2009-2010 List of Religious Holidays Permitting Pupil Absence From School

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Adoption Resolution
March 18, 2009

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:

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;
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;
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;
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;
Such absence must not be recorded on any transcript or application or employment form or on any similar form; and
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 2009-2010 school year:

Date	Observance
July 7	Asalha Puja Day (Buddhist)
July 9	Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha’i)
July 13	Ulambana/Oban (Buddhist)
July 19	Lailat al Miraj (Islam)
July 30	Tisha B’Av (Jewish)

August 1	Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
August 5	Raksha Bandan (Hindu) Lailat al Bara’ah (Islam)
August 6	The Transfiguration (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
August 14	Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu)
August 15	Dormition of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian) Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Christian)
August 17	Paryushana (Jain)
August 22	Ramadan (Islam)
August 23	Ganesha Chaturthi (Hindu)

September 1	Ecclesiastical Year begins (Orthodox Christian)
September 7	His Holiness Sakya Trizin’s Birthday (Buddhist)
September 8	Nativity of Mary (Christian) Nativity of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
September 14	The Elevation of the Holy Cross (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
September 16	Laylat al-Qadr (Islam)
September 19	Feast of Trumpets (Philadelphia Church of God)
September 19 - 20	Rosh Hashanah (Jewish)
September 19-27	Navaratri (Hindu)
September 21	Eid al Fitr (Islam)
September 28	Dasera (Hindu) Yom Kippur (Jewish) Day of Atonement (Christian, Philadelphia Church of God)

October 3-4	Sukkot (Jewish)
October 3-9	Feast of Tabernacles (Philadelphia Church of God)
October 10	Shemini Atzeret (Jewish) Last Great Day (Philadelphia Church of God)
October 11	Simhat Torah (Jewish)
October 17	Diwali [Deepavali] (Hindu, Jain)
October 20	Birth of B’ab (Baha’i) Installation of the Scriptures as Guru Granth (Sikh)

November 1	All Saints’ Day (Christian)
November 2	All Souls’ Day (Christian) Guru Nanak Dev Sahib Birthday (Sikh)
November 12	Birth of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)
November 15	Nativity Fast begins (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
November 21	The Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
November 24	Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom (Sikh)
November 26	Day of Covenant (Baha’i) Hajj Day (Islam)
November 28	Eid al Adha (Islam) Ascension of ‘Abdu’l Baha (Baha’i)
November 29	First Sunday of Advent (Christian)

December 8	Bodhi Day (Buddhist) Immaculate Conception (Christian)
December 12	Advent Fast begins (Easter Orthodox Christian)
December 12-19	Hanukkah (Jewish)
December 18	Al Hijra – 1st Muharram (Islam)
December 25	Christmas (Christian) The Nativity of Christ (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
December 26	Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrian)
December 29	Muharram (Islam)

January 1	Gantan-sai (Shinto)
January 5	Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib (Sikh)
January 6	Epiphany (Christian) Feast of Theophany (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
January 14	Maghi (Sikh) Makar Sakranti (Hindu)
January 17	World Religion Day (Baha’i)
January 20	Vasant Panchami (Hindu)
January 30	Tu B’shvat (Jewish)

February 2	The Presentation of Our Lord to the Temple (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
February 12	Maha Shivaratri (Hindu)
February 14	Chinese New Year (Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist)
February 15	Nirvana Day (Buddhist) Clean Monday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
February 16	Shrove Tuesday (Christian)
February 17	Ash Wednesday (Christian)
February 26	Intercalary Days (Baha'i)
February 28	Purim (Jewish); Holi (Hindu)

March 1	Holi (Hindu) Hola Mohalla (Sikh) End of Intercalary Days (Baha'i)
March 3	Hanuman Jayanti (Hindu)
March 13	L. Ron Hubbard’s Birthday (Church of Scientology)
March 16	First Day of Sacred Year (Philadelphia Church of God) Chandramana Yugadi (Hindu)
March 20	Mawlid an Nabi (Islam)
March 21	Narouz (Zoroastrian) Naw Ruz (Baha’i)
March 24	Rami Navami (Hindu)
March 25	The Annunciation/The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary (Eastern Orthodox Christian; Christian)
March 26	Khordad Sal (Zoroastrian)
March 28	Palm Sunday (Christian/Eastern Orthodox Christian) Mahavir Jayanti (Jain)
March 29	Passover (Philadelphia Church of God)
March 30	Lord’s Evening Meal (Christian, Jehovah’s Witness) Hanuman Jayanti (Jain) Magha Puja Day (Hindu)
March 30-31	Pesach (Jewish)
March 30-April 5	Days of Unleavened Bread (Philadelphia Church of God)

April 1	Holy Thursday (Christian, Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 2	Good Friday (Christian) Holy Friday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 3	Lazarus Saturday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 4	Easter (Christian) Pascha (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 5	Easter Monday (Christian)
April 5-6	Pesach (Jewish)
April 13	Baisakhi (Sikh)
April 19	Yom Ha’Azmaut (Jewish)
April 21	First Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
April 25	The 11th Panchen Lama’s Birthday (Buddhist)
April 28 – May 1	Theravadin New Year (Buddhist)
April 29	Ninth Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)

May 2	Lag B’Omer (Jewish) Twelfth Day of Ridvan (Baha’i) Buddha’s Birthday (Buddhist)
May 13	Ascension of Our Lord (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
May 19-20	Shavuot (Jewish)
May 23	Pentecost (Christian, Eastern Orthodox Christian, Philadelphia Church of God)
May 27	Buddha Day – Visakha Puja (Buddhist)
May 29	Ascension of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)

June 16	Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (Sikh)
June 26	His Holiness the 17th Gyalawa Karmapa’s birthday (Buddhist)

** 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.

____________________________________	________________________________
Lucille E. Davy, Commissioner Secretary, NJ State Board of Education	Josephine Hernandez President, NJ State Board of Education