Religious Observances
Purchase College commits to ensuring that every student is guaranteed the right to practice their faith with no interference as they pursue their academic goals.
Rights and Responsibilities
Purchase College Commitments
The college commits to ensuring that every student has the right to practice their faith while pursuing their education.
- In collaboration with the Diversity Office, the Provost will issue a list of major religious holidays taking place during the following academic year. This ensures that faculty is aware of the major celebrations of the faiths practiced by our students.
- All student absences due to practicing their faith will be considered “excused” with no negative consequence. However, students must make arrangements to complete work covered in the class.
Faculty and Staff Rights and Responsibilities
- Faculty are strongly urged to avoid scheduling examinations, labs, performances, due dates for papers, presentations, or other assignments, and special events on any of the major listed holidays. When this is unavoidable, students will be given the opportunity for an equivalent make-up.
- Whenever possible, faculty are encouraged to post their lecture notes for classes taking place on any of the major holidays on their individual Brightspace course page so that all students can access the material.
- Faculty who intend to observe a religious holiday should arrange at the beginning of the semester to reschedule missed classes or to make other provisions for their course-related activities.
Student Rights and Responsibilities
- Students are expected to notify their professors as early as possible in advance of any religious observance for which they request an accommodation and discuss a plan with their professors to make up the work.
- Students who feel they are being treated unfairly can reach out to the Office of the Provost to address their concerns.
Policies
As provided for in New York State Education Law §224-a, no person shall be expelled from or be refused admission as a student to an institution of higher education for the reason that he or she is unable, because of his or her religious beliefs, to register or attend classes or to participate in any examination, study, or work requirements on a particular day or days.
Any student who is unable, because of his or her religious beliefs, to attend classes on a particular day or days shall be excused from any examination or any study or work requirements that he or she may have missed because of such absence.
It is the responsibility of the faculty and of the administrative officials at Purchase College to make available to each student who is absent under these conditions an equivalent opportunity to register for classes or to make up any examination, study, or work requirements that he or she may have missed because of such absence. No fees of any kind shall be charged by the college for making available to the student such equivalent opportunity.
List of Observances
The observances listed are not exhaustive of all religions and their observable holidays. The dates on which religious observances occur can vary from year to year.
Although daily or weekly religious observances are not listed, we are committed to accommodating students’ needs in accordance with our official policy (above) and New York State Education Law 224-A.
2025 Dates |
Days |
Observances |
|---|---|---|
January 7 |
Tuesday |
Christmas |
January 29 |
Wednesday |
Lunar New Year |
February 13–14 |
Sundown Thursday– |
Laylat al-Bara’at |
February 26 |
Wednesday |
Maha Shivarati |
February 28–March 30 |
Sundown Wednesday– |
Ramadan |
March 3 |
Monday |
Great Lent begins |
March 5 |
Wednesday |
Ash Wednesday |
March 13–14 |
Sundown Thursday– |
Purim |
| March 14–15 | Sundown Friday– |
Holi |
| March 27 | Thursday | Laylat al-Qadr (Muslin) |
| March 29–30 | Sundown Saturday– Sundown Sunday |
Eid al-Fitr (Muslim) |
April 12–20 |
Sundown Saturday– |
Passover |
April 18 |
Friday |
Good Friday |
April 20 |
Sunday |
Easter |
June 1–3 |
Sundown Sunday– |
Shavuot |
June 6–7 |
Sundown Friday– |
Eid al-Adha |
August 16 |
Saturday |
Krishna Janmashtami |
September 4–5 |
Sundown Thursday– |
Mawlid al-Nabi |
September 22–October 2 |
Sundown Monday– |
Navaratri |
September 22–24 |
Sundown Monday– |
Rosh Hashanah |
| October 1–2 | Sundown Wednesday– Sundown Thursday |
Yom Kippur |
October 6–13 |
Sundown Monday– |
Sukkot |
October 13–15 |
Sundown Monday– |
Shemini Atzeret |
October 14–15 |
Sundown Tuesday– |
Simchat Torah |
October 20 |
Monday |
Diwali |
December 14–22 |
Sundown Thursday– |
Hanukkah |
2026 Dates |
Days |
Observances |
|---|---|---|
January 7 |
Wednesday |
Christmas |
February 2–3 |
Sundown Monday– |
Laylat al-Bara’at |
February 17 |
Tuesday |
Lunar New Year |
February 17–March 18 |
Sundown Tuesday– |
Ramadan |
February 18 |
Wednesday |
Ash Wednesday |
February 23 |
Monday |
Great Lent begins, Clean Monday (Orthodox Christian) |
March 2–3 |
Sundown Monday– |
Purim |
| March 3–4 | Sundown Tuesday– |
Holi |
| March 19–20 | Sundown Thursday– Sundown Friday |
Eid al-Fitr (Muslim) |
March 26 |
Monday |
Laylat al-Qadr |
April 1–9 |
Sundown Wednesday– |
Passover |
April 3 |
Friday |
Good Friday |
April 5 |
Sunday |
Easter |
May 21–23 |
Sundown Thursday– |
Shavuot |
May 26–27 |
Sundown Tuesday– |
Eid al-Adha |
August 25–26 |
Sundown Tuesday– |
Mawlid al-Nabi |
September 4 |
Friday |
Krishna Janmashtami |
September 11–13 |
Sundown Monday– |
Rosh Hashanah |
September 20–21 |
Sundown Sunday– |
Yom Kippur |
September 25–October 2 |
Sundown Friday– |
Sukkot |
October 2–4 |
Sundown Friday– |
Shemini Atzeret |
October 3–4 |
Sundown Saturday– |
Simchat Torah |
October 11–20 |
Sundown Sunday– |
Navaratri |
November 8 |
Sunday |
Diwali |
December 4–12 |
Sundown Friday– |
Hanukkah |
2027 Dates |
Days |
Observances |
|---|---|---|
January 7 |
Thursday |
Christmas |
February 7 |
Sunday |
Lunar New Year |
February 7–March 8 |
Sundown Sunday– |
Ramadan |
February 10 |
Wednesday |
Ash Wednesday |
March 9–10 |
Sundown Tuesday–Sundown Wednesday* |
Eid al-Fitr |
March 15 |
Monday |
Great Lent begins / Clean Monday |
March 22–23 |
Sundown Monday– |
Purim |
March 22–23 |
Sundown Monday– |
Holi |
March 26 |
Friday |
Good Friday |
March 28 |
Sunday |
Easter |
April 21–29 |
Sundown Wednesday– |
Passover |
May 16–17 |
Sundown Sunday– |
Eid al-Adha |
June 10–12 |
Sundown Thursday– |
Shavuot |
August 14–15 |
Sundown Saturday– |
Mawlid al-Nabi |
August 25 |
Wednesday |
Krishna Janmashtami |
September 30–October 9 |
Sundown Thursday– |
Navaratri |
October 1–3 |
Sundown Friday– |
Rosh Hashanah |
October 10–11 |
Sundown Sunday– |
Yom Kippur |
October 15–22 |
Sundown Friday– |
Sukkot |
October 22–24 |
Sundown Friday– |
Shemini Atzeret |
October 23–24 |
Sundown Saturday– |
Simchat Torah |
October 29 |
Friday |
Diwali |
December 24–January 1 |
Sundown Friday– |
Hanukkah |
2028 Dates |
Days |
Observances |
|---|---|---|
January 7 |
Friday |
Christmas |
January 26 |
Wednesday |
Lunar New Year |
January 27–February 25 |
Sundown Thursday– |
Ramadan |
February 26–27 |
Sundown Saturday– |
Eid al-Fitr |
February 28 |
Monday |
Great Lent begins, Clean Monday |
March 1 |
Wednesday |
Ash Wednesday |
March 11–12 |
Sundown Saturday– |
Purim |
March 11–12 |
Sundown Saturday– |
Holi |
April 10–18 |
Sundown Monday– |
Passover |
April 14 |
Friday |
Good Friday |
April 16 |
Sunday |
Easter |
May 4–5 |
Sundown Thursday– |
Eid al-Adha |
May 30–June 1 |
Sundown Tuesday– |
Shavuot |
August 2–3 |
Sundown Wednesday– |
Mawlid al-Nabi |
August 13 |
Sunday |
Krishna Janmashtami |
September 19–28 |
Sundown Tuesday– |
Navaratri |
September 20–22 |
Sundown Wednesday– |
Rosh Hashanah |
September 29–30 |
Sundown Friday– |
Yom Kippur |
October 4–11 |
Sundown Wednesday– |
Sukkot |
October 11–13 |
Sundown Wednesday– |
Shemini Atzeret |
October 12–13 |
Sundown Thursday– |
Simchat Torah |
October 17 |
Tuesday |
Diwali |
December 12–20 |
Sundown Tuesday– |
Hanukkah |