Office of the ProvostPoliciesReligious Holidays

Religious Holidays

Washington State University understands, values and respects the unique spiritual and secular practices and needs of students, faculty, and staff. Doing so is at the core of our commitment to affirming and validating the holistic needs and experience of our community members. It is also our responsibility to comply with the State of Washington SB 5166 from 2019, which requires WSU to “Accommodate student absences to allow students to take holidays for reasons of faith or conscience or for organized activities conducted under the auspices of religious denomination, church, or religious organization, so that students’ grades are not adversely impacted by the absences.”

Additionally, in 2024 the Faculty Senate approved revisions to Academic Regulations 72, 82, and 104 to provide a request and appeal process for students seeking religious accommodations for absences related to faith, conscience, and organized religious activities. A reasonable religious accommodation is a modification to a policy or practice within an academic, housing, or extracurricular environment to enable a student to avoid conflict with their sincerely held religious beliefs or practices. A religious accommodation is reasonable if it does not cause undue hardship to WSU operations; factors include safety, cost, efficiency, academic requirements, business needs, and the rights of others. Reasonable religious accommodations are individualized to the needs of the students who request them and the settings for which they are requested.

Please see the WSU Student Religious Accommodations Policy, Executive Policy 15 (the WSU policy prohibiting discrimination and harassment), and the Interfaith Calendar immediately below, for more information.

WSU Interfaith Calendar

This calendar of WSU holidays, traditional observances, and major days of religious significance covers the current academic year. You can use the calendar to help identify classes, exams, activities, or events which may intersect with religious observances.

Interfaith Calendar 2025

Summer Term 2025
Declaration of the BabBaha'iMay 22-23, 2025Thursday - FridayHoliday commences at sundown of the first day and ends at sundown or nightfall of the end date.
Memorial DayAll University HolidayMay 26, 2025Monday
Ascension of Baha'u'llahBaha'iMay 27-28, 2025Tuesday - WednesdayHoliday commences at sundown of the first day and ends at sundown or nightfall of the end date.
ShavuotJewishJune 1-3, 2025Sunday - TuesdayHoliday commences at sundown of the first day and ends at sundown or nightfall of the end date.Occasion on which the precept of a particular tradition, and the practice of many of its adherents, includes significant restrictions on academic activity.
Eid al-Adha - Sacrifice DayIslamJune 5-9, 2025Thursday - MondayHoliday commences at sundown of the first day and ends at sundown or nightfall of the end date.
PentecostOrthodox ChristianJune 8, 2025Sunday
al-Hijra - New Year beginsIslamJune 27, 2025Friday
Independence Day HolidayAll University HolidayJuly 4, 2025Friday
AshuraIslamJuly 5-6, 2025Saturday - SundayHoliday commences at sundown of the first day and ends at sundown or nightfall of the end date.
Martyrdom of the BabBaha'iJuly 9, 2025Tuesday
Fall Term 2025
Labor DayAll University HolidaySeptember 1, 2025Monday
Mawlid an NabiIslamSeptember 4-5, 2025Thursday - FridayHoliday commences at sundown of the first day and ends at sundown or nightfall of the end date.
Rosh HashanahJewishSeptember 22-24, 2025Monday - WednesdayHoliday commences at sundown of the first day and ends at sundown or nightfall of the end date.Occasion on which the precept of a particular tradition, and the practice of many of its adherents, includes significant restrictions on academic activity.
NavaratriHinduSeptember 22 - October 2, 2025Monday - Thursday
Yom KippurJewishOctober 1-2, 2025Wednesday - ThursdayHoliday commences at sundown of the first day and ends at sundown or nightfall of the end date.Occasion on which the precept of a particular tradition, and the practice of many of its adherents, includes significant restrictions on academic activity.
SukkotJewishOctober 6-13, 2025Monday - MondayHoliday commences at sundown of the first day and ends at sundown or nightfall of the end date.Occasion on which the precept of a particular tradition, and the practice of many of its adherents, includes significant restrictions on academic activity (First 2 days)
Shemini AtzeretJewishOctober 13-15, 2025Monday - WednesdayHoliday commences at sundown of the first day and ends at sundown or nightfall of the end date.Occasion on which the precept of a particular tradition, and the practice of many of its adherents, includes significant restrictions on academic activity.
Simchat TorahJewishOctober 14-15, 2025Tuesday - WednesdayHoliday commences at sundown of the first day and ends at sundown or nightfall of the end date.Occasion on which the precept of a particular tradition, and the practice of many of its adherents, includes significant restrictions on academic activity.
Diwali (Deepavali)Hindu-Jain-SikhOctober 20, 2025Monday
Birth of the Báb/Birth of Baha'u'llahBaha'iOctober 22-23, 2025Wednesday - ThursdayHoliday commences at sundown of the first day and ends at sundown or nightfall of the end date.
Veteran's Day All University HolidayNovember 11, 2025Tuesday
Birthday of Guru Nanak JayantiSikhNovember 5, 2025Wednesday
Day of the CovenantBaha'iNovember 25, 2025TuesdayHoliday commences at sundown of the first day and ends at sundown or nightfall of the end date.
Ascension of Abdu’l-BaháBaha'iNovember 26-27, 2025Wednesday - ThursdayHoliday commences at sundown of the first day and ends at sundown or nightfall of the end date.
Thanksgiving DayAll University HolidayNovember 27, 2025Thursday
Native American Heritage DayAll University HolidayNovember 28, 2025Friday
Bodhi Day (Rohatsu)BuddhismDecember 8, 2025Monday
Immaculate Conception of MaryCatholic ChristianDecember 8, 2025Monday
HanukkahJewishDecember 14-22, 2025Sunday - MondayHoliday commences at sundown of the first day and ends at sundown or nightfall of the end date.
Christmas EveChristianDecember 24, 2025Wednesday
ChristmasChristianDecember 25, 2025Thursday
Spring Term 2026
New Year's Day All University HolidayJanuary 1, 2026Thursday
Martin Luther King Jr. DayAll University HolidayJanuary 19, 2026Monday
Maha ShivaratriHinduFebruary 15-16, 2026Sunday - Monday
Presidents' DayWSU Class HolidayFebruary 16, 2026Monday
RamadanIslamFebruary 17 - March 19, 2026Tuesday - ThursdayHoliday commences at sundown of the first day and ends at sundown or nightfall of the end date.
Purim JewishMarch 2-3, 2026Monday - TuesdayHoliday commences at sundown of the first day and ends at sundown or nightfall of the end date.
HoliHinduMarch 4, 2026Wednesday
Laylat al-QadrIslamMarch 16, 2026Monday
Eid al Fitr - Ramadan endsIslamMarch 20, 2026Wednesday
Naw-Rúz (New Year)Baha'iMarch 21, 2026SaturdayHoliday commences at sundown of the first day and ends at sundown or nightfall of the end date.
Rama NavamiHinduMarch 26, 2026Thursday
Palm SundayChristianMarch 29, 2026Sunday
Mahavir JayantiJainMarch 31, 2026Tuesday
Pesach (Passover)JewishApril 1-9, 2026Wednesday - ThursdayHoliday commences at sundown of the first day and ends at sundown or nightfall of the end date.Occasion on which the precept of a particular tradition, and the practice of many of its adherents, includes significant restrictions on academic activity (First 2 days)
Memorial of Jesus’ DeathJehovah's Witness ChristianApril 2, 2026Thursday
Good FridayChristianApril 3, 2026Friday
Easter SundayChristianApril 5, 2026Sunday
Baisakhi (Vaisakhi)SikhApril 14, 2026Tuesday
RidvanBaha'iApril 20 - May 2, 2026Monday - Saturday Holiday commences at sundown of the first day and ends at sundown or nightfall of the end date.