Religious, Ethnic Holiday Calendar – May 2022
May 2, 2022
Begin forwarded message:
From: Ian James <Ian.James@cuny.edu>
Date: May 2, 2022 at 2:40:36 PM EDT
To: SAEMC <SAEMC@cuny.edu>
Subject: Re: Religious, Ethnic Holiday Calendar – May 2022
Dear Colleagues,
Below is the May 2022 Religious/Ethnic Holiday calendar. As a reminder, CUNY’s policy on religious accommodation allows students to request and be granted academic and attendance accommodations based on religious belief. A link to the policy and calendar is posted below:
As a frame of reference for anticipating student requests for religious accommodations, CUNY’s Interfaith Council has developed the following “Religious & Ethnic Holidays Calendar,” which serves as a helpful resource https://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/saem/religions-ethnic-holiday-calendar/. This collaborative effort of faith leaders associated with our University gives us a good base of information to expand our knowledge of important observances and confirm student requests for accommodations. Please be mindful that some holidays’ observance may impact activity on days immediately before or following the official date. While not necessarily an exhaustive list, the calendar highlights the following days of religious observance in the month of May.
Religious Holidays (May 2022)
| Religion/Group | Holiday | Description | Obligations/restrictions affiliated with the holidays | Dates | Traditions or Practices |
| Pagan and Wiccan | Beltane | A fire festival celebrated by the Pagan and Wiccan religions that celebrate summer and the fertility of the upcoming year. | N/A | 5/1 | Beltane rituals would often include courting: for example, young men and women collecting blossoms in the woods and lighting fires in the evening. These rituals would often lead to matches and marriages, either immediately in the coming summer or autumn. |
| Muslims | Eid al-Fitr | An Islamic holiday that marks the end of Ramadan. As it ends fasting, its primary event is a big meal. | N/A | 5/2 | People greet each other with “Eid Mubarak,” meaning “Blessed Eid” and with formal embraces. Sweet dishes are prepared at home and gifts are given to children and to those in need. In addition, Muslims are encouraged to forgive and seek forgiveness. Practices vary from country to country |
| Buddhists | Birthday of Buddha | The day that Buddhists celebrate the Buddha’s birthday. | N/A | 5/8 | On Buddha’s Birthday, people usually visit temples to honor the memory of Buddha. They offer gifts and food to the monks, which are then donated to the poor or those in need. The most common practice on Buddha’s Birthday is setting out Lotus Lanterns outside of homes. |
| Buddhists | Vesak | The day that celebrates the birth enlightenment and death of the Buddha. | N/A | 5/16 | Other common practices observed during Vesak Day include the gold gliding of Buddha statues, the consumption of vegetarian meals, the lighting of oil lamps, the performance of charitable deeds or volunteering, as well as the participation in religious talks by venerable monks |
| Baha’is | Declaration of the Bab | The day that marks the prediction of the Bab as the Messenger of God in the Baha’i faith. | N/A | 5/24 | Baha’is celebrate the Declaration of the Báb by gathering together and sharing prayers, stories, and reflections. It is one of the nine holy days in the Bahá’í Faith which means that work and school are suspended |
| Christian | Ascension Day | A Christian holiday that marks the 40th day following Easter when Jesus ascended into Heaven. | N/A | 5/26 | On the eve of the holiday, churches serve all-night vigil. A solemn liturgy takes place on Ascension of the Lord day. On this day, church recommends pay special attention to charity. |
For questions about CUNY’s policy on religious accommodations or to add additional observances, please get in touch with Zina Richardson, Director of Operations, Student Inclusion Initiatives, at zina.richardson@cuny.edu. Thank you for your support and enduring commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion at CUNY.
Sincerely,
Office of Student Affairs
City University of New York