Date

Event

Annotation

2007

Ramadan is a month in which Muslims must fast during daylight hours.

Students and employees for whom this is a religious significance could be absent.

September 15^th - Oct. 15th

National Hispanic American Heritage Month

Established by presidential proclamation to include Columbus Day in the U.S. and Independence Days for Mexico, Costa Rica. El Salvador Chile, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

Sept. 16^th

Tsom Gedaliah

Fast day lamentation the Expulsion from Israel: fast begins at first morning light.

Sept.22nd

Yom Kippur

Jewish day of Atonement. High holy day marked by fasting, repentance, and seeking of forgiveness.

Students and employees for whom this is a religious significance could be absent.

Sept. 27^th - Oct. 5th

Shmini Atzeret

The Eight-day of Assembly- culminates the celebration of renewal and thanksgiving and invokes our anticipation of the Messianic Age.

*Oct. 5^th

Simchat Torah

Jewish holy day on which reading of the Torah is finished, and a new cycle of readings begins. It means " rejoicing for the Torah".

Students and employees for whom this is a religious significance could be absent.

* Oct. 13th

Eid Al- Fitr

Muslim festival that breaks the fast of Ramadan.

Students and employees for whom this is a religious significance could be absent.

Nov. 1- 30^th

National American Indian Heritage Month

Presidential Proclamation affirms contributions of American Indians, Alaskan Natives, and Native Hawaiians to American life. May also be referred to as Native American History Month.

*Nov. 1st

Dia de los Muertos (All Saints Day)

Holy day of Obligation for Roman Catholics is important celebration in Mexico and Latin America.

Nov. 9th

Diwali

Hindu and Jain Festival of Lights celebrated as the New Year. Hinduism has no standard calendar, so persons who come from various parts of India may celebrate this holiday on different dates but always some time in Oct. and Nov.

Nov. 11^th

Veteran's Day

U.S. Federal holiday to honor all veterans of U.S. military.

BSD schools are open.

Nov. 12^th

Birth of Beha'u'llah

Commemorates the birth of the Baha'I faith in 1817.

Dec. 5th - 12th

Hanukkah

Jewish festival of lights: eight-day commemorations of the miracle of oil enough for one night lasting eight nights.

Dec. 8th

Feast of Immaculate Conception

Roman Catholic Holy Day of Obligation in celebration of Mary, Mother of Jesus.

Dec. 10th

Humans Rights Day

Celebrates the adoption of Universal Declaration of Human Rights by United Nations in 1948.

*Dec. 20th

Eid -Al Adha

Festival of Sacrifice is celebrated in honor of the prophet Abraham. This is a time when Muslims from all over the world make a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

Students and employees for whom this is a religious significance could be absent.

Dec. 25^th

Christmas

Celebrated by Roman Catholics and Protestants as the birth of Jesus, founder of Christian faith.

BSD schools and offices are closed.

Dec. 26^{th -} Jan. 1st

Kwanzaa

African American cultural celebration created in 1966 in recognition of traditional African harvest festivals.

2008

January 1st

New Year's Day

Year 2008 on Gregorian (western) calendar. New Year's is time for gift giving in Greece and some other countries.

  BSD schools and offices are closed

January 1-3rd

Japanese New Year's Festival

Japanese calendar: year 2668.

January 21

Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday

(BSD Focuses professional development in Diversity)

Honors African American civil rights leader and winner of 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. Observed on the third Monday in January.

February 1-28th

Black History Month

Recognizes achievement and contributions by African Americans. Begun by Howard University historian Carter G. Woodson in 1926 chose February because it included Fredrick Douglass birthday.

*February 6th

Ash Wednesday

First day of Lent for Catholics and some Protestants who may come to work with a small mark of ashes on their forehead to symbolize penitence.

*February 7th

Lunar New Year (may also be called Chinese New Year's; Also know as Tet in Vietnam and Korea

Year of the Rat. In Asian cultures, New Year's symbols are money in red envelopes given to children and a dragon indicating good fortune.

The holiday can last for 3 days. However, in practice it can be longer, as many celebrations occur before this date in the south of Vietnam

February 12-16th

Brotherhood/Sisterhood Week

Promotes cooperation and justice among all religious, racial and ethnic groups in U.S. It is sponsored by National Conference for Community and Justice the third week in February.

February 18th

Washington's Birthday and President's Day

Honors the first president of the U.S. and leader in the American Revolution, who was born on February 22, 1732. Observed the third Monday in February.

March 1-31

Women's History Month

Established by U.S. Congress in 1987 to promote recognition of women in American history. March chosen for its association with Triangle Shirtwaist fire & events in the history of working women.

March 17th

St. Patrick's Day

Commemorates Roman Catholic Bishop, Patron Saint of Ireland who brought Christianity there.

March 21st

Purim

Jewish celebration lively with food, wine noisemaking and dramatic telling of story about Queen Ester saved the Jews from ancient Persia form plot to destroy them.

March 21st

Naw Ruz

Ancient first day of spring celebration of the new year in Iran, Afghanistan and neighboring countries. Also designated as New Year in the Baha'i religion.

*March 21^st

Good Friday or Holy Day

Commemoration by Roman Catholics, Orthodox Catholics, and Protestants of the crucifixion of Jesus.

March 23

Easter Sunday

Celebration of Christian belief in resurrection of Jesus form death is the most significant event in Christian religion. First Sunday after the full moon after spring equinox.

April 15th

Yom HaShoah

Memorializes the 6 million Jews who died in the Nazi Holocaust and emphasizes respect for human dignity. Observance not limited to Jews.

*April 20 -28th

Passover or Pesach

Eight-day period marking the deliverance if the Jews from the slavery in Egypt. A Seder is held on the first two evenings emphasizing the concept of freedom.

Students and employees for whom this is a religious significance could be absent.

May 1- 31st

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

Established by Presidential proclamation since 1977. This month was chosen because May 10^th marks the completion of transcontinental railroad built primarily by Chinese laborers.

May 5th

Cinco De Mayo

Celebrated in Mexico and by Mexican- Americans in commemoration of the Battle of Guadalupe in 1862 when Mexico defeated the French army.

*May 28th

Memorial Day

Commemorates all those who died in military service to the U.S. in wartime. Observed on last Monday in May.

BSD schools and offices are closed.

June 14th

Flag Day

Commemorates acceptance of stars and stripes as U.S. flag in 1777.

June 19th

"Juneteenth"

Celebrates of emancipation of slaves that began in Southwestern part of U.S. but has become common in all regions. Marks time in 1865 when news of the end of slavery came to Texas.

July 4th

American Independent Day

Commemorates the adoption of the declaration of Independence by delegates form 13 colonies at Philadelphia in 1776.

  BSD schools and offices are closed