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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.
- 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 current 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:
Bring live learning to your team for Women's History Month
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:
Learn how you can foster a high-performance culture without burnout
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:
Make the business case for mental health education in your organization
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:
Identify opportunities for LGBTQIA+ inclusion in your organization
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:
- Global Diversity Awareness Month
- National Disability Employment Awareness Month
- World Mental Health Day
Foster a more diverse and inclusive workplace
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:
Create your high-performance culture.
Welcome to the new era of team development — where shared ideas and language lift engagement, connections and productivity to new heights.
With programs like our High-Performance Culture Training, we’re bringing modern L&D within your reach.
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