Chanuka menorah

Religious and Cultural Holidays

NC State respects all faiths and cultures.

Major Religious Holidays with Work Restrictions

Several religions prohibit working on certain holidays. To aid staff, faculty and supervisors with scheduling events and activities, a short list of some holidays on which students, staff or faculty may not be able to work or attend class is provided below. This list is not exhaustive; there may be additional holidays.

Try to avoid conflicts in scheduling major meetings, exams and other events and work with students, faculty and staff to accommodate these observances.

  • *Rosh Hashanah – Jewish
  • *Yom Kippur – Jewish
  • *Eid al Fitr – Muslim
  • *Eid al Adha – Muslim
  • *The Birth of the Bab – Baha’i
  • *The Birth of Baha’u’llah – Baha’i
  • *Mawlid – Muslim
  • *Naw Ruz – Baha’i
  • *NowRuz – Persian, Muslims in Iran, Zoroastrian
  • Christmas – Christian
  • Nativity of Christ – Eastern Orthodox
  • *Passover – Jewish
  • *First Day, 9th Day and 12th Day of Ridvan – Baha’i
  • Good Friday – Christian
  • Easter – Christian
  • Easter – Eastern Orthodox
  • *Shavuot – Jewish
  • *Declaration of the Bab – Baha’i
  • *Ascension of the Baha’u’llah – Baha’i
  • *Martyrdom of the Bab – Baha’i
  • *Ashura – Muslim
  • Vijaya Dashami, also called Dasara – Hindu

* An asterisk indicates a holiday that begins at sundown on the eve of the holiday; that is, the day before the first full day of the holiday, and ends at sundown on the last day of the holiday.

For students: If you have a question about an absence for a holiday that is not listed, please contact the Division of Academic and Student Affairs (DASA) at absence-verification@ncsu.edu and see the class absence verification website.

Google Calendar Overlays of Major Religious and Cultural Holidays

Calendar overlays may be used as a guide for instructors and event planners to indicate which days are important religious holidays that might entail work restrictions. Google has several overlays for regional and global religious holidays that you can add by going to Settings > Add calendar > Browse calendars of interest in your Google calendar.

Please check the Interfaith Calendar for additional holidays.

Additional Major Holidays

Major holidays that are important cultural or religious celebrations and observances but do not require students or employees to abstain from work are listed below.

  • *Ramadan – Muslim
  • Diwali (Deepavali) – Hindu
  • Chinese New Year
  • Holi – Hindu