Creating inclusive environments is important to our profession and our clients we serve. While this is not an exhaustive list of cultural observances and traditions, we recognize the need to raise awareness beyond our own personal traditions to promote inclusion and belonging and to honor diverse celebrations.
January 15 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Celebrates one of the best-known civil rights activists, MLK Jr.
January 27 – International Holocaust Remembrance Day: A global remembrance to commemorate the victims and survivors of the Holocaust.
Black History Month: A month-long celebration honoring the triumphs and struggles of African Americans throughout U.S. history.
February 10 – Lunar New Year: This festival marks the start of the new year in the lunar calendar used in East Asia and Southeast Asia.
February 14 – Ash Wednesday: A day of prayer and fasting that begins the Christian season of Lent, a 40-day period of preparation and fasting before Easter.
February 15 – Nirvana Day: An annual festival that remembers the death of the Buddha after reaching nirvana; also called Parinirvana.
February 15 – Susan B. Anthony’s Birthday: A leader of the women’s suffrage movement, she advocated for abolition, temperance, labor rights, and equal pay for equal work.
February 20 – World Day of Social Justice: A day to recognize the need to promote social justice and address issues such as poverty, exclusion, gender inequality, unemployment, human rights, and social protections.
Women’s History Month: A month-long celebration of women's contributions to history, culture and society.
Gender Equality Month: Gender Equality Month brings awareness to gender biases and challenges.
Developmental Disabilities Month: A national observance to raise awareness about inclusion and address the barriers of people with developmental disabilities.
Brain Injury Awareness Month: March is designated Brain Injury Awareness Month to recognize the millions of adults and children living with a form of permanent brain injury-related disability. Use #MoreThanMyBrainInjury to spread awareness.
March 8 – International Women’s Day: A day highlighting the political, social, cultural, and economic achievements of women.
March 10-April 9 – key Muslim religious holidays include Ramadan, Islam’s sacred month. During this time Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from dawn until dusk. The first day of the holiday starts at sundown.
March 21 – International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination: A day that encourages everyone to come together to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.
March 25 – Holi: Hindu holiday that celebrates the onset of spring and the triumph of good over evil.
March 31 – Easter: An important Christian holiday, which celebrates Jesus’ resurrection.
OT Month: Occupational Therapy Month honors our vital profession and the meaningful differences it makes in the lives of our clients.
April 2 – World Autism Awareness Day: Raises awareness for those with autism and seeks to improve their lives and acceptance in society.
April 22-30 – Passover: An 8-day holiday celebrating Jewish freedom from hundreds of years of slavery under the ancient Egyptians. The Jewish community refrains from eating leavened bread throughout the holiday to remember the difficult journey from slavery to freedom.
April 22 – Earth Day: Holiday that applauds the planet we live on and all it does for us; Earth Day is observed by more than 192 nations.
Mental Health Awareness Month: Encourages awareness of the importance of mental health and the critical role mental health plays in overall health and well-being.
Older Americans Month: Celebrates how older Americans contribute to the United States
Jewish American Heritage Month: Honors American Jews and their contributions to the United States throughout history.
Indian Heritage Month: During this month, American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) are honored and celebrated for their rich and varied cultures, traditions, history, and societal contributions.
Better Hearing and Speech Month: This month-long event provides an opportunity to raise awareness about hearing and speech problems and encourage people to get their hearing checked.
Asian American and Pacific Island Heritage Month: Commemorates people with Asian and Pacific Island ancestry and their contribution to the United States
May 5 – Cinco de Mayo: Commemorates Mexico’s unexpected victory over France in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.
May 17 – International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia: This event seeks to raise awareness for the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals.
LGBT Pride Month: Pride Month recognizes LGBT people and the effect they’ve had on the world. June was selected to commemorate the Stonewall Riots.
Caribbean American Heritage Month: This month recognizes those of Caribbean descent and the impact their accomplishments have had throughout American history.
Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month: Celebrated by the color purple, this month promotes awareness on Alzheimer's research and support for those affected by the disease. Use #ENDALZ to share why you raise awareness for Alzheimer’s.
June 12 – Loving Day: This day is the anniversary of the court decision that legalizes interracial marriage.
June 14-19 – The Islamic religious calendar includes the Hajj: This day begins the annual pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims must take once in their lives if they are physically and financially capable.
June 19 – Juneteenth: This day commemorates when the last African Americans learned of the Emancipation Proclamation (over two years after it was originally issued).
June 21 - World Humanist Day: Starting in the 1980s, this day marks an opportunity for humanists around the world to promote the values of humanism in a positive way and share the concerns and issues of the humanist movement globally.
French American Heritage Month: This month is dedicated to celebrating and honoring the influences and the contributions that the French have had on the United States in art, culture, language, etiquette, and more.
July 7 – Hijri New Year: this day marks the start of the Islamic New Year — beginning the prior evening.
July 26 – Americans with Disabilities Act: This law protects people with disabilities from being discriminated against.
August 9 – International Day of the World’s Indigenous People: This day was created by the UN to celebrate the culture of indigenous people on a global scale.
August 26 – Women’s Equality Day: This day marks the anniversary of women gaining the right to vote in the year 1920.
Suicide Prevention Month: This month acknowledges those affected by suicide, raise awareness, provide resources and support, and connect individuals who are having suicidal thoughts to treatment services.
National Recovery Month: This awareness month seeks to educate Americans on treatment and health services for individuals with substance use disorder.
September 2 – Labor Day: A federal holiday to recognize and honor the American labor workforce.
September 7 – Ganesh Chaturthi: This Hindu festival celebrates Lord Ganesha’s birth.
September 15-October 15 – National Hispanic Heritage Month: This month honors Hispanic and Latino Americans for their contributions to U.S. culture.
September 16 – Mexican Independence Day: This day celebrates the anniversary of the country’s independence from Spain.
September 30 – Orange Shirt Day: This day, marked by wearing orange, honors the Indigenous children who were removed from their homes and families during the 19th century, forced to attend residential schools, and assimilate to other names and customs to eliminate their culture and traditions. Through its campaign, "Every Child Matters," Orange Shirt Day continues the conversation on the intergenerational impact of residential schools.
Global Diversity Awareness Month: An awareness month with the goal of promoting respect toward various cultures.
National Disability Employment Awareness Month: This awareness month aims to advocate for individuals with disabilities and their inclusion in the workforce.
National Bullying Prevention: A month-long observance to raise awareness and provide education about bullying and cyberbullying prevention.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month: This month acknowledges domestic violence survivors and advocates for the end of domestic violence.
Down Syndrome Awareness Month: This month celebrates the abilities of people with Down Syndrome.
Filipino-American History Month: A monthlong commemoration and appreciation for the Filipino experience throughout American history.
Italian American Heritage Month: This month honors and celebrates the contributions of Italian Americans.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths in women; this month seeks to boost awareness of the disease.
National Polish American Heritage Month: A month selected to honor those with Polish heritage.
October 1 – Defender of Ukraine Day: This day celebrates those who have fought for the freedom of Ukraine.
October 2-4 – Rosh Hashanah: This holiday is the start of the Jewish new year. It begins at sundown on Oct. 2 and is one day-long, ending at sundown on Oct. 4.
October 10 – World Mental Health Day: A day that advocates for mental health awareness and education; on this day, you can support the efforts by reflecting on your own biases regarding mental health and advocating against social stigma related to it.
October 11 – Yom Kippur: Jewish day of atonement. The holiday is one day long and begins at sundown on Oct. 10 and ends at sundown on Oct. 11. The Jewish community will fast during that time to reflect on their actions and mistakes from the past year in an effort to make this new year a better one to be inscribed in the Jewish book of life.
October 11 – National Coming Out Day: An annual awareness day observed to support the LGBTQUIA+ in “coming out of the closet”.
October 14 – Indigenous People’s Day: This day honors the indigenous people of the United States; the holiday coincides with Columbus Day.
October 17 – Spirit Day: This day is aimed specifically at LGBTQ youth and what their community can do to support them. You can participate in this day by wearing purple and speaking out against bullying.
October 19 – World Humanitarian Action Day: This observed day calls for a mass global display of public support for humanitarian action and provides appreciation and respect to the martyrs of humanitarian causes.
October 16 – International Pronouns Day: This day seeks to provide education on personal pronouns to refer to them correctly.
October 27 – World OT Day: Launched in 2010 by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT), this day promotes and celebrates the profession internationally.
National Native American Heritage Month: This month celebrates the contributions — cultures, traditions, histories — of Native people to the United States
Movember: A month-long fundraiser that seeks to raise awareness for men’s issues such as suicide as well as prostate and testicular cancer.
November 1 – Diwali: An important celebration in the Hindu faith in which a variety of deities are praised.
November 2 – Day of the Dead: A Mexican celebration that honors those who passed away and honor ancestors.
November 11 – Veteran's Day: A federal holiday that honors military veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces.
November 16 – International Day for Tolerance: The UN holiday was founded to encourage respect among various people regardless of culture, language, religion, or ethnicity.
November 16 – Dutch American Heritage Day: This day applauds the long friendship between the Netherlands and the United States.
November 20 – Transgender Day of Remembrance: This day is held as a remembrance for all those murdered because of transphobia.
December 1 – World AIDS Day: This day highlights the importance of HIV/AIDS awareness and raises money for its cure.
December 3 – International Day of Persons with Disabilities: This United Nations holiday raises awareness for the rights of individuals with disabilities.
December 10 – International Humans Rights Day: A holiday adopted by the UN in 1948 following the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
December 16-December 24 – Las Posadas: A religious festival celebrated in Mexico and parts of the U.S. during the Christmas season.
December 25 – Christmas: A Christian holiday marking the birth of their lord and savior, Jesus Chris. The first day of the holiday begins at sundown.December 25-January 2 – Hanukkah: An 8-day festival known as the Jewish festival of lights. Jews celebrate their perseverance over Assyrian religious persecution in ancient times by lighting an 8-stemmed menorah throughout the holiday.
December 26-January 1 – Kwanzaa: A 7-day holiday often celebrated by Black Americans that was inspired by African harvest celebrations.