Poverty in America Awareness Month
Jan 01: Emancipation Proclamation declared by President Lincoln in 1863; New Year's Day
Jan 04: Louis Braille Birthday (1809); French educator who created "braille" reading and writing system for visually impaired
Jan 06: Feast of the Epiphany - Christian feast day celebrates the star leading the three wise men; close of the Christmas season
Jan 07: Mahayana New year (Buddhist); Orthodox Christmas begins
Jan 09: Orthodox Christmas ends
Jan 14: Orthodox New Year
Jan 15: Makar Sankranti - Hindu festival dedicated to the god of the sun, Surya; World Religion Day (Bahai)
Jan 16: Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Celebrates US civil rights activist, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Jan 22: Lunar New Year - Festival marks the new year start in the lunar calendar used in China, East Asia, and Southeast Asia
Jan 27: International Day of Commemoration in Memory of Victims of the Holocaust: A United Nations day that Remembers the ~6 million Jews and countless members of other marginalized groups who were murdered in the events leading up to and during World War II
Jan 28: Birthday of Oprah Winfrey - The birthday of the “Queen of Media,” a well-known talk show host and philanthropist. She is also believed to be North America’s first Black female billionaire.
African American/Black History Month
Feb 04: Rosa Parks Day - Honoring American Civil Rights hero, occurs twice a year on Feb 4th and Dec 1st
Feb 11: Birthday of Tammy Baldwin - The first openly LGBTQIA+ woman elected to both houses of Congress
Feb 14: Observed as the birthday of abolitionist and social reformer Frederick Douglass
Feb 15: Nirvana Day - An annual festival that remembers the death of the Buddha after reaching nirvana (also called Parinirvana); Susan B. Anthony's Birthday - A leader of the women's suffrage movement, she advocated for abolition, temperance, labor rights, and equal pay for equal work
Feb 22: Ash Wednesday - A day of prayer and fasting that begins the Christian season of Lent, a 40-day period of preparation and fasting before Easter
Women's History Month; Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month; Irish American Heritage Month; Irish American Heritage Month; National Deaf History Month; Ramadan Begins
Mar 06: Makha Bucha Day/Mâgha Pujâ (Buddhist-Thailand); Mar 6-7 Purim (Jewish)
Mar 08: International Women’s Day: A day highlighting the political, social, cultural, and economic achievements of women; Holi: Hindu holiday that celebrates the onset of spring and the triumph of good over evil
Mar 10: Harriet Tubman’s birthday (observed): American abolitionist who is well-known for her key role in the Underground Railroad
Mar 13 through Apr 15: National Deaf History Month
Mar 17: St. Patrick’s Day: Feast day of a Catholic saint who inspires cultural and religious celebrations around the world (International)
Mar 21: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination: A day that encourages everyone to come together to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination (International)
Evening Thu March 22 to evening Thu April 20: key Muslim religious holidays include Ramadan, Islam’s sacred month. During this time Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from dawn until dusk; Mar 22, 2023 Chaitra Navratri (Hindu) will begin on March 22, Wednesday, and will end on March 30. Navratri is a nine-day festival dedicated to the worship of the nine incarnations of Goddess Durga. Each day of this festival holds a different significance and is dedicated to Maa Durga's nine avatars
Mar 23: Mardi Gras, (French: Fat Tuesday) festive day celebrated in France on Shrove Tuesday (the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday), which marks the close of the pre-Lenten season. The French name Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday, from the custom of using all the fats in the home before Lent in preparation for fasting and abstinence
Mar 31: International Transgender Day of Visibility or TDOV | https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/03/30/a-proclamation-on-transgender-day-of-visibility/
Celebrations based on the solar cycle occur in March and April and include:
Bengali New Year: Pohela Boishakh
Burmese New Year: Thingyan
Cambodian New Year: Chaul Chnam Thmey
Lao New Year: Pi Mai
Nepali New Year: Nepal Sambat
Sinhalese New Year: Aluth Avurudda
Tamil New Year: Puthandu
Thai New Year: Songkran
Celebrate Diversity Month; Arab American Heritage Month; Autism Acceptance Month; Month of the Military Child; National Volunteer Month; Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Apr 02: World Autism Awareness Day: Raises awareness for those with autism and seeks to improve their lives and acceptance in society
April 05 to April 13 Passover/Pesach (Jewish): Major Jewish festival that celebrates the freeing of Israeli slaves
Apr 9: Easter (Christian): An important Christian holiday, which celebrates Jesus’ resurrection
Apr 14: Vaisakhi (Sikh) one of the most important dates in the Sikh calendar, Vaisakhi is a spring festival which happens on the 13 or 14 April every year as a day to celebrate 1699, the year when Sikhism was born as a collective faith
Evening of Apr 17 to evening of Apr 18: Yom Hashoah | Holocaust Remembrance Day (Jewish) the full name of the day commemorating the victims of the Holocaust is “Yom Hashoah Ve-Hagevurah“– literally the “Day of (Remembrance of) the Holocaust and the Heroism.” It is marked on the 27th day in the month of Nisan — a week after the seventh day of Passover, and a week before Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day for Israel’s fallen soldiers)
Apr 21 - 22: Eid-ul-Fitr (Muslim) marks the culmination of the fasting month of Ramzan or Ramadan and celebrated in India on Saturday, 22 April 2023
Apr 22 Earth Day: Holiday that applauds the planet we live on and all it does for us; Earth Day is observed by more than 192 nations (International)
History of Sexual Assault Awareness Month https://www.nsvrc.org/saam/history
Holocaust Remembrance Day https://www.ushmm.org/remember/days-of-remembrance/resources/calendar
Mental Health Awareness Month; Older Americans Month; Asian American and Pacific Island Heritage Month; Haitian Heritage Month; Jewish American Heritage Month; Speech and Hearing Awareness Month
May 01: May Day/Labor Day (International); May 1 Law Day US Federal Courts
May 05: Cinco de Mayo: Mexican-American holiday that celebrates Mexico’s defeat of the French Army
May 14: Mother's Day (International); May 14 Apraxia Awareness Day (Oklahoma)
May 15: International Day of Families (International)
May 17: International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia: This event seeks to raise awareness for the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals (United Nations)
May 18: Global Accessibility Awareness Day | https://accessibility.day/
May 19: Malcolm X’s Birthday: Well-known Muslim minister and civil rights activist, who was assassinated in 1965
May 21: World Day for Cultural Diversity (United Nations)| https://www.un.org/en/observances/cultural-diversity-day
May 25: Africa Day (Africa);
May 25-27 Shavuot (Jewish) Shavuot, or the Feast of Weeks, is a Jewish holiday, (Gregorian calendar). Shavout has both agricultural and biblical significance
May 26: Buddha’s Birthday: Celebrates the Buddha, who founded one of the world’s most practiced faiths
May 29: Memorial Day (US): a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the loss of U.S. military personnel who have died while serving in the US armed forces.
LGBTQIA+ Pride Month; Caribbean American Heritage Month
Jun 02: Indian Citizenship Act of 1924: This act granted Native Americans born in the U.S. citizenship. However, they were not given the right to vote until 1957
Jun 11 National Puerto Rican Day Parade (US | Bronx, NY): This parade is a demonstration of cultural pride that seeks to raise awareness of issues in the Puerto Rican community | https://www.nprdpinc.org/
Jun 12: Loving Day: This day is the anniversary of the court decision that legalizes interracial marriage
Jun 14: Flag Day: National Flag Day (US) honors and commemorates the date in 1777 when the United States approved the design for its first national flag
Jun 18 Father's Day (International)
Jun 19: Juneteenth (US): This day commemorates when the last African Americans learned of the Emancipation Proclamation (over two years after it was originally issued) https://www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth
Jun 20: World Refugee Day (United Nations): international day to honor people who have been forced to flee their home country | https://www.unhcr.org/world-refugee-day
June 26 to July 1 – the Islamic religious calendar includes the Hajj: This day begins the annual pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims must take once in their lives if they are physically and financially capable
Jun 27: Helen Keller’s Birthday: This day celebrates the birth of Helen Keller, an individual who was both blind and deaf. She was a leading humanitarian in the 20th century as well as one of the co-founders of the ACLU
French American Heritage Month; Disability Pride Month
Jul 02: Thurgood Marshall’s Birthday: born July 2, 1908, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., died January 24, 1993, Bethesda), lawyer, civil rights activist, and associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1967–91), the Court's first African American member
Jul 04: Independence Day (US); Filipino American Friendship Day/ Republic Day (Phillipines)
Jul 06: Dalai Lama’s Birthday: The day that Tibet’s leader in exile and Nobel Peace Prize recipient was born; Frida Kahlo’s Birthday: Well-known 20th century Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo, was born on July 6
Jul 18: Nelson Mandela’s Birthday: Nelson Mandela served as South Africa’s first black president and was a strong civil rights leader
Jul 19: Hijri New Year: this day marks the start of the Islamic New Year — beginning the prior evening
Jul 25: Pioneer Day: This Utah state holiday marks the arrival of LDS church founder Brigham Young to the Salt Lake area
Jul 26: Americans with Disabilities Act passed: ADA law protects people with disabilities from being discriminated against
American Disability - Disability Pride Month
https://www.ameridisability.com/how-to-display-disability-pride/
Aug 04: Barack Obama’s Birthday: This day marks the birth of the United States’ first Black president
Aug 09: International Day of the World’s Indigenous People (United Nations): This day was created by the UN to celebrate the culture of indigenous people on a global scale
Aug 15: Feast of the Assumption: This Roman Catholic feast day marks the entry of the mother Mary into Heaven (body and soul)
Aug 18: Lord Krishna’s Birthday (Hindu): This day is the birthday of one of the most popular deities in the Hindu faith. Lord Krishna is also known as Janmashtami, and his birthday is celebrated with a festival
Aug 24: Marlee Matlin’s Birthday: This day celebrates the birth of Marlee Matlin — the first and only (as of 2023) hearing-impaired actor to win best actor/actress
Aug 26: Women’s Equality Day (US): Marks the anniversary of women gaining the right to vote in the year 1920
Aug 30: Raksha Bandhan (Hindu), also known as Rakhi Purnima or Rakhi, is a Hindu festival that focuses on the love and duty between brothers and sisters. It is held every year in August.
Hispanic Heritage Month; National Recovery Month
Sep 04: Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United States
Sep 15 to Sep 17: Rosh Hashanah: This holiday is the Jewish New Year when Jews reflect on their faith
Sep 17: Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
Sep 19: Ganesh Chaturthi, also called Vinayaka Chaturthi, in Hinduism, 10-day festival marking the birth of the elephant-headed deity Ganesha, the god of prosperity and wisdom. It begins on the fourth day (chaturthi) of the month of Bhadrapada (August–September), the sixth month of the Hindu calendar.
Sep 20: HeForShe (United Nations): This movement was started by the UN with the goal of promoting gender equality
Sep 23: Autumnal Equinox: This date marks a variety of religious observances across the globe
Sep 15: begins Rosh Hashanah at sundown and it concludes at nightfall on Sep 17, 2023. Rosh Hashanah celebrated the birthday of the universe, the day G‑d created Adam and Eve, and it’s celebrated as the head of the Jewish year.
Global Diversity Awareness Month; Filipino American History Month; German American Heritage Month; Italian American Heritage Month; Polish American Heritage Month; National Disability Employment Awareness Month; Breast Cancer Awareness Month; LGBTQ History Month
Oct 04 -05: Yom Kippur (Jewish)
Oct 05: Dussehar (Hindu)
Oct 06: German American Heritage Day (US)
Oct 09: Indigenous People’s Day: This day honors the indigenous people of the United States; the holiday coincides with Columbus Day. Indigenous Peoples' Day arose as an alternative to Columbus Day, which Native Americans protested for honoring a man who had enabled their colonization and forced assimilation;
Oct 09-16: Sukkot (Jewish)
Oct 10: World Mental Health Day: A day that advocates for mental health awareness and education; on this day, you can support the efforts by reflecting on your own biases regarding mental health and advocating against social stigma related to it
Oct 11: National Coming out Day | LGBT Awareness Day
Oct 14: Defender of Ukraine Day: This day celebrates those who have fought for the freedom of Ukraine
Oct 16-18: Shemini Atzeret (Jewish)
Oct 17: Spirit Day: This day is aimed specifically at LGBTQ youth and what their community can do to support them. You can participate in this day by wearing purple and speaking out against bullying;
Oct 17-18: Simchat Torah (Jewish)
Oct 24 Diwali (Hindu, Jain, Sikh)
Oct 31 Halloween (US)
Office of Disability Employment Policy
Indigenous People's Day
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/10/08/a-proclamation-indigenous-peoples-day-2021/
National Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month; Movember (Men's issues awareness)*
*Movember: A month-long fundraiser that seeks to raise awareness for men’s issues such as suicide as well as prostate and testicular cancer
Nov 01: All Saints’ Day, All Souls Day, Día de Los Muertos: These days are dedicated to all those who have passed away in the Christian faith as well as the Mexican and Aztec communities
Nov 08: National First Generation College Celebration Day | https://www.colorado.edu/cisc/national-first-gen-celebration-day
Nov 11: Veteran's Day (US)
Nov 12: Diwali: An important celebration in the Hindu faith in which a variety of deities are praised
Nov 16: International Day for Tolerance (United Nations): The UN holiday was founded to encourage respect among various people regardless of culture, language, religion, or ethnicity; Nov 16 Dutch American Heritage Day: This day applauds the long friendship between the Netherlands and the US
Nov 20: Transgender Day of Remembrance: This day is held as a remembrance for all those murdered because of transphobia | https://www.glaad.org/tdor
Nov 24: Thanksgiving (US)
Nov 25: Native American Heritage Day
AIDS Awareness Month
Dec 01: Rosa Parks Day honoring American Civil Rights hero; occurs twice a year - on Feb 4 or Dec 1st; World AIDS Day (International): This day highlights the importance of HIV/AIDS awareness and raises money for its cure
Dec 03: International Day of Persons with Disabilities: This United Nations holiday raises awareness for the rights of individuals with disabilities https://www.un.org/en/observances/day-of-persons-with-disabilities
December 07: to December 15 – Hanukkah: A Jewish holiday celebrating Jews rising up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt
Dec 10: International Humans Rights Day: A holiday adopted by the UN in 1948 following the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Dec 15: Bill of Rights Day (US Federal Courts)
December 16 to December 24: Las Posadas: A religious festival celebrated in Mexico and parts of the U.S. during the Christmas season
Dec 18-26: Hanukkah (Jewish)
Dec 21: Yule (Pagan) Winter Solstice: A festival celebrated by Pagan and Wiccan faiths
Dec 24: Christmas Eve/ Noche buena (Christian)
Dec 25: Christmas: A Christian holiday marking the birth of their lord and savior, Jesus Christ
December 26 to January 1: Kwanzaa: A 7-day holiday often celebrated by Black Americans that was inspired by African harvest celebrations (US)