The Equity and Inclusion (E&I) Celebrations Calendar identifies some of the cultural and religious observances that are significant to members of the Bates College community. While not exhaustive of all commemorations, this calendar highlights the diverse cultural legacies that enrich us all. If you see something missing, please let us know. For more on religious holidays, please see the Multifaith Chaplaincy.

September 2024

• 15 Hispanic Heritage Month begins
• 21 International Day of Peace

October 2024

• All month, Filipino-American Heritage Month
• All month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month
• All month, LGBTQ+ History Month
• 2 International Day of Nonviolence
• 2 Rosh Hashanah ends at sundown (Judaism)
• 11 Yom Kippur begins at sundown (Judaism)
• 12 Yom Kippur ends at sundown
• 11 National Coming Out Day
• 14 Indigenous Peoples’ Day 
• 15 Hispanic Heritage Month ends
• 16 Sukkot begins at sunset
• 23 Sukkot ends at nightfall

November 2024

• All month, Native American Heritage Month
• 1 Diwali (Hinduism)
• 1 Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead (Mexican-American, Mexico)
• 1 All Saints Day (Catholic)
• 11 Veteran’s Day
• 16 International Day for Tolerance
• 20 Transgender Day of Remembrance
• 29 Native American Heritage Day

December 2024

• 3 International Day for People with Disabilities
• 10 International Human Rights Day
• 25 Christmas (Christian)
• 25 Hanukkah begins at sundown (Judaism)
• 26 Kwanzaa begins
• 31 New Year’s Eve

January 2025

• 1 New Year’s Day
• 1 Kwanzaa ends (African American, African diaspora)
• 4 World Braille Day
• 6 Three Kings Day (Latin American, Spanish Caribbean, Spain)
• 20 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• 27 International Holocaust Remembrance Day
• 29 Lunar New Year (Year of the Snake, Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism)

February 2025

• All month, Black History Month
• 15 Nirvana Day (Buddhist)
• 20 World Day of Social Justice
• 26 Maha Shivaratri (Hindu)
• 28 Ramadan begins (Islam, lasts 30 days)

March 2025

• All month, Women’s History Month
• All month, Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
• 5 Ash Wednesday (Christian)
• 13 Purim begins at sundown (Judaism)
• 14 Holi (Hindu)
• 25 International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
• 29  Eid al-Fitr/End of Ramadan (Muslim)
• 31 International Transgender Day of Visibility

April 2025

• All month, Arab-American Heritage Month
• All month, Autism Awareness Month
• All month, Sexual Assault Awareness Month
• 2 World Autism Awareness Day
• 12 Pesach/Passover begins at sundown (Judaism)
• 13 Palm Sunday (Christian)
• 18 Good Friday (Christian)
• 20 Easter
• 20 Pesach/Passover ends
• 22 Earth Day

May 2025

• All month, Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
• All month, South Asian Heritage Month
• All month, Jewish-American Heritage Month
• All month, Mental Health Awareness Month
• 5 Cinco de Mayo (Mexican-American, Mexico)

June 2025

• All month, LGBTQ+ Pride Month
• All month, National Caribbean American Heritage Month
• 19 Juneteenth

July 2025

• All month, Disability Pride Month,
• 14 International Non-Binary People’s Day
• 26 Anniversary of the ADA, Disability Independence day

August 2025

• 9 International Day of the World’s Indigenous People
• 26 Women’s Equality Day