Please refer to this page for information on Religious Observance requests including absences for religious holidays and dietary needs for religious purposes. Please note that some information has recently changed.
In keeping with Goucher College’s commitment to “champion an inclusive community,” the Office of Religious & Spiritual Life seeks to support all students in practicing their sincerely held religious traditions or spiritual paths. The college will make every effort to accommodate religious diversity when possible, including respect for the observance or accommodation of religious holy days such as: holidays, festivals, feast days, fasts, High Holidays, or Holy Days of Obligation.
When possible, faculty and managers should make every effort to provide reasonable religious accommodations to students or student staff who request them.
Religious Holy Days 2024-2025 (PDF)
We know that many religious holy days fall during the academic year and that class schedules, sporting events, or other required activities may interfere with your ability to practice your religion fully. At times, this may mean communicating your needs to faculty, staff, or coaches in order to assure we can support your needs in order to fully practice your faith traditions.
To receive support for religious observances, students must submit the Religious Observance Request form (blue button below) at the beginning of the semester or, if possible, no later than two weeks before the day(s) for which accommodation is needed.
Religious Observance Request Form
Goucher College prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion. Our Diversity Statement is as follows:
"We at Goucher College are dedicated to social justice, diversity, and multiculturalism as fundamental components of our mission and ethos. We champion an inclusive community, embrace and respect different perspectives, and value diversity in all its forms and intersections, including ability, age, culture, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, nationality, race, religious and spiritual belief, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. Understanding that power, privilege, and other forces of inequality play a role in shaping our individual and collective experiences and identities, we are committed to productive dialogue and meaningful action in addressing our differences. We approach this ongoing work with courage, integrity, care, and respect."
Find more information on Goucher's commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice.
Below you will find a list of the Religious Holy Days that may impact your calendars in the 2024-2025 academic year. Please keep in mind this is not an exhaustive list. The holidays included are those that may have a significant impact on observant students and could present a conflict with academic requirements. Please avoid scheduling programs, field trips, events, exams, or major projects on these days, as some members of our community could be fasting, limiting work, or observing the holiday in other ways. Keep in mind that some observances require additional time for preparation or travel before and after the actual holy day.
An instructor would not ordinarily ask a student for proof of their religious practice or spiritual path, or whether they are sincerely held beliefs in determining religious accommodation. It is recommended to be in contact with the Office of the Chaplain regarding a student’s stated religious belief for additional guidance and support.
The Chaplain is not responsible for determining if a student should or should not be provided religious exceptions in the form of absences or other requests. Final decisions regarding attendance are at the discretion of the instructor.
Due to the varied nature of holy day requirements, and the dates for holy days fall outside of a student’s control (especially as some faiths celebrate several days in succession that might take students out of class for more dates than is permissible in a course’s attendance policy), we recommend that an instructor consider utilizing the following suggestions in the hopes of developing a plan for a student to both honor their religious traditions and be an active participant in their coursework and course requirements.
Students should be provided support for religious observances to the extent that it is reasonably practical. This could include:
You may contact the Office of the Chaplain at any time for clarification or guidance.
Note: This is a list of holidays that will impact a large number of our Goucher Community and is not an exhaustive list of all religious holidays.
**Denotes any specific notes/instructions for that holiday.
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September 2024 |
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Labor Day |
September 2 |
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Mawlid al-Nabi (Birth of the Prophet Muhammad) # (Muslim) |
September 15 – 16 |
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October 2024 |
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Rosh Hashanah* (Jewish) |
October 2 – 4 |
**(Work Restricted) |
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Yom Kippur* (Jewish) |
October 11 – 12 |
**(Work Restricted) |
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Navratri/Dussehra (Hindu) |
October 12 |
**(Date Celebrated – 9-day festival) |
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Indigenous Peoples Day |
October 14 |
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Sukkot* (Jewish) |
October 16 – 23 |
**(Work Restricted 10/17 – 18) |
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Shemini Atzeret* (Jewish) |
October 23 |
**(Work Restricted) |
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Simchat Torah* (Jewish) |
October 25 |
**(Work Restricted) |
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Samhain (Pagan/Wiccan) |
October 31 – Nov 1 |
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November 2024 |
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All Saints/Souls Day (Christian) |
November 1 – 2 |
**(Holy Day of Obligation) |
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Diwali (Hindu/Jain/Sikh/Cultural) |
November 1 |
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Veteran’s Day (Cultural) |
November 11 |
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Thanksgiving Day (Interfaith/Cultural) |
November 28 |
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Native American Heritage Day |
November 29 |
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December 2024 |
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Bodhi Day (Buddhist) |
December 8 |
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Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Catholic Christian) |
December 9 |
**(Holy Day of Obligation) |
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Feast of our Lady of Guadalupe (Catholic Christian/Cultural) |
December 12 |
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Christmas (Christian) |
December 24 – 25 |
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Hannukah/Chanukah (Jewish) |
December 25 – Jan 2 |
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Kwanzaa (Interfaith/Cultural) |
December 26 – Jan 1 |
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January 2025 |
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Epiphany/Dia de Reyes (Christian/Cultural) |
January 6 |
**(Services Required) |
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Orthodox Christmas (Christian) |
January 7 |
**(Services Required) |
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day |
January 20 |
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Lunar New Year (Confucius/Daoist/Buddhist/Cultural) |
January 29 |
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February 2025 |
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Nirvana Day (Buddhist) |
February 15 |
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Maha Shivaratri (Hindu) |
February 25 |
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Ramadan # (Muslim) |
February 28 – March 30 |
**(Fasting during daylight hours, additional prayers and services) |
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March 2025 |
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Ash Wednesday (Beginning of Lent) (Christian) |
March 5 |
**(Services Required) |
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Ta’anit Esther (Jewish) |
March 13 |
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Purim* (Jewish) |
March 13 – 14 |
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Holi (Festival of Colors) (Hindu/Jain/Cultural) |
March 14 |
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Nowruz/Naw Rúz/Norooz (Persian New Year) (Zoroastrian/Bahá’ís/Sufis/Cultural) |
March 20 |
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Laylat al-Qadr # (Muslim) |
March 27 |
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Eid al-Fitr # (Muslim) |
March 30 |
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April 2025 |
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Ramanavami (Hindu) |
April 6 |
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Pesach* (Passover) (Jewish) |
April 12 – 20 |
**(Work Restricted 4/12 – 4/13 and 4/19 – 4/20) |
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Holy Week (Christian and Christian Orthodox) |
April 13 – 19 |
**(Good Friday – 4/18; Week may include daytime services and fasting) |
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Easter (End of Lent) (Christian and Christian Orthodox) |
April 20 |
**(Services Required) |
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Yom HaShoah* |
April 23 – 24 |
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May 2025 |
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BACCALAUREATE (Goucher College) |
May 22 |
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Memorial Day (Cultural) |
May 26 |
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Ascension of Jesus (Christian) |
May 29 |
**(Holy Day of Obligation) |
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June 2025 |
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Shavuot* (Jewish) |
June 1 – 3 |
**(Work Restricted) |
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Eid al-Adha # (Muslim) |
June 16 – 17 |
**(Services Required) |
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Juneteenth |
June 19 |
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Muharram (Al Hijrah New Year) #(Muslim) |
June 27 |
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Pentecost (Christian and Christian Orthodox) |
June 8 |
**(Services Required) |