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Holidays, Observances and Religious Holy Days

Saint Louis University provides a calendar of holidays, observances and religious holy days — sourced from Jesuit Resource — for informational purposes. To learn more about about which days the University is formally closed or class is not in session, please view the University's holiday calendar and the University academic calendar.  

The following definitions, also sourced from Jesuit Resource, should be considered when reviewing the calendar.

  • Meaningful: Days marked as meaningful are not work-restricted by definition but may be particularly significant to people attending or working at Saint Louis University.

  • Special Worship: Special worship days are not by definition work-restricted but may involve a special worship or observance.

  • Work-Restricted:  Days denoted as work-restricted are recognized denominational sacred or holy days  where religious beliefs, laws/doctrines, tenets, canons or theology restrict or limit work (be it physical or mental). This definition may include academic examinations, classroom activities and research, or out-of-classroom learning experiences.

    Learn More About Work-Restricted Days from Jesuit Resource

2023 Dates   Name Type of Observance
January 1 Feast of Mary Mother of God (Catholic) Special worship
January 7 Christmas (Eastern Orthodox) Special worship
N/A Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib (Sikh) Special worship
January 16 Rev. MLK Day (Federal) Meaningful
February 18 Maha Shivaratri (Hindu) Work-restricted
February 22 Ash Wednesday (Catholic) Special worship
February  22 - April 8 Lent  (Catholic) Special worship
March 6 Purim (Jewish) Special worship
March 15 Shri Ramakrishna Jayanti (Hindu) Work-restricted
March 20 Naw-Ruz (Bahá'í) Work-restricted
March 21 Norouz (Persian) Work-restricted
March 23 - April 22 Ramadan (Islam) Work-restricted
March 25  Feast of the Annunciation (Catholic) Meaningful
March 30 Ramanavami (Hindu) Work-restricted
April 2 Palm Sunday (Christian) Meaningful
April 5 Passover (Jewish) Work-restricted
April 7 Good Friday (Christian) Special worship
April 9 Easter (Christian) Special worship
April 9 Palm Sunday (Eastern Orthodox) Meaningful 
April 14 Vaisakhi (Sikh) Special worship
April 14 Good Friday (Eastern Orthodox) Meaningful
April 16 Easter (Eastern Orthodox) Special worship
April 20 Eid al-Fitr (Islam) Work-restricted
April 29 Ridvan (Jewish) Work-restricted
May 5 Vesak (Buddhist) Work-restricted
May 18 Feast of Ascension (Catholic) Special worship
May 22 Declaration of the Bab (Bahá'í) Work-restricted
May- 25 - May 27 Shavuot (Jewish) Work-restricted
May 29 Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh (Bahá'í) Work-restricted
June 16 Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (Sikh) Work-restricted
June 19 Juneteenth (Federal) Meaningful
July 9 Martyrdom of the Bab (Bahá'í) Work-restricted
 July 26 Tisha B'Av Begins (Jewish) 25-hour fasting, work-restricted optional
 July 29-30 Eid-ul-Adha (Islam) Work-restricted
July 31 Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola (Catholic) Special worship
August 15 Feast of the Assumption of Mary (Catholic) Special worship
September 6 Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu) Work-restricted
September 11-18 Paryushan (Jain) Special worship
September 15-17 Rosh Hashanah (Jewish) Work-restricted
September 24-25 Yom Kippur (Jewish) Work-restricted
September 29- October 6 Sukkot (Jewish) Work-restricted
September 29- October 6 Shemini Atzeret (Jewish) Work-restricted
October 7-8 Simchat Torah (Jewish) Work-restricted
October 26 Birth of the Bab (Bahá'í) Work-restricted
November 1 All Saints Day (Catholic) Special worship
November 2 All Souls Day (Catholic) Special worship
November 12 Diwali (Hindu, Jain) Special worship
November 16 Remembering the Martyrs of the UCA (Secular) Meaningful
November 24 Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib (Sikh) Work-restricted
November 23 Thanksgiving (Federal) Meaningful
November 30 Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Sahib (Sikh) Work-restricted
December 3 Feast of St. Francis Xavier (Catholic) Meaningful
December 8  Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Catholic) Special worship
December 8 Bodhi Day (Buddhist) Special worship
December 12 Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Catholic) Meaningful
December 25 Christmas (Christian) Special worship
December 26-January 1 Kwanzaa (Ethnic) Meaningful