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Are you eagerly anticipating the April holidays?
Tracking the plethora of holidays that your diverse community commemorates can be a formidable feat. But, fret not! We’ve got you covered with our curated catalog of April holidays. In addition to supporting belonging and inclusion, celebrating DEI holidays can help create a high-performance culture.
This blog post was updated on May 31, 2024 and now features dates for April 2025.
Month-long celebrations in April
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. (Go here to learn why diversity of voices matters in the workplace.)
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.
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.
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.)
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.)
National Volunteer Month
Volunteering offers the chance to make a tangible impact, connect with nature and history, develop valuable skills, and meet passionate people. This month, reaffirm your commitment to giving back and discover the joy and fulfillment that comes with making a difference. Your organization can participate in National Volunteer Month by organizing community service projects, encouraging employee volunteering, and recognizing staff contributions. Offering paid volunteer time off and partnering with local nonprofits can also foster a culture of social responsibility.
Additional April DEI holidays
April 1
International Fun at Work Day
Celebrated each year on April 1st, International Fun at Work Day encourages employers and employees to inject joy and laughter into the workplace.
April Fools Day
April Fools' Day is all about fun pranks and jokes. To keep things light and friendly at work, set some ground rules, encourage respectful humor and remind everyone to keep it professional. This way, everyone can enjoy the laughs without any issues.
April 2
World Autism Awareness Day
See World Autism Month above for details.
April 3
Don't Go to Work Unless It's Fun Day
Is your office a fun place to be? This holiday encourages everyone to skip work if it's not going to be enjoyable. The idea is to make sure your workday is filled with fun and excitement. Workplaces can join in by planning fun activities, games or even a casual or themed dress day to make the office a place everyone wants to be!
April 6
National Employee Benefits Day
HR and people teams work tirelessly to provide employee benefits that truly impact their lives. That’s why there’s a whole day dedicated to appreciating all of the planning, research and implementation that goes into employee benefits.
April 10
National Sibling Day
This holiday is all about celebrating our siblings, whether they're our best friends or biggest rivals. It's a day to remember all the laughs, competitions and shared memories. Not sure how to broach the topic of family at work? Learn how Relativity created a custom program all about family dynamics.
April 11
Day of Silence
All around the country, students and allies take a vow of silence 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.
National Pet Day
National Pet Day is all about showering our furry friends with extra love and helping out orphaned pets. It's the perfect time to check your pet's toys, update their tags and make sure they're healthy and happy. At work, you could have a pet photo contest, donate to local shelters or even do a virtual "show and tell" for remote folks to show off their pets. Hybrid employees can join in by sharing fun pet stories or pitching in for an online fundraiser for animal charities. Let's make it a fun day for all our furry pals!
April 12*
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.
Here are some ways you can greet someone observing Passover:
- Happy Passover
- Happy Pesach
- Chag Pesach sameach (Hebrew for "Happy Passover holiday")
- Chag kasher v'sameach (Hebrew for "Have a happy and kosher holiday")
- Chag Pesach kasher v'sameach (Hebrew for "Have a happy and kosher Passover")
- A koshern un freilichen Pesach (Yiddish for "A kosher and happy Pesach")
- Gut yom-tov (Yiddish for "Happy holiday")
April 13
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is celebrated by Christians on the Sunday before Easter, marking Jesus Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. It kicks off Holy Week with the blessing and procession of palms in many churches. The palms are often taken home by the congregation as a sacred symbol and reminder of the day's significance.
April 14
Puthandu
Puthandu, the Tamil New Year, is a Hindu holiday that marks new beginnings with joy and religious significance. People visit temples, offer prayers and decorate their homes with Kolam to welcome prosperity. It's a day for family gatherings, sharing special dishes like Pachadi and showing gratitude for a fresh start.
April 15
National ASL Day
Did you know that the first lasting school for the deaf opened on April 15, 1817? Over 200 years later, we celebrate American Sign Language on April 15th.
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 18
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 20
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 21
National Innovation Day
Innovation Day is all about celebrating the cool new ideas and inventions that make our lives better. It's a great time to give a shout-out to those in your organization who keep pushing the boundaries and to inspire young folks to dive into tech and innovation. At work, you could have fun brainstorming sessions, show off recent innovations or invite an expert to chat about the latest trends and spark some creativity.
April 22
Earth Day
See Earth Month above for details.
April 23
Administrative Professionals Day
Keeping the company office running smoothly is no small feat – whether in-person, fully remote or hybrid. Administrative Professionals Day was created to recognize those who work behind the scenes to keep things organized and efficient.
April 24
Take Our Children to Work Day
More than just “shadowing” a parent, Take Our Children to Work 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.
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.
April 27
National Pet Parents Day
Parenthood takes many forms – and for a lot of people, that includes their pets. Celebrate the pet parents in your organization by creating a photo challenge or even host a “bring your pet to work day.”
April 28
National Cubicle Day
Love them or hate them, there's no denying this 20th-century innovation by Robert Propst that gave us our own little workspace haven changed the way we work. It's a great day to appreciate how cubicles have helped boost productivity by providing individual and private spaces. If you have cubicles in your office, your workplace can join in the fun by hosting cubicle decorating contests or encouraging employees to personalize their spaces for a little extra motivation and creativity.
*Indicates a holiday that begins at sundown the day prior.
Looking for more 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
Say goodbye to boring training.
Celebrate all the holidays that matter to your people. From live daily classes to deep-dive programs, Electives makes it easy and affordable for you to offer your employees the best learning opportunities.
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