Cultural & Heritage Celebrations

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UIC Law aims to cultivate spaces where all members of our law school community and the broader University can come together to learn, share, and be inspired by the transformative power of solidarity and unity. Through these heritage months and significant days, we aim to build bridges of understanding and empathy, amplifying voices that have often been silenced and nurturing a more inclusive and equitable society.

These heritage months and significant days represent our unwavering commitment to inclusivity, social justice, and fostering a sense of belonging. By recognizing and celebrating diverse communities’ unique voices and experiences, we strive to create an environment that encourages dialogue, embraces differences, and nurtures creativity.

During each designated heritage month, there will be a thought-provoking array of activities that delve into the distinct achievements and cultures of the featured community. These programs catalyze engagement and connection, providing meaningful conversations, artistic expressions, and personal growth opportunities.

Below, you will find many of the heritage months and significant days that will take place during the semester (August 26 – December 13).

August/September 2024 Celebrations

  • August 26: Krishna Janmashtami is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates Krisha, a supreme God in the faith. This celebration includes the reading of religious texts, reenactments of his life, and dance. It is celebrated primarily in India. Also known as Gokulashtami, Janmashtami, or Krishanashtami.
  • Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from September 15 to October 15. This month corresponds with Mexican Independence Day, celebrated on September 16, and recognizes the revolution in 1810 that ended the Spanish dictatorship.
  • Intergenerational Month is celebrated annually in September to promote intergenerational understanding and connection among people of all ages. It is a time to recognize the importance of bridging the generational gap and fostering meaningful relationships between young and old.
  • September 2:  Labor Day in the United States honors workers’ contributions to the country and is observed on the first Monday of September. The Law School will be closed on this date.
  • September 7:  Ganesh Chaturthi, a Hindu holiday lasting approximately ten days, in which the elephant-headed Hindu god is praised and given offerings.
  • September 15-16:  Mawlid Al-Nabi, the observance of the birthday of Islam’s founder, the Prophet Muhammad, celebrated during  Rabiulawal, the third month of the Muslim calendar. Shi’a Muslims celebrate it five days later than Sunni Muslims.
  • September 18:  International Equal Pay Day, celebrated for the first time in September 2020, represents the long-standing efforts toward achieving equal pay for work of equal value. It further builds on the United Nations’ commitment to human rights and its efforts to eliminate all forms of discrimination, including discrimination against women and girls.
  • September 23: International Day of Sign Languages was proclaimed by the United Nations to raise awareness about the importance of sign languages in fully realizing the human rights of people who are deaf.

October 2024 Celebrations

  • October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. This observance was launched in 1945 when Congress declared the first week in October “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” In 1998, the week was extended to a month and renamed. The annual event draws attention to employment barriers that must be addressed.
  • October is LGBTQ+ History Month, a US observance started in 1994 to recognize lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer history and the history of the gay rights movement.
  • October is Global Diversity Awareness Month, a month to celebrate and increase awareness about the diversity of cultures and ethnicities and the positive impact diversity can have on society.
  • October is Polish American Heritage Month, celebrated to commemorate the first Polish settlers, and celebrate the history and culture of the Polish community in America.
  • October is Filipino American History Month, which honors Filipino Americans’ history, culture, and accomplishments, highlighting their significant contributions to American society and recognizing their unique heritage and identity.
  • October 2-4 (sundown to sundown):  Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year celebration, marking the world’s creation.
  • October 3-12: Sharad Navratri, the nine-day Hindu festival celebrating the triumph of good over evil. Festival participants worship God in the form of the universal mother, commonly referred to as Durga, Devi, or Shakti, and the event marks the start of fall.
  • October 10:  World Mental Health Day. First celebrated in 1993, this day is meant to increase public awareness about the importance of mental health, mental health services, and mental health workers worldwide.
  • October 11:  National Coming Out Day (United States). For those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer, this day celebrates coming out and the recognition of the 1987 march on Washington for gay and lesbian equality.
  • October 11-12 (sundown to sundown):  Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, a day of atonement marked by fasting and ceremonial repentance. It is also known as Atonement for those of the Hebrew Israelite faith.
  • October 14:  National Indigenous Peoples Day, an alternative celebration to Columbus Day, recognizes the indigenous populations affected by colonization.
  • October 16–23:  Sukkot, a seven-day Jewish festival giving thanks for the fall harvest
  • October 16:  International Pronouns Day seeks to make respecting, sharing, and educating about personal pronouns commonplace. Each year, it is held on the third Wednesday of October.
  • October 20:  Birth of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Sikh Holy Day, the day Sikhs celebrate Sri Guru Granth Sahib, their spiritual guide.
  • October 23-24 (sundown to sundown):  Shemini Atzeret, a Jewish holiday also known as The Eighth (Day) of Assembly, takes place the day after the Sukkot festival, where gratitude for the fall harvest is deeply internalized.
  • October 24-25 (sundown to sundown):  Simchat Torah, a Jewish holiday, marks the end of the weekly readings of the Torah. The Torah is read from chapter one of Genesis to Deuteronomy 34 and then back to chapter one again, in acknowledgement of the words of the Torah being a never-ending cycle.

November 2024 Celebrations

  • November is National Native American Heritage Month, which celebrates the history and contributions of Native Americans.
  • November is National Family Caregivers Month, proclaimed in 2012 by former President Barack Obama. It honors the more than forty million caregivers across the country who support aging parents, ill spouses, or other loved ones with disabilities who remain at home.
  • November 1:  Diwali, the Hindu, Jain, and Sikh five-day festival of lights that celebrates new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil and lightness over darkness.
  • November 1:  All Saints’ Day, a Christian holiday commemorating all known and unknown Christian saints (In Eastern Orthodox Christianity, the day is observed on the first Sunday after Pentecost).
  • November 2:  All Souls’ Day, a Christian holiday commemorating all faithful Christians who are now dead. In the Mexican tradition, the holiday is celebrated as Dia de los Muertos (October 31–November 2), a time of remembrance for dead ancestors and a celebration of the continuity of life.
  • November 11:  Veterans Day, a U.S. federal holiday honoring military veterans. The date is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world and commemorates the ending of World War I in 1918.
  • November 13–19:  Transgender Awareness Week, the week before Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, in which people and organizations participate in Transgender Awareness Week to help raise the visibility of transgender people and address issues members of the community face.
  • November 19:  International Men’s Day emphasizes the important issues affecting males, including health issues that affect males, improving the relations between genders, highlighting the importance of male role models, and promoting gender equality. This holiday is celebrated in more than seventy countries.
  • November 20:  Transgender Day of Remembrance, established in 1998, to memorialize those who have been killed because of transphobia and to raise awareness of the continued violence endured by the transgender community.
  • November 24:  Feast of Christ the King, a Catholic holiday established to thank God for the gift of time and a rededication to the Christian faith.
  • November 28: The Ascension of ‘Abdu’lBaha is a holy day in the Bahá’í Faith, commemorating the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Baha.
  • November 28:  Thanksgiving Day in the United States. It began as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and the preceding year. The Law School will be closed on this date.
  • November 29:  Native American Heritage Day, held annually on the Friday after Thanksgiving, encourages Americans of all backgrounds to observe and honor Native Americans through appropriate ceremonies and activities. The day was signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2008. The Law School will be closed on this date.

December 2024 Celebrations

  • December 1:  World AIDS Day commemorates those who have died of AIDS and acknowledges the need for continued commitment to all those affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
  • December 3:  International Day of Persons with Disabilities, designed to raise awareness regarding persons with disabilities to improve their lives and provide them with equal opportunity.
  • December 8:  Bodhi Day, a Buddhist holiday commemorating the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (Shakyamuni), experienced enlightenment; also known as Bodhi in Sanskrit and Pali.
  • December 9:  Immaculate Conception of Mary, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception celebrates the solemn celebration by various Christian denominations of belief in the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
  • December 10:  International Human Rights Day, established by the United Nations in 1948 to commemorate the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
  • December 12:  Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a religious holiday in Mexico commemorating the appearance of the Virgin Mary near Mexico City in 1531.
  • December 13:  St. Lucia’s Day, a religious festival of light in Scandinavia and Italy commemorating the martyrdom of St. Lucia, a young Christian girl who was killed for her faith in 304 CE. She secretly took food to persecuted Christians in Rome while wearing a wreath of candles on her head so both her hands would be free.

2025 Celebrations Heading link

Below, you will find many of the heritage months and significant days that will take place during the spring semester (January 13 – May 9).

January 2025 Celebrations

  • January 14: Makar Sankranti, a major harvest festival celebrated in various parts of India.
  • January 14: Orthodox New Year is celebrated every year on January 14th by Orthodox Christians all over the world. It marks the start of the new year according to the Julian calendar.
  • January 19: World Religion Day, observed by those of the Bahá’í faith to promote interfaith harmony and understanding.
  •  January 20: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemorates the birth of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the recipient of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize and an activist for nonviolent social change until his assassination in 1968.
  • January 26: Republic Day of India celebrates the date on which the constitution of India came into effect in 1950, marking the transition from the British Monarchy as nominal head of the Indian Dominion to a fully sovereign republic in the Commonwealth of Nations.
  • January 27:  The International Day of Commemoration to remember the victims of the Holocaust; the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp in 1945 and UN Holocaust Memorial Day.
  • January 29: Lunar New Year (Year of the Dragon), one of the most sacred holidays in China. Celebrated in East and Southeast Asian countries and features unique interpretations, zodiacs, and traditions across cultures.

February 2025 Celebrations

  • February is Black History Month in the United States and Canada. Since 1976, the month has been designated to remember the contributions of people of the African diaspora.
  • February 1: National Freedom Day, which celebrates the signing of the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery in the United States in 1865.
  • February 7-8: Lailat al Miraj, a Muslim holiday that commemorates the prophet Muhammad’s nighttime journey from Mecca to the “Farthest Mosque” in Jerusalem, where he ascended to heaven, was purified, and given the instruction for Muslims to pray five times daily. Note that in the Muslim calendar, a holiday begins on the previous day’s sunset, so observing Muslims will celebrate Lailat al Miraj starting at sundown on February 7.
  • February 10: Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, marks the beginning of the lunar calendar in many East Asian cultures. Celebrated with vibrant parades, traditional performances, and family gatherings, it symbolizes the renewal of life and the ushering in good fortune.
  • February 12: Magha Puja Day (also known as Maka Bucha), a Buddhist holiday that marks an event early in the Buddha’s teaching life when a group of 1,250 enlightened saints ordained by the Buddha gathered to pay their respect to him. It is celebrated on various dates in different countries.
  • February 14: Vasant Panchami, the Hindu festival that highlights the coming of spring. On this day, Hindus worship Saraswati Devi, the goddess of wisdom, knowledge, music, art, and culture.
  • February 14-15: Lailat al Bara’a, also known as Lailat Al Baraah, Barat, or popularly as Shab-e-Bara or Night of Forgiveness. It is an Islamic holiday during which practitioners of the faith seek forgiveness for sins. Muslims spend the night in special prayers. It is regarded as one of the most sacred nights on the Islamic calendar.
  • February 15: Parinirvana Day (or Nirvana Day), the commemoration of Buddha’s death at the age of 80, when he reached the zenith of Nirvana; February 8 is an alternative date of observance.
  • February 17: Presidents Day, a federally recognized celebration in the United States that honors the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays, as well as those of every US president.
  • February 20: World Day of Social Justice, promotes global awareness and action for social justice, urging individuals and organizations to address issues of inequality, discrimination, and poverty through education, advocacy, and collaborative efforts.
  • February 24: Maghi-Purnima, a Hindu festival especially for worshippers of Lord Vishnu. Devotees take a holy bath on this day and carry out charity work.
  • February 24: Lantern Festival, the first significant feast after the Chinese New Year; participants enjoy watching paper lanterns illuminate the sky on the night of the event.
  • February 25: Maha Shivaratri, a Hindu festival celebrated each year to honor Lord Shiva. It is celebrated just before the arrival of spring. It is also known as the Great Night of Shiva or Shivaratri and is one of the largest and most significant among the sacred festival nights of India.
  • February 25–28: Intercalary Days or Ayyám-i-Há, celebrated by people of the Bahá’í faith. At this time, days are added to the Bahá’í calendar to maintain their solar calendar. Intercalary days are observed with gift-giving, special acts of charity, and preparation for the fasting that precedes the New Year.
  • February 28 – March 30: Ramadan is an Islamic holiday marked by fasting, praise, prayer, and devotion to Islam. Observed from sundown to sundown

March 2025 Celebrations

  • March is Women’s History Month. Established in 1987, Women’s History Month recognizes all women for their valuable contributions to history and society.
  • March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, established to increase awareness and understanding of issues affecting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
  • March is National Irish American Heritage Month. It celebrates the Irish American heritage and culture and pays tribute to the contributions of Irish immigrants and their descendants living in the United States.
  • March 1: Zero Discrimination Day, is meant to highlight the need for people to be informed about and promote inclusion, compassion, peace and, above all, a movement for change.
  • March 1 (sunset) to March 19 (sunset): Nineteen-Day Fast, a time in the Bahá’í faith to reinvigorate the soul and bring one closer to God. This fast takes place immediately before the beginning of the Bahá’í New Year.
  • March 3: Beginning of Great Lent in the Orthodox Christian faith is also known as Clean Monday.
  • March 4: Mardi Gras, the last day for Catholics to indulge before Ash Wednesday starts the sober weeks of fasting that accompany Lent.
  • March 5: Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent on the Christian calendar. Its name is derived from the symbolic use of ashes to signify penitence.
  • March 8: International Women’s Day. First observed in 1911 in Germany, it has now become a major global celebration honoring women’s economic, political, and social achievements.
  • March 14: Purim, a Jewish celebration that marks the time when the Jewish community living in Persia was saved from genocide. On Purim, Jewish people dress up in costumes, offer charity, and share food with friends.
  • March 14: Holi, the annual Hindu and Sikh spring religious festival observed in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, along with other countries with large Hindu and Sikh populations. People celebrate Holi by throwing colored powder and water at each other. Bonfires are lit the day before in memory of the miraculous escape that young Prahlada accomplished when demoness Holika carried him into the fire. It is often celebrated on the full moon (the Phalguna Purnima) before the beginning of the vernal equinox as based on the Hindu calendar.
  • March 15: Hola Mohalla, a Sikh festival that takes place on the second day of the lunar month of Chet, a day after the Hindu spring festival Holi.
  • March 15: International Day to Combat Islamophobia is observed to bring awareness to the growing global problem of Islamophobia. Islamophobia is a form of religious bigotry and discrimination that targets Muslims and their beliefs.
  • March 17: St. Patrick’s Day, a holiday started in Ireland to recognize St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland who brought Christianity to the country in the early days of the faith.
  • March 17–23: Neurodiversity Celebration Week recognizes and celebrates neurological differences.
  • March 20: Ostara is a spring equinox celebration commemorated by Pagans and Wiccans. It is observed as a time to mark the coming of spring and the fertility of the land.
  • March 20–21: Naw-Rúz, the Bahá’í New Year, is a holiday celebrated on the vernal equinox.
  • March 20–21: Nowruz/Norooz, Persian New Year, a day of joy, celebration, and renewal.
  • March 21: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, observed annually in the wake of the 1960 killing of 69 people at a demonstration against apartheid “pass laws” in South Africa. The United Nations proclaimed the day in 1966 and called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.
  • March 24: Orthodox Sunday, celebrated on the first Sunday of Great Lent. It is the celebration of the victory of the iconodules over the iconoclasts by the decision of the Seventh Ecumenical Council. Therefore, the service commemorates the restoration of icons for use in services as well as a Christian’s private devotional life.
  • March 25: International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade is a United Nations international observation that offers the opportunity to honor and remember those who suffered and died at the hands of the brutal slavery system. First observed in 2008, the international celebration also aims to raise awareness about the dangers of racism and prejudice.
  • March 27: Laylat al-Qadr, the holiest night of the year for Muslims, is traditionally celebrated on the twenty-seventh day of Ramadan. It is known as the Night of Power and commemorates the night that the Quran was first revealed to the prophet Muhammad.
  • March 31: International Transgender Day of Visibility, celebrated to bring awareness to transgender people and their identities as well as recognize those who helped fight for the rights of transgender people.
  • March 31: Eid al-Fitr, the first day of the Islamic month of Shawwal, marking the end of Ramadan. Many Muslims attend communal prayers, listen to a khutuba (sermon), and give Zakat al-Fitr (charity in the form of food) during Eid al-Fitr.

April 2025 Celebrations

  • April is Celebrate Diversity Month, a celebration that was initiated in 2004 to recognize and honor the diversity surrounding us all. By celebrating differences and similarities during this month, organizers hope that people will gain a deeper understanding of each other.
  • April is Autism Acceptance Month, established to raise awareness about and acceptance of the developmental disability that impacts an individual’s experience of the world around them.
  • April is National Arab American Heritage Month. It celebrates the Arab American heritage and culture and pays tribute to the contributions of Arab Americans and Arabic-speaking Americans.
  • April is Deaf History Month. This observance celebrates key events in deaf history, including the founding of Gallaudet University and the American School for the Deaf.
  • April 2: World Autism Awareness Day, created to raise awareness around the globe.
  • April 5: Ram Navami, a Hindu day of worship and celebration of the seventh avatar of Vishnu (Lord Rama). Devotees typically wear red and place extravagant flowers on the shrine of the god.
  • April 11: The Day of Silence, during which students take a daylong vow of silence to protest the actual silencing of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) students and their straight allies due to bias and harassment.
  • April 12: Lord’s Evening Meal, celebrated by Jehovah’s Witnesses in commemoration of an event believed to have occurred on the first night of Passover in approximately 33 CE, i.e., the Last Supper.
  • April 13: Palm Sunday, a Christian holiday commemorating the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. It takes place on the last Sunday of Lent, at the beginning of the Holy Week.
  • April 13: Vaisakhi (also known as Baisakhi), the celebration of the founding of the Sikh community as the Khalsa (community of the initiated) and the birth of the Khalsa.
  • April 13–April 20: Passover, an eight-day Jewish holiday in commemoration of the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt.
  • April 17: Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday), the Christian holiday commemorating the Last Supper, at which Jesus and the Apostles were together for the last time before the crucifixion. It is celebrated on the Thursday before Easter.
  • April 18: Good Friday, a Christian holiday to commemorate the execution of Jesus by crucifixion. It is recognized on the Friday before Easter.
  • April 20: Easter, a holiday Christians celebrate to recognize Jesus’ return from death after the crucifixion.
  • April 20-May 1: The Festival of Ridvan, a holiday celebrated by those of the Bahá’í faith, commemorating the twelve days when Bahá’u’lláh, the prophet-founder, resided in a garden called Ridvan (paradise) and publicly proclaimed his mission as God’s messenger for this age.
  • April 24: Yom HaShoah, “Holocaust Remembrance Day,” memorializes the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust and honors the resistance and resilience of the Jewish people.

May 2025 Celebrations

  • May is Asian American and Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month in the United States. Asian American Heritage Month is a dedicated celebration in the United States that takes place annually in May. This month honors the rich and diverse contributions of Asian Americans in US history and culture.
  • May is Older Americans Month, established in 1963, to honor the legacies and contributions of older Americans.
  • May is Jewish American Heritage Month, which recognizes the diverse contributions of the Jewish people to American culture.
  • May is Mental Health Awareness Month (or Mental Health Month), which aims to raise awareness and educate the public about mental illnesses and reduce the stigma that surrounds mental illnesses.
  • May 1: May Day, also called Workers’ Day or International Workers’ Day, is the day that commemorates the struggles and gains made by workers and the labor movement.
  • May 5: Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican holiday commemorating the Mexican Army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861–1867). This day celebrates Mexican culture and heritage with various festivities, including parades and mariachi music performances.