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.
More About Work-Restricted Days
| 2026 Dates | Name | Type of Observance |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 1 | Feast of Mary Mother of God (Catholic) | Special worship |
| Jan. 5 | Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib (Sikh) | Special worship |
| Jan. 7 | Christmas (Eastern Orthodox) | Special worship |
| Jan. 19 | Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Federal) | Meaningful |
| Feb. 26 | Maha Shivaratri (Hindu) | Work-restricted |
| Feb. 17 - March 3 | Chinese New Year | Meaningful |
| Feb. 18 - March 19 | Ramadan (Islam) | Work-restricted |
| Feb. 18 | Ash Wednesday (Catholic) | Special worship |
| Feb. 19 | Shri Ramakrishna Jayanti (Hindu) | Work-restricted |
| Feb. 18 - April 2 | Lent (Catholic) | Special worship |
| March 2 - 3 | Purim (Jewish) | Special worship |
| March 21 | Naw-Ruz (Bahá'í) | Work-restricted |
| March 25 | Feast of the Annunciation (Catholic) | Meaningful |
| March 26 | Ramanavami (Hindu) | Work-restricted |
| March 29 | Palm Sunday (Christian) | Meaningful |
| April 1 - 9 | Passover (Jewish) | Work-restricted |
| April 5 | Palm Sunday (Eastern Orthodox) | Meaningful |
| April 14 | Vaisakhi (Sikh) | Special worship |
| April 3 | Good Friday (Christian) | Special worship |
| April 5 | Easter (Christian) | Special worship |
| April 10 | Good Friday (Eastern Orthodox) | Meaningful |
| April 12 | Easter (Eastern Orthodox) | Special worship |
| April 13 | Yom Ha'Shoah (Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day) (Judaism) | Meaningful |
| April 20 - May 2 | Ridvan (Bahá'í) | Work-restricted |
| May 1 | Vesak (Buddhist) | Work-restricted |
| May 14 | Feast of Ascension (Catholic) | Special worship |
| May 21 - 23 | Shavuot (Jewish) | Work-restricted |
| May 23 | Declaration of the Bab (Bahá'í) | Work-restricted |
| May 26 | Hajj – Annual Islamic Pilgrimage | Special worship |
| May 26 - 27 | Eid-ul-Adha (Islam) | Work-restricted |
| May 29 | Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh (Bahá'í) | Work-restricted |
| June 16 | Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (Sikh) | Work-restricted |
| June 19 | Juneteenth (Federal) | Meaningful |
| July 10 | Martyrdom of the Bab (Bahá'í) | Work-restricted |
| July 22 - 23 | Tisha B'Av Begins (Jewish) | 25-hour fasting, work-restricted optional |
| July 31 | Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola (Catholic) | Special worship |
| Aug. 15 | Feast of the Assumption of Mary (Catholic) | Special worship |
| Aug. 16 | Paryushan (Jain) | Special worship |
| Sept. 4 | Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu) | Work-restricted |
| Sept. 11 - 13 | Rosh Hashanah (Jewish) | Work-restricted |
| Sept. 20 - 21 | Yom Kippur (Jewish) | Work-restricted |
| Sept. 25 | Sukkot (Jewish) | Work-restricted |
| Oct. 2 | Shemini Atzeret (Jewish) | Work-restricted |
| Oct. 3 | Simchat Torah (Jewish) | Work-restricted |
| Nov. 1 | All Saints Day (Catholic) | Special worship |
| Nov. 2 | All Souls Day (Catholic) | Special worship |
| Nov. 8 | Diwali (Hindu, Jain) | Special worship |
| Nov. 10 | Birth of the Bab (Bahá'í) | Work-restricted |
| Nov. 16 | Remembering the Martyrs of the UCA (Secular) | Meaningful |
| Nov. 24 | Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Sahib (Sikh) | Work-restricted |
| Nov. 24 | Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib (Sikh) | Work-restricted |
| Nov. 26 | Thanksgiving (Federal) | Meaningful |
| Dec. 3 | Feast of St. Francis Xavier (Catholic) | Meaningful |
| Dec. 4 - 12 | Hanukkah | Special worship |
| Dec. 8 | Bodhi Day (Buddhist) | Special worship |
| Dec. 8 | Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Catholic) | Special worship |
| Dec. 12 | Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Catholic) | Meaningful |
| Dec. 25 | Christmas (Christian) | Special worship |
| Dec. 26 - Jan. 1 | Kwanzaa (Ethnic) | Meaningful |