2015
DID YOU KNOW?
That JANUARY
1st is New Year’s Day on the Gregorian calendar*
1st ends Kwanzaa, an African American celebration
6th is Epiphany, a Christian observance in Western and some Eastern traditions*
6th is Three Kings Day, a Latino Christian observance
6th is Theophany, an observance in some Eastern Christian traditions*
7th is Orthodox Christmas for some Eastern Orthodox & Coptic Christians*
14th is Makar Sankrat, a Hindu festival
14th is New Year's Day for some Eastern Orthodox Christians*
19th is Martin Luther King Day, a U.S. celebration*
24th is Vasanta Panchami, a Hindu and Sikh festival
That FEBRUARY
is African-American History Month
16th is President's Day, a U.S. celebration*
17th is Shrove Tuesday, beginning Mardi Gras in the U.S.
17th is Maha Shivaratri, a Hindu observance
18th is Ash Wednesday, beginning Lent, a 40-day observance in Western Christian
communities*
19th begins the 3-day Lunar New Year celebration, marked by Chinese, Korean,
Vietnamese, and Tibetan cultures*
23rd begins Great Lent for Eastern Orthodox Christian communities, a 40-day
observance*
That MARCH
is Women's History Month
is Irish Heritage Month
4th, sundown, begins Purim, a Jewish celebration
6th is Holi, a Hindu and Sikh festival*
8th is International Women's Day
16th is St. Urho's Day, a Finnish celebration
17th is St. Patrick's Day, an Irish celebration
21st begins Naw Ruz, commencing the New Year for those who practice the Baha’i
faith*
28th is Ramanavami, a Hindu celebration
29th is Palm Sunday for Western Christians
That APRIL
is Thai Heritage Month
2nd is Maundy Thursday, a Western Christian observance
3rd, sundown, begins Passover, an 8-day Jewish observance*
3rd is Good Friday in Western Christian communities*
5th is Easter in Western Christian communities*
5th is Palm Sunday for Eastern Christians
8th marks the Birth of Buddha
10th is Holy Friday in Eastern Christian communities*
11th, sundown, ends Passover, a Jewish observance
12th is Easter in Eastern Christian communities*
13th begins the Buddhist New Year, known as Songkran in Thailand
13th begins the New Year in Laos and Sri Lanka
14th is Vaisakhi, celebrated by Sikhs and Hindus.
16th is Yom HaShoah, marking the Jewish holocaust
20th, sundown, begins the Festival of Ridvan, a 12-day Baha’i celebration*
23rd is Take our Daughters/Sons to Work Day in the U.S
30th begins Beltane, a Celtic celebration
That MAY
is Asian/Pacific Heritage Month
is American Indian Heritage Month in Minnesota
is Jewish Heritage Month
is Older Americans Month
2nd ends the Festival of Ridvan, a Baha'i observance
5th is Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican celebration
13th marks the Ascension of Muhammad, an Islamic commemoration
17th is Syttende Mai, a Norwegian celebration of independence
19th is Malcolm X’s birthday, an African American commemoration
23rd is the Anniversary of the Declaration of the Bab, a Baha’i commemoration*
23rd, sundown, begins Shavuot, a Jewish observance*
25th is Memorial Day, a U. S. commemoration*
29th is the Anniversary of the Ascension of Baha’u’llah, a Baha’i commemoration*
That JUNE
is Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Pride Month
1st is Ascension Day, a Western Christian commemoration
1st is Vesak, a Theravada Buddhist commemoration
17th, sundown, begins Ramadan, the Muslim Month of Fasting*
19th is Juneteenth, an African-American celebration
21st is the Summer Solstice
22nd is Svenskarnas Dag, a Swedish heritage celebration
23rd is St. John's Eve, a Finnish celebration
26th is Somali Independence Day
27th-28th is the GLBT Pride Festival in Minneapolis
That JULY
is Heritage Celebration Month in Minnesota
1st is Foundation of the Republic Day, a Somali commemoration
4th is the United States' Independence Day celebration*
9th is the Anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Bab, a Baha’i commemoration*
12th, sundown, begins Lailat ul-Qadar, a Muslim observance*
17th, sundown, begins Eid Al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, a Muslim observance*
14th is Bastille Day, a French celebration
24th is Pioneer Day, a Latter Day Saints celebration
That AUGUST
15th is Assumption Day, A Western Christian commemoration*
26th is Women's Equality Day in the United States
That SEPTEMBER
is Deaf Awareness Month
7th is Labor Day in the United States*
11th is Enkutatash, Ethiopian and Coptic Christian New Year
13th, sundown, begins Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year*
15th continues Rosh Hashanah, a Jewish observance*
15th begins Hispanic Heritage Month
16th is Mexican Independence Day
21st begins National Deaf Awareness Week
22nd, sundown, begins Yom Kippur, Jewish Day of Atonement*
22nd, sundown, begins Eid Al-Adha, a Muslim festival*
27th, sundown, begins Sukkot, an 8-day Jewish festival*
That OCTOBER
is Polish Heritage Month
is German Heritage Month
is Gay & Lesbian History Month
is Disability Employment Awareness Month
5th, sundown, begins Simchat Torah, a Jewish celebration
14th, sundown, begins Muharram and the Muslim New Year*
20th is the Anniversary of the Birth of the Bab, a Baha’i commemoration*
22nd, sundown, begins Ashura, a Muslim observance
31st is Halloween or All Hallows' Eve
31st is Samhain, beginning Celtic New Year
That NOVEMBER
is American Indian Heritage Month
1st is All Saints or All Hallows' Day, a Christian celebration*
1st is the Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico*
2nd is All Soul's Day, a Christian remembrance
11th is Veterans Day, a U.S. commemoration*
11th begins Diwali, Hindu Festival of Lights and marking the Hindu New Year*
12th is the Anniversary of the Birth of Baha’u’llah, a Baha’i commemoration*
26th is Thanksgiving Day in the United States*
27th begins the New Year celebration for those of Hmong culture in the upper Midwest*
That DECEMBER
is AIDS Awareness Month
1st is World AIDS Day
5th, sundown, begins Hanukkah, the 8-day Jewish Festival of Lights
6th is St. Nicholas Day, a Christian observance*
8th is Bodhi Day, a Buddhist celebration
12th is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a Mexican celebration*
14th, sundown, ends Hanukkah
21st is the Winter Solstice
25th is Christmas, a celebration in Western Christian communities*
26th begins Kwanzaa, an African-American celebration
31st is New Year's Eve on the Gregorian calendar
* indicates an observance that is likely to require scheduling considerations; (Sponsored by the DHS
Equal Opportunity & Access Division; 11/14)