given the right to take an alternate test or examination;
3.
To be entitled to the privileges set forth above, the student must present a written excuse signed by a parent or person standing in place of a parent;
4.
Any absence because of a religious holiday must be recorded in the school register or in any group or class attendance record as an excused absence;
5.
Such absence must not be recorded on any transcript or application or employment form or on any similar form; and
6.
The Commissioner, with the approval of the State Board of Education, is required to:
(a) prescribe such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this act; and
(b) prepare a list of religious holidays on which it shall be mandatory to excuse a pupil. The list, however, is to be a minimum list. Boards of education, at their discretion, may add other days to the list for the schools of their districts; and
WHEREAS , the district board of education has the right to add any bona fide religious holiday to the list for its own schools; now therefore be it,
RESOLVED that the State Board of Education adopts the following list of religious holidays for the 2013-2014 school year:

2013-2014 School-Year
July 4
July 9
July 9
July 13-15
July 16
July 22
August 1
August 1
August 3
August 6
August 8-11
August 15
August 15
August 21
August 28
September 1
September 5
September 5-6
September 7
September 8
September 9
September 14
September 14
September 14
September 19-25
September 21
September 22
September 26
September 26
July 2013
Lailat al Bara’ah (Islam)
Observance
Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha’i)
Ramadan begins (Islam)
Ulambana/Oban (Buddhist)
Tisha B’Av (Jewish)
Asalha Puja Day (Buddhist)
August 2013
Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus (Eastern
Orthodox Christian)
Lammas (Christian and Wicca)
Laylat as-Qadr (Islam)
Transfiguration of the Lord (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Eid al Fitr (Islam)
Dormition of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Christian)
Raksha Bandhan (Hindu)
Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu)
September 2013
Ecclesiastical Year begins (Orthodox Christian)
Feast of Trumpets (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of
God)
Rosh Hashanah (Jewish)
His Holiness Sakya Trizin’s Birthday (Buddhist)
Nativity of Mary (Christian)
Ganesha Chaturthi (Hindu)
The Elevation of the Holy Cross (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Day of Atonement (Christian, Church of God, Philadelphia
Church of God)
Yom Kippur (Jewish)
Sukkot (Jewish); Feast of Tabernacles (Church of God,
Philadelphia Church of God)
Nativity of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Mabon (Wicca)
Last Great Day (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
Shemini Atzeret (Jewish)

October 5-13
October 14 *
October 14 **
October 15-18
October 20
October 20
November 1
November 1
November 2
November 3
November 4
November 12
November 15
November 17
November 21
November 24
November 26
November 28
November 28-December 5
December 1
December 8
December 8
December 21
December 25
December 25
December 26
January 1
January 5
January 6
January 6
January 6
January 6
January 7
January 13*
January 13
January 14
January 19
October 2013
Navaratri (Hindu)
Hajj Day (Islam)
Duserra (Hindu)
Eid al Adha (Islam)
Birth of B’ab (Baha’i)
Installation of the Scriptures as Guru Granth (Sikh)
November 2013
All Saints’ Day (Christian)
Samhain-Beltane (Wicca)
All Souls’ Day (Christian)
Diwali [Deepavali] (Hindu, Jain and Sikh)
Al Hijra – 1 st Muharram (Islam)
Birth of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)
Advent/Nativity Fast begins (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Guru Nanak Dev Sahib Birthday (Sikh)
The Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple (Eastern
Orthodox Christian)
Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom (Sikh)
Day of Covenant (Baha’i)
Ascension of ‘Abdu’l Baha (Baha’i)
Hanukkah (Jewish)
December 2013
First Sunday of Advent (Christian)
Bodhi Day (Buddhist)
Immaculate Conception (Christian)
Yule (Wicca and Christian)
Christmas (Christian)
The Nativity of Christ (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrian)
January 2014
Gantan-sai (Shinto)
Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib (Sikh)
Epiphany (Christian)
Feast of Theophany (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Nativity of Christ (Armenian Orthodox)
Feast of Epiphany (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Feast of the Nativity (Orthodox Christian)
Mawlid an Nabi (Islam)
Maghi (Sikh)
Makar Sankranti (Hindu)
World Religion Day (Baha’i)

January 26
January 31
February 2
February 2
February 4
February 15
February 24
February 26 through March 1
February 28
March 4
March 5
March 10
March 13
March 17*
March 17
March 20
March 21
March 21
March 25
March 28
April 8
April 11
April 12
April 13
April 13
April 14
April 14
April 14 *
April 15
April 15
April 15
April 15-21
April 15-22
April 17
April 18
April 18
April 20
Tu B’shvat (Jewish)
Chinese New Year (Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist)
February 2014
The Presentation of Our Lord to the Temple (Eastern Orthodox
Christian)
Imbolic-Candlemas (Wicca and Christian)
Vasant Panchami (Hindu)
Nirvana Day (Buddhist)
Purim (Jewish)
Intercalary Days (Baha'i)
Maha Shivaratri (Hindu)
March 2014
Shrove Tuesday (Christian)
Ash Wednesday (Christian)
Clean Monday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
L. Ron Hubbard’s Birthday (Church of Scientology)
Hola Mohalla (Sikh)
Holi (Hindu)
Ostara (Wicca)
Narouz (Zoroastrian)
Naw Ruz (Baha’i)
The Annunciation/The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary
(Eastern Orthodox Christian; Christian)
Khordad Sal (Zoroastrian)
April 2014
Rami Navami (Hindu)
Chandramana Yugadi (Hindu)
Lazarus Saturday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Palm Sunday (Christian/Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Mahavir Jayanti (Jain)
Baisakhi (Sikh)
Passover (Philadelphia Church of God)
Souramana Yugadi (Hindu)
First Day of Unleavened Bread (Church of God)
Lord’s Evening Meal (Christian, Jehovah’s Witness)
Hanuman Jayanti (Hindu)
Days of Unleavened Bread (Philadelphia Church of God)
Pesach (Jewish)
Holy Thursday (Christian, Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Holy Friday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Good Friday (Christian)
Easter (Christian)

April 20
April 21
April 21
April 21
April 25
April 29
May 1
May 2
May 5
May 14
May 15-18
May 17
May 18
May 23
May 27
May 29
Pascha (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Last Day of Unleavened Bread (Church of God)
Easter Monday (Christian)
First Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
The 11 th Panchen Lama’s Birthday (Buddhist)
Ninth Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
May 2014
Beltane (Wicca)
Twelfth Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
Yom Ha’Azmaut (Jewish)
Buddha Day – Visakha Puja (Buddhist)
Theravadin New Year (Buddhist)
Buddha’s Birthday (Buddhist)
Lag B’Omer (Jewish)
Declaration of the Bab (Baha’i)
Lailat al Miraj (Islam)
Ascension of Our Lord (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
May 29
June 4-5
June 8
June 8
June 16
June 21
June 28
Ascension of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)
June 2014
Shavuot (Jewish)
Pentecost (Christian, Eastern Orthodox Christian, Church of
God, Philadelphia Church of God)
Pentecost (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (Sikh)
Litha (Wicca)
Ramadan (Islam)
*Approximate date based on lunar calendar.
** Disclaimer: New Jersey Department of Education has made every attempt to ensure the accuracy of the dates. The information has been verified through the use of various sources and some dates may vary due to the lunar, Gregorian and Julian calendars.
___________________________________________ _______________________________________
Christopher D. Cerf, Commissioner
Secretary, NJ State Board of Education
Arcelio Aponte, President
NJ State Board of Education