When planning events, most of us have a good idea of which religious holidays are relevant in our own ship, but it’s a lot harder when planning council, area, or regional events where the list of religions to check is potentially much broader. BSA’s relationships group has developed this helpful Calendar of Religious Dates which you can use for that purpose. In addition to providing the dates, it also provides a brief explanation of what each of the holidays are about.
They tell us “There are certain holidays that individual Scouts and Scouters of different faiths celebrate each year. These holidays are not always on the same date on the calendar and may not be familiar to everyone. In order to respect the traditions of all Scouts and Scouters, care must be taken in scheduling Scouting activities. The Boy Scouts of America has developed this religious holiday calendar for the use of local units, councils and others in scheduling Scout-related activities. It provides a brief description of each holiday, both in the overall list of holidays and following each month, and an indication of the significance of each as well. The calendar will be continuously updated to provide planners with a two-year holiday schedule.”