February DEI Observances
February, though brief, holds an eclectic medley of significance, from serving as the month of love with Valentine's Day to recognizing Black History Month, thereby making it a versatile canvas of cultural, historical, and emotional resonance.
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List of DEI Observances in February 2024
February 1-28 Black History Month is an opportunity to acknowledge, learn about and celebrate Black culture. The month of February was chosen for this event as both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln had birth dates in this month and were two key activists in ending slavery.
📅Looking for a Black History Month communications template to share with your team?
February 4 World Cancer Day Observed to raise bring awareness of cancer and to encourage prevention, detection and treatment. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, and it affects everyone differently, as access to medical care and medications is not equitable. Understanding how cancer affects people of different identities is a great first step to understanding the discrepancies ground in the health care system.
February 10 Lunar New Year This holiday marks the dawn of a new year based on the lunar calendar and corresponds with a number of different ethnicities. For example, this marks the Spring Festival in China, Seollal in Korea, and Tet in Vietnam as each region celebrates the New Year.
📅Looking for a Chinese New Year communications template to share with your team?
February 10-12 Losar is commemorated through ancient rites that depict the fight between good and evil. It is celebrated with people chanting and passing flaming torches around.
February 11 International Day of Women and Girls in Science Celebrated every year on February 11th, the event aims to increase diversity in STEM fields by empowering and celebrating females who are trailblazing their way through scientific research and innovation.
February 14 Vasant Panchami This Hindu festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the Hindu month of Magha to honor Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and the arts. Marked by the prominent use of the color yellow and special ceremonies in educational institutions, the festival signifies the arrival of spring and is considered an auspicious time to begin new educational or artistic endeavors.
February 20 World Day of Social Justice Celebrated annually on February 20th, this annual event is focused on inviting global citizens to rally around the pursuit of equity, the dismantling of barriers to inclusivity, and the ennoblement of human dignity for all.
📅Looking for a World Day of Social Justice communications template to share with your team?
February 21 International Mother Language Day The purpose of this day, observed annually on February 21, is to bring awareness to the fact that languages and multilingualism advance inclusion and are an important aspect of the world's cultural diversity. 43% of the world's 6000s languages are endangered, and every two weeks a language disappears all together.
February 24 Māgha Pūjā Day commemorates the spontaneous gathering of 1,250 enlightened monks, all ordained by Buddha, serving as a day for spiritual renewal through meditation, ethical commitments, and community fellowship.
February 24 Lantern Festival marks the first full moon of the new lunar year and is celebrated two weeks after Chinese New Year, marking the end of those celebrations. Celebrations involve enjoying lanterns, lantern riddles, eating tangyuan / yuanxiao (ball dumplings in soup), lion dances, dragon dances and more. The use of lanterns signifies letting go of the previous year.
February 24-25 Lailat al Bara'a is a major occasion in the Islamic calendar in which Muslims pray and seek for forgiveness for their wrongdoings. It is said to bring good fortune for the entire year and purify them of their sins.
