Observed two weekends before Thanksgiving Day from Friday through Sunday, National Donor Sabbath is a three-day observance designed to unite people of different religions in a spirit of partnership to encourage organ donor registration in their houses of worship.

It doesn’t matter if a person is Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or of some other religion; they can still think about their fellow humans and register to donate organs. Although there is a misconception in many houses of worship that donating tissue or organs violates the precepts of their religion, this is, in most cases, not true.

The fact of the matter is that one person who makes a tissue or organ donation can save up to eight lives and enhance the lives of 75 other people.

The History of National Donor Sabbath

Under the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, the first initiative to register donors for organ donation was undertaken in 1968. Shortly after this act, National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week was created.

Jump ahead to 1997, and this is when the National Donor Sabbath was first announced by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. When it was created, it encouraged religious leaders of all faiths to spread awareness about the importance of organ donation and to encourage their followers to sign up for tissue and organ donation.

Facts About Organ Donation

Let’s go over some quick facts about organ donation before we conclude this article on National Donor Sabbath. We uncovered the following facts while researching this observance.

• An open casket is still possible for people who donate eyes, tissue, and organs.
• There is no cost for organ donation to the donor’s family.
• Hospitals will never try to “harvest” your organs, even if you are a donor. Their number one priority is to save your life.
• Anyone can be an organ donor regardless of age, medical history, or ethnicity.

Observing National Donor Sabbath

Regardless of a person’s faith, they can sign up to donate organs once they die. It’s not only a way to save many other people’s lives but also a way to leave an impact on this world even after their death. People can also spread the word about this observance using the hashtag #NationalDonorSabbath on social media.