Religious Observances Listings/Calendars
It is difficult to list all religious observances and holidays. To assist the Georgia State community, we have provided the following links from other institutions, which have helpful and extensive listings.
- Drexel University: https://drexel.edu/provost/calendars/religious-observances/
- American University: https://www.american.edu/ocl/kay/major-religious-holy-days.cfm
- Council of Presidents (public colleges and universities in Washington State): https://councilofpresidents.org/about/holiday-observance-calendar/
For reference, some of the widely observed religious holidays for the 2021-22 academic year are listed below:
- Rosh Hashanah: Sept. 6-8, 2021
- Yom Kippur: Sept. 15-16, 2021
- Navaratri: Oct. 7-15, 2021
- Diwali: Nov. 4, 2021
- Hanukkah: Nov. 28-Dec. 6, 2021
- Christmas Day: Dec. 25, 2021
- Christmas Day (Orthodox and Coptic): Jan. 7, 2022
- Ash Wednesday (Western calendar): March 2, 2022
- Orthodox and Coptic Lent: March 7-April 23, 2022
- Ramadan: April 2-May 1, 2022
- Passover (first two days, beginning at sundown): April 15-16, 2022
- Good Friday (Western calendar): April 15, 2022
- Easter (Western calendar): April 17, 2022
- Orthodox and Coptic Holy Week: April 17-23, 2022
- Orthodox and Coptic Easter: April 24, 2022
- Eid al-Fitr: May 2-3, 2022
Jewish and Muslim Holidays with Work Restrictions
Note: These guides are included here to help explain important holidays in these two major faiths - which are observed by many Georgia State students, faculty and staff - that have restrictions on work that may necessitate accommodations. Additional guides for other faiths are forthcoming.
Policy on Student Absences & Accommodations Due to Religious Holidays
The following applies regardless of course modality.
Students must provide instructors with reasonable notice of the dates of religious holidays on which they plan to be absent and must be given an equivalent opportunity to make up missed work according to an agreed-upon schedule. Such accommodations might include rescheduling an exam or giving the student a make-up exam, allowing an individual or group presentation to be made on a different date, letting a student attend a different section for the same class that week, adjusting a due date or assigning the student appropriate make-up work that is no more difficult than the original assignment.
Absence for a religious reason should be counted as an excused absence and should not be counted against any other excused absences permitted by the instructor. Should a complicated situation arise related to religious accommodations (for example, clinical rotations), contact your department chair, dean’s office or the Office of Legal Affairs at 404-413-0500.
Policy on Employee Accommodations Due to Religious Holidays
For further information, click here to visit the related listing in the DEI Resource Library, which contains Human Resources policies and forms.