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DEI holiday calendar and celebration listings

Celebrate diversity and foster awareness with our comprehensive DEI holiday resources for HR + people leaders. Plus download our 2024 DEI holiday calendar.

A team of diverse people are sitting in a circle and laughing.A team of diverse people are sitting in a circle and laughing.

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Insights from Ellen Raim, Founder of People MatterWe focus more on solving than preventing People problems.

With our increasingly diverse employee bases, it's crucial to celebrate and honor the holidays that matter across our teams. Recognizing holidays can reinforce your organization's commitment to DEI, while enhancing employee engagement to build a high-performance culture.

The value of recognizing DEI holidays

Observing DEI holidays fosters cultural awareness, helping employees understand and appreciate the diverse backgrounds of their colleagues. Celebrating these holidays also conveys that your organization is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace.

Holiday celebrations provide an excellent opportunity to increase engagement through team-building activities that celebrate diversity and promote collaboration.

As you build out your DEI strategy, consider the following:

  • Training programs: DEI training programs should bring awareness to the differences and similarities of people across teams while educating employees on the importance of continual learning and open communication. Go here to learn about measuring DEI progress.
  • Inclusive holiday calendar: Create an inclusive calendar highlighting upcoming DEI holidays so leaders and employees can plan accordingly for time off and participate in celebrations. Download our current DEI holiday calendar here.
  • Interactive workshops: Organize interactive workshops, facilitated by community experts, during which employees can share their cultural experiences and traditions related to these holidays.

Use the Electives DEI holiday calendar to support your employees

Keeping track of all the holidays your employees celebrate be time-intensive. That’s why we create an annual calendar – and monthly lists – that include the most commonly observed holidays in the U.S. along with DEI-specific celebrations and awareness opportunities. 

Consider using our DEI holiday calendars to:

  • Accommodate employees needing time off or flexible schedules for religious or cultural observances.
  • Develop resource kits with information about the history and significance of DEI holidays for employees' reference.
  • Extend DEI holiday celebrations beyond the workplace by engaging in community outreach activities.
  • Establish a feedback loop with employees to refine and improve your DEI holiday calendar and initiatives.

Download our DEI holiday calendar

Monthly DEI holiday calendars

Want to do a deep dive into upcoming holidays and observances? Check out our monthly DEI holiday blog posts:

January DEI holiday calendar

January brings a new year, maybe a new you… and National Mentoring Month. Click here for a listing of January holidays.

January class collections:

February DEI holiday calendar

February is Black History Month – an excellent opportunity to pay special tribute to the vital role of Black history in pursuing racial justice and equality. Click here to explore February holidays.

February class collections:

March DEI holiday calendar

March is Women’s History Month and Gender Equality Month, an opportunity to celebrate women’s social, political, cultural and academic achievements. Click here for a listing of March holidays.

March class collections:

April DEI holiday calendar

April showers bring May flowers….and Stress Awareness Month. Prioritize wellbeing initiatives to reduce burnout and increase employee satisfaction. Click here to explore more April holidays.

April class collections:

May DEI holiday calendar

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Mental Health Awareness Month is also celebrated in May to raise awareness of those living with mental or behavioral health issues and to reduce the stigma around mental health. Click here for a listing of May holidays.

June class collections:

June DEI holiday calendar

June brings with it many month-long celebrations, like LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Click here to explore June holidays and check out our best practices for celebrating Pride Month at work.

June class collections:

July DEI holiday calendar

July isn’t just for barbecues and vacations. It’s also Disability Pride Month, an opportunity to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of the disabled community. Click here for a listing of July holidays.

July class collections:

August DEI holiday calendar

August is National Wellness Month, so think about implementing programs and activities that focus on the holistic wellbeing of your employees. Click here to explore August holidays.

August class collections:

September DEI holiday calendar

September brings with it Hispanic Heritage Month, and education is one of the best ways to honor Hispanic Americans — both during Hispanic Heritage Month and throughout the year. Click here for a listing of September holidays.

September class collections:

October DEI holiday calendar

October is Global Diversity Awareness Month and National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)— a great time to make sure your hiring practices and work environments are equitable. Click here to explore more October holidays.

October class collections:

November DEI holiday calendar

November isn’t just about turkeys. It’s also Native American Heritage Month and Movember, to celebrate men’s health awareness. Click here for a listing of November holidays.

November class collections:

December DEI holiday calendar

December is chock-full of holidays like Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Christmas. December is also the Month of Giving, a time dedicated to philanthropy, volunteerism and spreading kindness in the spirit of generosity. Click here to explore December holidays.

December class collections:

Looking for holiday calendars? Click the month you want to see:

January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | Full-Year Overview | Downloadable Calendar

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