TORONTO – Students at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee will
receive several extra days off from class beginning in September thanks to the
addition of Wiccan and pagan holidays to their school’s calendar.
Vanderbilt’s 2011-2012 academic year includes four religious holy
days and observances slated as “Wicca/Pagan.”
Believers in Wicca are referred to as Wiccans or witches. The
faith is one form of paganism, which some religious observers say falls outside
conventional religious notions. Pagans believe in multiple gods and goddesses.
Officials at Vanderbilt University say the Wiccan and pagan days were
added partially in accordance to the BBC Interfaith Calendar.
The Wiccan and pagan holidays include Samhain-Beltane on November 1 and Beltane-Samhain on May 1.
Beltane is a traditional
Gaelic festival celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. Some
pagans consider the day to mark the midpoint between the spring equinox and
summer solstice.
Most Canadian
universities observe statutory holidays, including major religious holidays like
Christmas, Good Friday and Easter Monday. Several universities have recently reviewed
their school policies to exclude official observance of the Jewish holidays of
Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah.
What do you think about the addition of pagan
holidays to the school calendar? Should Canadian universities follow suit by
adding Wicca/Pagan religious holy days to their academic calendars? What other religious
holy days and observances should be added? Share your thoughts below or share your comments on our Facebook page.
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