Diversity Calendar

The first Black History Month in the UK was held in London on 01 October 1987 when Dr. Maulana Karenga from the US was invited to an event about Black people's contributions to history.

Jewish people celebrate Shemini Atzeret, also spelled Shmini Atzeret, on the day after Hoshana Rabbah, the last day of the Sukkot festival.

Simchat Torah or Simḥath Torah “Rejoicing with/of the Torah” is a Jewish celebration marking the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings.

The day aims to tackle the stigma that limits peoples’ willingness to seek help.

In October 2009, the first London Vigil Against Hate Crime was organised after the death of Ian Baynham.

Navratri is a 9 day festival dedicated to the Hindu deity Durga which starts on the first day of the Lunar month of Ashwin.

International Pronouns Day seeks to make respecting, sharing, and educating about personal pronouns commonplace.

On this day in 1708, the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, announced that he would be the last in a line of living Sikh Gurus.

Established in 2002, National Care Leavers week was an event created to celebrate the Care Experienced community.

In 2003, Travis Garone and Luke Slattery, inspired by a friend’s mother who was fundraising for breast cancer, decided to make their moustache campaign about men’s health and prostate cancer.

All Souls’ Day is a Christian day set aside to pray for those who have departed from this world.

Dyslexia Week is an annual event to raise awareness of dyslexia.

Deepawali or Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights and is one of the most celebrated festivals of the year.

Remembrance Sunday was chosen as a start day to encourage people to remember together the contributions of all faiths and none, and to consider how best to create a just, peaceful, and harmonious world.

The day focuses on men’s health, improving gender relations, highlighting male role models, and promoting positive expressions of masculinity.

Started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honour the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998.

The campaign was started by activists at the inauguration of the Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991.

This Sikh festival is marked with prayer processions, hymns, free sweets, and martial arts (‘Gatka’).

In 1948 with the memory of World War II still fresh, the United Nations crafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The first article states, "All human-beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights".

First recognized in 1988, World AIDS Day is dedicated to spreading awareness of the AIDS pandemic spread by the spread of HIV infection, and to mourning those who have died of the disease.

The observance of the Day, which began in 1992, aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.

Hanukkah also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE.

Bodhi Day is a Buddhist holiday observed to mark the moment that took place 2,500 years ago when Siddhartha Gautama achieved enlightenment and became the Buddha or ‘awakened one’.

On 10 December 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

Christmas is an annual Christian festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration.

Epiphany is celebrated as Christmas Day in most Orthodox Christian religions.

Sikhs make a pilgrimage to the site of this Sikh- Muslim war and take a dip in the sacred water tanks of Muktsar.

This Jewish celebration is also called “The New Year of the Trees” and it is one of four “New Years” mentioned in the Mishnah.

The Scottish national holiday celebrates the life and work of Robert Burns, a famous poet who is known all over the world. Burns Night is often celebrated with a Burns supper which usually includes haggis, neeps and tatties.

Holocaust Memorial Day is the day for everyone to remember the millions of people murdered in the Holocaust, under Nazi Persecution, and in the genocides which followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur.

It is marked across the UK throughout February to connect and reflect on the past and present of the LGBT Community.

Lunar New Year is one of the most important celebrations of the year among East and Southeast Asian cultures.

Christian holiday that precedes Ash Wednesday and therefore the feast before beginning Lent.

Vasant Panchami day is a Hindu holiday dedicated to Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge, music, arts, science and technology.

It is celebrated to commemorate the death of the Buddha when he attained complete nirvana or parinirvana.

It’s an event where the 5 Nations (Become, EPIC, VOYPIC, Who Cares? Scotland and Voices From Care Cymru) come together to celebrate care-experienced children and young people, their stories and their achievements.

The day recognises the need to promote social justice, which includes efforts to tackle issues such as poverty, exclusion, gender inequality, unemployment, human rights, and social protections.

UNESCO believes in the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity for sustainable societies.

Buddhist holiday observed annually on the full moon day that falls during the third lunar month.

International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

Ramadan is the ninth month on the Islamic calendar and one of the holiest times for Muslims as it marks a four-week period of fasting that Muslims worldwide take part in.

This annual event is organised by the British Deaf Association (BDA) to promote awareness of issues affecting sign-language users and, more generally, the welfare of Deaf people in the UK.

It is observed annually on the day the police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid "pass laws" in 1960.

A Jewish holiday that celebrates the Jewish people being saved from persecution over 2000 years ago.

A week dedicated to raising awareness and promoting acceptance of autism.

Good Friday is a Christian observance that commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

It is a day to recognise the diversity of transgender identities and to support the transgender community.

A Christian holiday, also called Pascha, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It aims to shine a light on autism to increase awareness about life for Autistic adults and children. It’s also an event used for tackling misinformation and myths about living with autism.

Eid al-Fitr is celebrated in Islam. It is held immediately after Ramadan. Its name comes from an Arabic term that translates as the “feast of breaking the fast”.

It is the annual event dedicated to awareness about the various environmental challenges that face our planet.

Passover is celebrated by Jews every year, commemorating the anniversary of our miraculous Exodus from Egyptian slavery, as told in the Bible.

It is a day when the International Labour Movement remembers those who have been killed or injured in workplace accidents and those who have died from occupational diseases.

Each year, the week brings awareness to the isolation that deaf people can experience, whilst promoting social inclusion of those with hearing loss.

Mental Health Awareness Week is an ideal time for us all to think about mental health, tackle stigma, and find out how we can create a society that prevents mental health problems from developing and protects our mental well-being.

The date of May 17 was specifically chosen to commemorate the World Health Organization’s decision in 1990 to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder.

Pride month is a time for the entire LGBTQ+ community to come together globally and celebrate Pride in a full spectrum of activities, pride events, campaigns and much more! Pride month falls in June every year as it is also the month which saw the Stonewall riots.

Gypsy Roma and Traveller History Month (GRTHM) was established in Britain in 2008 as a way of raising awareness of these communities and their contributions to society, and to offset negative stereotyping and prejudices.

Eid al Adha is known as the Holiday of Sacrifice celebrated in Islam. It comes after Arafat Day, the second day of the week-long Hajj pilgrimage.

Each 15 July, the WorldSkills movement alongside the United Nations, recognises the importance of global skills development.

Ashura is a holy day for Muslims all over the world. The Shia Muslims see it as the climax of the Remembrance of Muharram and the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali (the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad) at the battle of Karbala. For the Sunnis, Ashura is the day Moses fasted to show his gratitude for the freedom of the Israelites.

The festival pays homage to the Buddha and commemorates the Buddha’s first sermon. It is also the celebration of the 'Four Noble Truths'- Dukkha, Tanha, Nibbana, and the eightfold path preached by Buddha after his enlightenment.

The idea for International Youth Day was proposed in 1991 by the young people who were gathered in Vienna, Austria, for the first session of the World Youth Forum of the United Nations System.

It is an annual Hindu festival celebrated by siblings i.e. brothers and sisters. The word Raksha means “to protect” and Bandhan means “Bond”, so Raksha Bandhan is a festival celebrating the bond of protection and care between brothers and sisters.