Keeping track of all the holidays your people celebrate can take time and effort. That’s why we create monthly lists that include the most commonly observed holidays along with DE&I-specific celebrations and awareness opportunities.

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 index, please email us to let us know!

Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month

Asian immigrants first arrived in the U.S. in 1587, but did you know the first Japanese immigrants arrived in the United States in May 1843? They did! This is just one of the reasons we recognize the contributions of all people of Asian American or Pacific Islander ancestry during May.

Interested in learning more about the contributions of AAPI individuals and culture? Here are some Electives we recommend:

Allyship: How to support the AAPI community is a highly interactive class that shares a brief U.S. history of anti-Asian racism, explains common microaggressions toward AAPI workers and their impact, walks through how to challenge microaggressions in the workplace, and discusses how everyone can be an ally for AAPI co-workers and the community at large.

During Your identity as a superpower: An Asian-American perspective with universal lessons, founder, CEO and Electives instructor Betty Ng shares lessons learned, successes and challenges as an Asian-American woman — and discusses how she channeled the pain into purpose and promise.

Reinforce AAPI allyship and inclusion to promote everyone’s safety, wellness and potential with From pain to purpose & promise. This class can be tailored to meet specific team needs to discuss the recent rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and what we can all do to foster safe environments.

Telling our Asian-American stories helps Asian-Americans share their stories in an affinity group setting.

In From AAPI employee to executive, Cindy Halvorsen, founder of Carving Dragons, teaches about U.S. historical events that shaped Asian-America, discusses Asian cultural influences on workplace behaviors and explains systemic and societal beliefs, like the model minority myth.

May is also Mental Health Awareness Month — a time to fight stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for policies that support people with mental illness and their families. (Note: May 5 is National Silence the Shame Day, an opportunity to eliminate mental health stigma, minimize health disparities and lower suicide rates among vulnerable populations.)

How can you start the conversation about mental health in your organization? With How to talk about mental health: Creating critical connections with employees and colleagues without overstepping. During this Electives class, your team will learn how to start (or continue) helpful, healthy conversations.

Managing burnout: Taking the frog out of the boiling water will help your team better identify the signs and symptoms of workplace burnout, recognize the risk factors that cause burnout, and get the knowledge and tools they need to manage burnout – for themselves and their teams.

Taming stress in a world gone mad: Stress less & get more done is packed with practical and easy-to-implement strategies to manage stress and improve productivity. This class also demonstrates the positive impact putting mental health first can have on your team.

Equity & inclusion with mindfulness: Promote diversity, equity and inclusion with mindfulness at work with Curtis Smith, co-founder of one of the top-rated public middle schools in Brooklyn, New York, allows your team to experience first-hand how they can implement mindfulness to drive a more equitable and inclusive workplace.

During The brain is a body part: Mental health with Olympian Alexi Pappas, Alexi discusses the practices she employs to protect her mental well-being and take a proactive approach to reach challenging goals.

Military Appreciation Month reminds us to thank our service members and their families for their work. (Note: May 29 is Memorial Day, a day that is more than just the unofficial start to summer. Memorial Day honors the people who died while serving in the U.S. military.)

Robin Dreake, a Naval Academy Graduate, Veteran Marine Corps Officer of Parris Island and retired Chief of the FBI Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program, shares his story during Service above self: Lessons learned from Marine Corps Boot Camp, Parris Island.

Older Americans Month is a time to acknowledge the contributions of past generations to our country and learn their stories.

How we think about ourselves and the world around us dramatically impacts our health, how fast or slow we age, and how long we live. The art of aging: A prescription for mind & body breaks down the science of thought and shows how our mindsets substantially influence our physical health. Most importantly, this Elective ends with strategies we can all use to tweak our thoughts and behaviors and improve the quality and length of our lives.

Each May, Speech & Hearing Awareness Month (sometimes called Better Hearing & Speech Month) provides an opportunity to raise awareness about communication disorders and how we can create more inclusive environments.

During A CODA story: Why accessibility in creative work matters, Tony Lee, a Google designer, dad and unintentional advocate for accessibility, shares his story as a “child of deaf adults” or CODA and how you can take small, actionable steps to make your workplace more inclusive and accessible.

Often confused with Mexican Independence Day (in September), Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico’s 1862 victory over France during the Franco-Mexican War. While Cinco de Mayo is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the U.S., Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage.

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.

Poetry as the means we need: Storytelling as power is taught by Alejandro Jimenez, the 2021 Mexican National Poetry Slam Champion. During this Electives class, Alejandro shares his immigration story to help participants understand the power in their own stories as they explore, examine and elevate the power of story through poetry.

See National Mental Health Awareness month above for details.

January isn’t the only time of year we should care about our well-being. The first Saturday in May is an opportunity to be inspired and try new ways of becoming fit and healthy.

Check out Yoga as a team for a breath-led movement practice that targets regions of the body affected by desk work while calming the nervous system responses to a high-stress work environment.

The legendary comedian Victor Borge said it best when he declared, “laughing with someone is the shortest distance between two people.” Around the world, many celebrate World Laughter Day on the first Sunday of May. People gather worldwide to laugh together and raise awareness of the many health benefits of laughter. Bring some laughter and light into the workplace with one of these Electives classes:

During L.E.V.I.T.Y.: Tools for creating shared laughter for a thriving work culture, your team will get six specific tools to help you enhance communication with your teams, your clients and everyone around you.

Laughing with your partner provides tools for weathering the inevitable storms of a shared life with a sense of humor.

YOU… only funnier: Stand-Up workshop for leaders serious about showing vulnerability & a sense of humor! will help your leaders learn how to bring comic relief to stressful moments, lend perspective to a seemingly hopeless situation and deliver the magic of shared laughter.

The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is a charitable initiative conducted by the U.S. Postal Service and related professional associations to make significant donations of food to organizations serving those in need. Want to help? Do a food drive with your team to help stamp out hunger. Get them inspired to give with these Electives classes:

In The psychology of altruism: Understanding the science of kindness & gratitude, your team will dive into empirical scientific research on generosity, kindness and appreciation and get practical strategies we all can use to cultivate prosocial behavior in our own lives.

Social determinants of health: Advancing health equity in the 21st century explores the social determinants of health and health equity in today’s world.

Did you know we can trace celebrations of motherhood back to the ancient Greeks and Romans? Mother’s Day is celebrated in the U.S. by presenting mothers and other parents and guardians with gifts and flowers, honoring their contributions to our lives.

Positive parenting: An alternative to yelling and time-outs! helps moms and all caregivers replace yelling with “I get it” as they model the behavior and expressions they want to see.

Parenting in the digital age offers suggestions for engaging kids while exploring our relationships with digital devices.

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia & Biphobia

According to May17.org, “The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia was created in 2004 to draw attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex people and all other people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions and sex characteristics.”

Using openness, interactive activities and data-based research, LGBTQIA+ inclusivity training creates an engaging space where participants can have open and honest conversations, learn best practices and walk away with the tools they need to build awareness and minimize bias.

Why pronouns matter: An introduction to transgender inclusion provides an introductory educational overview of how to be an ally by supporting transgender and non-binary individuals in the workplace.

The power of inclusive conversation: Challenging dialogue across differences will equip your team with the necessary understanding and experience to engage successfully in an inclusive discussion.

See Military Appreciation Month above for details.

Are you looking for ways to celebrate upcoming holidays at your workplace?

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

Do you want to create a live learning program that keeps your team growing and connecting throughout the year?

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 take time and effort. That’s why we create monthly lists that include the most commonly observed holidays along with DE&I-specific celebrations and awareness opportunities.

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 index, please email us to let us know!
Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month
Asian immigrants first arrived in the U.S. in 1587, but did you know the first Japanese immigrants arrived in the United States in May 1843? They did! This is just one of the reasons we recognize the contributions of all people of Asian American or Pacific Islander ancestry during May.
Interested in learning more about the contributions of AAPI individuals and culture? Here are some Electives we recommend:
Allyship: How to support the AAPI community is a highly interactive class that shares a brief U.S. history of anti-Asian racism, explains common microaggressions toward AAPI workers and their impact, walks through how to challenge microaggressions in the workplace, and discusses how everyone can be an ally for AAPI co-workers and the community at large.
During Your identity as a superpower: An Asian-American perspective with universal lessons, founder, CEO and Electives instructor Betty Ng shares lessons learned, successes and challenges as an Asian-American woman — and discusses how she channeled the pain into purpose and promise.
Reinforce AAPI allyship and inclusion to promote everyone’s safety, wellness and potential with From pain to purpose & promise. This class can be tailored to meet specific team needs to discuss the recent rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and what we can all do to foster safe environments.
Telling our Asian-American stories helps Asian-Americans share their stories in an affinity group setting.
In From AAPI employee to executive, Cindy Halvorsen, founder of Carving Dragons, teaches about U.S. historical events that shaped Asian-America, discusses Asian cultural influences on workplace behaviors and explains systemic and societal beliefs, like the model minority myth.
Mental Health Awareness Month
May is also Mental Health Awareness Month — a time to fight stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for policies that support people with mental illness and their families. (Note: May 5 is National Silence the Shame Day, an opportunity to eliminate mental health stigma, minimize health disparities and lower suicide rates among vulnerable populations.)
How can you start the conversation about mental health in your organization? With How to talk about mental health: Creating critical connections with employees and colleagues without overstepping. During this Electives class, your team will learn how to start (or continue) helpful, healthy conversations.
Managing burnout: Taking the frog out of the boiling water will help your team better identify the signs and symptoms of workplace burnout, recognize the risk factors that cause burnout, and get the knowledge and tools they need to manage burnout – for themselves and their teams.
Taming stress in a world gone mad: Stress less & get more done is packed with practical and easy-to-implement strategies to manage stress and improve productivity. This class also demonstrates the positive impact putting mental health first can have on your team.
Equity & inclusion with mindfulness: Promote diversity, equity and inclusion with mindfulness at work with Curtis Smith, co-founder of one of the top-rated public middle schools in Brooklyn, New York, allows your team to experience first-hand how they can implement mindfulness to drive a more equitable and inclusive workplace.
During The brain is a body part: Mental health with Olympian Alexi Pappas, Alexi discusses the practices she employs to protect her mental well-being and take a proactive approach to reach challenging goals.
Military Appreciation Month
Military Appreciation Month reminds us to thank our service members and their families for their work. (Note: May 29 is Memorial Day, a day that is more than just the unofficial start to summer. Memorial Day honors the people who died while serving in the U.S. military.)
Robin Dreake, a Naval Academy Graduate, Veteran Marine Corps Officer of Parris Island and retired Chief of the FBI Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program, shares his story during Service above self: Lessons learned from Marine Corps Boot Camp, Parris Island.
Older Americans Month
Older Americans Month is a time to acknowledge the contributions of past generations to our country and learn their stories.
How we think about ourselves and the world around us dramatically impacts our health, how fast or slow we age, and how long we live. The art of aging: A prescription for mind & body breaks down the science of thought and shows how our mindsets substantially influence our physical health. Most importantly, this Elective ends with strategies we can all use to tweak our thoughts and behaviors and improve the quality and length of our lives.
Speech & Hearing Awareness Month
Each May, Speech & Hearing Awareness Month (sometimes called Better Hearing & Speech Month) provides an opportunity to raise awareness about communication disorders and how we can create more inclusive environments.
During A CODA story: Why accessibility in creative work matters, Tony Lee, a Google designer, dad and unintentional advocate for accessibility, shares his story as a “child of deaf adults” or CODA and how you can take small, actionable steps to make your workplace more inclusive and accessible.

May 5
Cinco de Mayo
Often confused with Mexican Independence Day (in September), Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico’s 1862 victory over France during the Franco-Mexican War. While Cinco de Mayo is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the U.S., Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage.
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.
Poetry as the means we need: Storytelling as power is taught by Alejandro Jimenez, the 2021 Mexican National Poetry Slam Champion. During this Electives class, Alejandro shares his immigration story to help participants understand the power in their own stories as they explore, examine and elevate the power of story through poetry.

May 5
National Silence the Shame Day
See National Mental Health Awareness month above for details.

May 6
National Fitness Day
January isn’t the only time of year we should care about our well-being. The first Saturday in May is an opportunity to be inspired and try new ways of becoming fit and healthy.
Check out Yoga as a team for a breath-led movement practice that targets regions of the body affected by desk work while calming the nervous system responses to a high-stress work environment.

May 7
World Laughter Day
The legendary comedian Victor Borge said it best when he declared, “laughing with someone is the shortest distance between two people.” Around the world, many celebrate World Laughter Day on the first Sunday of May. People gather worldwide to laugh together and raise awareness of the many health benefits of laughter. Bring some laughter and light into the workplace with one of these Electives classes:
During L.E.V.I.T.Y.: Tools for creating shared laughter for a thriving work culture, your team will get six specific tools to help you enhance communication with your teams, your clients and everyone around you.
Laughing with your partner provides tools for weathering the inevitable storms of a shared life with a sense of humor.
YOU… only funnier: Stand-Up workshop for leaders serious about showing vulnerability & a sense of humor! will help your leaders learn how to bring comic relief to stressful moments, lend perspective to a seemingly hopeless situation and deliver the magic of shared laughter.

May 13
National Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Day
The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is a charitable initiative conducted by the U.S. Postal Service and related professional associations to make significant donations of food to organizations serving those in need. Want to help? Do a food drive with your team to help stamp out hunger. Get them inspired to give with these Electives classes:
In The psychology of altruism: Understanding the science of kindness & gratitude, your team will dive into empirical scientific research on generosity, kindness and appreciation and get practical strategies we all can use to cultivate prosocial behavior in our own lives.
Social determinants of health: Advancing health equity in the 21st century explores the social determinants of health and health equity in today’s world.

May 14
Mother’s Day
Did you know we can trace celebrations of motherhood back to the ancient Greeks and Romans? Mother’s Day is celebrated in the U.S. by presenting mothers and other parents and guardians with gifts and flowers, honoring their contributions to our lives.
Positive parenting: An alternative to yelling and time-outs! helps moms and all caregivers replace yelling with “I get it” as they model the behavior and expressions they want to see.
Parenting in the digital age offers suggestions for engaging kids while exploring our relationships with digital devices.

May 17
International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia & Biphobia
According to May17.org, “The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia was created in 2004 to draw attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex people and all other people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions and sex characteristics.”
Using openness, interactive activities and data-based research, LGBTQIA+ inclusivity training creates an engaging space where participants can have open and honest conversations, learn best practices and walk away with the tools they need to build awareness and minimize bias.
Why pronouns matter: An introduction to transgender inclusion provides an introductory educational overview of how to be an ally by supporting transgender and non-binary individuals in the workplace.
The power of inclusive conversation: Challenging dialogue across differences will equip your team with the necessary understanding and experience to engage successfully in an inclusive discussion.

May 29
Memorial Day
See Military Appreciation Month above for details.

Are you looking for ways to celebrate upcoming holidays at your workplace?
The Electives library of live learning is stocked with inclusive, experiential, impactful and unforgettable classes. Click here to find the Electives classes that fit your unique learning objectives.
Do you want to create a live learning program that keeps your team growing and connecting throughout the year?
Contact the Electives team for ideas.


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

DEI holidays to celebrate in May 2023

Wed Feb 22 2023

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