Religious and Cultural Holidays
As a publicly funded institution of higher education, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, does not officially recognize religious holidays and celebrations. However, as an institution we do recognize the importance of such celebrations for the individual members of our community. In the spirit of interculturalism, we encourage all faculty, staff, and students to be cognizant of major religious and cultural holidays when planning courses and events and to be sensitive to potential conflicts.
When conflicts do occur, students or employees should notify their instructors or supervisors as soon as the conflict becomes apparent. Accommodations that do not interfere with the academic integrity of a course or the functioning of an office may be provided at the discretion of the faculty member or supervisor.
The religious holidays and cultural celebrations listed on this calendar are not intended to be exhaustive. They represent the major celebrations of the religious and ethnic groups that make up the vast majority of our university community.
| 2011 Holidays | Religion/Culture | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese New Year | Asian | February 3 |
| Mawlid-al-Nabi (birth of Mohammed) | Muslim | February 15* |
| Purim | Jewish | March 20* - 21 |
| Palm Sunday | Christian | April 17 |
| Passover | Jewish | April 19* - 26 |
| Good Friday | Christian | April 22 |
| Easter | Christian | April 24 |
| Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) | Jewish | June 8* - June 9 |
| Ramadan begins | Muslim | August 1* |
| Eid al Fitr (End of Ramadan) | Muslim | August 31* |
| Rosh Hashanah | Jewish | September 29* - 30 |
| Yom Kippur | Jewish | October 8* |
| Sukkot | Jewish | October 12* - 19 |
| Eid al-Adha | Muslim | November 6* |
| Hijra (New Year) | Muslim | November 26* |
| Christmas (Birth of Jesus) | Christian | December 25 |
| Kwanzaa | African American | December 26 - January 1, 2012 |
| 2012 Holidays | Religion/Culture | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese New Year | Asian | January 23 |
| Mawlid-al-Nabi (birth of Mohammed) | Muslim | February 4* |
| Purim | Jewish | March 8* - 9 |
| Palm Sunday | Christian | April 1 |
| Pesach (Passover) | Jewish | April 7* - 8 |
| Good Friday | Christian | April 6 |
| Easter | Christian | April 8 |
| Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) | Jewish | May 27* |
| Ramadan begins | Muslim | July 21* |
| Eid al Fitr (End of Ramadan) | Muslim | August 18* |
| Rosh Hashanah (New Year) | Jewish | September 17* - 18 |
| Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) | Jewish | September 26* |
| Sukkot (Festival of Tabernacles) | Jewish | October 1* - 7 |
| Eid al-Adha (Day of Sacrifice) | Muslim | October 26* |
| Al-Hijra (Muharram, Islamic New Year) | Muslim | November 15* |
| Ashura (10th day of Muharram) | Muslim | November 24* |
| Christmas (Birth of Jesus) | Christian | December 25 |
| Kwanzaa | African American | December 26 - January 1, 2013 |
| 2013 Holidays | Religion/Culture | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Mawlid-al-Nabi (birth of Mohammed) | Muslim | January 24* |
| Chinese New Year | Asian | February 10 |
| Purim | Jewish | February 24* - 25 |
| Palm Sunday | Christian | March 24 |
| Pesach (Passover) | Jewish | March 26* - April 1 |
| Good Friday | Christian | March 29 |
| Easter | Christian | March 31 |
| Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) | Jewish | May 15* |
| Ramadan begins | Muslim | July 10* |
| Eid al Fitr (End of Ramadan) | Muslim | August 8* |
| Rosh Hashanah (New Year) | Jewish | September 5* - 6 |
| Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) | Jewish | September 14* |
| Sukkot (Festival of Tabernacles) | Jewish | September 19* - 25 |
| Eid al-Adha (Day of Sacrifice) | Muslim | October 16* |
| Al-Hijra (Muharram, Islamic New Year) | Muslim | November 5* |
| Ashura (10th day of Muharram) | Muslim | November 14* |
| Christmas (Birth of Jesus) | Christian | December 25 |
| Kwanzaa | African American | December 26 - January 1, 2014 |
*Holy days begin at sundown of the day before the date listed and and end at sundown of the date listed.