Lafayette College is committed to nurturing religious and spiritual development in students, faculty, and staff.
Lafayette College provides the opportunity for members of the College community to freely explore any religious traditions or spiritual practices of their choosing. The student body is spiritually diverse, and opportunities for worship and practice are available from a wide range of religious and spiritual traditions.
If Lafayette does not have an on-campus community to fit your needs, the chaplain will be sure to connect you with resources in the greater Lehigh Valley community.
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Major Religious Holidays
The following list of holidays are ones that involve fasting, require worship attendance, or prohibit work. It is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all religious traditions or observances. Students may request a Dean’s Excuse for Religious Observances by emailing Chaplain Alex Hendrickson or by contacting their class dean. More details can be found here. Holidays marked with an asterisk begin and end at sundown.
SPRING 2025
January 1: Solemnity of Mary, Mother of Day (Christianity)
January 6: Epiphany (Christianity)
January 12: Baptism of Jesus (Christianity)
January 29: Lunar New Year (Taoism)
February 26: Maha Shivaratri (Hinduism)
February 28-March 19: Nineteen Day Fast* (Baha’i Faith)
February 28-March 29: Ramadan* (Islam)
March 5: Ash Wednesday (Christianity)
March 5-April 17: Lent (Christianity)
March 13: Purim* (Judaism)
March 15: Ramakrishna Jayanti (Hinduism)
March 20-21: Nowruz (Zoroastrianism)
March 26: Khordad Sal (Zoroastrianism)
March 29-30: Eid al-Fitr* (Islam) April 6: Rama Navami (Hinduism) April 12-20: Passover* (Judaism) April 13: Palm Sunday (Christianity) April 17: Maundy Thursday (Christianity) April 18: Good Friday (Christianity) April 20: Easter (Christianity) April 20-May 2: Ridvan* (Baha’i Faith) May 12: Vesak (Buddhism) May 27-28: Ascension of the Baha’u’llah* (Bahai Faith) May 29: Ascension of Jesus (Christianity) May 30: Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (Sikhism)
SUMMER 2025 June 2-3: Shavuot* (Judaism) June 8: Pentecost (Christianity) July 6-7: Ashura* (Islam) July 8-9: Martyrdom of the Bab* (Baha’i Faith) August 2-3: Tish B’Av* (Judaism) August 15: Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin (Christianity) August 16-17: Krishna Jamnashtami (Hinduism) August 21-28: Paryushana (Jainism)
FALL 2025
September 22-24: Rosh Hashanah* (Judaism)
October 1-2: Yom Kippur* (Judaism)
October 6-13: Sukkot* (Judaism)
October 14-15: Simchat Torah* (Judaism)
October 20: Diwali (Hinduism)
October 22-23: Birth of the Bab* (Baha’i Faith)
October 23-24: Birth of the Baha’u’llah* (Baha’i Faith)
November 1: All Saints’ Day (Christianity) November 2: All Souls’ Day (Christianity)
November 5: Guru Nanak Jayanti (Sikhism) November 23: Christ the King (Christianity)
November 24: Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur (Sikhism) November 30-December 24: Advent (Christianity) December 8: Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Christianity) December 8: Bodhi Day (Buddhism) December 14-22: Hanukkah* (Judaism) December 24: Christmas Eve (Christianity) December 25: Christmas Day (Christianity)
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Watch the Baccalaureate Service for the Class of 2024
