The University is home to a wide range of beliefs and approaches to observance amongst students and staff. This page is intended as an introductory guide for University staff which may be useful when working with students and colleagues. The information contained in these brief descriptions is not intended to be comprehensive, but to outline areas of observance which may occasionally have an impact on studies, attendance or facilities required by students.
Religious festivals and periods of abstinence
Students observing festivals may request to be absent from classes or leave early.
For many people, observing holy days and religious festivals is an important expression of their faith. A calendar of major religious festivals is available from the UK Inter Faith Network. Where festivals involve fasting and/or prayer and reflection, this may result in disruption to a student’s normal diet, routine or sleep pattern. It is hoped that staff can be accommodating of these changes.
Key festivals
Key festivals for faiths represented on campus include:
- Christmas (Christianity) – the festival celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ
- Diwali (Sikhism and Hinduism) – a festival celebrating the triumph of light over darkness
- Easter (Christianity) – the festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ
- Eid al-Fitr (Islam) – the three day celebration marking the end of Ramadan
- Eid al-Adha (Islam) – a four day festival of sacrifice that also marks the end of the Hajj (the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca)
- Guru Nanak (Sikhism) – celebration of Guru Nanak’s birthday
- Lunar New Year – widely celebrated in East Asian cultures including China, Thailand and Vietnam
- Pesach/Passover (Judaism) – the celebration of liberation from slavery in Ancient Egypt
- Vesak (Buddhism) – celebration of the Buddha’s birthday
- Yom Kippur (Judaism) – the Day of Atonement, the most important holiday of the Jewish faith, the culmination of ten days of contemplation and repentance following Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and usually observed with a 25 hour fast. A Calendar of Jewish Festivals and Fasts is available from the Board of Deputies of British Jews
Note: some Christian Churches use different calendars and calculations of festival dates. Many Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas according to the Julian Calendar on 7 January. Greek Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas on 25 December as western churches, but Easter (Pascha) in all Orthodox churches does not always fall on the same date as Easter in western churches.
Periods of abstinence
- Lent (Christianity) – the forty-day period of abstinence and contemplation prior to Easter (which marks the Crucifixion or Resurrection of Christ), usually falling in March or April
- Ramadan (Islam) – a period of fasting and contemplation ending in Eid al–Fitr
More information about some of these festivals and their religious context can be found on the ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) web pages.
Weekly observances
Christianity
Most Christians participate in congregational worship on Sundays. Some churches also organise congregational worship on other days of the week, as well as additional services during festivals. Depending on the denomination of Christianity, Sunday services may include Communion or Holy Mass. Some Christians choose to engage in congregational worship daily.
Holy Mass (Roman Catholic) is celebrated at the Chaplaincy daily at 12.10pm, Monday to Friday during Semester. Sunday Mass is also celebrated at 11am during semester.
Further information is available from the Catholic Society and Christian Union.
Islam
Many Muslims observe Salah five times daily. Salah can be translated as “prayer” or “communication with the divine”. Observing Salah requires an appropriate space, usually a quiet room with access to mats for the floor where Salah can be observed undisturbed. Each observance of Salah usually lasts only a few minutes, and the times for each Salah vary through the year.
Many Muslims also attend Jummah, a congregational prayer on Friday afternoons. The exact time for Jummah varies through the year.
The Strathclyde University Muslim Students Association (SUMSA) hosts Jummah prayer on campus and also has prayer facilities available throughout the week. Details of prayer times and other activities are posted on their social media pages.
The Chaplaincy also holds a small stock of prayer mats and can provide space for Salah.
Judaism
The Jewish day of rest, the Sabbath, starts at nightfall on Friday and ends at nightfall on Saturday. During this time the faithful are expected to rest, gather with family, and take time out from the stress and rush of everyday life. In order to avoid work on the Sabbath chores such as cleaning and shopping are completed before nightfall on Friday.
