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Diwali is one of the dates on New Jersey's list of religious holidays that schools must allow excused absences. (Contributed photo)

TRENTON — New Jersey's Board of Education today reviewed the list of religious holidays for which schools must allow excused absences beginning next fall.

The list, which is updated annually, includes more than 120 holidays for the 2015-16 school year. Students must present a written excuse signed by a parent or guardian.

The list of holidays will come before the board for a vote at its April meeting, Education Commissioner David Hespe said. Below is the full list, as provided by the Department of Education.

Holidays marked with a star denote that the department "made every attempt to ensure the accuracy of the dates." The information has been verified through the use of various sources and some dates may vary due to the lunar, Gregorian and Julian calendars, according to the state.

July 2015

July 2 Asalha Puja Day (Buddhist)

July 9 Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha'i)

July 13 Laylat as-Qadr (Islam)*

July 13-15 Ulambana/Obon (Buddhist)

July 18-21 Eid al Fitr (Islam)*

July 26 Tisha B'Av (Jewish)

July 31 Guru Purnima (Hindu)*

August 2015

Aug. 1 Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

Lammas (Christian and Wicca)

Aug. 6 Transfiguration of the Lord (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

Aug. 15 Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Christian)

Dormition of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

Aug. 19 Naga Panchami (Hindu)*

Aug. 28 Onam (Hindu)*

Aug. 29 Raksha Bandhan (Hindu)*

September 2015

Sept. 1 Ecclesiastical Year begins (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

Sept. 5 Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu)*

September 7 His Holiness Sakya Trizin's Birthday (Buddhist)

Sept. 8 Nativity of Mary (Christian)

Nativity of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

Sept. 14 Feast of Trumpets (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)

The Elevation of the Holy Cross (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

Sept. 14-15 Rosh Hashanah (Jewish)

Sept. 17 Ganesha Chaturthi (Hindu)*

Sept. 22 Hajj Day (Islam)*

Sept. 23 Yom Kippur (Jewish)

Mabon (Wicca)

Day of Atonement (Christian, Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)

Eid al Adha (Islam)*

Sept. 28-Oct. 4 Sukkot (Jewish)

Feast of Tabernacles (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God)

October 2015

Oct. 5 Last Great Day (Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God); Shemini Atzeret (Jewish)

Oct. 6 Simcat Torah (Jewish)

Oct. 13-21 Navaratri (Hindu)*

Oct. 14 Al Hijra - 1st Muharram (Islam)*

Oct. 20 Birth of B'ab (Baha'i)

Installation of the Scriptures as Guru Granth (Sikh)

Oct. 22 Duserra (Hindu)*

Oct. 31 Samhain-Beltane (Wicca)

November 2015

Nov. 1 All Saints' Day (Christian)

Nov. 2 All Souls' Day (Christian)

Nov. 11 Diwali (Hindu, Jain and Sikh)*

Nov. 12 Birth of Baha'u'llah (Baha'i)

Goverdhan Puja (Hindu)*

Nov. 15 Nativity Fast begins (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

Nov. 21 The Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

Nov. 24 Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom (Sikh)

Nov. 25 Guru Nanak Dev Sahib Birthday (Sikh)

Nov. 26 Day of Covenant (Baha'i)

Nov. 28 Ascension of 'Abdu'l Baha (Baha'i)

Nov. 29 First Sunday of Advent (Christian)

December 2015

Dec. 7-14 Hanukkah (Jewish)

Dec. 8 Bodhi Day (Buddhist)

Immaculate Conception (Christian)

Dec. 21 Yule (Wicca and Christian)

Dec. 23 Mawlid an Nabi (Islam)*

Dec. 25 Christmas (Christian)

The Nativity of Christ (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

Dec. 26 Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrian)

January 2016

Jan. 1 Gantan-sai (Shinto)

Jan. 3 through 10 Holy Convocation (Church of God and Saints of Christ)

Jan. 5 Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib (Sikh)

Jan. 6 Feast of Epiphany (Christian)

Feast of Theophany (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

Nativity of Christ (Armenian Orthodox)

Jan. 7 Feast of the Nativity (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

Jan. 13 Maghi (Sikh)

Jan. 14 Makar Sankranti and Pongal (Hindu)*

Jan. 17 World Religion Day (Baha'i)

Jan. 25 Tu B'shvat (Jewish)

February 2016

Feb. 2 The Presentation of Our Lord to the Temple (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

Imbolic-Candlemas (Wicca and Christian)

Feb. 8 Chinese/Lunar New Year (Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist)

Feb. 9 Shrove Tuesday (Christian)

Feb. 10 Ash Wednesday (Christian)

Feb. 12 Vasant Panchami (Hindu)*

Feb. 15 Nirvana Day (Buddhist)

Feb. 26 through March 1 Intercalary Days (Baha'i)

March 2016

March 8 Maha Shivaratri (Hindu)*

March 13 L. Ron Hubbard's Birthday (Church of Scientology)

March 14 Clean Monday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

March 20 Ostara (Wicca)

Palm Sunday (Christian)

March 21 Nowruz (Zoroastrian)

Naw Ruz (Baha'i)

March 23 Holi (Hindu)*

Lord's Evening Meal (Christian, Jehovah's Witness)

March 24 Purim (Jewish)

Hola Mohalla (Sikh)

Holy Thursday (Christian)

March 25 Holy Friday (Christian)

The Annunciation of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

March 27 Easter (Christian)

March 28 Khordad Sal (Zoroastrian)

Easter Monday (Christian)

April 2016

April 4 The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary(Christian)

April 8 Chandramana Yugadi (Hindu)*

April 13 Baisakhi (Sikh)

April 13 Souramana Yugadi (Hindu)*

April 13-20 Passover/Days of Unleavened Bread (Church of God and Saints of Christ)

April 15 Rami Navami (Hindu)*

April 21 First Day of Ridvan (Baha'i)

April 22 Passover (Philadelphia Church of God)

Hanuman Jayanti (Hindu)*

April 22-23 Theravadin New Year (Buddhist)

April 23 Lazarus Saturday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

First Day of Unleavened Bread (Church of God)

April 23-29 Days of Unleavened Bread (Philadelphia Church of God)

April 23-30 Pesach (Jewish)

April 24 Palm Sunday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

April 25 The 11th Panchen Lama's Birthday (Buddhist)

April 28 Holy Thursday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

April 29 Ninth Day of Ridvan (Baha'i)

Holy Friday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

Last Day of Unleavened Bread (Church of God)

April 30 Mahavir Jayanti (Jain)

May 2016

May 1 Beltane (Wicca)

Pascha (Easter) (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

May 2 Twelfth Day of Ridvan (Baha'i)

Bright Monday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

May 5 Lailat al Miraj (Islam)*

Ascension of Our Lord (Christian)

May 12 Yom Ha'Azmaut (Jewish)

May 15 Buddha's Birthday/Buddha Day - Visakha Puja (Buddhist)

Pentecost (Christian)

May 21 Lailat al Bara'ah (Islam)*

May 23 Declaration of the Bab (Baha'i)

May 26 Lag B'Omer (Jewish)

May 29 Ascension of Baha'u'llah (Baha'i)

June 2016

June 6 Ramadan (Islam)

June 12-13 Shavuot (Jewish)

June 16 Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (Sikh)

June 19 Pentecost (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

June 20 Litha (Wicca)

June 24 Fast of the Holy Apostles (Eastern Orthodox Christian)

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.