Holidays, Observances and Religious Holy Days
Saint Louis University provides a calendar of holidays, observances and religious holy days — sourced from Jesuit Resource — for informational purposes. To learn more about which days SLU is formally closed or class is not in session, please view the University's holiday calendar and the University academic calendar.
The following definitions, also sourced from Jesuit Resource, should be considered when reviewing the calendar.
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Meaningful: Days marked as meaningful are not work-restricted by definition but may be particularly significant to people attending or working at Saint Louis University.
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Special Worship: Special worship days are not by definition work-restricted but may involve a special worship or observance.
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Work-Restricted: Days denoted as work-restricted are recognized denominational sacred or holy days where religious beliefs, laws/doctrines, tenets, canons or theology restrict or limit work (be it physical or mental). This definition may include academic examinations, classroom activities and research or out-of-classroom learning experiences.
Learn More About Work-Restricted Days from Jesuit Resource
| 2024 Dates | Name | Type of Observance |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Feast of Mary Mother of God (Catholic) | Special worship |
| January 15 | Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Federal) | Meaningful |
| January 17 | Christmas (Eastern Orthodox) | Special worship |
| January 17 | Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib (Sikh) | Special worship |
| January 18 | Bodhi Day (Buddhist) | Special worship |
| February 10 | Chinese New Year | Meaningful |
| February 14 | Ash Wednesday (Catholic) | Special worship |
| February 14 - March 31 | Lent (Catholic) | Special worship |
| March 8 | Maha Shivaratri (Hindu) | Work-restricted |
| March 12 | Shri Ramakrishna Jayanti (Hindu) | Work-restricted |
| March 19 | Naw-Ruz (Bahá'í) | Work-restricted |
| March 23-24 | Purim (Jewish) | Special worship |
| March 10 - April 8 | Ramadan (Islam) | Work-restricted |
| March 24 | Palm Sunday (Christian) | Meaningful |
| March 25 | Feast of the Annunciation (Catholic) | Meaningful |
| March 29 | Good Friday (Christian) | Special worship |
| March 30 | Ramanavami (Hindu) | Work-restricted |
| March 31 | Easter (Christian) | Special worship |
| April 10 | Eid al-Fitr (Islam) | Work-restricted |
| April 22- April 30 | Passover (Jewish) | Work-restricted |
| April 28 | Palm Sunday (Eastern Orthodox) | Meaningful |
| April 14 | Vaisakhi (Sikh) | Special worship |
| April 29 | Ridvan (Bahá'í) | Work-restricted |
| May 3 | Good Friday (Eastern Orthodox) | Meaningful |
| May 5 | Easter (Eastern Orthodox) | Special worship |
| May 6 | Yom Ha'Shoah (Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day) (Judaism) | Meaningful |
| May 9 | Feast of Ascension (Catholic) | Special worship |
| May 22 | Vesak (Buddhist) | Work-restricted |
| May 22 | Declaration of the Bab (Bahá'í) | Work-restricted |
| May 28 | Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh (Bahá'í) | Work-restricted |
| June 11 -June 13 | Shavuot (Jewish) | Work-restricted |
| June 14 - June 19 | Hajj – Annual Islamic Pilgrimage | Special worship |
| June 16 | Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (Sikh) | Work-restricted |
| June 19 | Juneteenth (Federal) | Meaningful |
| June 19 | Eid-ul-Adha (Islam) | Work-restricted |
| July 9 | Martyrdom of the Bab (Bahá'í) | Work-restricted |
| August 12- August 13 | Tisha B'Av Begins (Jewish) | 25-hour fasting, work-restricted optional |
| July 31 | Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola (Catholic) | Special worship |
| August 15 | Feast of the Assumption of Mary (Catholic) | Special worship |
| August 26 | Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu) | Work-restricted |
| August 31 | Paryushan (Jain) | Special worship |
| October 2 - October 4 | Rosh Hashanah (Jewish) | Work-restricted |
| October 11 - October 12 | Yom Kippur (Jewish) | Work-restricted |
| October 16 - October 23 | Sukkot (Jewish) | Work-restricted |
| October 23 - October 24 | Shemini Atzeret (Jewish) | Work-restricted |
| October 24 - October 25 | Simchat Torah (Jewish) | Work-restricted |
| October 20 | Birth of the Bab (Bahá'í) | Work-restricted |
| November 1 | All Saints Day (Catholic) | Special worship |
| November 2 | All Souls Day (Catholic) | Special worship |
| November 12 | Diwali (Hindu, Jain) | Special worship |
| November 15 | Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Sahib (Sikh) | Work-restricted |
| November 16 | Remembering the Martyrs of the UCA (Secular) | Meaningful |
| November 24 | Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib (Sikh) | Work-restricted |
| November 28 | Thanksgiving (Federal) | Meaningful |
| December 3 | Feast of St. Francis Xavier (Catholic) | Meaningful |
| December 9 | Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Catholic) | Special worship |
| December 12 | Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Catholic) | Meaningful |
| December 25 | Christmas (Christian) | Special worship |
| December 25 - January 2, 25 | Hanukkah | Special worship |
| December 26-January 1 | Kwanzaa (Ethnic) | Meaningful |