World Religion Day
Bahá’í World News Service says World Religion Day was initiated in 1950 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and is commemorated on the third Sunday in January to foster interfaith understanding.
Date and recurrence
Third Sunday in January
This observance follows a reusable calendar rule rather than one fixed Gregorian date. The actual date can move from year to year. Rule: Third Sunday in January
Scope and status
The verified scope stored for this record is Bahá’í-initiated interfaith observance with international community participation. The site preserves that boundary and does not infer broader government, global or public-holiday status from the observance name alone.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Faith Context Respect.
Sources
- Bahá’í World News Service — World Religion DayOfficial Faith News Service
Frequently asked questions
When is World Religion Day?
Third Sunday in January The stored recurrence guidance is: Third Sunday in January.
Does World Religion Day fall on the same date every year?
It follows a recurring calendar rule, so the Gregorian date can change from year to year.
Is World Religion Day an official public holiday?
The authority record verifies it within this scope: Bahá’í-initiated interfaith observance with international community participation. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when the supporting authority record explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes World Religion Day?
The stored designation basis is: Bahá’í World News Service says World Religion Day was initiated in 1950 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and is commemorated on the third Sunday in January to foster interfaith understanding.. Supporting provenance includes Bahá’í World News Service — World Religion Day. The site does not infer a separate creator or founder unless reviewed evidence establishes one.
Is World Religion Day international or country-specific?
The record has international or global institutional scope: Bahá’í-initiated interfaith observance with international community participation. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual layer is source-backed and keeps its date rule, scope, provenance and editorial guardrails attached to the authority record. This record was checked on 2026-09-07.
Other observances on January 17
These records also resolve to January 17, 2027 under the current authority data.
Cable Car Day
NFTA’s public-transport history feature identifies 17 January as National Cable Car Day and ties it to Andrew Smith Hallidie’s 1871 cable-car patent.
Hot-Buttered Rum Day
Two Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals chapter calendars from different publication years list Hot-Buttered Rum Day on 17 January.
James Leonard Tagle Gordon Day
Republic Act No. 11217 / Senate of the Philippines Legislative Reference