Resources and Information: Executive PAs, Secretaries, Administrators & Office Managers
DeskDemon Login
Useful Tools
Religious Dates in 2005
NB:
* Usually begins at sundown the day before this date
** Local customs may vary on this date
DeskDemon.com
January
| Date | Occasion | Religion |
| 1 | Mary, Mother of God Feast of St Basil Gantan-sai - Ganjitsu (New Years) |
Catholic Orthodox Christian Shinto |
| 5 | Twelfth Night Guru Godbindh Singh birthday |
Christian Sikh |
| 6 | Epithany Feast of Theophany |
Christian Orthodox Christian |
| 7 | Nativity of Christ | Orthodox Christian |
| 9 | Baptism of Lord Jesus Feast of the Holy Family |
Christian Catholic |
| 13 | Maghi | Sikh |
| 16 | World Religion Day Blessing of the Animals |
Baha'i alternate Christian date |
| 17 | Feast of Mithra | Zoroastrian |
| 18-25 | Week of Prayer for Christian Unity | Christian |
| 19 | Waqf al Arafa | Islam |
| 19-22 | Hajj | Islam |
| 21-24 | Id al Adha | Islam |
| 25 | New Years (3 days) Tu B'shvat Conversion of St Paul |
Buddhist ** Jewish* Christian |
February
| Date | Occasion | Religion |
| 2 | Candlemas St Brighid of Kildare |
Christian Celtic Christian |
| 3 | St Blase Day | Catholic |
| 6 | Four Chaplains Sunday Transfiguration Sunday |
Interfatih Christian |
| 8 | Nirvana Day Shrove Tuesday |
Buddhist** Christian |
| 9 - 19 Mar | Lent | Christian |
| 9 | Ash Wednesday Chinese New Year |
Christian Confucian/Daoist/Buddhist |
| 10 | Hijra - New Years | Islam |
| 13 | Vasant Panchami | Hindu** |
| 14 | St. Valentine's Day | Christian |
| 19 | Ashura | Islam |
| 20 | Triodion begins | Orthodox Christian |
March
| Date | Occasion | Religion |
| 1 | St David of Wales | Christian |
| 6 | Meatfare Sunday Four Chaplains Sunday |
Orthodox Christian Christian / Jewish Interfaith |
| 8 | Maha Shivaratri | Hindu** |
| 13 | Cheesefare Sunday | Orthodox Christian |
| 14 | Lent begins (Clean Monday) | Orthodox Christian |
| 17 | St Patrick's Day | Christian |
| 20 | Palm Sunday Orthodox Sunday |
Christian Orthodox Christian |
| 21 | Norroz (The New Day) Nau-Roz (New Year's Day) Ostara |
Zaroastrian Baha'i Wicca* |
| 23 | Birth of Mahavira | Jain |
| 24 | Lord's Evening Meal | Jehovah's Witness Christian |
| 25 | Purim Good Friday Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Magha Pula Day Holi |
Jewish* Christian Orthodox Christian Buddhist** Hindu** |
| 26 | Khordad Sal Holy Saturday |
Zoroastrian Christian |
| 27 | Easter | Christian (Gregorian Calendar) |
April
| Date | Occasion | Religion |
| 9-18 | Ramayana | Hindu** |
| 13 or 14 | Baisakhi (Vaisakhi) | Sikh |
| 21 | Mawlid an Nabi | Islam |
| 21 - 2 May | Ridvan | Baha'i* |
| 23 | Lazarus Saturday | Orthodox Christian |
| 24 - 1st May | Pesach (Passover) | Jewish* |
| 24 | Palm Sunday Vesak - Buddha Day |
Orthodox Christian Buddhist** |
| 29 | Holy Friday | Orthodox Christian |
| 29 | St James the Great Day | Orthodox Christian |
May
| Date | Occasion | Religion |
| 1 | Easter/Pascha Beltane |
Orthodox Christian Wicca* |
| 5 | Ascension of Christ | Christian |
| 6 | Yom Hasho'ah | Jewish |
| 8 | St Thomas Day | Orthodox Christian |
| 14 | Matthias the Apostle | Anglican |
| 15 | Pentecost | Christian |
| 22 | Trinity | Christian |
| 23 | Declaration of the Bab | Baha'I* |
| 24 | Buddha Day - Visakha Puja | Buddhist** |
| 26 | Corpus Christi | Catholic |
| 29 | Ascension of Baha'ullah | Baha'i* |
| 31 | Feat of the Visitation | Catholic |
June
| Date | Occasion | Religion |
| 3 | Sacred Heart of Jesus | Catholic |
| 4 | Immaculate Heart of Mary | Catholic |
| 9 | Ascension | Orthodox Christian |
| 13 - 14 | Savout | Jewish* |
| 16 | Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib Ganga Dussehra |
Sikh Hindu** |
| 19 | Pentecost New Church Day |
Orthodox Christian Swedenborgian |
| 21 | First Nations Day Litha |
Canadian Native People Wicca* |
| 23 | Buddha Jayanti | Hindu** |
| 24 | Nativity of John the Baptist | Christian |
| 25 | All Saints | Orthodox Christian |
| 29 | Feast Day of Saints Peter and Paul St Peter Day |
Christian Catholic |
July
| Date | Occasion | Religion |
| 6 | Birth of Dalai Lama | Buddhist** |
| 9 | Martyrdom of the Bab | Baha'i* |
| 11 | St Benedict Day | Catholic |
| 13 | Ulambana (Obon) | Buddhist** |
| 15 | St Vladimir the Great Day | Orthodox Christian |
| 21 | Asalha Puja Day | Hindu** |
| 24 | Pioneer Day | Mormon |
| 25 | St James the Great Day | Christian |
August
| Date | Occasion | Religion |
| 1 | Lammas Lughnassad (Lammas) Fast in honour of Holy Mother of Lord Jesus |
Christian Wicca / Neo Pagan* Orthodox Christian |
| 6 | Transfiguration of the Lord | Orthodox Christian |
| 13 | Obon | Shinto** |
| 14 | Tisha B'av | Jewish* |
| 15 | Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary Dormition of the Theotokos |
Catholic Orthodox Christian |
| 19 | Raksha Bandhan | Hindu** |
| 24 | St Bartholomew Day | Christian |
| 27 | Krishna Jayanti (Janmashtami) | Hindu** |
| 29 | Beheading of St John the Baptist | Christian |
September
| Date | Occasion | Religion |
| 1 | Beginning of the Ecclesiastical Year Lailat al Mirai |
Christian Orthodox Islam |
| 7 | Ganesh Chaturthi | Hindu** |
| 8 | Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Feat of Nativity of the Theotokos |
Christian Orthodox Christian |
| 11 | New year | Coptic Christian |
| 14 | Elevation of the Life Giving Cross Holy Cross Day |
Orthodox Christian Christian |
| 17 | Feat of Mithra | Zoroastrian |
| 19 | Lailat al Bara'ah | Islam |
| 21 | St Matthew Day | Christian |
| 22 | Mabon - Fall Equinox | Wicca |
| 29 | Michael and All Angels | Christian |
October
| Date | Occasion | Religion |
| 4 | St. Francis Day | Catholic |
| 4 - 3 Nov | Ramadan begins Blessing of the Animals |
Islam** Christian |
| 4 - 5 | Rosh Hashanah | Jewish* |
| 12 | Dussehra Confucius Birthday |
Hindu** Chinese religions |
| 13 | Yom Kippur | Jewish* |
| 18 | St Luke, Apostle & Evangelist Sukkot Birth of the B'ab |
Christian Jewish* Baha'i* |
| 20 | Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Shemini Atzeret |
Sikh Jewish* |
| 25 | Simhat Torah | Jewish* |
| 26 | Milvian Bridge Day | Christian |
| 28 | Quds Day Laylat el Qadr |
Islam Islam |
| 30 | All Hallows Eve | Christian |
| 31 | Reformation Day | Protestant |
November
| Date | Occasion | Religion |
| 1 | All Saints' Day Diwali (Deepevali) Samhain |
Christian Hindu** Wicca* |
| 2 | All Souls' Day | Catholic |
| 3 | Eid al Fitr - Ramadan ends | Islam |
| 12 | Birth of Baha'u'llah | Baha'i* |
| 15 - 24 | Nativity Fast (Winter Lent) | Orthodox Christian |
| 20 | Christ the King | Christian |
| 24 | Guru Tegh Bahadur martyrdom Thanksgiving |
Sikh Interfaith USA |
| 26 | Day of Covenant | Baha'i* |
| 27 | Advent - First Sunday | Christian |
| 28 | Ascension of Abdul'l-Baha | Baha'i* |
| 30 | St Andrew's Day | Christian |
December
| Date | Occasion | Religion |
| 4,11,18 | Sundays of Advent continue | Christian |
| 6 | St Nicholas Day | Orthodox Christian |
| 6 - 25 | Posadas | Christian |
| 8 | Bodhi Day Immaculate Conception |
Buddhist** Catholic |
| 12 | Feast day - Our Lady of Guadalupe | Catholic |
| 21 | Yule Winter Solstice St Thomas Day |
Christian Wicca Catholic |
| 24 | Christmas Eve | Christian |
| 25 | Christmas Feast of the Nativity |
Christian* Orthodox Christian |
| 26 | Zarathosht Diso | Zoroastrian |
| 26 - 1 Jan | Kwanzaa | Interfaith |
| 26 - 2 Jan | Hanukkah | Jewish* |
| 28 | Holy Innocents | Christian |
| 30 | Holy Family | Catholic |
| 31 | Watch Night | Christian |
Every effort has been made to ensure that the events, venue and dates are correct at time of going to press. However, no responsibility can be accepted for omission, change or error