2013-2014 List of Religious Holidays Permitting Pupil Absence From School

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Adoption Resolution
March 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:

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 2013-2014 school year:

2013-2014 School-Year	Observance
July 2013
July 4	Lailat al Bara'ah (Islam)
July 9	Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha'i)
July 9	Ramadan begins (Islam)
July 13-15	Ulambana/Oban (Buddhist)
July 16	Tisha B'Av (Jewish)
July 22	Asalha Puja Day (Buddhist)
August 2013
August 1	Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
August 1	Lammas (Christian and Wicca)
August 3	Laylat as-Qadr (Islam)
August 6	Transfiguration of the Lord (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
August 8-11	Eid al Fitr (Islam)
August 15	Dormition of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
August 15	Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Christian)
August 21	Raksha Bandhan (Hindu)
August 28	Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu)
September 2013
September 1	Ecclesiastical Year begins (Orthodox Christian)
September 5	Feast of Trumpets (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
September 5-6	Rosh Hashanah (Jewish)
September 7	His Holiness Sakya Trizin's Birthday (Buddhist)
September 8	Nativity of Mary (Christian)
September 9	Ganesha Chaturthi (Hindu)
September 14	The Elevation of the Holy Cross (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
September 14	Day of Atonement (Christian, Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
September 14	Yom Kippur (Jewish)
September 19-25	Sukkot (Jewish); Feast of Tabernacles (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
September 21	Nativity of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
September 22	Mabon (Wicca)
September 26	Last Great Day (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
September 26	Shemini Atzeret (Jewish)
October 2013
October 5-13	Navaratri (Hindu)
October 14 *	Hajj Day (Islam)
October 14 **	Duserra (Hindu)
October 15-18	Eid al Adha (Islam)
October 20	Birth of B'ab (Baha'i)
October 20	Installation of the Scriptures as Guru Granth (Sikh)
November 2013
November 1	All Saints' Day (Christian)
November 1	Samhain-Beltane (Wicca)
November 2	All Souls' Day (Christian)
November 3	Diwali [Deepavali] (Hindu, Jain and Sikh)
November 4	Al Hijra – 1st Muharram (Islam)
November 12	Birth of Baha'u'llah (Baha'i)
November 15	Advent/Nativity Fast begins (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
November 17	Guru Nanak Dev Sahib Birthday (Sikh)
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 28	Ascension of 'Abdu'l Baha (Baha'i)
November 28-December 5	Hanukkah (Jewish)
December 2013
December 1	First Sunday of Advent (Christian)
December 8	Bodhi Day (Buddhist)
December 8	Immaculate Conception (Christian)
December 21	Yule (Wicca and Christian)
December 25	Christmas (Christian)
December 25	The Nativity of Christ (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
December 26	Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrian)
January 2014
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 6	Feast of Epiphany (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
January 7	Feast of the Nativity (Orthodox Christian)
January 13*	Mawlid an Nabi (Islam)
January 13	Maghi (Sikh)
January 14	Makar Sankranti (Hindu)
January 19	World Religion Day (Baha'i)
January 26	Tu B'shvat (Jewish)
January 31	Chinese New Year (Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist)
February 2014
February 2	The Presentation of Our Lord to the Temple (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
February 2	Imbolic-Candlemas (Wicca and Christian)
February 4	Vasant Panchami (Hindu)
February 15	Nirvana Day (Buddhist)
February 24	Purim (Jewish)
February 26 through March 1	Intercalary Days (Baha'i)
February 28	Maha Shivaratri (Hindu)
March 2014
March 4	Shrove Tuesday (Christian)
March 5	Ash Wednesday (Christian)
March 10	Clean Monday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
March 13	L. Ron Hubbard's Birthday (Church of Scientology)
March 17*	Hola Mohalla (Sikh)
March 17	Holi (Hindu)
March 20	Ostara (Wicca)
March 21	Narouz (Zoroastrian)
March 21	Naw Ruz (Baha'i)
March 25	The Annunciation/The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary (Eastern Orthodox Christian; Christian)
March 28	Khordad Sal (Zoroastrian)
April 2014
April 8	Rami Navami (Hindu)
April 11	Chandramana Yugadi (Hindu)
April 12	Lazarus Saturday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 13	Palm Sunday (Christian/Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 13	Mahavir Jayanti (Jain)
April 14	Baisakhi (Sikh)
April 14	Passover (Philadelphia Church of God)
April 14 *	Souramana Yugadi (Hindu)
April 15	First Day of Unleavened Bread (Church of God)
April 15	Lord's Evening Meal (Christian, Jehovah's Witness)
April 15	Hanuman Jayanti (Hindu)
April 15-21	Days of Unleavened Bread (Philadelphia Church of God)
April 15-22	Pesach (Jewish)
April 17	Holy Thursday (Christian, Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 18	Holy Friday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 18	Good Friday (Christian)
April 20	Easter (Christian)
April 20	Pascha (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 21	Last Day of Unleavened Bread (Church of God)
April 21	Easter Monday (Christian)
April 21	First Day of Ridvan (Baha'i)
April 25	The 11th Panchen Lama's Birthday (Buddhist)
April 29	Ninth Day of Ridvan (Baha'i)
May 2014
May 1	Beltane (Wicca)
May 2	Twelfth Day of Ridvan (Baha'i)
May 5	Yom Ha'Azmaut (Jewish)
May 14	Buddha Day – Visakha Puja (Buddhist)
May 15-18	Theravadin New Year (Buddhist)
May 17	Buddha's Birthday (Buddhist)
May 18	Lag B'Omer (Jewish)
May 23	Declaration of the Bab (Baha'i)
May 27	Lailat al Miraj (Islam)
May 29	Ascension of Our Lord (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
May 29	Ascension of Baha'u'llah (Baha'i)
June 2014
June 4-5	Shavuot (Jewish)
June 8	Pentecost (Christian, Eastern Orthodox Christian, Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
June 8	Pentecost (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
June 16	Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (Sikh)
June 21	Litha (Wicca)
June 28	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