These calendars has been developed or provided to assist schools in setting their academic calendars with regard to the religious needs of the families, students, and faculty they serve. The CA3Rs Calendar only includes some religious observances, based on those religious communities most represented in California’s schools and which would therefore impact school attendance or exert significant cultural influence. When using the calendars, please keep the following in mind:

1. Some religious observances begin at sundown of the previous day.
2. Holidays calculated on the lunar calendar change each year on the Western calendar.
3. Many holidays are celebrated on different days in different countries, so the days that students or employees choose to observe a particular holiday may vary.
4.  The specific dates of some holidays, especially those of the Sikh faith, varied widely based on source and calendar tradition used to figure them. In those cases, administrators may choose to consult the religious leaders in the community before setting school calendars.  
5. Employees and students may not adhere to a major world religion, or any of the holidays listed on the world religions calendars, but may legally observe other religious holidays important to them with the expectation of equal treatment in the school and workplace.

For information about how the holidays are observed and how this might impact schools, see An Educator’s Classroom Guide to America’s Religious Beliefs and Practices by Benjamin Hubbard, John T. Hatfield, and Jams A. Santucci, Libraries Unlimited, 2007.  For a more detailed description and definition of the religious holidays listed, and for the dates for religious holidays not listed, please see http://www.interfaithcalendar.org/index.htm.

CA Three Rs Religious Holidays Calendar for Schools 20011-12

http://ca3rsproject.org/pdfs/ReligHoliday 2011-12.pdf

Interfaith Calendar Defition of Terms

http://www.interfaithcalendar.org/calendardefinitions.htm

Religion & Ethics Newsweekly Religious Holidays Calendar http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/multifaith-calendar/

Religion & Ethics Newsweekly has printed the names of religious holidays on monthly calendars with roll over hotlinks explaining the meaning of the holiday.

Interfaith Calendar

http://www.interfaithcalendar.org/

Holidays are placed on a list by name in date order followed by a listing of the religious tradition that observes the holiday on that date. There is a link to an alphabetical list of holidays and their meaning.

In Public Schools, Which Holidays Are Holidays?

http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/commentary.aspx?id=21848

In this commentary, Charles Haynes guides school leaders to ask the right constitutional questions in considering religious holy days when determining their school calendar.

Resources for Schools:

Ramadan Resources 2011

http://ca3rsproject.org/pdfs/Ramadan2011Resources.pdf

Chinese New Year 2011

http://ca3rsproject.org/pdfs/Chinese New Year2011.pdf

Jewish High Holy Day 2011

http://ca3rsproject.org/pdfs/Teaching Jewish High Holy Days 2011.pdf

Halloween in the Public Schools

http://ca3rsproject.org/pdfs/Halloween in Public Schools.pdf

Day of the Dead (Dia De los Muertos)

http://ca3rsproject.org/bulletins/3RsDay of Dead-Religious Holiday.pdf

http://ca3rsproject.org/pdfs/December Dilemma2011.pdf