The start of the autumn season brings not only back-to-school and fall activities, but also a wealth of religious and spiritual holidays. At Interfaith America, we celebrate religious diversity as a treasure and know that faith can serve as a bridge of understanding. Read on to learn more about holidays observed throughout September and October:
September 3-4
Mawlid: The celebration of the Prophet Muhammad’s birth in the Islamic faith.
September 7-21
Pitru Paksha: A period when members of the Hindu tradition pay homage to their ancestors, often through food offerings.
September 11
Coptic New Year: Also called Norouz, this is a feast day that commemorates martyrs and confessors in Coptic Orthodox Christianity.
September 22
Mabon/Autumn Equinox: Pagan and Wiccan religious traditions use this day to mark the autumnal equinox, celebrating a day with equal light and darkness and the second harvest. To celebrate, some pagans might feast with friends and family. Some also pick apples, a common symbol of the second harvest.
September 22-24
Rosh Hashanah: The two-day Jewish New Year that highlights rest and reflection is one of the most important Jewish holy days. In the immediately ensuing “days of repentance,” people make amends for all the misdeeds, mistakes, and harm caused in the previous year, knowingly or unknowingly.
Read: How We Treat Each Other: Reflecting on the Jewish High Holidays
September 22-October 2
Navaratri: This annual Hindu festival honors Durga, a goddess also known as Adi Parashakti, who defeated a demon after a battle that lasted nine days and nights. Celebrations begin with worship, scripture readings, and dancing. It ends on the tenth day with Dussehra, which commemorates her victory.
October 1-2
Yom Kippur: This is one of the most significant days in the Jewish calendar. The central themes of Yom Kippur are atonement and repentance.
October 2
Dussehra: One of the significant Hindu festivals celebrated at the end of Navaratri, Dussehra holds different significance in various regions of India. For some, it represents the end of Durga Puja, commemorating Durga’s victory in restoring dharma. For others, it marks Rama’s victory over Ravana during Ramlila. The festivities include fireworks, music performances, and waterfront processions with Durga clay statues.
October 6-13
Sukkot: A 7-day holiday commemorating when Jews journeyed to the desert on the way to the promised land.
Read: Creating Art for the First National Sukkah
Read: Sukkot is the Jewish Holiday that Teaches Us the Joys of Doing Without
Read: On Sukkot, the Jewish ‘Festival of Booths,’ Each Sukkah is as Unique as the Person Who Builds It
October 13-15
Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah: Shemini Atzeret comes first and celebrates the end of Sukkot. Simchat Torah is the second day that marks the conclusion of the annual cycle of Torah readings.
October 20-24
Diwali: A 5-day festival of lights celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains. Diwali focuses on celebrating various gods and goddesses. The day before Diwali, homes are cleaned and decorated with flowers, and white is painted on the front door to bring good luck. The Festival of Lights features lamps lit everywhere for the entire five days to ensure that Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess that brings good fortune, finds her way home.
Read: Queering Deepavali
Read: Lighting Lamps at the People’s House
Read: From Hindus for Human Rights, Reflections on a Multi-Faith Deepavali
October 22
Birth of Báb: This festival marks the birth of Báb, the central prophet and herald of the Bahá’í Faith, who called for religious renewal and foretold the birth of the holy figure Baha’u’llah. Celebrated alongside the Birth of Baha’u’llah during a two-day festival known as “The Twin Birthdays,” the Birth of Báb is a holy day for Bahá’ís, when communities gather for prayer and fellowship
October 23
Birth of Baha’u’llah: This celebratory day, observed by Bahá’ís as one of “The Twin Birthdays” commemorates the birth of the founder of the Baháʼí faith, Baha’u’llah. Baha’u’llah was born in Tehran, Iran in 1817, and Bahá’ís join on this holy day to honor him through community gatherings and celebrations of unity.
October 31
Samhain and Halloween: Samhain was first observed by Celtic Pagans and marked the Celtic New Year, the end of summer, and the end of the harvest season. The Holiday signaled the beginning of winter, which Pagans associated with death. It was considered a time when the veil between the physical world and the Otherworld was thin, allowing spirits of the dead to visit the living. Rituals may include dancing, feasting, being in nature, and building altars to honor ancestors. Samhain is the origin of Halloween.
Read: How was Halloween Invented? Once a Celtic Pagan Tradition, the Holiday has Evolved.
