Religious Holidays and Observances
We are committed to continually learning and educating our community about the holidays and traditions of all of the communities we serve so that we may be more inclusive of all students, faculty, and staff at Virginia Tech. We have compiled this calendar of holidays and observances to serve as a reference for program planning throughout the year. This list is not exhaustive of all holidays or observances. The Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life encourages our organizations to be mindful of these holidays and observances when planning programs, meetings and events.
Some holidays may begin at sundown the night before the stated date, and others may be dependent on the phases of the moon. We encourage you to further research and learn about these observances.
2021-2022 Academic Calendar
Holiday or Observance |
Religious or Cultural Group |
Dates |
Rosh Hoshanah |
Judaism | September 6 (sundown) - September 8 (sundown) |
Yom Kippur | Judaism | September 15 (sundown)- September 16 (sundown) |
Sukkot | Judaism | September 20 (sundown)- September 27 (sundown) We recommend avoiding scheduling events on the first 2 days. |
Shemini Atzeret Simchat Torah |
Judaism | September 27 (sundown)- September 29 (sundown) |
Diwali | Jainism, Sikhism, Hinduism | November 3 |
Chanukah | Judaism | November 28 (sundown)- December 6 (sundown) Events may be scheduled during this time, but be mindful of students' commitments. |
Christmas Eve | Christianity | December 24 |
Christmas Day | Christianity | December 25 |
Kwanzaa | African American | December 26-January 1 |
Chinese New Year | Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism | February 1 |
Ash Wednesday | Christianity | March 2 |
Purim | Judiasm | March 15 (sundown)- March 16 (sundown) |
Holi- Festival of Colors | Hinduism | March 18 (sundown)- March 19 (sundown) |
Passover | Judiasm | April 15 (sundown)-April 23 (sundown) We recommend avoiding scheduling events on the first 2 days and last 2 days. |
Good Friday | Christianity | April 15 |
Easter | Christianity | April 17 |
Ramadan | Islam | April 1 (sundown)-May 1 (sundown) |
Eid al-Fitr | Islam | May 2 (sundown)-May 3 (sundown) |