More from Tufts Events
- Apr 8All dayHanna Matsuri: Buddha's Birthday (East Asia)Open to Public: Yes Event Type: Multifaith Observance Event Sponsor: University Chaplaincy April 8 is the day to celebrate the birth of Buddha. It is said that sweet rain poured from the sky at his birth, so the celebration involves pouring Amacha for the Buddhist statue in Hanamido. Observances may include limits to participation in academics or work.
- Apr 10All dayMahavir JayantiOpen to Public: Yes Event Type: Multifaith Observance Event Sponsor: University Chaplaincy Celebrates the birthday of Lord Mahavira. Born with the name Vardhamana in ca. 599 BCE, he was later given the titles of honor, Mahavira ("Great Hero") and Jina ("Conqueror" or "Victor"), a title applied also to the other Tirthankaras.
- Apr 12–20Passover (Pesach)Open to Public: Yes Event Type: Multifaith Observance Event Sponsor: University Chaplaincy Begins at sundown on the first day listed. Passover commemorates the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. It is celebrated for eight days with special prayers and symbolic foods at home, starting with the Seder, a ritual meal that re-enacts that ancient deliverance and emphasizes the freedom of the Jews under the guidance of God. The first two and the last two days are holidays. Observances may include limits to participation in academics or work.
- Apr 13All dayPalm SundayOpen to Public: Yes Event Type: Multifaith Observance Event Sponsor: University Chaplaincy Celebrates the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, marking the beginning of Holy Week that culminates in Easter or Pascha. In some churches, Palm Sunday is combined with the anticipation of Christ's death and so is also known as "Passon Sunday." Orthodox Christians often observe this Sunday on a date different from the date on which Protestant and Roman Catholics observe it.
- Apr 13–14VaisakhiOpen to Public: Yes Event Type: Multifaith Observance Event Sponsor: University Chaplaincy Occurs on the first day of the solar year. It is primarily an agricultural festival, celebrating the harvest, and is especially important in North India. It is named after the month Vaisakh. For Sikhs, it is also the anniversary of the creation of the Khalsa (the "Brotherhood of the Pure") in 1699 by Guru Gobind Singh. Observances may include limits to participation in academics or work.
- Apr 17All dayHoly Thursday/Maundy ThursdayOpen to Public: Yes Event Type: Multifaith Observance Event Sponsor: University Chaplaincy Commemorates the institution of the Lord's Supper/the Eucharist by Jesus prior to his arrest and execution. "Maundy" is derived from the Latin text of John 13:34, in which Jesus gives a mandatum novum ("new commandment"). The date observed by Protestants and Roman Catholics often differs from the date observed by Orthodox Christians, but in 2025 the dates are the same for Holy Week and Easter.