Year-round diversity celebrations and observances
For HR professionals committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I), creating welcoming workplaces is a year-round initiative. So take note of the following professional, cultural, religious, and secular holidays as you build out your workplace DE&I calendar.
Add DEI to your schedule
Never miss a DEI observance again. Our free, ready-to-use 2026 DEI Calendar designed to help HR leaders plan and celebrate year-round.
January 2026
Month-long observances
- National Mentoring Month
- Poverty in America Awareness Month
- Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month
Daily observances
- January 1 – New Year's Day
- January 1 – Gantan-Sai (Shinto)
- January 3 – Mahayana New Year (Buddhist)
- January 4 – World Braille Day
- January 7 – Coptic Orthodox Christmas
- January 13 – Maghi (Sikh)
- January 14 – Makar Sankranti (Pongal) - Hindu
- January 18 – World Religion Day (Baha'i)
- January 19 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- January 24 – International Day of Education
- January 26 – International Customs Day
- January 27 – International Holocaust Remembrance Day
February 2026
Month-long observances
- American Heart Month
- Black History Month
- Ethnic Equality Month
Daily observances
- February 1 – National Freedom Day
- February 2 – Imbolc - Wicca/Paganism
- February 4 – Rosa Parks Day
- February 7 – National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
- February 8 – International Epilepsy Day
- February 10 – Safer Internet Day
- February 11 – International Day of Women & Girls in Science
- February 14 – Valentine's Day
- February 15 – Nirvana Day (Buddhist)
- February 15 – International Childhood Cancer Day
- February 15 – Maha Shivaratri (Hindu)
- February 16 – Family Day (Canada)
- February 17 – Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year) - Year of the Horse
- February 17 – Mardi Gras
- February 17 – Ramadan begins in the evening (Islam) - Expected to begin
- February 18 – Ash Wednesday
- February 20 – World Day of Social Justice
March 2026
Month-long observances
- Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
- Gender Equality Month
- Greek-American Heritage Month
- Irish-American Heritage Month
- National Colon Cancer Awareness Month
- National Kidney Month
- National Multiple Sclerosis Awareness and Education Month
- National Women's History Month
Daily observances
- March 2 – Purim begins at sundown (Jewish)
- March 3 – Magha Puja Day (Buddhist)
- March 4 – Holi (Hindu)
- March 6 – Employee Appreciation Day
- March 8 – International Women's Day
- March 14 – Pi Day
- March 16 – Laylat al-Qadr (Islamic)
- March 17 – St. Patrick's Day
- March 19 – Chaitra Navratri begins (Hindu)
- March 20 – Ostara (Wicca/Paganism)
- March 20 – Eid-al-Fitr/End of Ramadan (Islamic)
- March 20 – Ostara - (Southern Hemisphere) Wicca/Paganism
- March 21 – Naw Ruz (Baha'i)
- March 21 – World Down Syndrome Day
- March 25 – International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
- March 27 – Chaitra Navratri ends (Hindu)
- March 29 – Palm Sunday
- March 31 – International Transgender Day of Visibility
- March 31 – Mahavir Jayanti (Jain)
April 2026
Month-long observances
- Arab-American Heritage Month
- Autism Awareness Month
- Celebrate Diversity Month
- Earth Month
- National Child Abuse Prevention Month
- National Volunteer Month
Daily observances
- April 1 – Passover begins (Jewish)
- April 2 – World Autism Awareness Day
- April 3 – Good Friday
- April 5 – Easter
- April 9 – Passover ends (Jewish)
- April 10 – National Day of Silence (LGBTQ+)
- April 13 – Vaisakhi (Sikh)
- April 19 – Patriot Day
- April 20 – Start of Ridvan (Baha'i)
- April 22 – Earth Day
- April 13 – Yom Hashoah begins at sunset (Jewish)
- April 30 – Beltane - (Northern Hemisphere) begins at sunset - Wicca/Paganism
May 2026
Month-long observances
- ALS Awareness Month
- Haitian Heritage Month
- Indian Heritage Month
- Jewish-American Heritage Month
- Mental Health Awareness Month
- National Asian American and South Pacific Islander Heritage Month
- Older Americans Month
Daily observances
- May 1 – Visakha Puja Day (Buddhism)
- May 1 – Beltane (Wicca/Paganism)
- May 5 – Samhain - (Southern Hemisphere) Wicca/Paganism
- May 5 – Cinco de Mayo
- May 17 – International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
- May 18 – Victoria Day (Canada)
- May 21 – World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
- May 21-23 – Shavuot (Jewish)
- May 23 – Declaration of the Bab (Baha'i)
- May 24 – Pentecost (Orthodox Christian)
- May 25 – Memorial Day
- May 26 – Eid al-Adha (Islamic)
- May 29 – Ascension of Baha'u'llah (Baha'i)
June 2026
Month-long observances
- Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month
- Black Music Month
- National Caribbean American Heritage Month
- Men's Health Month
- Pride Month (LGBTQ+)
Daily observances
- June 5 – World Environment Day
- June 14 – Race Unity Day
- June 12 – Loving Day
- June 12 – World Day Against Child Labor
- June 16 – Muharram Islamic New Year (Islamic) - Still estimated according to sources - based on moon
- June 19 – Juneteenth
- June 20 – World Refugee Day
- June 21 – Litha, Summer Solstice (Pagan)
- June 21 – National Indigenous Peoples Day (Canada)
- June 24 – St-Jean-Baptiste Day (Quebec)
- June 28 – Pride Day (LGBTQ+) - Varies by city
July 2026
Month-long observances
- French-American Heritage Month
Daily observances
- July 1 – Canada Day (Canada)
- July 4 – Independence Day (USA)
- July 10 – Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha'i)
- July 11 – World Population Day
- July 14 – Bastille Day (French)
- July 14 – Non-Binary People's Day
- July 18 – International Nelson Mandela Day
- July 22-23 – Tisha B'Av (Jewish)
- July 24 – Pioneer Day (Mormon)
- July 26 – National Disability Independence Day
- July 29 – Asalha Puja Day (Buddhism)
August 2026
Month-long observances
- National Civility Month
Daily observances
- August 1 – Lughnasadh (Wicca/Paganism)
- August 2 – International Day of Friendship
- August 7 – Purple Heart Day
- August 9 – International Day of the World's Indigenous People
- August 13 – Left-Handers Day
- August 17 – Marcus Garvey Day (Jamaican)
- August 19 – World Humanitarian Day
- August 21 – Senior Citizens Day
- August 27 – Obon (Buddhism)
- August 26 – Women's Equality Day
September 2026
Month-long observances
- Hispanic Heritage Month
- National Guide Dog Month
- Suicide Prevention Month
Daily observances
- September 4 – Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu)
- September 5 – International Day of Charity
- September 7 – Labor Day
- September 8 – Paryushan Parv (Jainism)
- September 11 – Rosh Hashanah begins (Jewish)
- September 15 – International Day of Democracy
- September 16 – Mexican Independence Day
- September 18 – International Equal Pay Day
- September 20-21 – Yom Kippur (Jewish)
- September 21 – International Day of Peace
- September 21 – World Gratitude Day
- September 22 – Mabon - (Northern Hemisphere) Wicca/Paganism
- September 22 – American Business Women's Day
- September 23 – Bi Visibility Day
- September 25 – Sukkot begins (Jewish)
- September 30 – National Day for Truth & Reconciliation (Canada)
October 2026
Month-long observances
- Breast Cancer Awareness Month
- Bullying Prevention Month
- Domestic Violence Awareness Month
- Filipino-American Heritage Month
- German-American Heritage Month
- Italian-American Heritage Month
- LGBTQ History Month
- National Work and Family Month
- Polish-American Heritage Month
- Family History Month
Daily observances
- October 2 – International Day of Nonviolence
- October 2 – Sukkot ends (Jewish)
- October 2-3 – Shemini Atzeret (Jewish)
- October 2-3 – Simchat Torah (Jewish)
- October 10 – World Mental Health Day
- October 11-20 – Sharad Navratri (Hindu)
- October 11 – National Coming Out Day (LGBTQ+)
- October 12 – National Indigenous Peoples' Day (United States)
- October 12 – Thanksgiving Day (Canada)
- October 15 – Spirit Day (LGBTQ+ anti-bullying)
- October 16 – Bosses' Day
- October 20 – Dussehra (Hindu)
- October 22 – International Stuttering Awareness Day
- October 26 – Intersex Awareness Day
- October 31 – Halloween
- October 31 – Samhain (Wicca/Paganism)
November 2026
Month-long observances
- Diabetes Awareness Month
- National Native American Heritage Month
Daily observances
- November 1-2 – Dia de los Muertos (Mexican/Latino)
- November 1 – All Saints' Day (Roman Catholic)
- November 2 – All Souls' Day (Roman Catholic)
- November 4 – National Stress Awareness Day
- November 8 – Diwali (Hindu)
- November 8 – Bandi Chhor Divas (Sikhism)
- November 9 – World Freedom Day
- November 9 – World Adoption Day
- November 10 – Birth of the Bab (Baha'i)
- November 11 – Birth of Baha'u'llah (Baha'i)
- November 11 – Remembrance/Veterans Day
- November 13 – World Kindness Day
- November 16 – International Day for Tolerance
- November 19 – International Men's Day
- November 20 – Transgender Day of Remembrance
- November 20 – Universal Children's Day (Human Rights, U.N.)
- November 24 – Guru Nanak Jayanti (Sikh)
- November 25 – International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
- November 26 – Day of the Covenant (Baha'i)
- November 26 – Thanksgiving (USA)
- November 28 – Ascension of Abdu'l-Baha (Baha'i)
December 2026
Month-long observances
- HIV/AIDS Awareness Month
- Universal Human Rights Month
Daily observances
- December 1 – World AIDS Day
- December 3 – International Day for People with Disabilities
- December 4 – Hanukkah begins at sunset (Jewish)
- December 5 – International Volunteer Day
- December 9 – International Genocide Prevention Day
- December 10 – International Human Rights Day
- December 12 – Hanukkah ends at sunset (Jewish)
- December 21 – Yule Winter Solstice (Pagan)
- December 21 – Litha - (Southern Hemisphere) Wicca/Paganism
- December 25 – Christmas (Christian)
- December 26-January 1 – Kwanzaa week (Celebration of African Customs & Cultures)
- December 26 – Boxing Day
- December 31 – New Year's Eve
