Calendar of
Multicultural Events, Religious Holidays, and Awareness Observances
Calendar of Multicultural Events, Religious Holidays, and Awareness Observances
Sharing and expanding our knowledge of the diverse cultural and faith traditions of members of our campus and local community helps strengthen relationships with one another, fosters collegiality, respect, and acceptance, and positively impacts our overall campus culture.
Please note this calendar is an educational resource intended to provide a general overview, and the information may not apply to all individuals in any given culture or faith, nor is this an exhaustive list. To recommend additional religious or cultural observances to be highlighted in this calendar, please contact us at communications@chsu.edu.
January 2023
Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month
January 1: New Year’s Day (modern Gregorian calendar)
January 1: Global Family Day / World Peace Day
January 1: Gantan-sai/ Shogatu/ Shinto New Year Holiday (Shinto)
January 2: St. Basil’s Day (Orthodox Christian)
January 4: World Braille Day
January 5: Epiphany/ Twelfth Night / Dia de los Reyes/ Three Kings Day (Roman Catholic and Protestant Christian)
January 6: Armenian Christmas (Armenian Orthodox Christian)
January 7 (Julian Calendar): Orthodox Christmas Day (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
January 12: National Pharmacists Day
January 16: Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday and National Day of Service
January 27: International Holocaust Remembrance/Day of Commemoration Day
Lunar New Year | Chinese Chunjie | Vietnamese Tet|Korean Solnal | Tibetan Losar | Spring Festival (January 22, 2023 / February 10, 2024 / January 29, 2025)
February 2023
February 1: National Freedom Day
February 1-2: Imbolc / Candlemas
February 2: Groundhog Day
February 3: National Women Physician Day
February 3: Setsubun-sai (Shinto)
February 11: International Day of Women and Girls in Science
February 14: Valentine’s Day
February 15: President’s Day
February 17: Random Act of Kindness Day
February 20: Word Day of Social Justice
February 21: Tibetan New Year/ Losar (Buddhism)
February 28 (29 in leap years): Rare Disease Day
Ash Wednesday and Lent (February-March)
March 2023
Taoist Festival honoring the Shen of Water, East and Spring
Greek-American/Hellenic Heritage Month
Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month
Bisexual Health Awareness Month
March 1: Zero Discrimination Day
March 2- 20: Nineteen Day Fast Period (Baha’i)
March 6: Magha Puja Day (Buddhist)
March 6-7, 2023 / March 23-24, 2024 / March 13-14, 2025 / March 2-3-2026: Purim (Jewish)
March 8: International Women’s Day
March 8-9, 2023 / March 25-26, 2024 / March 14-15, 2025: Holi / Hola Mohalla (Hidu)
March 17: St. Patrick’s Day
March 20: CHSU Diversity Day
March 21: World Down Syndrome Day
March 21: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
March 22 – April 21, 2023 / March 10 – April 9, 2024 / February 28 – March 30, 2025, February 17 – March 18, 2026 **: Ramadan (Islam; dates may vary. Halal/Islamic dietary restrictions apply.)
March 21-22, 2023 / March 20-21, 2024 / March 21-22, 2025 & 2026**: Naw Ruz (Baha’i) Nowruz/Norooz (Persian New Year)
March 24: Equal Pay Day
March 31: International Transgender Day of Visibility
April 2023
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
April 5-13, 2023/ April 22-30, 2024 / April 12-20, 2025**: Passover/Pesach (Judaism; dates may vary)
April 2, 2023/ March 24, 2024 / April 13, 2025 / March 29, 2026: Palm Sunday (Roman Catholic, Protestant Christian, Eastern Orthodox Christianity) April 6: RAINN Day
April 7, 2023 / March 29, 2024 / April 18, 2025 / April 3, 2026: Good Friday (Roman Catholic and Protestant Christian)
April 9: Easter (Roman Catholic and Protestant Christian)
April 14, 2023 / May 3, 2024 / April 18, 2025): Holy Friday / Good Friday (Eastern Orthodox Christian)
April 14: Day of Silence
April 14: Vaisakhi (Sikh/Hindu)
April 16: Pascha/ Easter (Eastern Orthodox Christian Church)
April 18: National Transgender HIV Testing Day
April 21-May 2, 2023 **: Ridvan (Baha’i; 1, 9, 12th days)
April 21-22, 2023 / April 9-10, 2024 / March 30-31, 2025 / March 19-20, 2026 **: Eid al-Fitr (Islam; dates may vary. Halal/Islamic dietary restrictions apply.)
April 22: Earth Day
April 17-18, 2023 / May 4-5, 2024 / April 24-25, 2025 / April 13-14, 2026: Yom HaSho’ah/Holocaust Remembrance Day
April 26: Lesbian Visibility Day
May 2023
Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Jewish-American Heritage Month
Speech and Hearing Awareness Month
May 1: Hispanic Mother’s Day / Día de la Madre
May 9-15: National Women’s Health Week
May 10: Mexican Mother’s Day
May 14: Mother’s Day (United States)
May 15: Armed Forces Day
May 17: International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia
May 18: Ascension Day/40th Day of Easter (Orthodox Christian)
May 18: World AIDS Vaccine Day
May 21: World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
May 22: Harvey Milk Day
May 24: Pansexual and Panromantic Visibility Day
May 25-27, 2023/ Jun 11-13, 2024 / Jun 1-3, 2025/ May 21-23, 2026 **: Shavout (Judaism)
May 26, 2023 / May 15, 2024 / May 5, 2025: Buddha Day / Visakha Puja (Buddhist)
May 29, 2023: Ascension of the Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)
May 29, 2023: Memorial Day
June 2023
Caribbean-American Heritage Month
Multiracial Heritage Week (June 7-14)
June 5: World Environment Day
June 12: Loving Day
June 12: Pulse Night of Remembrance
June 15: World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
June 19: Juneteenth Holiday
June 20: World Refugee Day
June 26: LGBT Equality Day
June 26: Anniversary of the Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage in the U.S
June 27: National HIV Testing Day
June 28: Stonewall Riots Anniversary
June 28-29, 2023**: Eid al-Adha (Islam; dates may vary)
July 2023
Disability Pride Month
July 4: Independence Day
July 11: World Population Day
July 14: International Non-Binary People’s Day
July 18: Nelson Mandela International Day
July 24: Pioneer Day
July 26 – 27, 2023**: Tish’a B’Av (Judaism)
July 27, 2023: Ashura
August 2023
National Minority Donor Awareness Month
Islamic New Year|Hijri New Year|Arabic New Year
August 1: Lammas / Lughnasadh Beginning of Harvest Celebration (Druid, Pagan, Wiccan)
August 9: International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
August 15: Assumption of Mary (Catholic Christian)
August 26: National Women’s Equality Day
August 21: National Senior Citizen Day
August 26: Women’s Equality Day
August 30, 2023: Raksha Bandhan (Hindu)
September 2023
Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15)
September 6-7, 2023: Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu)
September 15: International Day of Democracy
September 17: Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
September 10:World Suicide Prevention Day
September 18: National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day
September 21: International Day of Peace
September 15-27, 2023 / October 2-4, 2024 / September 22-24, 2025**: Rosh Hashanah (New Year – Judaism High Holy Days. Kosher restrictions apply.)
September 17-23: Bisexual Awareness Week
September 23: Celebrate Bisexuality Day
September 21-29: Mabon / Alban Elfed / Autumnal Equinox (Druid, Pagan, Wiccan)
Oct. 15-24, 2023 / Oct. 2-12, 2024 / Sept. 22 – Oct. 2, 2025: Navaratri (Hindu)
September 24-30: Ally Week
October 2023
Global Diversity Awareness Month
Filipino-American Heritage Month
German-American Heritage Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15)
Italian-American Heritage Month
Polish-American Heritage Month
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
LGBTQA+ History Month
National Bullying Prevention Month
National Depression Education and Awareness Month
National Diabetes Awareness Month
October 1-7: Mental Illness Awareness Week
October 2: International Day of Non-Violence
Sept. 24-25, 2023 / Oct. 11-12, 2024 / Oct. 1-2, 2025**: Yom Kippur (Judaism – High Holy Days. Kosher restrictions apply.)
Sept. 29- Oct. 6, 2023 / Oct. 16-23, 2024 / Oct. 6-13, 2025 **: Sukkot (Judaism – High Holy Days. Kosher restrictions apply.)
October 9: Indigenous Peoples’ Day
October 10: World Mental Health Day
October 11: National Coming Out Day
Oct. 6-8, 2023 / Oct. 23-25, 2024 / Oct. 13-15, 2025**: Shemini Atzeret (Judaism. Kosher restrictions apply.)
October 19: Spirit Day; LGBT Center Awareness Day
October 20, 2025: Diwali (Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain; date varies year to year)
October 22-28: Asexual Awareness Week
October 25: Birth of the Bab (Baha’i)
October 26: Intersex Awareness Day
October 26-27, 2022*: Birth of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)
October 28: National Immigrants Day
October 31 – November 1: Samhain (Druid, Pagan, Wiccan)
November 2023
Native American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month
November 1: All Saints Day (Catholic and Protestant Christian)
November 2: All Souls Day (Catholic Christian)
November 5-18: Transgender Awareness Week
November 8: Guru Nanak Gurpurab (Sikh)
November 8: Intersex Day of Remembrance
November 11: Veterans Day
November 12, 2023/ November 1, 2024: Diwali (Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain; date varies year to year)
November 16: International Day For Tolerance
November 19: International Men’s Day
November 20: International Transgender Day of Remembrance
November 24: Thanksgiving Day
November 25: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
November 27-December 24: Advent (Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christian)
December 2023
December 1: Word AIDS Day
December 3: International Day of People with Disabilities
December 8: Pansexual/Panromantic Pride Day
December 8: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception/ Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Roman Catholic; Holy Day of Obligation)
December 10: Human Rights Day
Dec. 7-15, 2023 / Dec. 25 – Jan. 2, 2025 **: Hanukkah / Chanukah (Judaism; kosher restrictions apply.)
December 21: Yalda / Chelleh Night
December 21: Dongzhi Festival
Yule/Midwinter/Alban Arthan/Winter Solstice (Druid, Pagan, Wiccan)
December 23: HumanLight
December 25: Christmas (Roman Catholic and Protestant Christian)
December 26 – January 1: Kwanzaa
December 31: New Year’s Eve
* Indicates the holiday begins at sundown the night prior.
** Indicates the holiday begins at sundown on the first day through sunset on the last day.
Points to remember
- Lunar calendars vary based on region and practice
- Islamic dates are approximate; the official days can be plus/minus one day and depend upon the official physical sighting of the new moon.
- “Kosher restrictions apply” refers to the dietary guidelines of Jewish law which apply daily throughout the year. Restrictions include pork, shellfish (fish is allowed) and mixing meat with dairy.
- “Halal dietary restrictions apply” refers to the foods prohibited according to Islamic dietary law throughout the year. Restrictions include alcohol and pork.
- Shabbat, Jewish Sabbath: Every week from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. (Also observed by several Christian denominations, the largest being 7th Day Adventists)
- Baha’is holidays begin at sunset on the day preceding the given date. There are also 19 days of fasting.