This agnostic’s wish for tolerance
Christmas is my family’s most-revered holiday. We NEVER celebrate it as Christ’s Day, because we are an avowedly secular family. But we honor it as a day for building firmament-solid traditions, to join us with memories to pass down for many generations. In that light, in a month which holds sacred events for many of us, I was curious to see just how extensive that list of events might be. This interfaith calendar is compiled by the Pew Research Center, an extremely well-regarded think tank. This link gets you to the calendar. Peace to all of us, and the freedom to observe, or not observe, as we wish. I’m pointing to 2020 in hopes that some of us will proactively join our neighbors in their celebrations.
2020
Note: With this new release is a request for error reports.
Send to info@interfaithcalendar.org
Note: 1. * Holy days usually begin at sundown the day before this date.
2. ** Local or regional customs may use a variation of this date.
Bold Capital Letters – Most important holy dates for religions
JANUARY 2020
-
- 1
- Mary, Mother of God – Catholic Christian
- Feast Day of St Basil – Orthodox Christian
- Gantan-sai (New Years) – Shinto
- Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus – Orthodox Christian
- 3
- Vasant Panchami ** – Hindu
- 5
- Twelfth Night – Christian
- Guru Gobindh Singh birthday – Sikh
- 6
- Epiphany – Christian
- Feast of the Epiphany (Theophany) – Orthodox Christian
- Dia de los Reyes (Three Kings Day) – Christian
- Nativity of Christ – Armenian Orthodox
- 7
- Feast of the Nativity ** – Orthodox Christian
- 8
- Feast of the Holy Family – Catholic Christian
- 10-12
- Mahayana New Year ** – Buddhist
- 12
- Baptism of the Lord Jesus – Christian
- 13
- Maghi – Sikh
- 17
- Blessing of the Animals – Hispanic Catholic Christian
- 18-25
- Week of Prayer for Christian Unity – Christian
- 19
- World Religion Day * – Baha’i
- 20
- Timkat – Ethiopian Orthodox Christian
- 25
- Conversion of St. Paul – Christian
- 28
- Tu BiShavat * – Jewish
- 1
FEBRUARY 2020
-
- 2
- Candlemas – Presentation of Christ in the Temple – Christian
- Imbolc – Lughassad * – Wicca/Pagan – Northern and Southern hemispheres
- Saint Brighid of Kildare – Celtic Christian
- Four Chaplains Sunday – Interfaith
- 3
- St. Blaze Day – Christian
- Setsebun-sai (beginning of spring) – Shinto
- 5
- Chinese New Year – Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist
- 8
- Nirvana Day – Buddhism
- 9
- Triodion begins – Orthodox Christian
- 12
- Triodion – Orthodox Christian
- 14
- St. Valentine’s Day – Christian
- 15
- Nirvana Day ** – Buddhist – Jain
- 22
- Maha Shivaratri ** – Hindu
- 23
- Meatfare Sunday – Orthodox Christian
- Transfiguration Sunday – Christian
- 25
- Shrove Tuesday – Christian
- 26
- Intercalary Days begin – Baha’i
- Ash Wednesday – Lent begins – Christian
- 2
MARCH 2020
-
- 1
-
-
- St. David of Wales – Christian
- Intercalary Days end – Baha’i
- Cheesefare Sunday
–
-
Orthodox Christian
-
- 2
- Clean Monday – Great Lent begins – Orthodox Christian
- 2 – 20
- Nineteen Day Fast * – Baha’i
- 3
- Hindi New Year ** – Hindu
- 8
- Orthodox Sunday – Orthodox Christian
- 9
- Magha Puja Day ** – Buddhist
- 10
- Holi ** – Hindu
- Purim * – Jewish
- Hola Mohalla – Sikh
- 13
- Birthday of L. Ron Hubbard – Scientology
- 17
- St. Patrick’s Day – Christian
- 19
- St. Joseph’s Day – Christian
- Lord’s Evening Meal – Jehovah’s Witness Christian
- 20 Equinox
- Ostara – Mabon * – Wicca/Pagan Northern and Southern hemispheres
- 21
- Norooz (New Year) – Persian/Zoroastrian
- Naw-Rúz (New Year) * – Baha’i
- 25
- Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Christian
- 25-April 2
- Ramayana ** – Hindu
- 28
- Khordad Sal (Birth of Prophet Zarathushtra) ** – Zoroastrian
- 1
April 2020
-
-
- 2
- Ramanavami ** – Hindu
- 3
- Laylat al Miraj * – Islam
- 5
- Palm Sunday – Christian
- 8
- Hanuman Jayanti ** – Hindu
- 9-11
- Theravadin New Year ** – Buddhist
- 9-15
- Pesach * – Jewish
- 9
- Mahavir Jayanti ** – Jain
- Maundy Thursday – Christian
- 10
- Good Friday – Christian
- 12
- Easter – Christian
- Palm Sunday – Orthodox Christian
- Lag B’Omer – Jewish
- 14
- Baisakhi (Vaisakhi) – Sikh
- 17
- Holy Friday – Orthodox Christian
- 11
- Lazarus Saturday – Orthodox Christian
- 19
- Pascha – Easter – Orthodox Christian
- 2
21
-
- Yom HaShoah – Jewish
- First Day of Ridvan * – Baha’i
- Lailat al Bara’ah * – Islam
- Palm Sunday – Orthodox Christian
- 23
- St. George’s Day – Christian
- 24
- Ramadan begins * – Islam
- 27
- Mahavir Jayanti ** – Jain
- 29
- Ninth Day of Ridvan – Baha’i
- Feast Day of Saints Peter and Paul – Christian
- Yom Ha’Atzmaut * – Jewish
- 30
- St. James the Great Day – Orthodox Christian
-
MAY 2020
-
- 1
- Beltane – Samhain * – Wicca/Pagan Northern and Southern hemispheres
- 2
- Last day of Ridvan * – Baha’i
- 3
- Saints Philip & James – Christian
- 7
- Visakha Puja – Buddha Day ** – Buddhist
- National Day of Prayer USA – Interfaith
- 21
- Ascension of Jesus – Christian
- 23
- Declaration of the Bab * – Baha’i
- 29
- Ascension of Baha’u’llah * – Baha’i
- Ascension of Jesus – Orthodox Christian
- 29-30
- Shavuot * – Jewish
- 31
- Pentecost – Christian
- 1
JUNE 2020
-
- 1
- Laylat al Kadr * – Islam
- 5-7
- Eid al Fitr * – Islam
- 7
- Pentecost – Orthodox Christian
- Trinity Sunday – Christian
- 9
- St. Columba of Iona – Celtic Christian
- 11
- Corpus Christi – Catholic Christian
- 14
- All Saints – Orthodox Christian
- 15
- Saint Vladimir Day – Christian
- 16
- Guru Arjan martyrdom – Sikh
- 19
- Sacred Heart of Jesus – Catholic Christian
- New Church Day – Swedenborgian Christian
- 21 Solstice
- Litha – Yule * – Wicca/Pagan Northern and Southern hemispheres
- 22
- First Nations Day – Canadian Native People
- 29
- Feast Day of Saints Peter and Paul – Christian
- 1
JULY 2020
-
- 5
- Asalha Puja Day ** – Buddhist
- 9
- Martyrdom of the Bab * – Baha’i
- 11
- St Benedict Day – Catholic Christian
- 15
- St. Vladimir the Great Day – Orthodox Christian
- 23
- Crowning of Haile Selasse I – Rastafarian
- 24
- Pioneer Day- Mormon Christian
- 25
- St. James the Great Day – Christian
- 30
- Tish’a B’av – Jewish
- 31-August3
- Eid al Adha * – Islam
- 5
AUGUST 2020
-
- 1
- Lammas – Christian
- Lughnassad – Imbolc * – Wicca/Pagan Northern and Southern hemispheres
- Fast in Honor of Holy Mother of Jesus – Orthodox Christian
- 3
- Raksha Bandhan ** – Hindu
- 6
- Transfiguration of the Lord – Orthodox Christian
- 10
- Waqf al Arafa * Islam
- 12
- Krishna Janmashtami ** – Hindu
- 13-15
- Obon (Ulambana) ** – Buddhist/Shinto ?
- 15
- Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary – Catholic Christian
- Dormition of the Theotokos – Orthodox Christian
- 20
- Hijra – New Year * – Islam
- 22
- Ganesh Chaturthi ** – Hindu
- 29
- Beheading of St. John the Baptist – Christian
- Ashura * – Islam
- 1
SEPTEMBER 2020
-
-
- 1
- Ecclesiastical year begins – Orthodox Christian
- 8
- Nativity of Virgin Mary – Christian
- 14
- Elevation of the Life Giving Cross (Holy Cross) – Christian
- 19-20
- Rosh Hashanah * – Jewish
- 21
- Paryushana Parva * – Jain
- 23 Equinox
- Mabon – Ostara * – Wicca/Pagan Northern and Southern hemispheres
- 27
- Meskel – Ethiopian Orthodox Christian
- 28
- Yom Kippur * – Jewish
- 1
29
-
- Michael and All Angels – Christian
-
OCTOBER 2020
-
-
- 3-9
- Sukkot * – Jewish
- 4
- St Francis Day – Catholic Christian
- Blessing of the Animals – Christian
- 3-9
>
- 10
- Shemini Atzeret * – Jewish
- 11
- Simchat Torah * – Jewish
- 12
- Thanksgiving – Canada – Interfaith
- 17-24
- Navaratri ** – Hindu
- 18
- St. Luke, Apostle & Evangelist – Christian
- 20
- Birth of the Báb * – Baha’i
- Installation of Scriptures as Guru Granth – Sikh
- 22
- Christ the King – Christian
- 25
- Reformation Day – Protestant Christian
- Dasara ** – Hindu
- 28
- Milvian Bridge Day – Christian
- 29
- Reformation Day – Protestant Christian
- Mawlid an Nabi * – Islam
- 31
- All Hallows Eve – Christian
-
NOVEMBER 2020
-
- 1
- All Saints Day – Christian
- Samhain – Beltane * – Wicca/Pagan Northern and Southern hemispheres
- 2
- All Souls Day – Catholic Christian
- 12
- Birth of Baha’u’llah * – Baha’i
- 13
- Jain New Year – Jain
- 14
- Diwali (Deepavali) ** – Hindu-Jain-Sikh
- 15
- Nativity Fast begins – ends Dec. 24 – Orthodox Christian
- Vikram New Year ** – Hindu
- 22
- Christ the King – Christian
- 24
- Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahdur – Sikh
- 26
- Thanksgiving – Interfaith USA
- Day of the Covenant * – Baha’i
- 28
- Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Baha * – Baha’i
- 29-December 24
- Advent begins- Christian
- 30
- St. Andrew’s Day – Christian
- Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Sahib – Sikh
- 1
DECEMBER 2020
-
- 6
- Saint Nicholas Day – Christian
- 8
- Bodhi Day (Rohatsu) – Buddhism
- Immaculate Conception of Mary – Catholic Christian
- 11-18
- Hanukkah – Jewish
- 12
- Feast day – Our Lady of Guadalupe – Catholic Christian
- 16-25
- Posadas Navidenas – Hispanic Christian
- 21 Solstice
- Yule – Christian
- Yule – Litha * – Wicca/Pagan Northern and Southern hemispheres
- 24
- Christmas Eve – Christian
- 25
- Christmas * – Christian
- Feast of the Nativity ** – Orthodox Christian
- 26
- Zarathosht Diso (Death of Prophet Zarathushtra) ** – Zoroastrian
- St Stephen’s Day – Christian
- 27
- Saint John – Apostle and Evangelist – Christian
- Holy Family – Catholic Christian
- 28
- Holy Innocents – Christian
- 31
- Watch Night – Christian
- 6
Updated on July 27, 2014
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