Spirituality & Meaning
Support for all faiths & beliefs
Whether you engage life’s biggest questions from a secular, religious, or spiritual perspective — or find yourself on a journey where labels don’t easily fit — we welcome you to explore what matters most.
At Susquehanna, religious and spiritual life is as diverse as the university’s vibrant student body. Here, you will find a welcoming community that encompasses individuals from various traditions, and even those who may not have any specific affiliation. As an expression of our historical affiliation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, we embrace, support and celebrate diversity in its countless forms.
In addition to studying for your major and navigating your career trajectory, self-definition as part of your personal development plays a crucial role in determining your life success. Susquehanna offers you the opportunity to ponder essential questions, providing both the time and space for exploration: “What defines me?” “What do I stand for?” “What is my role or purpose in life?”
The Center for Spirituality & Meaning is here to help you engage with life’s profound questions, as you craft yourself into a conscientious global citizen. For future students to learn about opportunities and for current students to connect with the Center for Spirituality & Meaning, share your interest.
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Student Resources
Learn
Courses, events and learning opportunities are offered around interfaith, religion, philosophy and spirituality. Susquehanna offers majors and minors in philosophy and religious studies, and minors in church music and Jewish & Israel studies.
Support
Faculty are encouraged to accommodate students’ needs regarding religious holiday observances, such as to return home for holidays or to miss class for worship. Some dining venues include options for religious dietary restrictions such as vegetarian. Limited kosher food is available during Passover in the university dining room. Arrangements can be made to use the kosher kitchen in the Hillel House as well. Some dining venues’ hours of service accommodate religious students’ access to food around fasting times.
Unite
Susquehanna’s commitment to foster a sense of community is reflected in its Guiding Values and its Statement on Ethical and Inclusive Living. Susquehanna has a dedicated bias response team, tracks bias incidents and notifies the university community.
Spirituality & MEaning
Our Gathering Spaces
Multifaith & cultural heritage holidays
Susquehanna University provides a list of holidays for understanding diverse observances. Use it for planning activities, respecting observances, and learning about our cultural diversity. If a student anticipates a religious/spiritual observance may conflict with academic obligations such as attending class, taking examinations or submitting assignments, work directly with your professor to make reasonable arrangements.
Should you require additional support or guidance, or you would like to recommend additions or corrections to the calendar, reach out to the Center for Spirituality & Meaning.
| Date | Holiday | Description | Observances |
| Jun 6 until Jun 7 | Eid al-Adha | One of the two main Islamic festivals (the other is Eid al-Fitr), this festival falls on the 10th day of the lunar month of Zul-Hijja and is the concluding act of pilgrimage to Mecca. In commemoration of Abraham’s faith, sheep, goats and camels are offered to God, and the meat is distributed to the poor and needy. Eid al-Adha is observed whether or not one is on pilgrimage. Begins at sundown on June 6 and ends at sundown on June 7. | |
| Sept 22 | Mabon | Wicca/Paganism recognize the Autumnal equinox and the second harvest festival, celebrating the equivalence of light and dark, the arrival of Autumn, and thanksgiving for the Earth’s bounty. Begins at sundown. | |
| Sep 22 until Sep 24 | Rosh Hashana | The Jewish New Year and the anniversary of the creation of the world, Rosh Hashanah is the first of the Ten Days of Awe (also known as the Ten Days of Repentance) that conclude on Yom Kippur. It marks the beginning of the holiest time of the year for Jews. For many it is a two-day holiday which begins at sundown on and ends at sundown. | |
| Oct 6 until Oct 14 | Sukkot | Also known as ‘Feast of Booths,’ Sukkot is an eight-day Jewish festival of booths (or tabernacles) and the fall harvest. The name refers to the booths (sukkot) used by Israelites during desert wanderings and constructed in the fields during the harvest season. It is a time of thanksgiving for God’s presence in creation and among the Jewish people. | |
| Oct 13 | Indigenous Peoples Day | A holiday in the United States, first formally recognized by President Joe Biden in 2021 after decades of being celebrated by states and municipalities, honoring the traditions and resilience of Native American peoples. | |
| Oct 21 | Diwali | Diwali is celebrated by both Hindus and Jains. For Hindus, also known as the Festival of Lights, it is 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 Vishnu in one of his many manifestations. For Jains, the Festival of Lamps celebrates the attainment of Moksa by Lord Mahavira. A burning lamp symbolizes the “light of knowledge,” which dispels the darkness of delusion and ignorance. | |
| Oct 31 | Reformation Day | Commemorates the beginning of the Protestant Reformation of Christianity with Martin Luther’s challenge to the Roman church in the 1517, in which tradition says he nailed his 95 theses to the door of the castle church in Wittenburg, Germany proposing a debate about reform of church practices. | |
| Oct 31 until Nov 1 | Samhain | In Wicca/Paganism, the New Year and the final harvest festival, celebrating the last gifts of the Earth before winter and the return of the spirits of the dead. | |
| Nov 1 | All Saints Day | Christian celebration of the lives of all the saints, especially those not having a special day dedicated to their commemoration. | |
| Dec 3 until Dec 24 | Advent | Period of four weeks in which Christians prepare for Christmas and meditate on the end of all time. In Western churches, the first Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of the Christian liturgical year. | |
| Dec 14 until Dec 22 | Hanukkah | The Feast of Lights (Feast of Dedication) is celebrated for eight days to commemorate the rededication of the Temple, following the Jews’ victory over occupying forces in 165 BCE, which re-established their religious and political freedom. Begins at sundown Dec. 14 and ends at sundown Dec. 22. | |
| Dec 21 | Yule/Solstice | In Wicca/Paganism, Yule or Winter Solstice, celebrating the longest night and the blessings of darkness as well as the rebirth of the sun god. Begins at sundown. | |
| Dec 25 | Christmas | Celebrates the anniversary of the birth of Jesus. | |
| Dec 26 until Jan 1 | Kwanzaa | An annual celebration of African American culture and based on the Seven Principles of Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity) and Imani (faith). | |
| Jan 7 | Orthodox Christmas | Celebrates the anniversary of the birth of Jesus. Orthodox Christian holidays are celebrated about two weeks later than Roman Catholic and Protestant holidays because of their use of the Julian calendar as opposed to the Gregorian calendar in the West. | |
| Feb 17 | Lunar New Year | Celebrated in East and Southeast Asia, marking the beginning of the new year based on the lunisolar calendar. | |
| Feb 17 until Mar 19 | Ramadan | The Holy Month of Ramadan is the month of fasting during which Muslims who are physically able do not eat or drink from the first sign of dawn until sunset in honor of the first revelations to the Prophet Muhammad. The evening meal is celebrated with family. Begins at sundown Feb. 17 and ends at sundown March 19. | |
| Feb 18 | Ash Wednesday | A special day of repentance observed by Protestant and Roman Catholic Christians to mark the beginning of Lent, the 40-day period (excluding Sundays) of prayer, repentance, and self-denial preceding Easter. The name derives from the practice of marking of the faithful with ashes to signify penitence. | |
| Mar 2 until Mar 3 | Purim | Celebrates Jewish tenacity and survival through the reading of the Book of Esther. This political farce uses a story about Jews in ancient Persia using subterfuge and faith to overturn a plot to destroy them. Purim is a joyous holiday, celebrated by wearing of costumes, giving gifts to friends, giving to the poor, and socializing. Begins at sundown on March 2 and ends at sundown on March 3. | |
| Mar 4 | Holi | A joyous spring Hindu festival that is dedicated to Krishna in some parts of India; in other parts of India, it is dedicated to Kama, the God of Pleasure. People throw colored water or colored powder in celebration. | |
| Mar 19 until Mar 20 | Eid al-Fitr | Also known as the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast. One of the two main Islamic festivals (the other is Eid al-Adha), this day celebrates the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. It comes on the first day of the next lunar month, Shawal. Begins at sundown on March 19 and ends at sundown on March 20. In Wicca/Paganism, the Spring or Vernal Equinox, celebrating the equivalence of light and dark and the arrival of Spring. | |
| Mar 20 | Ostara | In Wicca/Paganism, the Spring or Vernal Equinox, celebrating the equivalence of light and dark and the arrival of Spring. | |
| Apr 1 until Apr 9 | Passover | Passover commemorates the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. It is celebrated for eight days with special prayers and symbolic foods at home, starting with the Seder, a ritual meal that re-enacts that ancient deliverance and emphasizes the freedom of the Jews under the guidance of God. Begins at sundown April 1 and ends at sundown April 9. | |
| Apr 2 | Maundy or Holy Thursday | Christian commemoration of the institution of the Lord’s Supper/the Eucharist by Jesus prior to his arrest and execution. “Maundy” is derived from the Latin text of John 13:34, in which Jesus gives a mandatum novum (“new commandment”). | |
| Apr 5 | Easter | Celebrates the resurrection from death of Jesus Christ. It is the oldest and most important festival in the Christian year and initiates the 50-day period culminating in Pentecost. | |
| Apr 12 | Orthodox Easter | Celebrates the resurrection from death of Jesus Christ. It is the oldest and most important festival in the Christian year and initiates the 50-day period culminating in Pentecost. Orthodox Christian holidays are celebrated about two weeks later than Roman Catholic and Protestant holidays because of their use of the Julian calendar as opposed to the Gregorian calendar in the West. | |
| Apr 13 until Apr 14 | Yom HaShoah | Memorializes the six million Jews who died as victims of the Nazis during World War II and emphasizes respect for human dignity. Its observance is not limited to Jews. Begins at sundown April 13 and ends at sundown April 14. | |
| Apr 14 | Baisakhi | Baisakhi, also spelled Vaisakhi, one of the most important festivals for the Sikh religion, is an ancient spring harvest festival. Sikhs mark the occasion by going to Gurdwara, a Sikh place of worship, for a service, involving singing, bhangra dancing and Sikh martial arts called gatka. |
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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Religious & Spiritual events
Annual gatherings
- Christmas Candlelight Service: Over 1,600 attendees gather in Weber Chapel each December for a service that includes candle lighting and carols, traditional readings, songs and prayers.
- Diwali: In conjunction with the Asian Cultural Association, a festive gathering celebrating the Hindu festival of lights is held each October or November.
- Seder: Hillel hosts an annual 150-person Passover Seder in March or April, one of its largest events.
- Eid al-Fitr: A festive meal marking the completion of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
- Sukkot: The Jewish holiday of Sukkot is celebrated each September or October and includes building a sukkah on campus.
Religious & Spiritual events
Weekly gatherings
- Shabbat: Hillel hosts a weekly Friday night Shabbat meal that is open to everyone.
- Shuttle to St. Pius X: Students can take a free shuttle to the St. Pius X Catholic student mass.
- Sunday Chapel Service: Everyone is welcome to weekly Christian worship service Sundays at 11 a.m. in Weber Chapel, also available for listening via Susquehanna’s radio station 88.9 FM, WQSU The Pulse.
Meet our campus spiritual leaders
INSPIRES Campus Climate Index
Susquehanna remains dedicated to championing diversity across worldview identities, ensuring a sense of belonging for everyone. Our ongoing conversations and efforts reflect this commitment.
To measure our progress, we self-report our progress among seven domains — religious accommodations, institutional behaviors, efforts to reduce negative engagement, extracurricular engagement, space for support and expression, structural diversity and academic engagement. Follow our success through our INSPIRES Campus Climate Index Scorecard.
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Center for Spirituality & Meaning
514 University Ave. Selinsgrove, Pa. 17870
Location
Phone & Email
Carla Krissinger, Administrative Assistant
570-372-4303