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A guide to some of the Days of Religious Significance that people may request to take leave in 2010
Note:The following list is not a comprehensive list of all days of religious observance, but a guide to assist managers in accommodating the needs of employees. Supervisors have the flexibility to approve an employees request for leave for religious reasons irrespective of whether the date is listed or not.
The Islamic days may adjust one or two days either side of the dates subject to the lunar cycle, the Jewish days commence at sunset the previous day.
January
|
Date
|
Day of Religious Significance
|
Religion
|
|
1 |
Circumcision of the Lord and New Year |
Syrian Orthodox |
|
5 |
Gurpurab - Birth of Guru Gobindh Singh |
Sikh |
|
6 |
Epiphany of Our Lord |
Christian, Certain Orthodox Christian including Syrian, Greek, Serbian |
|
6 |
Epiphany |
Chaldean and Maronite Catholic |
|
6 |
Christmas |
Armenian Christian |
|
7 |
Christmas or Nativity Feast |
Certain Orthodox Christian including Russian, Serbian |
|
14 |
Makar Sakranti |
Hindu |
|
14 |
Orthodox New Year |
Orthodox Christian |
|
19 |
Epiphany |
Serbian and Coptic Orthodox |
|
20 |
Vasant Panchami |
Hindu |
|
25-27 |
Rocation |
Chaldean Catholic |
|
27 |
St Sava's Day |
Serbian Orthodox |
|
30 |
Festival of Sadeh or Jashn-E Sadeh |
Zoroastrian |
February
|
Date
|
Day of Religious Significance
|
Religion
|
|
1-20 |
Losar Tibetan New Year |
Buddhist - Tibetan |
|
8 |
Parinibanna or Nirvana Day the anniversary of Buddhas passing away (Mahayana tradition) |
Buddhist - Mahayana tradition. Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Vietnam |
|
9 |
St Maroun |
Maronite Catholic |
|
11 |
St Vartnan's Day |
Armenian Christian |
|
12 |
Maha Shivaratri |
Hindu |
|
14 |
Lunar New Year |
Buddhist (Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese) |
|
15 (alternative date) |
Parinibanna or Nirvana Day the anniversary of Buddha's passing away (Mahayana tradition) |
Buddhist - Mahayana tradition. Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Vietnam |
|
15 |
Clean Monday (Great Lent or Ash Monday) |
Coptic Orthodox, Maronite Catholic, Western Christian |
|
16 |
Shrove Tuesday |
Western Christian |
|
17 |
Ash Wednesday (Lent begins) |
Western Christian |
|
25 |
Mawlid an Nabi (Prophet Muhammad Birth) 12 of Rabi^ul-Awwal |
Islam |
|
28 |
Magha Puja or Meak Bochea Day (Sangha Day) |
Buddhist -Cambodia, Thai, Laos, Burma |
|
28 |
Holi (begins) |
Hindu |
March
|
Date
|
Day of Religious Significance
|
Religion
|
|
1 |
Holi |
Hindu |
|
2-20 |
Baha'i fasting begins |
Baha'i |
|
10 |
Mid of the Great Lent, Lifting up th Holy Cross, Feast of King Abgar of Eddessa and Syriac Martyrs' Day |
Orthodox Christian |
|
14 |
Hola Mahala Festival |
Sikh |
|
16 |
Hindi New Year |
Hindu |
|
17 |
St Patrick's Day |
Western Christian |
|
20 |
Baha'i fasting ends |
Baha'i |
|
21 |
Jamshidi Nowruz (New Year) |
Baha'i, Zoroastrian |
|
24 |
Ramanavami |
Hindu |
|
25 |
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
Western Christian, Maronite Catholic |
|
26 |
Birth of Zaroshtra |
Zoroastrian |
|
26 |
Last Friday of Lent |
Orthodox Christian |
|
28 |
Palm Sunday |
Eastern Orthodox Christian, Maronite Catholic |
|
29 |
Hanuman Jayanti (begins) |
Hindu |
|
30 |
Hanuman Jayanti (celebrates) |
Hindu |
|
30 |
Passover 1 |
Jewish |
|
30 |
Memorial of Jesus Christ's Death |
Jehovah's Witness |
|
31 |
Passover 2 |
Jewish |
April
|
Date
|
Day of Religious Significance
|
Religion
|
|
1 |
Holy (Maundy) Thursday |
Orthodox Christian, Western Christian, Maronite Catholic |
|
2 |
Good Friday (Holy Friday) |
All Christians - Western & Armenian Christian, Maronite Catholic and Orthodox Christian |
|
3 |
Easter Saturday (Holy Saturday) |
All Christians - Western & Armenian Christian, Maronite Catholic and Orthodox Christian |
|
4 |
Easter Sunday |
Western & Armenian Christian, Maronite Catholic and Orthodox Christian |
|
5 |
Passover 7 |
Jewish |
|
5 |
Easter Monday |
Western & Armenian Christian, Maronite Catholic |
|
6 |
Passover 8 |
Jewish |
|
7 |
Annunciation Feast |
Coptic Orthodox |
|
13-15 |
Theravada New Year |
Buddhist - Cambodia, Thai, Laos, Burma |
|
14 |
Vaisakhi, Khalsa Day |
Sikh |
|
21 |
First day of Ridvan |
Baha'i |
|
29 |
Ninth day of Ridvan |
Baha'i |
May
|
Date
|
Day of Religious Significance
|
Religion
|
|
2 |
Twelfth day of Ridvan |
Baha'i |
|
13 |
Ascension of the Lord |
Western Christian, Maronite Catholic, Orthodox Christian |
|
19 |
Shavuot 1 |
Jewish |
|
20 |
Shavuot 2 |
Jewish |
|
21 |
Vesak Day or Visakha Puja (Buddha Day) |
Buddhist - Cambodia, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Vietnam, Thai, Laos, Burma |
|
23 |
Declaration of the Bab |
Baha'i |
|
23 |
Pentecost (Whit Sunday) |
Western Christian, Maronite Catholic and Orthodox Christian |
|
24 |
Whit Monday |
Western Christian, Maronite Catholic |
|
27 |
Buddha Purnima |
Hindu |
|
29 |
Ascension of Baha'u'llah |
Baha'i |
|
30 |
Trinity Sunday |
Western Christian |
|
30 |
All Saints |
Coptic Orthodox |
June
|
Date
|
Day of Religious Significance
|
Religion
|
|
3 |
Corpus Christ or The Body and Blood of Christ |
Chaldean, Western Christian |
|
16 |
Martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev |
Sikh |
July
|
Date
|
Day of Religious Significance
|
Religion
|
|
1 |
Festival of Tirgan or Jashn-E-Tirgan |
Zoroastrian |
|
3 |
St Thomas the Apostle Day |
Chaldean Catholic |
|
Jul - Sept |
District Convention of Jehovah's Witnesses (For Sydney Friday 6 August to Sunday 8 August) |
Jehovah's Witness |
|
8 |
Night of Isra & Mi^raj ( 27 Rajab ) |
Islam |
|
9 |
Martyrdom of the Bab |
Baha'i |
|
12 |
Apostle's Feast |
Coptic Orthodox |
|
13-15 |
Ulambana or Obon |
Buddhist (Mahayana) Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Vietnam |
|
25 |
Guru Purnima |
Hindu |
|
26 |
15th of Sha^ban |
Islam |
|
26 |
Asalha (Dharma Day ) |
Buddhist Cambodia, Thai, Laos, Burma |
August
|
Date
|
Day of Religious Significance
|
Religion
|
|
6 |
Transfiguration |
Chaldean, Western Catholic, Certain Orthodox Christian |
|
6-8 |
District Convention of Jehovah's Witnesses (Sydney) |
Jehovah's Witness |
|
8 |
Sayuban ( Sayran ) Ramadan |
Islam |
|
10 |
Ramadan begins |
Islam |
|
15 |
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
Western Christian, Maronite Catholic, Certain Orthodox Christian |
|
15 |
Dormition of the Theotokos |
Greek Orthodox |
|
19 |
Shahenshahi Nowruz (New Year) |
Zoroastrian |
|
19 |
Transfiguration |
Coptic Orthodox |
|
22 |
Assumption of St. Mary's body |
Coptic Orthodox |
|
28 |
Raksha Bandhan |
Hindu |
September
|
Date
|
Day of Religious Significance
|
Religion
|
|
1 |
Guru Garnth Sahib Opening Day of Holy Book |
Sikh |
|
2 |
Krishna Janmashthami |
Hindu |
|
4 |
Night of Al-Qadr ( 27 of Ramadan ) |
Islam |
|
9 |
Eidul Fitr (End of Ramadan) |
Islam |
|
9 |
Rosh Hashanah 1 |
Jewish |
|
10 |
Rosh Hashanah 2 |
Jewish |
|
10 |
2nd of Shawaal |
Islam |
|
11 |
El Nayrouz (Coptic New Year) |
Coptic Orthodox |
|
11 |
Ganesh Chaturthi |
Hindu |
|
14 |
Holy Cross Day |
Chaldean Catholic, Certain Orthodox Christian |
|
18 |
Yom Kippur (Yizkor) |
Jewish |
|
23 |
Succot 1 |
Jewish |
|
24 |
Succot 2 |
Jewish |
|
24-7/10 |
Pitr-paksha |
Hindu |
|
30 |
Shemini Atzeret |
Jewish |
October
|
Date
|
Day of Religious Significance
|
Religion
|
|
1 |
Simchat Torah |
Jewish |
|
2 |
Festival of Mehregan or Jashn-E Mehregan |
Zoroastrian |
|
8-16 |
Navaratri |
Hindu |
|
10 |
St Translator's Day |
Armenian Christian |
|
14 |
Saraswati Puja |
Hindu |
|
17 |
Saraswati Puja |
Hindu |
|
20 |
Birth of the Bab |
Baha'i |
|
20 |
Gurugaddi Day of Guru Granth |
Sikh |
|
24 |
Pavarana Day (Sangha Day) |
Buddhist (Theravada) |
November
|
Date
|
Day of Religious Significance
|
Religion
|
|
1 |
All Saint's Day |
Catholic Christian |
|
2 |
All Souls Day |
Catholic Christian |
|
2 |
Birth Day of Guru Nanak Dev |
Sikh |
|
5 |
Deepavali (Diwali) |
Hindu |
|
6 |
Vikram New Year 2067 |
Hindu |
|
12 |
Birth of Baha'u'llah |
Baha'i |
|
15 |
Day of Arafat (Hajj pilgrimage 9th of Dhul-Hijjah) |
Islam |
|
16 |
Eidul Adha (10th of Dhul-Hijjah) |
Islam |
|
17 |
1st day of Ramyul jamarat ((Pilgrimage ) |
Islam |
|
18 |
2nd day of Ramyul jamarat (Pilgrimage ) |
Islam |
|
19 |
End of Hajj (Pilgrimage) |
Islam |
|
24 |
Martyrdom Day of Guru Teg Bahadur |
Sikh |
|
25 |
Advent begins |
Coptic Orthodox |
|
28 |
St Tadeos and Bartholomew Day |
Armenian Christian |
|
28 |
Advent begins |
Western Christian |
December
|
Date
|
Day of Religious Significance
|
Religion
|
|
7 |
Islamic New Year ( Hijrah ) |
Islam |
|
8 |
Bodhi Day |
Buddhist - Japan |
|
16 |
Ashura ( 10th of Muharram ) |
Islam |
|
25 |
Christmas |
Christian, Orthodox Christian, Maronite Catholic |
|
26 |
Death of Zaroshtra |
Zoroastrian |




Premier of NSW
Minister for Citizenship