Discussion Resolution
March 5, 2014
RESOLUTION
The List of Religious Holidays Permitting Student 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 student.
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 2014-2015 school year:
2014-2015 School-Year
Observance
July 2014
July 9
July 13
July 13-15
July 24
July 29-31
Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha’i)
Asalha Puja Day (Buddhist)
Ulambana/Obon (Buddhist)
Laylat as-Qadr (Islam)
Eid al Fitr (Islam)
August 2014
Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus (Eastern Orthodox
Christian)
Lammas (Christian and Wicca)
Tisha B’Av (Jewish)
Transfiguration of the Lord (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Raksha Bandhan (Hindu)
Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Christian)
Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu)
Dormition of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Ganesha Chaturthi (Hindu)
September 2014
Ecclesiastical Year begins (Orthodox Christian)
His Holiness Sakya Trizin’s Birthday (Buddhist)
Nativity of Mary (Christian)
The Elevation of the Holy Cross (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Nativity of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Mabon (Wicca)
Rosh Hashanah (Jewish)
Feast of Trumpets (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
Simcat Torah (Jewish)
October 2014
August 1
August 1
August 5
August 6
August 10
August 15
August 17
August 28
August 29
September 1
September 7
September 8
September 14
September 21
September 22
September 24-26
September 25-26
September 26 and 27
October 3-4
October 4
October 5-13
October 9-15
October 14 *
October 14 **
October 15-18
October 16
October 16
October 17
October 20
October 20
October 23
October 25
November 1
November 1
November 2
Yom Kippur (Jewish)
Day of Atonement (Christian, Church of God, Philadelphia Church of
God)
Navaratri (Hindu)
Sukkot (Jewish); Feast of Tabernacles (Church of God, Philadelphia
Church of God)
Hajj Day (Islam)
Duserra (Hindu)
Eid al Adha (Islam)
Last Great Day (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
Shemini Atzeret (Jewish)
Simcat Torah (Jewish)
Birth of B’ab (Baha’i)
Installation of the Scriptures as Guru Granth (Sikh)
Diwali [Deepavali] (Hindu, Jain and Sikh)
Al Hijra – 1st Muharram (Islam)
November 2014
All Saints’ Day (Christian)
Samhain-Beltane (Wicca)
All Souls’ Day (Christian)
November 12
November 17
November 21
November 24
November 26
November 28
November 30
December 1
December 8
December 8
December 17-24
December 21
December 25
December 25
December 26
January 1
January 3*
January 5
January 6
January 6
January 6
January 7
January 13
January 14
February 2
February 2
February 4
February 4
February 15
February 17
February 17
February 18
February 19
February 19
February 23
February 26 through March 1
March 5
March 6*
March 6
March 18
Birth of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)
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)
Advent/Nativity Fast begins (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
December 2014
First Sunday of Advent (Christian)
Bodhi Day (Buddhist)
Immaculate Conception (Christian)
Hanukkah (Jewish)
Yule (Wicca and Christian)
Christmas (Christian)
The Nativity of Christ (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrian)
January 2015
Gantan-sai (Shinto)
Mawlid an Nabi (Islam)
Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib (Sikh)
Feast of Epiphany (Christian and Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Feast of Theophany (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Nativity of Christ (Armenian Orthodox)
Feast of the Nativity (Orthodox Christian)
Maghi (Sikh)
Makar Sankranti (Hindu)
February 2015
The Presentation of Our Lord to the Temple (Eastern Orthodox
Christian)
Imbolic-Candlemas (Wicca and Christian)
Vasant Panchami (Hindu)
Tu B’shvat (Jewish)
Nirvana Day (Buddhist)
Shrove Tuesday (Christian)
Maha Shivaratri (Hindu)
Ash Wednesday (Christian)
Chinese New Year (Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist)
World Religion Day (Baha’i)
Clean Monday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Intercalary Days (Baha'i)
March 2015
Purim (Jewish)
Hola Mohalla (Sikh)
Holi (Hindu)
L. Ron Hubbard’s Birthday (Church of Scientology)
March 20
March 21
March 21
March 21
March 25
March 26
March 28
March 29
April 2
April 3
April 3
April 4
April 4
April 4
April 4-11
April 5
April 5
April 6
April 8
April 9
April 10
April 12
April 14
April 14
April 14 *
April 15
April 15
April 15-21
April 21
April 21
April 24
April 25
April 29
May 1
May 2
May 2
May 4
May 7
May 13
May 21
May 24
May 24-25
May 29
Ostara (Wicca)
Narouz (Zoroastrian)
Naw Ruz (Baha’i)
Chandramana Yugadi (Hindu)
The Annunciation/The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary (Eastern
Orthodox Christian; Christian)
Khordad Sal (Zoroastrian)
Rami Navami (Hindu)
Palm Sunday (Christian)
April 2015
Holy Thursday (Christian)
Holy Friday (Christian)
Mahavir Jayanti (Jain)
Lazarus Saturday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Theravadin New Year (Buddhist)
Hanuman Jayanti (Hindu)
Pesach (Jewish)
Easter (Christian)
Palm Sunday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Easter Monday (Christian)
Buddha’s Birthday (Buddhist)
Holy Thursday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Holy Friday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Pascha (Easter) (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
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)
Days of Unleavened Bread (Philadelphia Church of God)
Last Day of Unleavened Bread (Church of God)
First Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
Yom Ha’Azmaut (Jewish)
The 11th Panchen Lama’s Birthday (Buddhist)
Ninth Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
May 2015
Beltane (Wicca)
Ascension of Our Lord (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
Twelfth Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
Buddha Day – Visakha Puja (Buddhist)
Lag B’Omer (Jewish)
Lailat al Miraj (Islam)
Declaration of the Bab (Baha’i)
Pentecost (Christian)
Shavuot (Jewish)
Ascension of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)
May 31
Pentecost (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
June 2015
June 1
June 16
June 18
June 21
Lailat al Bara’ah (Islam)
Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (Sikh)
Ramadan (Islam)
Litha (Wicca)
*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, Comissioner
Secretary, NJ State Board of Education
_______________________________________
Arcelio Aponte, President
NJ State Board of Education