Calendar

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

The Department of Residence Life has developed a diversity, equity, and inclusion calendar as a resource for students and staff to learn more about the variety of holidays, observances, festivals, and more that occur throughout the year. Members of the campus community can use these observances and celebrations as talking points in their daily interactions with one another. We hope that you will find this beneficial in your learning, and that this calendar provides you with additional ways to connect with the diverse array of students at Rutgers. 

The intent is to make this as diverse as possible through showcasing a variety of historical, religious, and cultural events; however, we want to acknowledge that this is not an exhaustive list. Please send an email to us for additional calendar considerations.

Residence Life’s Five Guiding Tenets

In our continual effort to challenge perpetual and inherent systems of oppression, Residence Life is using a curricular approach with the intention of creating a space for consistent dialogue around all aspects of identity. We are actively engaging in the critique of our processes, practices, and frameworks in order to better serve our students and create a more socially just community. We encourage you to join us on this journey, learn more about our guiding tenets, the  how  behind our work, and what we stand for.

1: Historical Frameworks

Understanding our histories and providing context to our institutional identity in order to ground the “why” in what we need to change, as we strive for more socially just communities.

2: Engaging and Sitting with Discomfort

Educating on ways to sit with and process levels of fragility. While centering the identities we hold, we recognize how implicit biases can impact how we engage with students, staff and the broader University community.

3: Power, Privilege and Oppression in Organizations

How we engage with, communicate across, and seek to understand systemic issues of oppression and privilege within our institutional systems. Challenging ourselves to expect and promote justice/equity-based decisions in our organization.

4: Equity in Practice

Critiquing current oppressive practices, processes, and frameworks that guide our day to day interactions personally and professionally. Putting a focus on the impact to all that we serve in our work toward equity and justice.

5: Justice as Action 

Enacting systems of accountability when inequities are identified. Holding oneself and others accountable for addressing and repairing harm caused. Establishing a commitment to continual learning to advocate for and create change.

January

Name of Holiday/Celebration

National Human Trafficking Awareness Month - Month-Long Theme

National Mentoring Month - Month-Long Theme

National Poverty in America Awareness Month - Month-Long Theme

World Braille Day - January 4

Three Kings Day - January 6 

National Day of Racial Healing – January 18

World Religion Day 

International Day of Education - January 24

Lunar New Year

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

International Holocaust Remembrance Day

February

Name of Holiday/Celebration

Black History Month - Month-Long Theme

American Heart Month - Month-Long Theme

Candlemas Day - February 2

World Cancer Day - February 4

International Day of Women and Girls in Science - February 11

Presidents Day - Observed the third Monday of the month

Random Act of Kindness Week

Lantern Festival

Shrove Tuesday

Ash Wednesday

Mardi Gras

Lunar New Year

March

Name of Holiday/Celebration

Women's History Month - Month-Long Theme

National Nutrition Month - Month-Long Theme

International Women's Day - March 8

Saint Patrick's Day - March 17

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination - March 21

International Transgender Day of Visibility - March 31

Purim

Holi

April

Name of Holiday/Celebration

Autism Awareness Month - Month-Long Theme

World Health Day - April 7

Passover

Good Friday

Palm Sunday 

Easter

Day of Silence

Earth Day

Yom HaShoah

Ramadan

May

Name of Holiday/Celebration

Mental Health Awareness Month - Month-Long Theme

Jewish American Heritage Month - Month-Long Theme

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month - Month-Long Theme

National Day of Prayer 

Cinco De Mayo - May 5

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia - May 17

World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development - May 21

Vesak

Memorial Day

June

Name of Holiday/Celebration

LGBTQIA+ Pride Month - Month-Long Theme

Loving Day - June 12

Flag Day - June 14

Juneteenth - June 19

Saint Jean Baptiste Day - June 24

National HIV Testing Day - June 27

July

Name of Holiday/Celebration

Independence Day - July 4

Nelson Mandela Day - July 18

National Disability Independence Day - July 26

International Day of Friendship - July 30

Asalha Puja

Eid al-Adha

August

Name of Holiday/Celebration

International Youth Day - August 12

World Humanitarian Day - August 19

International Day of Remembrance/Tribute to Victims of Terrorism - August 21

International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition - August 21

International Day Commemorating Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion/Belief - August 22

Women's Equality Day - August 26

Ashura 

Purple Heart Day

Hijri New Year

September

Name of Holiday/Celebration

National Hispanic Heritage Month - Month-Long Theme, observed 9/15-10/15

Promote National Suicide Prevention Month

Patriot Day - September 11

Mexican Independence Day - September 15

Constitution Day and Citizenship Day - September 17

International Day of Peace - September 21

Labor Day

International Literacy Day

Rosh Hashanah

Yom Kippur

Respect for the Aged Day

October

Name of Holiday/Celebration

Global Diversity Awareness Month - Month-Long Theme

National Bullying Prevention Month - Month-Long Theme

LGBT History Month - Month-Long Theme

National Hispanic Heritage Month – Month-Long Theme, observed 9/15-10/15

Domestic Violence Awareness Month - Month-Long Theme

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) – Month-Long Theme

World Teachers Day - October 5

National Coming Out Day - October 11

Indigenous Peoples' Day - October 12

Halloween - October 31

Reformation Day - October 31

Samhain - October 31

Sukkot

Navratri

International Day of Older Persons

November

Name of Holiday/Celebration

Native American Heritage Month - Month-Long Theme

All Saints' Day - November 1

Veterans Day - November 11

Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos)

Transgender Day of Remembrance - November 20

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women - November 25

International Students' Day - November 25

Advent 

16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence - Observed November 25 to December 10

Thanksgiving - Observed the last Thursday of the month

Diwali

December

Name of Holiday/Celebration

World Aids Day - December 1

International Day of Persons with Disabilities - December 3

International Human Rights Day - December 10

Human Rights Day

Feast of our Lady of Guadalupe - December 12

Las Posadas - Observed December 16 to December 24

Christmas - December 25

Boxing Day - December 26

New Years Eve - December 31

Hanukkah

Kwanzaa