2011-2012 List of Religious Holidays Permitting Pupil Absence From School
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Adoption Resolution
February 16, 2011
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 2011-2012 school year:
Click on hyperlink to view revised dates
| 2011-2012 School-Year | Observance |
| July | |
| July 9 | Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha’i) |
| July 13-16 | Ulambana/Oban (Buddhist) |
| July 15 | Lailat al Bara’ah (Islam) |
| July 15 | Asalha Puja Day (Buddhist) |
| August | |
| August 1 | Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus (Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
| August 1 | Lammas (Christian and Wicca) |
| August 1 | Ramadan begins (Islam) |
| August 6 | Transfiguration of the Lord (Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
| August 7 | Laylat as-Qadr (Islam) |
| August 9 | Tisha B’Av (Jewish) |
| August 13 | Raksha Bandhan (Hindu) |
| August 15 | Dormition of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
| August 15 | Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Christian) |
| August 21 (revised) | Eid al Fitr (Islam) |
| August 22 | Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu) |
| September | |
| September 1 | Ecclesiastical Year begins (Orthodox Christian) |
| September 1 | Ganesha Chaturthi (Hindu) |
| September 7 | His Holiness Sakya Trizin’s Birthday (Buddhist) |
| September 8 | Nativity of Mary (Christian) |
| September 14 | The Elevation of the Holy Cross (Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
| September 21 | Nativity of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
| September 23 | Mabon (Wicca) |
| September 29 | Feast of Trumpets (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God) |
| September 28 - October 25 | Navaratri (Hindu) |
| September 29 and 30 | Rosh Hashanah (Jewish) |
| October | |
| October 5 (revised) | Hajj Day (Islam) |
| October 6 | Duserra (Hindu) |
| October 8 | Yom Kippur (Jewish) |
| October 8 | Day of Atonement (Christian, Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God) |
| October 13-19 | Sukkot (Jewish); Feast of Tabernacles (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God) |
| October 20 | Birth of B’ab (Baha’i) |
| October 20 | Shemini Atzeret (Jewish) |
| October 20 | Last Great Day (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God) |
| October 20 | Installation of the Scriptures as Guru Granth (Sikh) |
| October 21 | Simhat Torah (Jewish) |
| October 26 | Diwali [Deepavali] (Hindu, Jain, Sikh) |
| October 31 (revised) | Reformation Day (Protestant and Lutheran) |
| November | |
| November 1 | All Saints’ Day (Christian) |
| November 1 | Samhain-Beltane (Wicca) |
| November 2 | All Souls’ Day (Christian) |
| November 6 (revised) | Eid al Adha (Islam) |
| November 10 | Guru Nanak Dev Sahib Birthday (Sikh) |
| November 12 | Birth of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i) |
| November 15 | Advent/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) |
| November 26 | Al Hijra – 1st Muharram (Islam) |
| November 27 | First Sunday of Advent (Christian) |
| November 28 | Ascension of ‘Abdu’l Baha (Baha’i) |
| December | |
| December 8 | Bodhi Day (Buddhist) |
| December 8 | Immaculate Conception (Christian) |
| December 21-28 | Hanukkah (Jewish) |
| December 22 | Yule (Wicca and Christian) |
| December 25 | Christmas (Christian) |
| December 25 | The Nativity of Christ (Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
| December 26 | Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrian) |
| January | |
| January 1 | Gantan-sai (Shinto) |
| January 5 | Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib (Sikh) |
| January 6 | Epiphany (Christian) |
| January 6 | Feast of Theophany (Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
| January 6 | Nativity of Christ (Armenian Orthodox) |
| January 7 | Feast of the Nativity (Orthodox Christian) |
| January 13 | Maghi (Sikh) |
| January 14 | Makar Sankranti (Hindu) |
| January 15 | World Religion Day (Baha’i) |
| January 20 | Vasant Panchami (Hindu) |
| February | |
| February 2 | The Presentation of Our Lord to the Temple (Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
| February 2 | Imbolic-Candlemas (Wicca) |
| February 3 | Maha Shivaratri (Hindu) |
| February 4 | Mawlid an Nabi (Islam) |
| February 8 | Tu B’shvat (Jewish) |
| February 15 | Nirvana Day (Buddhist, Jain) |
| February 21 | Shrove Tuesday (Christian) |
| February 22 | Ash Wednesday (Christian) |
| February 23 (revised) | Chinese New Year (Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist) |
| February 26 through March 1 | Intercalary Days (Baha'i) |
| February 27 | Clean Monday (Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
| March | |
| March 8 | Magha Puja Day (Hindu) |
| March 8 | Purim (Jewish) |
| March 8 | Holi (Hindu) |
| March 9 | Hola Mohalla (Sikh) |
| March 13 | L. Ron Hubbard’s Birthday (Church of Scientology) |
| March 13 | Chandramana Yugadi (Hindu) |
| March 20 | Ostara (Wicca) |
| March 21 | Narouz (Zoroastrian) |
| March 21 | Naw Ruz (Baha’i) |
| March 24 | First Day of Sacred Year (Philadelphia Church of God) |
| March 25 | The Annunciation/The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary (Eastern Orthodox Christian; Christian) |
| March 28 | Khordad Sal (Zoroastrian) |
| April | |
| April 1 | Rami Navami (Hindu) |
| April 5 | Holy Thursday (Christian, Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
| April 6 | Hanuman Jayanti (Jain) |
| April 6 | Mahavir Jayanti (Jain) |
| April 6 | Hanuman Jayanti (Hindu) |
| April 6 | Lord’s Evening Meal (Christian, Jehovah’s Witness) |
| April 6 | Passover (Philadelphia Church of God) |
| April 6 | Good Friday (Christian) |
| April 6-9 | Theravadin New Year (Buddhist) |
| April 7 | First Day of Unleavened Bread (Church of God) |
| April 7-13 | Days of Unleavened Bread (Philadelphia Church of God) |
| April 7-14 | Pesach/Passover (Jewish) |
| April 8 | Easter (Christian) |
| April 9 | Easter Monday (Christian) |
| April 13 | Last Day of Unleavened Bread (Church of God) |
| April 13 | Holy Friday (Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
| April 14 | Baisakhi (Sikh) |
| April 14 | Souramana Yugadi (Hindu) |
| April 15 | Pascha (Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
| April 21 | First Day of Ridvan (Baha’i) |
| April 25 | The 11th Panchen Lama’s Birthday (Buddhist) |
| April 26 | Yom Ha’Azmaut (Jewish) |
| April 29 | Ninth Day of Ridvan (Baha’i) |
| April 30 | Lazarus Saturday (Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
| May | |
| May 1 (revised) | Palm Sunday (Christian/Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
| May 1 | Beltane (Wicca) |
| May 2 | Twelfth Day of Ridvan (Baha’i) |
| May 6 | Buddha Day – Visakha Puja (Buddhist) |
| May 10 | Lag B’Omer (Jewish) |
| May 17 | Ascension of Our Lord (Eastern Orthodox Christian) |
| May 23 | Declaration of the Bab (Baha’i) |
| May 27 | Pentecost (Christian, Eastern Orthodox Christian, Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God) |
| May 27-28 | Shavuot (Jewish) |
| May 28 | Buddha’s Birthday (Buddhist) |
| May 29 | Ascension of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i) |
| June | |
| June 16 | Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (Sikh) |
| June 20 | Litha (Wicca) |
| June 26 | His Holiness the 17th Gyalawa Karmapa’s birthday (Buddhist) |
| June 28 | Lailat al Miraj (Islam) |
** 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, Acting Commissioner |
Arcelio Aponte, President |
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