Religious Holidays on the Block Plan Letter 2023-2024

Dear Campus Community,

The Chaplain’s Office seeks to share important information each year about upcoming religious and spiritual holidays, celebrations, observances, and rituals; including where they fall in the block. This is part of our commitment to helping the campus create an environment that is open to and supports a wide range of diverse religious and spiritual traditions and practices.  It is also an active way we seek to embody our commitment to religious diversity, inclusion, and Anti-Racism. Access to important dates enables our campus to work towards greater inclusion and understanding not only within the classroom, but also when planning events, meetings, and other gatherings.

As in previous academic years, the Chaplain's Office will continue to provide the campus community with information about religious holidays on the Block Plan:

  • Sending updates twice a year to remind the campus of dates for annual observances: in the late spring/early summer for those of you who like to plan ahead, and at the beginning of Block 1.
  • Providing information about religious holidays on the Chaplain's Office
  • Offering the opportunity to opt into the Religious Holiday calendar on your outlook calendar

If you have additional ideas about how we can be helpful and supportive, please let the Chaplain's Office know at kholbrook@coloradocollege.edu or at (719) 389-7986.


Religious Diversity and Inclusion at CC:

Colorado College strives to be a diverse community of discovery and learning. As such, we seek to create an environment that is open to and supportive of the wide range of religious traditions and spiritual practices on our campus.

Observance of religious holidays and sacred days can pose significant challenges to our community due to our academic schedule. In the past, students have spoken of CC faculty who were either unaware of the holidays or hesitant to let students make alternative arrangements to complete class assignments. The distinctive pressures of the Block Plan make some students hesitant to celebrate these important holidays. It can be especially difficult for first-year students away from family and their home communities for the first time. Likewise, faculty report students who fail to communicate their needs in a clear and timely manner as well as having to choose between conflicting roles as responsible teachers or people of faith. Campus-wide meetings and events unintentionally scheduled on major religious holidays lead to feelings of exclusion, lack of understanding, and frustration. The intensity of the Block Plan amplifies these problems experienced by most other campuses. 

Our community continues to move toward overcoming these challenges by working together. Freedom of religious expression and celebration is an important value at Colorado College and the Chaplain's Office staff is happy to partner with you to support and ensure Colorado College's commitment to respect the observance of religious holidays by both individual members and communities within our larger community. 

 As faculty, you can help by asking if students are affected by religious holidays and by providing reasonable alternatives to these days to complete tests, papers, or projects. You may also consider offering flexible deadlines for required class sessions near the time of breaking fasts for specific holidays that require fasting, so there is no undue burden to students.

As students, you can talk to your professors well ahead of time to communicate your need for accommodations and to make arrangements for completing all work.

Staff, faculty, and student leaders can pay attention to and be mindful of the religious holiday calendar when planning and scheduling meetings and campus events. All of us can be supportive of an inclusive, welcoming approach to religious and spiritual life at Colorado College. 

Specific Traditions and Sacred Days:
*In this letter we try to group sacred days within the same tradition together and organize the paragraphs related to where their first holiday falls within the academic calendar. Some paragraphs have multiple traditions; thus, the dates might not be perfectly inflowed in Chronos time; religion and spirituality embrace expansive notions of time which we hope you will too with this letter. 

Please note that this memo includes the most common requests for accommodation, it does not include all holidays, sacred, holy, celebrations, rituals, festival, and days of observation. Students from other religious and spiritual traditions may ask for similar consideration. Students from the traditions below may also ask for additional consideration for days not mentioned.  If we have not included a religious tradition or major religious holiday of significance to you on the Chaplain’s Office Religious Holiday Calendar (see link at the end of this document) please contact Chaplain Kate Holbrook so we may be mindful of including it in the future.

During the 2023-2024 academic year, Rosh Hashanah (The Jewish New Year and the Day of Judgment) begins at sundown on Friday, Sept. 15, and ends at sundown on Sunday, Sept. 17, at the end of the third week of Block 1. Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement and Reconciliation), which is a day of fasting from sundown to sundown, begins the evening of Sunday, Sept. 24 and ends at sundown on Monday, Sept.25, the first day of Block 2 which may be particularly challenging for our community this year. Depending on personal practice and family traditions, students typically may celebrate High Holidays using one, two, or all three days to attend synagogue and to spend time in personal reflection, with their families, or with the Jewish community. Passover will begin at sundown on Monday, April 22, 2023, during week one of Block 8, and ends at sundown on Tuesday, April 30 during week two of Block 8. The Passover Seder will be on Monday, April 22nd, 2024. Yom HaShoa, Holocaust Remembrance Day begins at sundown on Sunday, May 5 through sundown on Monday the 6.  Students can learn about information for these and additional religious services and observances by contacting The Chaplain’s Office.

During the academic year, there are many ceremonial and ritual observances Indigenous/Native American tribes and communities observe. Depending on personal, family, and communal practices, students may choose to go home during these ceremonies and/or find ways, when possible, to observe them on campus. Indigenous/Native American students, staff, faculty, and guests who wish to engage in smudging and/or pipe ceremonies throughout the year while on campus are welcome to participate in these spiritual practices at CC. The college asks that those who wish to do so please submit a Ceremonial Notification form. You can learn more about the college’s smudging policy on our websiteDebbie Howell, campus elder-in-residence, is available for community support.

Among the most prominent Hindu holidays during the academic year are Navaratri, Diwali, and Holi. Navaratri, nine nights venerating the Goddess, takes place from Sunday, Oct. 15 through the night of Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, which is during the first week through the second week of Block 3. Diwali, a Festival of Lights celebrating Goodness, will take place on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023, which is at the end of Block 3. Holi, a spring festival of colors signifying the victory of good over evil, takes place on Sunday, March 24- 25, 2024, during Spring Break.

Within the Jain tradition, Paryushana Parva, focused on fasting, studying sacred texts, and renewal of faith, starts at sundown on Monday, Sept. 11 for 8-10 days during week three of Block 1. Earth-based practices such as Wiccan and Neo-Pagan honor Samhain on Tuesday, Oct. 31, Imbolc on Friday, Feb. 2, Beltane on Wednesday, May 1, as well as the solstices and equinoxes. The spiritual holiday Día de Los Muertos, connected to Meso-American/Indigenous/Christian, Catholic traditions, takes place between Tuesday, Oct. 31 and Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, at the beginning of the second week of Block 3.

Within the Bahá'í tradition, the Birth of Bab takes place at the beginning of week 4 of Block 2, starting at sundown on Monday, Oct. 16, followed a day later with the Birth of Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Bahá'í faith, on, Oct.17. 'AIá' (month of fasting) occurs Friday, March 1, 2024, through Tuesday, March 19 during Block 6 and Ridván will begin Saturday, April 20 during Block Break 7. The Sikh festival of Vaisakhi, also observed by some Buddhists and Hindus, takes place on Saturday, April 13, 2024, at the end of the third week of Block 7. The African-American and pan-African holiday of Kwanzaa, takes place Tuesday, Dec. 26 through Monday, January 1, during Winter Break, as does the Shinto observance of Gantan-Sai on Monday, Jan. 1.

Buddhists celebrate the Buddha's enlightenment (Bodhi Day) on Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, in Block 4 and remember the Buddha's passing (Nirvana Day) on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, during Block Break. The Lunar New Year, which can be important to Confucians, Taoists, and Buddhists alike, begins on the evening of on Feb. 10, 2024, at the end of week three of Block 5. Visakha Puja, Buddha Day which celebrates Buddha's birthday, is on Thursday, May 23 in 2024, in many countries, though some dates may vary depending on country and region.

The celebration of Christmas in the Christian Protestant and Catholic traditions will occur on Dec. 25 during Winter Break. During J Block, the Christian Orthodox Feast of the Nativity will happen on Sunday, Jan. 7.  The Christian Catholic and Protestant observance of Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent, will fall on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024, on the last day of Block 5. Maundy/Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter, which remember the death and resurrection of Jesus, occur on Thursday March 28, Friday, March 29, and Sunday, March 31, respectively, at the end of week one of Block 7. The Christian Orthodox Great Lent begins on Monday, March 18, during Spring Break. Holy Friday and Easter fall on Friday, May 3 and Sunday, May 5, in 2024, at the end of week two of Block 8. Throughout the year there are various feast days and Holy Days of Obligation for which Christian students from the Catholic and Orthodox traditions may seek accommodation.

Ramadan is only one of many important religious holidays in Islam. Next year, Eid al Adha, which celebrates the Feast of the Sacrifice, will occur close to Wednesday, June 17*-18, 2024. Muslims observe the lunar month of Ramadan by daily fasting, communal fast-breaking, Qur'an recitation, and personal reflection. In 2024, Ramadan is anticipated to begin at sundown on Sunday, March 10, at the end of week 3 of Block 6 and end around April 9, during the third week of Block 7 in North America. When Ramadan falls within the academic calendar, the Chaplain's Office works with identified students, the Muslim Student Association, and Bon Appetit to arrange and coordinate food to be consumed prior to sunup and after sundown, as well as community-wide gatherings for support and celebration. During Ramadan, it is important to be aware that some students, staff, and faculty will be fasting from sunrise to sundown. Eid al Fitr, which celebrates the end of Ramadan, is anticipated to occur in 2024 at sunset around Saturday, April 9. Contact Chaplain Kate Holbrook in the Chaplain's Office with specific questions regarding dietary needs.

While this memo includes the most common requests for accommodation, it does not include all holidays, sacred, holy, days of observation, and festival days. Students from other religious traditions may ask for similar consideration. Students from the traditions included within this letter may also ask for additional consideration for additional days of importance.

If we have not included a religious tradition or major religious holiday of significance to you on the Chaplain’s Office Religious Holiday Calendar (see below) please contact Chaplain Kate Holbrook so we may be mindful of including it in the future.

Please see the following calendars which may be additional helpful resources.

Chaplain's Office Religious Holiday Calendar

Interfaith/Multi-year Calendar

Harvard Divinity School Multifaith Calendar

*To download the Religious Holidays Calendar.ics for your Outlook calendar Mac or PC, please visit Chaplain's Office Religious Holiday Calendar. This year, everyone will need to download the calendar. Once you have downloaded it, it will automatically upload new dates for the 2023-2024 academic year.

If your office plans to acknowledge religious and spiritual holidays, observances, celebrations, and rituals on social media, please be mindful of being inclusive of the holidays you post. Ensuring posts represent the religious and spiritual diversity of our campus community, rather than selective posting for specific holidays, helps us to make sure we build and maintain a welcoming, inclusive, and inviting community. If you have questions or wish to seek guidance, please contact the Chaplain’s Office. In addition, you are welcome to share posts from our Instagram @Chaplainsoffice_CC.

For more information regarding specific religious holidays and communities, dietary accommodations, and any other questions or concerns related to the spiritual and religious expression on campus, please contact Chaplain Kate Holbrook at kholbrook@coloradocollege.edu or (719) 389-7986.

 Blessings,

The Chaplain's Office

 

 

 

Report an issue - Last updated: 06/19/2023