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Dear Friends,
Shana Tova, or in English, “Happy New Year” to those celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year!
The great religious diversity here at Smith gives us the opportunity to be in solidarity with those observing religious holidays, and engage in what we call at the Center for Religious and Spiritual Life “religious literacy:” not being experts but having an awareness of what special holidays within varied faith groups our fellow community members might observe.
To that end, we encourage you to consult our calendar of religious holidays, which, while not exhaustive, can be used by faculty, staff, and student leaders, and all of you in trying to plan events so as to not conflict with significant religious dates. It can also help provide a sense of how certain practices, like fasting for example, might impact someone’s energy level or capacity to perform a certain task.
We operate according to this statute below:
Religious considerations are a vital part of inclusion and equity efforts at our college. Title XXI Chapter151C Section2B of the General Laws of Massachusetts, states that a request relating to religious observance “shall not create an unreasonable burden upon the school” and simultaneously there should be no “prejudicial effects” on a student who requests considerations based on religious or cultural events and holidays.
The academic semester has its own rhythms and timeline, but all community members are encouraged to be as flexible as possible based on others’ religious observances. We also ask students/ community members to be proactive and resourceful about their own needs. If you might need an extension or to request an absence, we encourage you to speak with your professor as early in the semester as possible. If you need help brainstorming with us about potential considerations you might need, please see these resources:
Consideration Request for Religious Practice in Residences
Academic Consideration Request for Religious Observance
Here are some holidays you might be observing, or see fellow community members observing this fall:
· Rosh Hashanah, (Judaism) 9/15 (beginning at Sundown) -17 The Jewish New Year, concludes on Yom Kippur. It is celebrated primarily with a festive meal and service on the first night, making use of various foods that symbolize intentions for the new year. The second day includes “Tashlich” a ritual in which pebbles or bread are tossed prayerfully into a body of water, symbolizing a casting off of burdens or wrongs of the preceding year.
· Yom Kippur (Judaism) 9/24-25, is the Jewish Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the year on the Jewish calendar. It is observed by fasting, quiet religious services, and reflections on “repentance,” surrendering one’s bad deeds to God and asking for forgiveness, which can mean turning away from the negative towards the good.
· Sukkot (Judaism) 9/29 -9/6 Also known as Feast of Booths, Sukkot is an eight-day harvest festival, a time of thanksgiving for God’s presence in creation. Observants will construct a Sukkah, a hut made of natural materials to symbolize booths used by the Israelites to store harvest goods, and you will see one somewhere around campus! Candles are lit in the evenings and the holiday ends with “Simchat Torah,” a festive ceremony and meal.
· Navaratri (Hinduism) 10/15-10/24 This nine-day festival celebrates the nine forms of the Hindu Goddess, including Durga, the Goddess of energy and power, and Sarasvati, the Goddess of knowledge and wisdom. Each day includes a special “puja,” an offering made to the Gods of fruit or flower arrangements. The holiday and ends with a festival including women’s and girls’ dance performances.
· Samhain (Pagan) 10/31 This day celebrates the Celtic New Year, the belief that the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds is thinnest at this time, and that ancestors and dead loved ones will walk among us. It is celebrated with harvest meal, ritual, and dance.
· Dia De Los Muertos (Catholicism) 11/1-11/2 “The Day of the Dead” a (Mexican Catholic) holiday is a celebration and honoring of those who have passed the earth, a time of connection to loved ones and ancestors. Observants create an “Ofrenda” often in their homes, an altar where photos of and objects representing loved ones are arranged, including particularly crafts made for the holiday and special offerings of foods the deceased enjoyed.
· Diwali (Jainism, Hinduism, Sikhism) 11/12 A festival dedicated to the goddess Kali in Bengal and to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, in the rest of India. As with several other festivals, Diwali is associated with one of the stories about the destruction of evil by the God Vishnu in one of his many manifestations.
(Please note information about these holidays is gleaned from Harvard Divinity School and other sources whose authority we trust; however, we do not promise that none of it contradicts your knowledge or understandings as these can vary.)
All of us benefit from time out of our regular lives to contemplate, celebrate, gather in community to observe or mark a transition or special, spiritual event. While research shows how affiliation with organized religion has been declining for years, the need for a spiritual connection or higher power has been on the rise, especially among emerging adults.
Contrary to how society often breaks things down, and all the wars and destruction associated with religion-the best and truest part of all religions empower and include, rather than exclude or exert domination. Most people like to be asked, sensitively and thoughtfully, about their faith backgrounds. We can demonstrate our curiosity by saying things like, “are you celebrating this __ holiday? Or “I’m interested in how you observe your religion if you would ever be interested in telling me about it.” We should all try to practice “assuming good intentions,” when people ask questions, yet being prepared to stay strong in ourselves if we feel the reality is otherwise.
Stay tuned later in the semester for information on late fall/ winter holidays, and check out our list of fall programs below. We do not offer events for all important holidays, but are always happy to collaborate with students to support and help coordinate celebration or holiday. If you identify as Hindu, for example, we would love to offer a Diwali event with your input, and we also realize that holidays differ across regions, and you may want to observe a holiday with friends that is not listed, even on the calendar. If you have any requests in this regard, email us at mcantwel@smith.edu with “Holiday Request” in the subject line.
We in the CRSL are excited to celebrate holy occasions with you of all kinds, and share our hopes that everyone on campus can welcome and be welcomed across religious, secular, interfaith, non-faith, agnostic, atheist, and questioning identities. We wish you all the best for these first few weeks of the semester and in being able to connect with whatever you might find holy and replenishing, perhaps the beautiful autumn light and how it slowly ushers us into the New England autumn.
With warmth and in hope,
Matilda and the CRSL staff
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