Pesach/Passover begins

Passover 2024 begins at sundown on Monday, April 22nd and ends the evening of Tuesday, April 30th for most Jews in diaspora. Jews in the land of Israel and some Reform Jews in diaspora will end Passover on the evening of Monday, April 29th.

Passover is a festival of freedom.

It commemorates the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt, and their transition from slavery to freedom. The main ritual of Passover is the seder, which occurs on the first two night (in Israel just the first night) of the holiday — a festive meal that involves the re-telling of the Exodus through stories and song and the consumption of ritual foods, including matzah and maror (bitter herbs). The seder’s rituals and other readings are outlined in the Haggadah — today, many different versions of this Passover guide are available in print and online, and you can also create your own.

Ridván begins

(For all holy days, observance begins at sunset on the evening before)

Baha’i communities worldwide celebrate their most sacred festival, Ridvan, which takes from the end of April to the beginning of May each year. This event commemorates the 12 days that Baha’u’llah spent on the banks of the Tigris River in Baghdad in 1863, during which He declared His mission as God’s Messenger for a new age and revealed the spiritual principles that are the foundation of His teachings.

The name “Ridvan” means “paradise,” and during the 12 days, Baha’i communities come together to celebrate this joyous occasion.

Vaisakhi

Hindu and Sikh solar new year. Anniversary of the creation of the Khalsa (the army of the Pure Ones) in 1699. It is the most important day of the year for Sikhs.

Eid al-Fitr

A 3 day Islamic fast marking the close of Ramadan

St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day observes of the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The holiday has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, drinking and a whole lot of green.

Easter

Easter is a Christian holiday that celebrates the belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the New Testament of the Bible, the event is said to have occurred three days after Jesus was crucified by the Romans and died in roughly A.D. 30. The holiday concludes the “Passion of Christ,” a series of events and holidays that begins with Lent—a 40-day period of fasting, prayer and sacrifice—and ends with Holy Week, which includes Holy Thursday (the celebration of Jesus’ Last Supper with his 12 Apostles, also known as “Maundy Thursday”), Good Friday (on which Jesus’ crucifixion is observed) and Easter Sunday. Although a holiday of high religious significance in the Christian faith, many traditions associated with Easter date back to pre-Christian, pagan times.

Good Friday

The Friday of Jesus’ crucifixion.

Holi

Spring festival dedicated to the god of pleasure. It is a carnival occasion featuring bright colors, pilgrimages, and bonfires.

Purim

Feast of Lots celebrates the deliverance of the Jewish minority in Persia from genocide.

Naw-Ruz (New Year)

Baha’i and Iranian New Year