Beltane (Pagan)
2026-05-01
Beltane: is celebrated on May 1st halfway between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. It is the beginning of summer. Among pastoral people this was when the flocks and herds were moved from the lower winter pasture to the higher summer pasture. To ensure fertility, the livestock was herded between two fires. This holiday celebrates fertility and sexuality. This is a time for fun and frolic. Jumping over the fire is part of the ritual.
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Vesak - Buddha's Birthday (Buddhism)
2026-05-01
Traditionally, Buddha’s Birthday is known as Vesak or Visakah Puja (Buddha’s Birthday Celebrations). Vesak is the major Buddhist festival of the year as it celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha on the one day, the first full moon day in May, except in a leap year when the festival is held in June. This celebration is called Vesak being the name of the month in the Indian calendar.
Buddhist Festivals are always joyful occasions. Typically on a festival day, lay people will go the the local temple or monastery and offer food to the monks and take the Five Precepts and listen to a Dharma talk. In the afternoon, they distribute food to the poor to make merit and in the evening join perhaps in a ceremony of circumambulation a stupa three time as a sign of respect to the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha. The day will conclude with evening chanting of the Buddha’s teachings and meditation.
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Birth of Guru Arjan Sahib (5th Guru) (Sikh)
2026-05-02
The fifth Master, Guru Arjan, built the Golden Temple of Amritsar to emphasize that the Sikh way was open to all, regardless of caste; the gurdwara was constructed with doors facing all four directions. He compiled the hymns of Sikh Gurus and created the Adi Granth – the foundation of the Guru Granth Sahib – and installed it. He was also the first Sikh Guru to be martyred.
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Traditional Greeting: “Vadhaaiaa Ji” – Congratulations!

12th Day of the Festival of Ridvan (The Bahá’í Faith)
2026-05-02 - 2026-05-03
12th Day of Ridvan. There are three holy Days as part of the Festival, the first day, the ninth and the twelfth. The annual Baha’i Festival commemorates the 12 days when Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Faith, publicly proclaimed his mission as God’s messenger.
Holiday Greeting: Happy Ridvan
Work is to be suspended and children excused from school.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ridv%C3%A1n

The Ascension of the Lord (Catholic & Episcopal)
2026-05-14
This holy day commemorates the physical ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven in the presence of his 11 apostles, which, according to scripture, occurred 40 days after his resurrection from the dead on Easter.
This is a holy day of obligation for Catholics.
More information can be found here.

Feast of Azamat / Grandeur (Baha'i)
2026-05-17
Wherever they live, Baha’is gather every 19 days for what we call a Feast. This is a members-only event comprising three parts:
1. A spiritual portion that’s the time for prayer and reflection;
2. A business portion for consultation about administrative issues (plans for forming classes, organizing to perform community service, observing holy days, or any ideas or projects community members wish to discuss. It’s also a time when local members can ask their Local Assembly to forward their concerns to the National Assembly;
3. A social portion that can consist of anything from just glasses of water to a full-course dinner.

1746 Chhota Ghallughara (Sikh)
2026-05-17
The Chhota Ghallughara was the first massacre of Sikhs targeted to wipe out the entire population. Around 7,000 Sikhs were killed, 3,000 were captured and later beheaded, and the persecution lasted several decades. Gurdwaras were destroyed and scriptures were burnt. Anyone caught saying the word “Guru” was sentenced to death.
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Students and/Co-Workers may visit their local Gurdwara at some point during the day

The Ascension of the Lord (Orthodox Christianity)
2026-05-21
This holy day commemorates the physical ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven in the presence of his 11 apostles, which, according to scripture, occurred 40 days after his resurrection from the dead on Easter.

Shavuot (Jewish)
2026-05-21 - 2026-05-23
The festival of Shavuot celebrates the giving of Torah (Hebrew Bible) including the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. It also marks the end of the spring harvest, and the beginning of the summer harvest. Shavuot is celebrated by studying Torah together as a community, often late into the night. It is traditional to eat meals containing dairy. Barley and wheat are also food symbols of Shavuot.
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Holiday Greeting: Hag Sameach (Happy Holiday)
Commonly observed by synagogue attendance or family gatherings. Work is traditionally prohibited; individuals may be absent from school or work.

Declaration of the Bab (The Bahá’í Faith)
2026-05-23 - 2026-05-24
Commemorates May 23, 1844 when the Bab, the Martyred Prophet Herald of the Bahá’í Faith, announced in Persia, that he was the Herald of a new messenger from God in Shiraz Persia
Work is to be suspended and children excused from school.
https://www.bahaiblog.net/bahai-calendar/about-the-declaration-of-the-bab/

Pentecost Sunday (Catholic / Christian Protestant/ Episcopal)
2026-05-24
Pentecost is known by Christians as the birthday of their church community. The word Pentecost is Greek for “50th day.” It is celebrated fifty days after Easter Sunday, to commemorate when the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles and their followers, inspiring them to begin their Earthly ministry to make disciples of all nations.
More Information from the Catholic Church
More information from the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church

Eid al-Adha (Islam)
2026-05-26 - 2026-05-27
This holiday marks the completion of the Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca and is observed by Muslims to commemorate the faith of Abraham. Students will miss school to attend congregational prayers at the mosque and celebrate the holiday with their families/friends.
More Information:
Eid al-Adha 101
Islamic Networks Group
Holiday Greeting: “Eid Mubarak! (Happy Eid)”

Ascension of Baha'u'llah (The Bahá’í Faith)
2026-05-29 - 2026-05-30
Baha’is observe the anniversary of the death in exile of Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Baha’i Faith outside of Akka (Acre) in northern Israel.
Work is to be suspended and children excused from school.
For more information:
https://bahaiteachings.org/prophet-passes-away-ascension-bahaullah

Pentecost (Orthodox Christianity)
2026-05-31
Pentecost is known by Christians as the birthday of their church community. The word Pentecost is Greek for “50th day.” It is celebrated fifty days after Easter Sunday, to commemorate when the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles and their followers, inspiring them to begin their Earthly ministry to make disciples of all nations. Orthodox Christianity, which follows the Julian Calendar, celebrates this feast today.
You can learn more about this here.

Trinity Sunday (Catholic & Episcopal)
2026-05-31
Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost. It is a day when catholics attend mass, but the mass traditionally honor the Holy Trinity, the divine union of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; three divine persons in one God.
More information about the celebration can be found here.

Memorial of 1984 Ghallughara (Sikh)
2026-06-04
The Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, ordered a military assault of one of the most significant and historic sites, the Harminder Sahib (Golden Temple). Prior to the attacks, the Indian military deployed 100,000 troops across Punjab. This Indian military operation attacked innocent civilians who had gathered at the Harminder Sahib complex to commemorate the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev in the early days of June. All communications and phone lines were disabled, roads were blocked, and journalists were not allowed to be present in Punjab. Hundreds of bullet holes were counted on the various buildings in the complex and eyewitness accounts witnessed the deaths of nearly 8,000 while the official government record is less than 500. During this attack, many historic records and manuscripts were destroyed, the library was burned down, and the complex was looted. This military operation is more widely known as Operation Bluestar. Within the next decade, more than 70,000 Sikhs were detained with terrorism charges and hardly one percent of those were eventually convicted of a crime.
More Information:
8 Invasions of Siri Harmandir Sahib
June 1984 Ghallughara Lies List Light
Students and/Co-Workers may visit their local Gurdwara at some point during the day.

Feast of Nur / Light (Baha'i)
2026-06-05

Corpus Christi (Catholic)
2026-06-07
Also known as The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, today is a Solemnity, a feast of the highest rank in the Roman Catholic Church, honoring the Holy Eucharist, bread and wine which is ritually blessed and consumed during mass. Catholics believe this ritual blessing transubstantiates, or changes the substance of the bread and wine, so that it becomes the Real Presence, or body and blood of Jesus Christ. This solemnity places a special emphasis on the Real Presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. It is celebrated the Sunday after Trinity Sunday.
More Information:
Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Corpus Christi

Sacred Heart of Jesus (Catholic)
2026-06-12
Today is a Solemnity – a Feast of the highest rank in the Roman Catholic Church – celebrating the love of Jesus Christ for all humankind. It is celebrated the Friday after Corpus Christi Sunday.
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The First of Muharram - Islamic New Year (Islam)
2026-06-16 19:00 - 2026-06-17 19:00 (America/New_York)
The First of Muharram (the first month of the Hijrah Calendar) commemorates the migration of the prophet to Madina and the start of the new Islamic state.

Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Sahib (5th Guru) (Sikh)
2026-06-18
In June 1606, the Mughal emperor, Jahangir, ordered that Guru Arjan be arrested, tortured, and sentenced to death because he refused to stop sharing the ideals of Oneness as started by Guru Nanak. The first Sikh martyr, Guru Arjan, is also remembered for his contributions to and compilation of the Sikh Scriptures.
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Summer Solstice (Pagan)
2026-06-21
Summer Solstice is celebrated June 21st or 22nd. It is also called Midsummer or Litha. This is the longest day and shortest night of the year. The sun is at maximum power. Themes here are growth, fruitfulness, abundance. From now on the days get shorter, the nights longer. This is a good time for handfastings and honeymoons.
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Feast of Rahmat / Mercy (Baha'i)
2026-06-24

Maidyoshahem Gahambar (Zoroastrian)
2026-06-29 - 2026-07-03
Maidyoshahem (literally: Midsummer) Gahambar is a seasonal festival celebrated on the summer solstice. It is considered a religious duty to participate in a communal jashan prayer ceremony; as well as, fraternize and share a simple meal with fellow co-religionists from all walks of life, rich and poor.
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Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (Catholic)
2026-06-29
Today is the feast celebrating the martyrdom of two of the most important apostles, Peter and Paul, the founders of the Christian Church.
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Jashan-e Tiragan (Zoroastrian)
2026-07-01
A mid-summer festival honoring water and rain. It is celebrated by splashing water on friends and family. It is also associated with the legend of the arrow.
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Guru Purnima Honoring Line of Teachers (Vedanta)
2026-07-03
July 3rd marks the Guru Purnima Honoring Line of Teachers in the Vedanta tradition.
Learn More:
https://www.vedanet.com/guru-purnima-spreading-the-message-of-indias-gurus/

Annual Tribute to Vivekananda (Vedanta)
2026-07-04
July 4th marks the annual tribute to Vivekananda.
Learn More:
https://vedantasociety.net/vivekananda

Martyrdom of the Bab (The Bahá’í Faith)
2026-07-09
Commemorates the anniversary of the execution of the Bab (Siyyid Ali-Muhammad), the Herald of the Baha’i Faith by firing squad on July 9, 1850 in Tabriz Iran
Work is to be suspended and children excused from school.
More information:
https://www.bahai.us/commemoration-of-the-martyrdom-of-the-bab/

Feast of Kalimat / Words (Baha'i)
2026-07-13
