When you think of holidays, there are a handful of days that first come to mind. However, now a days if companies are committed to diversity and inclusion, they must celebrate and incorporate all-inclusive holidays that go beyond the ones we know. Take a note of the following cultural, religious, professional and secular holidays as you build out your strategy and D&I calendar.
We want to start at the beginning of the year, to make sure that you take a note of what holidays you’ve already missed this year.
January 2022Month-long observances:
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National Mentoring Month
Poverty in America Awareness Month
Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month
Important D&I calendar dates:
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January 1 – New Year’s Day
January 4 – National Braille Day
January 7 – Christmas (Eastern Orthodox)
January 16 – World Religion Day
January 17 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
January 18 – Mahayana New Year (Buddhist)
January 24 – International Day of Education
January 26 – International Customs Day
January 27 – International Holocaust Remembrance Day
February 2022Month-long observances:
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American Heart Month
Black History Month
Important D&I calendar dates:
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February 1 – National Freedom Day
February 1 — Chinese New Year (Year of the Tiger)
February 4 — Rosa Parks Day
February 8 — Safer Internet Day
February 14 – Valentine’s Day
February 15 – Nirvana Day (Buddhist)
February 15 – International Childhood Cancer Day
February 20 – World Day of Social Justice
March 2022Month-long observances:
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Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
Ethnic Equality Month
Gender Equality Month
Greek-American Heritage Month
Irish-American Heritage Month
National Colon Cancer Awareness Month
National Kidney Month
National Multiple Sclerosis Awareness and Education Month
National Women’s History Month
Important D&I calendar dates:
March 1 – Mardi Gras
March 1 – Maha Shivarati (Hindu)
March 2 – Ash Wednesday
March 4 – Employee Appreciation Day
March 8 – International Women’s Day
March 11 – Maha Shivarati (Hindu)
March 14 – Pi Day
March 16-17 – Purim (Jewish)
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day
March 19 – Holi (Hindu)
March 21 – World Down Syndrome Day
March 21-22 – Naw-Ruz (Baha’I New Year)
March 25 – International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
March 31 – International Transgender Day of Visibility
April 2022Month-long observances:
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Arab-American Heritage Month
Autism Awareness Month
Celebrate Diversity Month
Earth Month
National Child Abuse Prevention Month
National Volunteer Month
Important D&I calendar dates:
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April 2 – Ramadan begins (Muslim)
April 2 – World Autism Awareness Day
April 2 – Equal Pay Day
April 6 – National Tartan Day (Scottish)
April 10 – Palm Sunday (Christian)
April 15 – Good Friday (Christian)
April 15-23 – Passover (Jewish)
April 17 – Easter (Christian)
April 20 – Start of Rivdan (Baha’i)
April 22 – Earth Day
April 23 – National Day of Silence (LGBTQIAA+)
April 27-28 – Yom Hashoah (Jewish)
April 8 – Laylat al-Qadr (Muslim)
April 30 – Ramadan ends (Muslim)
May 2022Month-long observances:
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ALS Awareness Month
Haitian Heritage Month
Indian Heritage Month
Jewish-American Heritage Month
Mental Health Month
National Asian American and South Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Older Americans Month
South Asian American Heritage Month
Important D&I calendar dates:
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May 3 – Eid al-Fitr (Muslim)
May 5 – Cinco de Mayo
May 17 – International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
May 21 – World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
May 24 – Declaration of the Bab (Baha’i)
May 29 – Ascension of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)
May 30 – Memorial Day
June 2022Month-long observances:
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Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month
Black Music Month
National Caribbean American Heritage Month
Pride Month (LGBTQIAA+)
Important D&I calendar dates:
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June 8 — Race Unity Day
June 12 – Loving Day
June 19 – Juneteenth
June 20 – National Indigenous Peoples Day (Canada)
June 20 – World Refugee Day
June 21 – Litha, Summer Solstice (Pagan)
June 24 – Pride Day (LGBTQIAA+) (varies by city and country)
July 2022
Month-long observances:
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French-American Heritage Month
Important D&I calendar dates:
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July 1 – Canada Day (Canada)
July 4 – Independence Day (USA)
July 9 – Eid al-Adha (Muslim)
July 10 – Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha’i)
July 11 – World Populace Day
July 14 – Bastille Day
July 18 – International Nelson Mandela Day
July 24 – Pioneer Day (Mormon)
July 26 – National Disability Independence Day (commemorates the signing of the Americans With Disabilities Act)
July 30 – International Day of Friendship
July 30 – Hijri New Year (Muslim)
August 2022
Month-long observances:
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National Civility Month
Important D&I calendar dates:
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August 7 – Purple Heart Day
August 9 – International Day of the World’s Indigenous People
August 13 – Left-Handers Day
August 17 – Marcus Garvey Day
August 18-19 – Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu)
August 19 – World Humanitarian Day
August 21 – Senior Citizens Day
August 22 – American Business Women’s Day
August 26 – Women’s Equality Day
September 2022
Month-long observances:
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Hispanic Heritage Month
National Guide Dog Month
Suicide Prevention Month
Important D&I calendar dates:
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September 6 – Labor Day
September 11 – Patriot Day (U.S.A.)
September 15 – International Day of Democracy
September 16 – Mexican Independence Day
September 21 – International Day of Peace
September 23 – National Native American Day
September 25 – Rosh Hashanah begins (Jewish)
September 26 – European Day of Languages
September 26 – Navrati begins (Hindu)
September 27 — World Tourism Day
October 2022
Month-long observances:
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Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Bullying Prevention Month
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Filipino-American Heritage Month
German-American Heritage Month
Italian-American Heritage Month
LGBTQ History Month
National Work and Family Month
Polish-American Heritage Month
Family History Month
Important D&I calendar dates:
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October 2 – International Day of Nonviolence
October 5 – Yom Kippur (Jewish) (begins sundown October 4)
October 9 – Sukkot begins (Jewish)
October 10 – World Mental Health Day
October 11 – National Coming Out Day (LGBTQIAA+)
October 11 – National Indigenous Peoples’ Day (United States)
October 15 – White Cane Safety Day (Blind awareness)
October 16 – Bosses’ Day
October 17 – Spirit Day (LGBTQIAA+ anti-bullying)
October 20 – Sikh Holy Day (birth of Guru Granth)
October 22 – International Stuttering Awareness Day
October 24 – Diwali (Hindu)
October 25 – Birth of the Bab (Baha’i)
October 25 – Birth of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)
October 31 – Halloween
October 31 – Dia de los Muertos begins
November 2022
Month-long observances:
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Diabetes Awareness Month
Movember (awareness of men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer)
National Native American, American Indian, and Alaskan Native Heritage Month
Important D&I calendar dates:
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November 1 – All Saints’ Day (Roman Catholic)
November 2 – National Stress Awareness Day
November 9 – World Freedom Day
November 9 – World Adoption Day
November 11 – Veterans Day
November 13 – World Kindness Day
November 16 – National Day for Tolerance
November 19 – International Men’s Day
November 20 – Transgender Day of Remembrance
November 20 – Universal Children’s Day (Human Rights, U.N.)
November 24 – Thanksgiving
November 26 – Day of the Covenant (Baha’i)
November 28 – Ascension of Abdu’l-Baha (Baha’i)
December 2022
Month-long observances:
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HIV/AIDS Awareness Month
Universal Human Rights Month
Important D&I calendar dates:
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December 1 – World AIDS Day
December 3 – International Day for People with Disabilities
December 5 – International Volunteer Day
December 9 – Genocide Prevention Day
December 10 – International Human Rights Day
December 18 – Hanukkah begins at sunset (Jewish)
December 21 – Yule Winter Solstice (Pagan)
December 25 – Christmas (Christian)
December 26 – Kwanzaa begins
December 26 – Boxing Day (Great Britain and Commonwealth countries)
December 31 – New Year’s Eve
This list may seem overwhelming and hard to incorporate into your plan. Note, that one of our services is to help companies produce these awareness months.
This is our opportunity to help you develop and design inclusive awareness months such as, Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, Native American History Month, PRIDE month to name a few. We build everything from the content calendar, graphic design and creativity, Speaker Suggestions, Activities, Book and Article write ups. Building a month where people can feel seen, appreciated and acknowledged. Make sure to email us at contact@notainclusion.com to learn more about how we can help ease your year!