WHEREAS, according to N.J.S.A. 18A:36-14 through 16 and N.J.A.C. 6A:32-8.4(e), 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:

1. 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;
2. 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;
3. 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;
4. 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;
5. Such absence must not be recorded on any transcript or application or employment form or on any similar form; and
6. The Commissioner, with the approval of the State Board of Education, is required to:\
   1. prescribe such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this act; and
   2. prepare a list of religious holidays on which it shall be mandatory to excuse a 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 New Jersey Department of Education makes every attempt to ensure the accuracy of the dates using the lunar, Gregorian and Julian calendars; and

WHEREAS, the district board of education has the right to add any bona fide religious holiday to the list for its own schools;

WHEREAS, dates within this resolution may not be fixed before the State Board adopts the annual calendar and may require additional revision; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the State Board of Education permits the Commissioner of Education, after annual adoption by the State Board of Education, to revise the dates provided in list of religious holidays; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the State Board of Education adopts the following list of religious holidays for the 2023 - 2024 school year:

July

Date	Observance
June 26-July1	Hajj Day (Islam)*
July 2	Foundation Stone of Shri Akal Takht Sahib Ji (Sikh)
July 3	Guru Purnima
July 9	Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha’i)
July 18	1st Muharram (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
July 18-27	Ashara Mubaraka (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
July 19	1st Muharram (Islamic New Year)
July 27	Tish’a B’Av (Jewish) Yawm Aashura (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
July 28	Ashura (Islam)
June 29	Eid al-Adha (Islam)*

 

August

Date	Observance
August 1	Asalha Puja Day (Buddhist) Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus (Eastern Orthodox Christian) Lammas (Christian and Wicca)
August 6	Transfiguration of the Lord (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
August 14-16	Obon (Buddhist)
August 15	Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Catholic Christian) Dormition of the Theotokos (Orthodox Christian)
August 20-31	Onam (Hindu)*
August 21	Naga Panchami (Hindu)*
August 30	Raksha Bandhan (Hindu)* Ullambana (Buddhist)

 

September

Date	Observance
September 1	Ecclesiastical Year begins (Eastern Orthodox Christian) First Prakash Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji (Sikh)
September 5	Chehlum Imam Hussain (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
September 7	His Holiness Sakya Trizin’s Birthday (Buddhist) Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu)*
September 8	Nativity of Mary (Christian)
September 12-19	Paryushana (Jain)*
September 16-17	Rosh Hashanah (Jewish) Feast of Trumpets (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
September 19	Ganesh Chaturthi (Hindu)*
September 21	Nativity of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
September 22	Jyoti Jot Guru Nanak Dev Ji (Sikh)
September 21-29	Mabon (Wicca/Pagan)
September 25	Yom Kippur (Jewish)D Day of Atonement (Christian, Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
September 26	Milad an-Nabi (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
September 27	Maulid al-Nabi (Islam)* The Elevation of the Holy Cross (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
September 29 – October 6	Sukkot (Jewish) Feast of Tabernacles (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
September 30	Urus-Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*

 

October

Date	Observance
October 7	Last Great Day (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
October 7-8	Sh’mini Atzeret (Jewish)
October 8	Simchat Torah (Jewish)
October 15-24	Navaratri (Hindu)*
October 18	Milad Imam-uz-Zamaan (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
October 20	Installation of the Scriptures as Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh) Birth of B’ab (Bah’i)
October 31	Samhain (Wicca)

 

November

Date	Observance
November 1	All Saints’ Day (Christian)
November 2	All Souls’ Day (Christian)
November 3	Milad Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
November 12	Diwali (Hindu, Jain, Puja, and Deepavali)* Birth of Baha'u'llah (Bah’i) Bandi Chhor Diwas (Sikh)
November 13	Goverdhan Puja (Hindu)*
November 15	Nativity Fast begins (Eastern Orthodox Christian) Ascension of ‘Abdul’l Baha (Baha’i)
November 21	The Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
November 24	Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur (Sikh)
November 26	Day of Covenant (Baha’i)`
November 27	Guru Nanak Dev Ji Birthday (Sikh)

 

December

Date	Observance
December 3	First Sunday of Advent (Christian)
December 8	Immaculate Conception (Christian) Bodhi Day (Buddhist)
December 8-15	Hanukkah (Jewish)
December 21	Yule (Wicca and Christian) Martyrdom of Wadde Sahibzade (Sikh)
December 25	Christmas (Christian) The Nativity of Christ (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
December 26	Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrian) Martyrdom Chotte Sahibzade (Sikh)

 

January

Date	Observance
January 1	Gantan-sai (Shinto) Mary, Mother of God - Catholic Christian
January 3-10	Holy Convocation (Church of God and Saints of Christ)
January 5	Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib (Sikh)
January 6	Feast of Epiphany (Christian) Feast of Theophany (Eastern Orthodox Christian) Nativity of Christ (Armenian Orthodox)
January 7	Feast of the Nativity (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
January 13	Maghi-Lohri (Sikh) Foundation of Shri Darbar Sahib (Maghi)
January 15	Makar Sankranti and Pongal (Hindu)*
January 24	World Religion Day (Baha’i)
January 25	Tu B’shvat (Jewish) Ayyam al Beez (Islam Dawoodi Borha)*
January 29	Urus – Syedna Taher Saifuddin (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)

 

February

Date	Observance
February 2	The Presentation of Our Lord to the Temple (Eastern Orthodox Christian) Imbolic-Candlemas (Wicca and Christian)
February 6	Yawm al-Mab’ath (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)
February 7	Lailat al Miraj (Islam)*
February 10	Chinese/Lunar New Year (Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist)
February 12-21	Midwinter Ceremonies (Native American)*
February 13	Shrove Tuesday (Christian)
February 14	Vasant Panchami (Hindu)* Ash Wednesday (Christian)
February 15	Nirvana Day (Buddhist)
February 14	Ash Wednesday (Christian)
February 25	Lailat al Bara’ah (Islam)*
February 26 – March 1	Intercalary Days (Baha'i)
February 29	Jonah’s Passover (Eastern Orthodox Church)

 

March

Date	Observance
March 8	Maha Shivaratri (Hindu)*
March 10 – April 9	Ramadan (Islam)
March 13	L. Ron Hubbard’s Birthday (Church of Scientology)
March 14	Meena Sankranthi (Hindu)*
March 18	Holi (Hindu)* Clean Monday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
March 21	Naw-Ryz (Baha’i) Nowruz (Zoroastrian) Ostara (Wicca) Govinda Dwadashi (Hindu)*
March 24	Holika Dahan (Hindu)* Purim (Jewish) Palm Sunday Lord’s Evening Meal (Christian, Jehovah’s Witness)
March 25	The Annunciation of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian) The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary (Christian)
March 25-27	Hola Mohalla (Sikh)*
March 26	Khordad Sal (Zoroastrian)
March 28	Holy Thursday (Christian) Shahadat – Amirul Mumineen (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
March 29	Holy Friday (Christian)
March 31	Easter (Christian)
March 31-April 1	Laylatul Qadr (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*

 

April

Date	Observance
April 1	Easter Monday (Christian) Milad Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
April 5	Aakhir Jumo’a (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
April 6	Laylatul Qadr (Islam)*
April 9	Souramana Yugadi (Hindu)* Chandramana Yugadi(Hindu)* Eid al-Fitr (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
April 10	Eid al Fitr (Islam)*
April 13-20	Memorial Feast of the Lords Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread (Church of God and Saints of Christ)
April 14	Vaisakhi (Sikh)
April 17	Ramnavami (Hindu)*
April 18	Prakash Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji (Sikh)
April 21	First Day of Ridvan (Baha’i) Mahavir Jayanti (Jain)*
April 22-30	Passover (Jewish) Passover (United Church of God)
April 23	First Day of Unleavened Bread (Church of God) Hanuman Jayanti (Hindu)*
April 23-19	Days of Unleavened Bread (Philadelphia Church of God)
April 13-20	Passover/Days of Unleavened Bread (Church of God and Saints of Christ)
April 24-26	Theravadin New Year (Buddhist)
April 25	The 11th Panchen Lama’s Birthday (Buddhist)
April 27	Lazarus Saturday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 28	Palm Sunday (Eastern Orthodox Christian) Ninth Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
April 29	Last Day of Unleavened Bread (Church of God)

 

May

Date	Observance
May 1	Beltane (Wicca) Twelfth Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
May 2	Holy Thursday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
May 3	Holy Friday (Eastern Orthodox Christian) The Last Friday of the Great Lent (Eastern Orthodox Church)
May 5	Easter (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
May 6	Bright Monday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
May 9	Ascension of Our Lord (Christian)
May 13	Yom Ha’Azmaut (Jewish)
May 15	Buddha’s Birthday/Buddha Day*
May 19	Pentecost (Christian)
May 22	Declaration of the Bab (Baha’i)
May 23	Visakha Puja (Buddhist)
May 26	Lag B’Omer (Jewish)
May 29	Ascension of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)

 

June

Date	Observance
June 12-13	Shavuot (Jewish)
June 13	Feast of Ascension (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
June 15	Yawm al-Arafa (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
June 16	Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (Sikh) Eid al-Adha (Islam)*
June 24	Pentecost (Eastern Orthodox Christian) Litha (Wicca) Eid-e-Ghadeer

 

Angelica Allen-McMillan, Ed.D., Acting Commissioner Kathy Goldenberg, President Acting Secretary, N.J. State Board of Education N.J. State Board of Education