State Board of Education
Comment/Response Form
This comment and response form contains comments received since the March 2, 2022, State Board
meeting when the List of Religious Holidays Permitting Student Absence From School was considered at
Discussion Level.
Topic: Religious Holidays Permitting Student Absence from School
Meeting Date: May 4, 2022
Code Citation: N.J.A.C. 6A:32-8.3(j) Level: Adoption
Division: Field Support and Services Completed by: Field Support and Services
Summary of Public Comments and Agency Responses:
The following are comments received from members of the public and the Department’s response. Each
commenter is identified at the end of the comment by a number that corresponds to the following list:
1. Baninder Mahabir
2. Narinderjit Kaur
3. Sumit Bangia
1. Comment: The commenters requested the Department add Vaisakhi, one of the most significant
days of the year for Sikhs, to the list of excused holidays. The commenters indicated that the holiday
had previously been on the List of Religious Holidays Permitting Student Absences From School but
has been missing for a few years. (1, 2, 3)
Response: The Department agrees and will reinstate the holiday on the List of Religious Holidays
Permitting Student Absences From School.
Vaisakhi (Sikh) April 14, 2023
Adoption Resolution
May 4, 2022
Resolution
The List of Religious Holidays Permitting Student Absence from School
Whereas, according to N.J.S.A. 18A:36-14 through 16 and N.J.A.C. 6A:32-8.3(j), regarding
student absence from school because of religious holidays, the Commissioner of Education, with the
approval of the State Board of Education, is charged with the responsibility of prescribing such rules and
regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purpose of the law; and
Whereas, the law provides that:
1. Any student absent from school because of a religious holiday may not be deprived of
any award or of eligibility or opportunity to compete for any award because of such
absence;
2. Students who miss a test or examination because of absence on a religious holiday must
be given the right to take an alternate test or examination;
3. To be entitled to the privileges set forth above, the student must present a written excuse
signed by a parent or person standing in place of a parent;
4. Any absence because of a religious holiday must be recorded in the school register or
in any group or class attendance record as an excused absence;
5. Such absence must not be recorded on any transcript or application or employment
form or on any similar form; and
6. The Commissioner, with the approval of the State Board of Education, is required to:
(a)
prescribe such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purposes
of this act; and
(b)
prepare a list of religious holidays on which it shall be mandatory to excuse a
student. The list, however, is to be a minimum list. Boards of education, at their
discretion, may add other days to the list for the schools of their districts; and
Whereas, the New Jersey Department of Education makes every attempt to ensure the accuracy of
the dates using the lunar, Gregorian and Julian calendars; and
Whereas, the district board of education has the right to add any bona fide religious holiday to the
list for its own schools;
Whereas, dates within this resolution may not be fixed before the State Board adopts the annual
calendar and may require additional revision; now therefore be it
Resolved, that the State Board of Education permits the Commissioner of Education, after annual
adoption by the State Board of Education, to revise the dates provided in list of religious holidays; and be it
further
Resolved, that the State Board of Education adopts the following list of religious holidays for the
2022-2023 school year:
* Disclaimer: New Jersey Department of Education has made every attempt to ensure the accuracy of the
dates. The information has been verified through the use of various sources and some dates may vary due to the
lunar, Gregorian and Julian calendars.
2022-2023 School Year Observances
July 2022
Date
Observance
July 8
Yawm al-Arafa (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
July 9
• Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha’i)
• Eid al-Adha (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
July 7-12
Hajj Day (Islam)*
July 10
Eid al-Adha (Islam)*
July 13
• Asalha Puja Day (Buddhist)
• Guru Purnima
July 17
Eid-e-Ghadeer (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
July 29
1
st
Muharram (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
July 29 – August 7
Ashara Mubaraka (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
August 2022
Date
Observance
August 1
• Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus (Eastern
Orthodox Christian)
• Lammas (Christian and Wicca)
August 2
Naga Panchami (Hindu)*
1
August 6
• Tish’a B’Av (Jewish)
• Transfiguration of the Lord (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
August 7
Yawm Aashura (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
August 9
1
st
Muharram (Islamic New Year)
August 11
Raksha Bandhan (Hindu)*
August 12
Ulambana (Buddhist)
August 13-15
Obon (Buddhist)
August 15
• Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(Catholic Christian)
• Dormition of the Theotokos (Orthodox Christian)
August 19
Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu)*
August 23-24
Paryushana (Jain)*
August 30 – September 8
Onam (Hindu)*
August 31
Ganesh Chaturthi (Hindu)*
September 2022
Date
Observance
September 1
Ecclesiastical Year begins (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
September 7
His Holiness Sakya Trizin’s Birthday (Buddhist)
September 8
Nativity of Mary (Christian)
September 16
Chehlum Imam Hussain (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
September 21
Nativity of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
September 21-29
Mabon (Wicca/Pagan)
September 26-27
• Rosh Hashanah (Jewish)
• Feast of Trumpets (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of
God)
September 26 – October 5
Navaratri (Hindu)*
September 27
The Elevation of the Holy Cross (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
October 2022
Date
Observance
October 5
• Yom Kippur (Jewish)
• Day of Atonement (Christian, Church of God, Philadelphia
Church of God)
October 7
Milad an-Nabi (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
October 8
Maulid al-Nabi (Islam)*
October 9-16
• Sukkot (Jewish)
• Feast of Tabernacles (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of
God)
October 11
Urus-Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
October 17
Last Great Day (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)
October 17-18
Sh’mini Atzeret (Jewish)
October 18
Simchat Torah (Jewish)
October 20
Installation of the Scriptures as Guru Granth (Sikh)
October 22-26
Diwali (Hindu, Jain, Puja, Deepavali and Sikh)*
October 26
• Goverdhan Puja (Hindu)*
• Birth of B’ab (Bah’i)
October 27
Birth of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)
October 29
Milad Imam-uz-Zamaan (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
November 2022
Date
Observance
November 1
• All Saints’ Day (Christian)
• Samhain-Beltane (Wicca)
November 2
All Souls’ Day (Christian)
November 8
Guru Nanak Dev Sahib Birthday (Sikh)
November 14
Milad Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (Islam Dawoodi
Bohra)*
November 21
The Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple (Eastern
Orthodox Christian)
November 24
Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom (Sikh)
November 26
Day of Covenant (Baha’i)`
November 27
First Sunday of Advent (Christian)
November 28
• Nativity Fast begins (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
• Ascension of ‘Abdul’l Baha (Baha’i)
December 2022
Date
Observance
December 8
• Immaculate Conception (Christian)
• Bodhi Day (Buddhist)
December 19-26
Hanukkah (Jewish)
December 21
Yule (Wicca and Christian)
December 25
• Christmas (Christian)
• The Nativity of Christ (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
December 26
Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrian)
January 2023
Date
Observance
January 1
• Gantan-sai (Shinto)
• Mary, Mother of God - Catholic Christian
January 3-10
Holy Convocation (Church of God and Saints of Christ)
January 5
Birthday of Guru Gobindh Singh Sahib (Sikh)
January 6
• Feast of Epiphany (Christian)
• Feast of Theophany (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
• Nativity of Christ (Armenian Orthodox)
January 7
Feast of the Nativity (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
January 13
Maghi (Sikh)
January 15
• Makar Sankranti and Pongal (Hindu)*
• World Religion Day (Baha’i)
January 22
Chinese/Lunar New Year (Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist)
January 24 - February 2
Midwinter Ceremonies (Native American)
January 26
Vasant Panchami (Hindu)*
February 2023
Date
Observance
February 2
• The Presentation of Our Lord to the Temple (Eastern
Orthodox Christian)
• Imbolic-Candlemas (Wicca and Christian)
February 5
Ayyam al Beez (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
February 6
Tu B’shvat (Jewish)
February 9
• Urus – Syedna Taher Saifuddin (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)
• Jonah’s Passover (Eastern Orthodox Church)
February 15
Nirvana Day (Buddhist)
February 17
Yawm al-Mab’ath (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)
February 18
• Maha Shivaratri (Hindu)*
• Lailat al Miraj (Islam)*
February 21
Shrove Tuesday (Christian)
February 22
Ash Wednesday (Christian)
February 26 – March 1
Intercalary Days (Baha'i)
February 27
Clean Monday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
March 2023
Date
Observance
March 3
Govinda Dwadashi (Hindu)*
March 6
Holika Dahan (Hindu)*
March 7
Purim (Jewish)
March 8
• Lailat al Bara’ah (Islam)*
• Holi (Hindu)*
March 8-10
Hola Mohalla (Sikh)*
March 13
L. Ron Hubbard’s Birthday (Church of Scientology)
March 14
Meena Sankranthi (Hindu)*
March 20
Ostara (Wicca)
March 21
• Naw-Ryz (Baha’i)
• Nowruz (Zoroastrian)
March 22
• Souramana Yugadi (Hindu)*
• Chandramana Yugadi(Hindu)*
March 22 – April 21
Ramadan (Islam)
March 25
• The Annunciation of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox
Christian)
• The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary (Christian)
March 26
Khordad Sal (Zoroastrian)
March 30
Ramnavami (Hindu)*
April 2023
Date
Observance
April 2
Palm Sunday
April 4
• Mahavir Jayanti (Jain)*
• Lord’s Evening Meal (Christian, Jehovah’s Witness)
April 5-13
• Memorial of the Feast of the Lord’s Passover (Church of
God and Saints of Christ)
• Passover (United Church of God)
• Passover (Jewish)
April 8
Visakha Puja (Buddhist)
April 6
• Holy Thursday (Christian)
• First Day of Unleavened Bread (Church of God)
• Hanuman Jayanti (Hindu)*
April 6-8
Theravadin New Year (Buddhist)
April 6-12
Days of Unleavened Bread (Philadelphia Church of God)
April 7
Holy Friday (Christian)
April 8
Lazarus Saturday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 9
• Easter (Christian)
• Palm Sunday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
• Shahadat – Amirul Mumineen (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
April 10
Easter Monday (Christian)
April 12
• Passover/Days of Unleavened Bread (Church of God and
Saints of Christ)
• Last Day of Unleavened Bread (Church of God)
April 12-13
Laylatul Qadr (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
April 13
• Holy Thursday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
• Milad Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
April 14
• Holy Friday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
• The Last Friday of the Great Lent (Eastern Orthodox Church)
• Aakhir Jumo’a (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
• Vaisakhi (Sikh)
April 16
Easter (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 17
Bright Monday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 18
Laylatul Qadr (Islam)*
April 21
• First Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
• Eid al-Fitr (Islam Dawoodi Bohra)*
April 22
Eid al Fitr (Islam)*
April 25
The 11
th
Panchen Lama’s Birthday (Buddhist)
April 26
Yom Ha’Azmaut (Jewish)
April 29
Ninth Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
May 2023
Date
Observance
May 1
Beltane (Wicca)
May 2
Twelfth Day of Ridvan (Baha’i)
May 9
Lag B’Omer (Jewish)
May 18
Ascension of Our Lord (Christian)
May 24
Declaration of the Bab (Baha’i)
May 25
Feast of Ascension (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
May 26
Buddha’s Birthday/Buddha Day*
May 26-27
Shavuot (Jewish)
May 28
Pentecost (Christian)
May 29
Ascension of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)
June 2023
Date
Observance
June 4
Pentecost (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
June 12-19
Fast of the Holy Apostles (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
June 16
Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (Sikh)
June 24
Litha (Wicca)
_____________________________________________ __________________________________
Angelica Allen-McMillan, Ed.D., Acting Commissioner Kathy Goldenberg, President
Acting Secretary, N.J. State Board of Education N.J. State Board of Education
