The St. Olaf community includes people whose beliefs and practices reflect a variety of religions and worldviews, including Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, non-religious spiritual practice, and more. As an institution affiliated with Lutheran tradition, St. Olaf college values the role religion and spirituality play in the lives of students, faculty, and staff. To support community members in practicing their traditions, the Lutheran Center, in collaboration with the Center’s Interfaith Fellows, offers this calendar indicating the significant holidays from various religions/worldviews as a reference for the St. Olaf community. Observance of the holidays included in this calendar may involve time off from work or school.
The calendar was developed through research into the different traditions, consultations within and beyond the St. Olaf community, and review of calendars developed by other colleges and universities. Notes related to common practices for adherents of the particular tradition are included in the calendar.
Some holidays use the lunar calendar or particular cultural patterns that vary by region. This reality makes the timing of the holidays somewhat fluid. It also means that some holidays may begin at sunset the day before the date specified for the holiday.
The calendar presents significant holidays of diverse traditions. If this calendar does not include a significant date for your religious tradition or worldview, please let us know (lutheran.center@stolaf.edu).
We have also created an abbreviated version of the interfaith calendar through Google Calendar. To add the calendar to your Google Calendar, click: Interfaith Your Calendar.