Who Celebrates
the Most?
With feasts, fasts, and prayers, the
world’s nine largest religions will collectively observe more than a hundred holidays in 2018, scholars estimate.
Hindus Lead the Festivities
Hinduism recognizes the birthdays and
milestones of hundreds of deities. It also commemorates the changing of the seasons, the harvest, and lunar phases.
Size of the square
represents the
number of holidays
39
HINDUISM
1 billion followers
days
per year
Holidays
New Year
celebration
17
8
5
2
2
2
1
1
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
33
JUDAISM
14.7 million
days
11
9
8
2
2
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
26
SIKHISM
25.3 million
days
4
4
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
11
BAHA’I FAITH
7.9 million
days
4
3
2
1
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
12
CHRISTIANITY
2.4 billion
days
4
3
2
1
1
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
New Years all year round
While Christians follow the Gregorian
calendar, many traditions follow other
calendar systems and celebrate the
New Year during different months.
7
ISLAM
1.7 billion
days
2
2
1
1
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
4
TAOISM
8.6 million
days
1
1
1
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
3
CONFUCIANISM
8.5 million
days
1
1
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
3
BUDDHISM
516 million
days
1
1
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Monica serrano, NGM STAFF; Kelsey Nowakowski; SOURCEs: J. GORDON MELTON, BAYLOR UNIVERSITY; PAUL MIRECKI, DANIEL STEVENSON, and SAMUEL HAYIM BRODY, UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS; BRIAN COLLINS, OHIO UNIVERSITY; SIMRAN JEET SINGH, SIKH COALITION; GERALD FILSON AND CEDRIC GABER, BAHA’I COMMUNITY OF CANADA; JEFFREY RICHEY, BEREA COLLEGE; NATIONAL PORTAL OF INDIA;
World Religion Database
Who Celebrates the Most?
With feasts, fasts, and prayers, the world’s nine largest religions will collectively
observe more than a hundred holidays in 2018, scholars estimate.
Hindus Lead the Festivities
New Year
celebration
Holidays
17
Hinduism recognizes the birthdays and milestones of hundreds of deities. It also commemrates the changing of the seasons, the harvest, and lunar phases.
8
5
2
2
2
1
1
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
HINDUISM
1 billion followers
39
days
per year
Size of the square
represents the number
of holidays
11
9
8
2
2
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
JUDAISM
14.7 million
33
days
4
4
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
SIKHISM
25.3 million
26
days
2
2
1
1
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
4
3
ISLAM
1.7 billion
2
1
1
7
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
days
Baha’i Faith
7.9 million
11
4
3
days
2
1
1
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
CHRISTIANITY
2.4 billion
12
days
1
1
1
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Taoism
8.6 million
4
days
1
1
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
1
1
1
BUDDHISM
516 million
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Confucianism
8.5 million
3
days
3
days
New Years all year round
While Christians follow the Gregorian
calendar, many traditions follow other
calendar systems and celebrate the
New Year during different months.
Monica serrano, NGM STAFF; Kelsey Nowakowski; SOURCEs: J. GORDON MELTON, BAYLOR
UNIVERSITY; PAUL MIRECKI, DANIEL STEVENSON, and SAMUEL HAYIM BRODY, UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS;
BRIAN COLLINS, OHIO UNIVERSITY; SIMRAN JEET SINGH, SIKH COALITION; GERALD FILSON AND CEDRIC
GABER, BAHA’I COMMUNITY OF CANADA; JEFFREY RICHEY, BEREA COLLEGE; World Religion Database
Who Celebrates the Most?
With feasts, fasts, and prayers, the world’s nine largest religions will collectively
observe more than a hundred holidays in 2018, scholars estimate.
New Year
celebration
Holidays
Hindus Lead the Festivities
17
Hinduism recognizes the birthdays and milestones of hundreds of deities. It also commemorates the changing
of the seasons, the harvest,
and lunar phases.
8
5
2
2
2
1
1
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
HINDUISM
1 billion followers
39
days
per year
Size of the
square represents the
number of holidays
2
2
1
1
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
ISLAM
1.7 billion
7
days
4
4
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
SIKHISM
25.3 million
11
26
9
8
days
2
2
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
JUDAISM
14.7 million
33
days
4
3
2
1
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Baha’i Faith
7.9 million
1
1
1
1
4
3
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
2
11
1
1
1
Taoism
8.6 million
days
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
4
CHRISTIANITY
2.4 billion
days
1
1
1
12
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
days
BUDDHISM
516 million
1
1
1
New Years all year round
3
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
days
While Christians follow the Gregorian
calendar, many traditions follow other
calendar systems and celebrate the
New Year during different months.
Confucianism
8.5 million
3
days
Monica serrano, NGM STAFF; Kelsey Nowakowski; SOURCEs: J. GORDON MELTON, BAYLOR UNIVERSITY;
PAUL MIRECKI, DANIEL STEVENSON, and SAMUEL HAYIM BRODY, UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS; BRIAN COLLINS, OHIO UNIVERSITY; SIMRAN JEET SINGH, SIKH COALITION; GERALD FILSON AND CEDRIC GABER, BAHA’I COMMUNITY OF CANADA;
JEFFREY RICHEY, BEREA COLLEGE; World Religion Database
Who Celebrates the Most?
With feasts, fasts, and prayers, the world’s nine largest religions will collectively observe more than a hundred holidays in 2018, scholars estimate.
New Year
celebration
Hindus Lead the Festivities
Holidays
17
Hinduism recognizes the birthdays and
milestones of hundreds of deities. It also
commemorates the changing of the sea-
sons, the harvest, and lunar phases.
8
5
2
2
2
1
1
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
HINDUISM
1 billion followers
4
3
2
1
1
1
39
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
days
per year
CHRISTIANITY
2.4 billion
Size of the
square represents
the number of
holidays
12
days
4
3
2
1
1
11
9
8
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Baha’i Faith
7.9 million
2
2
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
11
JUDAISM
14.7 million
days
4
4
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
33
1
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
days
SIKHISM
25.3 million
2
2
1
1
1
26
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
ISLAM
1.7 billion
days
7
days
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
New Years all year round
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Confucianism
8.5 million
Taoism
8.6 million
While Christians follow the Gregorian
calendar, many traditions follow other
calendar systems and celebrate the
New Year during different months.
3
4
1
1
1
days
days
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
BUDDHISM
516 million
3
days
Monica serrano, NGM STAFF; Kelsey Nowakowski
SOURCEs: J. GORDON MELTON, BAYLOR UNIVERSITY; PAUL MIRECKI, DANIEL STEVENSON, and SAMUEL HAYIM BRODY, UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS;
BRIAN COLLINS, OHIO UNIVERSITY; SIMRAN JEET SINGH, SIKH COALITION; GERALD FILSON AND CEDRIC GABER, BAHA’I COMMUNITY OF CANADA;
JEFFREY RICHEY, BEREA COLLEGE; World Religion Database
This story appears in the December 2017 issue of National Geographic magazine.
Somewhere in the world, a meal, ritual, or offering is being prepared in religious observance—most likely by the busy adherents of Roman Catholicism or Hinduism. If Catholics celebrated every saint’s day or Hindus commemorated each deity’s birthday, nearly the entire year would be accounted for.
The Jewish calendar has dozens of holidays—but the Torah only mandates strict observance of the holiest five. Muslims, too, are holiday minimalists. In Islam the biggest celebrations are saved for the last days of its two major holidays: Id al-Fitr for Ramadan, and Id al-Adha to end the hajj pilgrimage.
Compiling a schedule of the holidays most widely observed by the world’s nine largest religions—as seen above—is no simple task. Different countries and regions, as well as denominations, celebrate their own versions of the holidays, and some religions follow a unique calendar. China’s lunar calendar runs on a 60-year cycle; India uses several types of calendars.
“Every year different countries will have a political battle over adding or changing a holiday,” says J. Gordon Melton, a professor of religion at Baylor University and author of the encyclopedic Religious Celebrations.
The establishment of the international date line in 1884 pushed holidays that used to begin at sunset to the next day in many countries. Today holiday scheduling can be influenced by things like economic productivity, which is the reason some celebrations move around each year to bookend a weekend.
INDIA
HOLIDAYS
A year
48
U.S.
10
secular
secular
5
9
India Out-Celebrates the U.S.
Some religiously diverse countries like
India formally recognize the holidays of
both majority and minority religions.
Monica serrano, NGM STAFF; Kelsey Nowakowski
Sources: NATIONAL PORTAL OF INDIA;
U.S. OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
India Out-Celebrates
the United States
INDIA
HOLIDAYS
A year
48
Some religiously diverse countries like India formally recognize the holidays of both majority and minority religions.
U.S.
10
secular
secular
5
9
Monica serrano, NGM STAFF; Kelsey Nowakowski
Sources: NATIONAL PORTAL OF INDIA; U.S. OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
The only religious federal holiday in the U.S. is Christmas, while other countries have a more inclusive approach to observance. In multi-theistic India, citizens can choose from a list of Christian, Muslim, Sikh, and Buddhist holidays, in addition to 28 recognized Hindu holidays, to take off. “In the modern mixed religious environment, having holidays recognized by the government is a step toward public acceptance for smaller religious groups,” says Melton.
Estimates of followers as of 2015. Only days of observance widely celebrated across the religion or by most of its adherents are shown. All dates correspond to the solar calendar. Buddhist dates apply to holidays in most of East Asia; Tibet and Sri Lanka celebrate those holy days on different dates. In addition to its five main religions, India recognizes days for Jainism and Zoroastrianism.
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