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.
| 2009 Holidays | Religion/Culture | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Ashura (10th day of Muharram) | Muslim | January 7 |
| Chinese New Year | Asian | January 26 |
| Mawlid-al-Nabi (birth of Mohammed) | Muslim | March 9* |
| Purim | Jewish | March 10* - March 11 |
| Palm Sunday | Christian | April 5 |
| Passover | Jewish | April 9* - April 16 |
| Good Friday | Christian | April 10 |
| Easter | Christian | April 12 |
| Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) | Jewish | May 29* |
| Ramadan begins | Muslim | August 22* |
| Rosh Hashanah (New Year) | Jewish | September 19* - September 20 |
| Eid al Fitr (End of Ramadan) | Muslim | September 20* |
| Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) | Jewish | September 28* |
| Sukkot (Festival of Tabernacles) | Jewish | October 3* - October 9 |
| Eid al Adha | Muslim | November 27* |
| Al-Hijra (Muharram, Islamic New Year) | Muslim | December 18* |
| Christmas (Birth of Jesus) | Christian | December 25 |
| Ashura (10th day of Muharram) | Muslim | December 27* |
| Kwanzaa | African American | December 26-Jan. 1, 2010 |
| 2010 Holidays | Religion/Culture | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese New Year | Asian | February 14 |
| Mawlid-al-Nabi (birth of Mohammed) | Muslim | February 26* |
| Purim | Jewish | February 28* - March 1 |
| Palm Sunday | Christian | March 28 |
| Pesach (Passover) | Jewish | March 30* - April 5 |
| Good Friday | Christian | April 2 |
| Easter | Christian | April 4 |
| Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) | Jewish | May 19* |
| Ramadan begins | Muslim | August 11* |
| Eid al Fitr (End of Ramadan) | Muslim | September 9* |
| Rosh Hashanah (New Year) | Jewish | September 8 - September 10* |
| Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) | Jewish | September 17* |
| Sukkot (Festival of Tabernacles) | Jewish | September 21* - September 29 |
| Eid al-Adha (Day of Sacrifice) | Muslim | November 15* |
| Al-Hijra (Muharram, Islamic New Year) | Muslim | December 6* |
| Ashura (10th day of Muharram) | Muslim | December 15* |
| Christmas (Birth of Jesus) | Christian | December 25 |
| Kwanzaa | African American | December 26-Jan. 1, 2011 |
| 2011 Holidays | Religion/Culture | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese New Year | Asian | February 3 |
| Mawlid-al-Nabi (birth of Mohammed) | Muslim | February 15* |
| Purim | Jewish | March 20* - March 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-Jan. 1, 2012 |
*Holy days begin at sundown of the day before the date listed and and end at sundown of the date listed.