August
Aug. 17: Marcus Garvey Day, honors Jamaican-born political activist, orator, publisher, journalist and entrepreneur. Garvey is credited with organizing the Black Nationalist movement in the U.S.
Aug. 23: International Day for the Remembrance of the Enslavement Trade and its Abolition. This day also recognizes the anniversary of the uprising in Santo Domingo (today Haiti and the Dominican Republic) that initiated the abolition of enslavement in the Caribbean.
Aug. 26: Women’s Equality Day, commemorates the Aug. 26, 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that gave women the right to vote. Congresswoman Bella Abzug first introduced a proclamation for Women’s Equality Day in 1971. Since that time, every president has published a proclamation recognizing Aug. 26 as Women’s Equality Day.
September
Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.
Sept. 5: Labor Day in the United States. Labor Day honors the contribution that laborers have made to the country and is observed on the first Monday of September.
Sept. 9: Carter G. Woodson, Ph.D., founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) in 1915.
Sept. 11: Remembrance of Sept. 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, when nearly 3,000 people were killed in the U.S. as a result of coordinated terrorist attacks that involved the use of four commercial airplanes. Two planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pa.
Sept. 11: Ethiopian New Year, a public holiday in Ethiopia celebrated on Sept. 11 unless it’s a leap year in the Ethiopian calendar, in which case it is celebrated on Sept. 12.
Sept. 21: Black Women’s Equal Pay Day. The aim is to raise awareness about the wider-than-average pay gap between Black women and White men. Black women are paid 58 cents for every dollar paid to White men. This day denotes how far into the year Black women must work to be paid what White men were paid the previous year.
Sept. 21 – 29: Mabon, a celebration of the autumnal equinox commemorated by Pagans and Wiccans.
Sept. 23: Bisexuality Day, recognized since 1999, this day is intended to celebrate bisexual communities and bring attention to ongoing challenges and “isms” faced by bisexual people daily.
Sept. 23: Native American Day, a federal holiday observed annually on the fourth Friday of September in California and Nevada; and on the second Monday of October in South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Sept. 25 – 27 (sundown to sundown): Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year celebration, marking the creation of the world.
Sept 30: Orange Shirt Day, observed annually on September 30. This day was founded to create awareness about the impact of the Native American residential school system on Indigenous communities in Canada. This impact is recognized as cultural genocide. You can observe this day by wearing an orange shirt to show your support.
October
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
October is LGBTQ+ History Month.
October is Global Diversity Awareness Month, a month to celebrate and increase awareness about the diversity of cultures and ethnicities and the positive impact diversity can have on society.
Oct. 4: Dasara, Dussehra or Vijayadashami, in the eastern and northeastern states of India, marks the end of Durga Puja, remembering goddess Durga's victory over the buffalo demon Mahishasura to help restore dharma.
Oct. 4 – 5: Yom Kippur. The holiest day of the year in Judaism. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a day-long fast, confession and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services.
Oct. 7: Author Toni Morrison is the first African American to win the Nobel Prize for literature in 1993.
Oct. 7 – 8 (sundown to sundown): Eid Milad un-Nabi, an Islamic holiday commemorating the birthday of the prophet Muhammad. During this celebration, homes and mosques are decorated, large parades take place and those observing the holiday participate in charity events.
Oct. 8: International Lesbian Day, celebrates lesbian culture, community and visibility. Recognized on Oct. 8 because it’s exactly six months after International Women’s Day on March 8.
Oct. 9 – 16: Sukkot, a seven-day Jewish festival giving thanks for the fall harvest.
Oct. 10: Indigenous Peoples’ Day, recognizes Indigenous peoples as first inhabitants of the Americas, including lands colonized as the United States of America.
Oct. 10: World Mental Health Day. First celebrated in 1993, this day is meant to increase public awareness about the importance of mental health, mental health services and mental health workers worldwide.
Oct. 10: Canadian Thanksgiving, a chance for people to give thanks for a good harvest and other fortunes in the past year.
Oct. 11: National Coming Out Day (U.S.). For those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, this day celebrates coming out and the recognition of the 1987 march on Washington for gay and lesbian equality.
Oct. 19: International Pronouns Day seeks to make respecting, sharing, and educating about pronouns commonplace.
Oct. 20: Spirit Day, encourages supporters to wear purple in solidarity with LGBTQ+ communities and youth, who are disproportionately targeted by anti-LGBTQ+ harassment and violence. The name “Spirit Day” comes from the purple stripe of the pride flag which represents, “spirit.”
Oct. 20: Sikh holy day, a day of celebrating spiritual guide, Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
Oct. 24: Diwali, a festival of lights and one of the major festivals celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists. The festival lasts five days and is celebrated during the Hindu lunisolar month Kartika.
Oct. 31: All Hallows’ Eve (Halloween), a celebration observed in a number of countries on the eve of the western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day. It begins the three-day observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs and all the faithful departed.
Oct. 31: Reformation Day, a Protestant Christian religious holiday celebrated alongside All Hallows' Eve (Halloween) during the triduum of Allhallowtide in remembrance of the onset of the Reformation.
Oct. 31 – Nov. 1 (sundown to sundown): Samhain, a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the "darker half" of the year.
November
November is National Native American Heritage Month.
November is National Family Caregivers Month, proclaimed in 2012 by Former President Barack Obama. It honors the more than 40 million caregivers across the country who support aging parents, ill spouses or other loved ones with disabilities who remain at home.
Nov. 1: All Saints’ Day, a Christian holiday commemorating all known and unknown Christian saints. (In eastern Christianity, the day is observed on the first Sunday after Pentecost.)
Nov. 2: All Souls’ Day, a Christian holiday commemorating all faithful Christians who are now dead. In the Mexican tradition, the holiday is celebrated as Dia de los Muertos (Oct. 31 – Nov. 2), which is a time of remembrance for dead ancestors and a celebration of the continuity of life.
Nov. 2: President Ronald Reagan signs a law designating the third Monday in January as Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983.
Nov. 11: Veterans Day is a U.S. federal holiday honoring military veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. It coincides with Armistice Day and Remembrance Day which are celebrated in other countries that mark the anniversary of the end of World War I.
Nov. 19: International Men’s Day, global holiday celebrated annually in November to recognize and celebrate cultural, political and socioeconomic achievements of men.
Nov. 20: Transgender Day of Remembrance, established in 1998 to memorialize trans and gender variant people who have targeted by deadly forms of violence and to raise advocacy for transgender communities.
Nov. 24: Thanksgiving in the United States.
Nov. 25: Native American Heritage Day, held annually the Friday after Thanksgiving, encourages people of all backgrounds to observe and honor Native American people and communities through authentic ceremonies and activities. The day was signed into law by George W. Bush in 2008.
Nov. 30: Native American Women’s Equal Pay Day. The aim is to raise awareness about the wider-than-average pay gap between Native American women and White men. Native American women are paid 50 cents for every dollar paid to White men. This day denotes how far into the year Native American women must work to be paid what White men were paid the previous year.
December
Dec. 1: World AIDS Day, commemorating those who have died of AIDS related complications, and to acknowledge the need for a continued commitment to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Dec. 1: In 1955, Rosa Parks resists the segregated transportation ordinance in Montgomery Ala., igniting a 382-day bus boycott and launching the civil rights movement in the U.S.
Dec. 3: International Day of Persons with Disabilities, developed to raise awareness and opportunity for persons with disabilities.
Dec. 8: Latinx Women’s Equal Pay Day. The aim is to raise awareness about the wider-than-average pay gap between Latinx women and White men. Latinx women are paid 49 cents for every dollar paid to White men. This day denotes how far into the year Latinx women must work to be paid what White men were paid the previous year.
Dec. 8: Pansexual Pride Day, recognized annually on this date to celebrate pansexuality.
Dec. 8: Bodhi Day, the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (Shakyamuni), experienced enlightenment, also known as Bodhi in Sanskrit and Pali.
Dec. 10: International Human Rights Day, established by the United Nations in 1948 to commemorate the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Dec. 12: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a religious holiday in Mexico commemorating the appearance of the Virgin Mary near Mexico City in 1531.
Dec. 18 –26: Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE.
Dec. 21: Yule Winter Solstice, celebrated by pagans and Wiccans. The shortest day of the year represents a celebration focusing on rebirth, renewal and new beginnings as the sun makes its way back to the Earth. A solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year when the sun reaches its highest position in the sky.
Dec. 25: Christmas Day, the day that many Christians associate with Jesus’ birth.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: Kwanzaa, an annual celebration of African American culture and seven principles, culminating in a communal feast, usually on the sixth day. Created by Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa is based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of West and Southeast Africa. Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966.
Dec. 31: In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, is on Dec. 31. The last day of the year is commonly referred to as “New Year’s Eve.” In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated in the west with dancing, eating and drinking, and watching or lighting fireworks are common. Some Christians attend a watchnight service. The celebrations generally go on past midnight into New Year's Day.