Keeping track of all the holidays your people celebrate can be tricky. That’s why we’re creating lists for each month of the year that include the most commonly celebrated holidays along with DE&I-specific celebrations and awareness opportunities. This is our list for April 2023.

Click here to download our 2023 calendar of DEI holidays & observances in the U.S.

Note: This is a predominantly U.S.-based list, as we are a U.S.-based company. If there is a holiday that we should add to our list, please email us to let us know!

Celebrate Diversity Month started in 2004 as a way to recognize and honor the diversity that surrounds us every day in the hopes of gaining a deeper understanding of ourselves and others. This holiday represents an opportunity for leaders to create meaningful interactions and find value in each other’s experiences.

Heritage & cultural observances: A how-to guide for weaving employee culture into your workplace culture is a hands-on opportunity to drive deeper DE&I engagement across your organization through annual planning, using culture calendars.

Uncover what diversity, equity and inclusion means to individuals and your organization during Building inclusive workplaces: Diversity, equity and inclusion training 101.  This Elective will help you understand more about your own identity and how unconscious bias plays into the relationships formed in the workplace.

Art of connecting across cultures: Cultivating a global mindset in a multicultural work environment will help you unlock the value of intercultural understanding in a shared virtual space.

April is also National Arab-American Heritage month – a time to recognize the contributions and achievements of Arab-Americans. It’s a time to celebrate and learn more about the Arab heritage and identity, while connecting Arab-Americans with each other.

Employee resource groups are a great way to build communities within your organization. The power of ERGs: Everything you need to know about employee resource groups and why we need them will unpack the who, what, when, where and why of ERGs and provide a step-by-step guide to standing them up at your company or organization.

Since the pandemic, many of us have become acutely aware of the impact stress can have on our lives. When we fail to manage our stress, it can affect our mental and physical health, our relationships, and our success at work. It’s important to know how to recognize when you – or members of your team – are stressed and what tools can help you manage stress and build resilience.

During Taming stress in a world gone mad: Stress less and get more done, you will be introduced to strategies and concepts you and your team can apply to reduce stress and improve productivity.

Learn to identify the signs of burnout and ways to prevent it during Burnout & resilience: Supporting yourself as you support others. This class will help your team develop daily commitments to self-care and greater life shifts for more balance and control.

Mindfulness & mindset: Embracing the upside of stress will introduce you to the two types of stress mindsets, how to shift your mindset to one that is more productive, and some new ways to think about everyday challenges.

Did you know that one in 44 children and one in 45 adults have autism? World Autism Month focuses on sharing stories and providing opportunities to increase understanding and acceptance of people with autism. (Note: April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day. This holiday works to destigmatize neurological differences and end the discrimination that often accompanies those differences.)

The power of different thinkers: Creating a neuroinclusive workplace covers the landscape of autism, strategies for providing supportive interviewing and onboarding processes, and ways to create success for neurodivergent employees through intentional management practices.

Neuroinclusion workshop: How to meet your team halfway will help you identify the unique challenges for neurodivergent employees in your organizational environment and some potential changes and support strategies so that you are better equipped to meet your team members half way.

Earth Month encourages us to raise environmental awareness, including awareness of the issues affecting our planet. (Note: April 22 is Earth Day, one of the largest secular observances in the world, marked by over 1 billion people each year. First held in 1970, this holiday is observed as a day of action to create global, national, and local policy changes to positively impact the environment.)

The State of our planet: Understanding the threats of the climate crisis and the opportunities for action will provide you with a broad understanding of the state of our climate crisis, introducing your team to real world innovations that are tackling our planet's greatest challenges and presenting opportunities to take action.

Help your team gain an understanding of how all of us can advocate for real climate solutions that uplift all of our communities and our planet during Environmental justice or extinction: How systemic racism has prolonged the climate crisis and dictates climate impacts.

The quest for environmental justice: And the quest for climate justice focuses on the need for empowering vulnerable populations, identifying environmental justice and climate change “hot-spot” zones. This Electives class provides a framework for dismantling systemic racism and policies and practices that create, exacerbate and perpetuate inequality and vulnerability.

See World Autism Month above for details.

One of the most widely observed holidays in the Jewish religion, Passover is a weeklong festival commemorating the Israelites’ escape from slavery in Egypt. This holiday includes several rituals, including the seder – a traditional Passover meal with the retelling of the exodus tale.

*Passover begins at sundown on April 5 and ends at sundown on April 13.

The Friday before Easter is the annual Christian holiday to observe the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In many denominations, Good Friday is observed as a day of repentance, fasting and sorrow.

Easter is one of the primary Christian holidays, and it has been observed since before the second century. This holiday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion.

All around the country, students and allies take a vow of silence on April 14 to protest the harmful effects of harassment and discrimination of LGBTQ+ people in schools. The day often ends with rallies and events where students can share their experiences and bring attention to ways schools and communities can become more inclusive. Click here to learn more and find resources.

Psychological safety: Fostering inclusive environments for employees across the gender spectrum examines how organizations can and must change to better suit the needs of all individuals, how to challenge your understanding of gender identity and expression, and how to create safe spaces in which all individuals can thrive and find a sense of belonging.

Gain critical understanding about psychological safety and its benefits and how to help build such cultures during Creating psychological safety: How to build and nurture psychological safety in the new workplace.

In Debias training: Breaking barriers & increasing access, your team will learn how we all hold conscious and unconscious biases, design an action plan to recognize and overcome bias, and reinvigorate practices with inclusion in mind.

Did you know that the first lasting school for the deaf opened on April 15, 1817? Two-hundred and five years later, we celebrate American Sign Language on April 15th.

A CODA story: Why accessibility in creative work matters will share behind-the-scenes insights of the global Google campaign, baseline knowledge about the deaf community, and the small and actionable things any creative professional can do to make their work more accessible.

During Expanding diversity; Breaking down barriers in the workplace to include visible & invisible differences, your team will learn about invisible disabilities, covering hidden differences, and otherness. This interactive class also speaks to how we cope with feelings of isolation, our need to feel connected to others, and the ability to rise above life’s challenges.

Yom Hashoah – Holocaust Remembrance Day

Observed worldwide, this holiday is set aside to remember the victims – and heroes – of the Holocaust. Yom Hashoah emphasizes how Jews resisted their Nazi tormentors through “passive resistance” – retaining their human dignity in the most unbearable conditions – and by “active resistance,” fighting the Nazis in the ghettos and joining underground partisans who battled the Third Reich in its occupied countries.

*Yom Hashoah begins at sundown on April 17 and ends at sundown on April 18.

Although Tax Day is not really a “holiday,” it is the deadline for filing federal tax returns. On this day, you may want to recognize that people across your team may have elevated levels of stress.

The first of two canonical festivals of Islam, Eid al-Fitr is the “Festival of Breaking Fast,” marking the end of Ramadan. This holiday is a time to get together with friends, give gifts, wear new clothes and visit the resting places of dead relatives.

*Eid al-Fitr begins at sundown on April 21 and ends at sundown on April 22.

More than just “shadowing” a parent, this day gives parents or parental figures the opportunity to show children the value of their education, discover the power and possibilities for their lives, and allow them to get hands-on experience that may help them toward their goals.

Parenting in the digital age: How parents can guide children (of all ages) to become conscious consumers will inspire parents to step into conversations with their kids about time spent on devices and provide guidance on how to set boundaries that benefit the whole family.

Bring some fun to your teams (and their children) with Origami: Art therapy for your team. During this Electives class, participants learn to fold 3-5 origami figures while having a chance to relax, have fun and connect.

Do you want to bring any of our recommended Electives classes to your team?

The Electives Library of Live Learning is stocked with classes that are inclusive, experiential, impactful and unforgettable. Click here to find the Electives classes that fit your unique learning objectives.

Click here to download our one-page 2023 DEI Holiday & Observances in the U.S. Calendar.

Keeping track of all the holidays your people celebrate can be tricky. That’s why we’re creating lists for each month of the year that include the most commonly celebrated holidays along with DE&I-specific celebrations and awareness opportunities. This is our list for April 2023.

Click here to download our 2023 calendar of DEI holidays & observances in the U.S.

Note: This is a predominantly U.S.-based list, as we are a U.S.-based company. If there is a holiday that we should add to our list, please email us to let us know!
Celebrate Diversity Month
Celebrate Diversity Month started in 2004 as a way to recognize and honor the diversity that surrounds us every day in the hopes of gaining a deeper understanding of ourselves and others. This holiday represents an opportunity for leaders to create meaningful interactions and find value in each other’s experiences.
Heritage & cultural observances: A how-to guide for weaving employee culture into your workplace culture is a hands-on opportunity to drive deeper DE&I engagement across your organization through annual planning, using culture calendars.
Uncover what diversity, equity and inclusion means to individuals and your organization during Building inclusive workplaces: Diversity, equity and inclusion training 101.  This Elective will help you understand more about your own identity and how unconscious bias plays into the relationships formed in the workplace.
Art of connecting across cultures: Cultivating a global mindset in a multicultural work environment will help you unlock the value of intercultural understanding in a shared virtual space.
National Arab-American Heritage Month
April is also National Arab-American Heritage month – a time to recognize the contributions and achievements of Arab-Americans. It’s a time to celebrate and learn more about the Arab heritage and identity, while connecting Arab-Americans with each other.
Employee resource groups are a great way to build communities within your organization. The power of ERGs: Everything you need to know about employee resource groups and why we need them will unpack the who, what, when, where and why of ERGs and provide a step-by-step guide to standing them up at your company or organization.
Stress Awareness Month
Since the pandemic, many of us have become acutely aware of the impact stress can have on our lives. When we fail to manage our stress, it can affect our mental and physical health, our relationships, and our success at work. It’s important to know how to recognize when you – or members of your team – are stressed and what tools can help you manage stress and build resilience.
During Taming stress in a world gone mad: Stress less and get more done, you will be introduced to strategies and concepts you and your team can apply to reduce stress and improve productivity.
Learn to identify the signs of burnout and ways to prevent it during Burnout & resilience: Supporting yourself as you support others. This class will help your team develop daily commitments to self-care and greater life shifts for more balance and control.
Mindfulness & mindset: Embracing the upside of stress will introduce you to the two types of stress mindsets, how to shift your mindset to one that is more productive, and some new ways to think about everyday challenges.
World Autism Month
Did you know that one in 44 children and one in 45 adults have autism? World Autism Month focuses on sharing stories and providing opportunities to increase understanding and acceptance of people with autism. (Note: April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day. This holiday works to destigmatize neurological differences and end the discrimination that often accompanies those differences.)
The power of different thinkers: Creating a neuroinclusive workplace covers the landscape of autism, strategies for providing supportive interviewing and onboarding processes, and ways to create success for neurodivergent employees through intentional management practices.
Neuroinclusion workshop: How to meet your team halfway will help you identify the unique challenges for neurodivergent employees in your organizational environment and some potential changes and support strategies so that you are better equipped to meet your team members half way.
Earth Month
Earth Month encourages us to raise environmental awareness, including awareness of the issues affecting our planet. (Note: April 22 is Earth Day, one of the largest secular observances in the world, marked by over 1 billion people each year. First held in 1970, this holiday is observed as a day of action to create global, national, and local policy changes to positively impact the environment.)
The State of our planet: Understanding the threats of the climate crisis and the opportunities for action will provide you with a broad understanding of the state of our climate crisis, introducing your team to real world innovations that are tackling our planet's greatest challenges and presenting opportunities to take action.
Help your team gain an understanding of how all of us can advocate for real climate solutions that uplift all of our communities and our planet during Environmental justice or extinction: How systemic racism has prolonged the climate crisis and dictates climate impacts.
The quest for environmental justice: And the quest for climate justice focuses on the need for empowering vulnerable populations, identifying environmental justice and climate change “hot-spot” zones. This Electives class provides a framework for dismantling systemic racism and policies and practices that create, exacerbate and perpetuate inequality and vulnerability.

April 2
World Autism Awareness Day
See World Autism Month above for details.

April 6*
Passover
One of the most widely observed holidays in the Jewish religion, Passover is a weeklong festival commemorating the Israelites’ escape from slavery in Egypt. This holiday includes several rituals, including the seder – a traditional Passover meal with the retelling of the exodus tale.

*Passover begins at sundown on April 5 and ends at sundown on April 13.

April 7
Good Friday
The Friday before Easter is the annual Christian holiday to observe the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In many denominations, Good Friday is observed as a day of repentance, fasting and sorrow.

April 9
Easter Sunday
Easter is one of the primary Christian holidays, and it has been observed since before the second century. This holiday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion.

April 14
Day of Silence
All around the country, students and allies take a vow of silence on April 14 to protest the harmful effects of harassment and discrimination of LGBTQ+ people in schools. The day often ends with rallies and events where students can share their experiences and bring attention to ways schools and communities can become more inclusive. Click here to learn more and find resources.
Psychological safety: Fostering inclusive environments for employees across the gender spectrum examines how organizations can and must change to better suit the needs of all individuals, how to challenge your understanding of gender identity and expression, and how to create safe spaces in which all individuals can thrive and find a sense of belonging.
Gain critical understanding about psychological safety and its benefits and how to help build such cultures during Creating psychological safety: How to build and nurture psychological safety in the new workplace.
In Debias training: Breaking barriers & increasing access, your team will learn how we all hold conscious and unconscious biases, design an action plan to recognize and overcome bias, and reinvigorate practices with inclusion in mind.

April 15
National ASL Day
Did you know that the first lasting school for the deaf opened on April 15, 1817? Two-hundred and five years later, we celebrate American Sign Language on April 15th.
A CODA story: Why accessibility in creative work matters will share behind-the-scenes insights of the global Google campaign, baseline knowledge about the deaf community, and the small and actionable things any creative professional can do to make their work more accessible.
During Expanding diversity; Breaking down barriers in the workplace to include visible & invisible differences, your team will learn about invisible disabilities, covering hidden differences, and otherness. This interactive class also speaks to how we cope with feelings of isolation, our need to feel connected to others, and the ability to rise above life’s challenges.

April 18*
Yom Hashoah – Holocaust Remembrance Day
Observed worldwide, this holiday is set aside to remember the victims – and heroes – of the Holocaust. Yom Hashoah emphasizes how Jews resisted their Nazi tormentors through “passive resistance” – retaining their human dignity in the most unbearable conditions – and by “active resistance,” fighting the Nazis in the ghettos and joining underground partisans who battled the Third Reich in its occupied countries.

*Yom Hashoah begins at sundown on April 17 and ends at sundown on April 18.

April 18
Tax Day
Although Tax Day is not really a “holiday,” it is the deadline for filing federal tax returns. On this day, you may want to recognize that people across your team may have elevated levels of stress.

April 22*
Eid al-Fitr
The first of two canonical festivals of Islam, Eid al-Fitr is the “Festival of Breaking Fast,” marking the end of Ramadan. This holiday is a time to get together with friends, give gifts, wear new clothes and visit the resting places of dead relatives.

*Eid al-Fitr begins at sundown on April 21 and ends at sundown on April 22.

April 22
Earth Day
See Earth Month above for details.

April 23
Take Our Children to Work Day
More than just “shadowing” a parent, this day gives parents or parental figures the opportunity to show children the value of their education, discover the power and possibilities for their lives, and allow them to get hands-on experience that may help them toward their goals.
Parenting in the digital age: How parents can guide children (of all ages) to become conscious consumers will inspire parents to step into conversations with their kids about time spent on devices and provide guidance on how to set boundaries that benefit the whole family.
Bring some fun to your teams (and their children) with Origami: Art therapy for your team. During this Electives class, participants learn to fold 3-5 origami figures while having a chance to relax, have fun and connect.

Do you want to bring any of our recommended Electives classes to your team?
Reach out to the Electives team.

The Electives Library of Live Learning is stocked with classes that are inclusive, experiential, impactful and unforgettable. Click here to find the Electives classes that fit your unique learning objectives.

Click here to download our one-page 2023 DEI Holiday & Observances in the U.S. Calendar.

Subscribe to Electives news

The April 2023 list of the most commonly celebrated holidays, DE&I-specific celebrations and awareness opportunities.


DEI holidays to celebrate in April 2023

Fri Jan 27 2023

Related Classes