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Until the 13th of March, 1998, the Sikhs used a Hindu lunar calendar to determine their feast days. They now use their own Nanakshahi calendar which started on 14 March 1999 Gregorian (1 Chet, year 531 Nanakshahi ) and aligns with the Gregorian calendar as follows. The era (1 Chet 1 Nanakshahi) is the date of the birth of the 1st Guru, Nanak Dev, in the Punjab in 1469. Although there is an obvious relationship with the Hindu Solar Calendar, the Sikh Organisation states that these dates are fixed relative to the Gregorian Calendar.
The Nanakshahi calendar is used for all the Gurupurabs (festivals marking events in the lives of the Gurus) except the birthday of Guru Nanak which continues to be celebrated according to the Hindu Lunar calendar on Katik Poornamashi. Events such as Maghi and Hola Mohalla continue to be celebrated according to the relevant calendars. Some Gurupurabs are considered more significant that others. These are the ones that commonly appear as holidays.
Gurpurabs mark the culmination of Prabhat Pheris, the early morning religious procession which goes around the localities singing shabads (hymns). These pheris generally start three weeks before the festival. Devotees offer sweets and tea when the procession passes their homes. The celebrations start with the three-day akhand path, in which the Guru Granth Sahib (the holy book of the Sikhs) is read continuously from beginning to end without a break. The conclusion of the reading coincides with the day of the festival. The Granth Sahib is also carried in procession on a float decorated with flowers throughout the village or city. Five armed guards, who represent the Panj Pyares, head the procession carrying Nishan Sahibs (the Sikh flag). Local bands play religious music and marching schoolchildren form a special part of the procession. Free sweets and langar (community lunches) are also offered to everyone irrespective of religious faith. Local volunteers serve it with a spirit of seva (service) and bhakti (devotion). Sikhs visit gurdwaras (Sikh temples) where special programmes are arranged and kirtans (religious songs) sung. Houses and gurdwaras are lit up to add to the festivities.
SIKH MONTHS
| Sikh Month | Begins |
| Chet | March 14 |
| Vaisakh | April 14 |
| Jeth | May 15 |
| Harh | June 15 |
| Sawan | July 16 |
| Bhadon | August 16 |
| Asu | September 15 |
| Katik | October 15 |
| Maghar | November 14 |
| Poh | December 14 |
| Magh | January 13 |
| Phagan | February 12 |
Sikh Events By Date
Nanakshahi
Date | Gregorian
Date | Event |
| Chet 1 | March 14 | Accession of Guru Har Rai & Nanakshahi New Year Day |
| Chet 6 | March 19 | Guru Hargobind left this world |
| Vaisakh 3 | April 16 | Guru Angad Dev left this world
Accession of Guru Amar Das
Guru Harkrishan left this world
Accession of Guru Tegh Bahadur |
| Vaisakh 5 | April 18 | Birth of Guru Angad Dev
Birth of Guru Tegh Bahadur |
| Vaisakh 19 | May 2 | Birth of Guru Arjan Dev |
| Jeth 9 | May 23 | Birth of Guru Amar Das |
| Jeth 28 | June 11 | Accession of Guru Hargobind |
| Harh 2 | June 16 | Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev, burnt alive at the stake. Kachi lassi (sweetened milk) is offered to the thirsty passers-by to commemorate his exit from this world. |
| Harh 21 | July 5 | Birth of Guru Hargobind |
| Sawan 8 | July 23 | Birth of Guru Harkrishan |
| Bhadon 17 | September 1 | Installation of the Guru Granth Sahib (holy book of the Sikhs) in the Golden Temple by Guru Arjan Dev |
| Asu 2 | September 16 | Guru Amar Das left this world
Accession of Guru Ram Das
Guru Ram Das left this world
Accession of Guru Arjan Dev |
| Asu 4 | September 18 | Accession of Guru Angad Dev |
| Asu 8 | September 22 | Guru Nanak Dev left this world |
| Asu 25 | October 9 | Birth of Guru Ram Das |
| Katik 6 | October 20 | Installation of the Guru Granth Sahib (holy book of the Sikhs) as eternal Guru
Guru Har Rai left this world
Accession of Guru Harkrishan |
| Katik 7 | October 21 | Martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh at Nanded. |
| Maghar 11 | November 24 | Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur, beheaded in Delhi by the Moghul emperor.
Accession of Guru Gobind Singh |
| Poh 23 | January 5 | Birth of Guru Gobind Singh in Patna. He created the Khalsa (Sikh Brotherhood) and made it mandatory for them to have the five Ks - Kesh (hair), Kripan (dagger), Kada (bracelet), Kangha (comb) and Kachcha (underwear). During his time the warrior/yogi Maadhav Das, later known as Banda Bairagi successfully fought the Moghuls and finally died a martyr. Gobind Singh was a poet and archer and knew Persian, Arabic and Punjabi as well as Samskrit and Hindi, |
| Magh 19 | January 31 | Birth of Guru Har Rai |
| Other Observances | |
| Vaisakh 1 | April 14 | The Creation of the Khalsa (Sikh brotherhood, "the pure") |
| Poh 8 | December 21 | Martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh's Elder Sons, Ajit and Jujhar |
| Poh 13 | December 26 | Martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh's Younger Sons |
Sikh Events By Guru
| Guru | Parkash
(Birthday) | Gur Ghaddhi
(Guruship) | Jyoti Jot
(left this world) |
| 1st Guru Nanak Dev | Katik Pooranmashi | from Parkash | Asu 8
September 22 |
| 2nd Guru Angad Dev | Vaisakh 5
April 18 | Asu 4
September 18 | Vaisakh 3
April 16 |
| 3rd Guru Amar Das | Jeth 9
May 23 | Vaisakh 3
April 16 | Asu 2
September 16 |
| 4th Guru Ram Das | Asu 25
October 9 | Asu 2
September 16 | Asu 2
September 16 |
| 5th Guru Arjan Dev | Vaisakh 19
May 2 | Asu 2
September 16 | Harh 2
June 16 |
| 6th Guru Hargobind | Harh 21
July 5 | Jeth 28
June 11 | Chet 6
March 19 |
| 7th Guru Har Rai | Magh 19
January 31 | Chet 1
March 14 | Katik 6
October 20 |
| 8th Guru Harkrishan | Sawan 8
July 23 | Katik 6
October 20 | Vaisakh 3
April 16 |
| 9th Guru Tegh Bahadur | Vaisakh 5
April 18 | Vaisakh 3
April 16 | Maghar 11
November 24 |
| 10th Guru Gobind Singh | Poh 23
January 5 | Maghar 11
November 24 | Katik 7
October 21 |
Installation of the Guru Granth Sahib
in the Golden Temple by Guru Arjan Dev | Bhadon 17
September 1 | Katik 6
October 20 | |
Other Important Days
Chet
1 Chet / 14 March - Nanakshahi New Year Day
2 Chet / 15 March - S. Baghel Singh's conquest of Delhi
12 Chet / 25 March - Shaheedi Bhai Subeg Singh, Bhai Shahbaz Singh
27 Chet / 9 April - Birthday Sahibzada Jujhar Singh Ji
Vaisakh
1 Vaisakh / 14 April (Vaisakhi) - Birth Anniversary of Khalsa
Jeth
3 Jeth / 17 May - Chhota Ghallughara
21 Jeth / 4 June - 1984 Ghallughara (Attack on Sri Akal Takht Sahib)
23 Jeth / 6 June - Shaheedi Sant Baba Jarnail Singh Ji
Harh
11 Harh / 25 June - Shaheedi Baba Banda Singh Ji Bahadur
15 Harh / 29 June - Barsi Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji
25 Harh / 9 July - Shaheedi Bhai Mani Singh Ji
Sawan
1 Sawan / 16 July - Shaheedi Bhai Taru Singh Ji
24 Sawan / 8 August - Morcha Guru Ka Bagh
Bhadon
15 Bhadon / 30 August 2004 - Mela Baba Bakala
Assu
17 Assu / 1 October - Foundation Day Singh Sabha
21 Assu / 5 October - Mela Beerh Baba Buddha Ji
Katik
8 Katik / 22 October 2004 - Khalsa Darbar
14 Katik / 28 October - Foundation Day Chief Khalsa Diwan
14 Katik / 28 October - Saka Panja Sahib
18 Katik / 1 November - Punjabi Suba Day
30 Katik / 13 November - Shaheedi Baba Deep Singh Ji Shaheed
Maghar
1 Maghar / 14 November - Foundation Day SGPC
11 Maghar / 24 November - Shaheedi Bhai Mati Das Ji, and Bhai Sati Das Ji
15 Maghar / 28 November - Birthday Sahibzada Zorawar Singh Ji
19 Maghar / 2 December - Shaheedi Baba Gurbakhsh Singh Ji
29 Maghar / 12 December - Birthday Sahibzada Fateh Singh Ji
30 Maghar / 13 December - Foundation Day Shromani Akali Dal
Poh
8 Poh / 21 December - Shaheedi Sahibzada Ajit Singh, Sahibzada Jujhar Singh , and other Shaheeds of Chamkaur Sahib ---- 300th Anniversary
8 Poh / 21 December - Shaheedi Baba Jeevan Singh Ji
13 Poh / 26 December - Shaheedi Sahibzada Zorawar Singh, Sahibzada Fateh Singh, and Mata Gujri Ji's passing away ---- 300th Anniversary
Magh
1 Magh / 13 January - Mela Maghi Muktsar
1 Magh / 13 January - Foundation Day Sri Harimandar Sahib
7 Magh / 19 January - Morcha for Keys
25 Magh / 6 February - Mela Kottha Sahib
27 Magh / 8 February - Great Holocast
30 Magh / 11 February - Birthday Sahibzada Ajit Singh Ji
Phagun
10 Phagun / 21 February - Saka Nankana Sahib
10 Phagun / 21 February - Jaito Morcha
| Movable Dates (Change Every Year) |
| | Hola Mohalla | Bandi Chhor Divas | Parkash Guru Nanak Sahib |
| 2003 | 19 Mar | 25 Oct | 8 Nov |
| 2004 | 7 Mar | 12 Nov | 26 Nov |
| 2005 | 26 Mar | 1 Nov | 15 Nov |
| 2006 | 15 Mar | 21 Oct | 5 Nov |
| 2007 | 4 Mar | 9 Nov | 24 Nov |
| 2008 | 22 Mar | 28 Oct | 13 Nov |
| 2009 | 11 Mar | 17 Oct | 2 Nov |
| 2010 | 1 Mar | 5 Nov | 21 Nov |
| 2011 | 20 Mar | 26 Oct | 10 Nov |
| 2012 | 9 Mar | 13 Nov | 28 Nov |
| 2013 | 28 Mar | 3 Nov | 17 Nov |
| 2014 | 17 Mar | 23 Oct | 6 Nov |
| 2015 | 6 Mar | 11 Nov | 25 Nov |
| 2016 | 24 Mar | 30 Oct | 14 Nov |
| 2017 | 13 Mar | 19 Oct | 4 Nov |
| 2018 | 2 Mar | 7 Nov | 23 Nov |
| 2019 | 21 Mar | 27 Oct | 12 Nov |
| 2020 | 10 Mar | 14 Nov | 30 Nov |
Notes: 1. All the dates given above are fixed, so that the Gurpurbs shall always fall on the same date of the CE calendar and Nanakshahi calendar. According to Hindu calendar there will be two Parkash Purbs of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib in 2003 CE. *2. The Calendar Committee of the SGPC in their meeting of 30 June, 1999 decided that Hola Muhalla, Bandi Chhor Divas, and the Birthday of Guru Nanak Sahib, shall continue to be celebrated according to the existing practice for the time being. This was to appease some of the so called 'Babas' and members of 'Sant Samaj'.
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