Diversity & Inclusion Calendar

SEPTEMBER 2023 MORE INFORMATION

Labor Day in the United States honors the contribution that workers have made to the country and is observed on the first Monday of September. Krishna Janmashtami is a Hindu celebration of Lord Vishnu’s most powerful human incarnation, Krishna, the god of love and compassion. Celebrations include praying and fasting. The beheading of St. John the Baptist is a holy day observed by various Christian churches that follow liturgical traditions. The day commemorates the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, who was beheaded on the orders of Herod Antipas through the vengeful request of his stepdaughter, Salome, and her mother. The holiday is celebrated on August 29th for Western Christians and September 11th for Eastern Orthodox Christians. Patriot Day honors those who lost their lives as a result of the terrorist attacks against the U.S. on September 11, 2001. Among other commemorative events, a moment of silence is observed. Rastafarians celebrate the Ethiopian New Year on this date and believe that Ethiopia is their spiritual home. Elevation of the Life Giving Cross (Holy Cross) is a day that commemorates the cross used in the crucifixion of Jesus. It is celebrated by some Christian denominations. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year celebration marking the creation of the world. Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from September 15th to October 15th. This month corresponds with Mexican Independence Day, which is celebrated on September 16th and recognizes the revolution in 1810 that ended the Spanish dictatorship. Mexican Independence Day is a day commemorating the moment when Father Hidalgo, a priest and leader, called for Mexico's liberation from Spain in September of 1810. International Equal Pay Day was celebrated for the first time in 2020. It represents the long- standing efforts toward the achievement of equal pay for work of equal value. It further builds on the United Nations’ commitment to human rights and its efforts to eliminate all forms of discrimination, including discrimination against women and girls.

Ganesh Chaturthi is a Hindu holiday lasting approximately 10 days in which the elephant- headed Hindu god is praised and given offerings. Mabon, the second harvest ritual celebrated in Gaelic, Pagan, and Wiccan traditions, is the first day of fall and the celebration of the vernal equinox. The holiday is about gathering wisdom and honoring elders. Native American Day is a federal holiday observed annually on the fourth Friday in September in the states of California and Nevada and on the second Monday in October in South Dakota and Oklahoma. Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year and marks a time for atonement through fasting and prayer. In this image, ultra-Orthodox Jewish men pray at the Western Wall during Yom Kippur in the Old City of Jerusalem. Mawlid, Mawlid an-Nabi ash-Sharif, or Eid Milad un Nabi, is the observance of the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Teacher’s Day in Taiwan is used to honor teachers’ contributions to their students and society in general. People often express their gratitude to their teachers by paying them a visit or sending them a card. The birth of Confucius, the model master educator in ancient China, is also commemorated on this date. Michaelmas, or the Feast of Michael and All Angels, is a minor Christian festival dedicated to Archangel Michael that is observed in some Western liturgical calendars. Mid-Autumn Festival is a celebration of the rice harvest and many fruits. Ceremonies are held both to give thanks for the harvest and to encourage the harvest-giving light to return again in the coming year. It is also a reunion time for families, a little like Thanksgiving. Sukkot is a major Jewish festival held in the autumn (beginning on the 15th day of Tishri) to commemorate the sheltering of the Israelites in the wilderness.

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