Calendar of Holidays

Members of the Western community come from many backgrounds and places. The following cultural and religious dates are some of the many that are observed by community members.

Washington’s public four-year college and universities support and recognize the holidays, traditional observances and major days of religious significance of the diverse students we serve.

We are supportive and engaged in the continual education of our faculty/staff/students around the traditions of the communities we serve and work to be inclusive of all students. The intent of this calendar is to assist faculty/staff in planning and developing their curriculum, class syllabus and examinations during the term.

To propose additional dates for inclusion or potential corrections to this calendar, please email officeofequity@wwu.edu. 

November

• 11/11 Veterans Day
• Thanksgiving Day.  A United States federal holiday, first celebrated nationally in 1789.
• Friday after Thanksgiving Day.

December

• 12/25 Christmas Day.  A United States federal holiday, first celebrated nationally in 1870.

January

• 1/1 New Year’s Day. Marks the beginning of the calendar year.
• Third Monday. Martin Luther King Day. In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.

February

• Third Monday. Washington’s Birthday. A United States federal holiday. It is also widely known as Presidents’ Day.

May

• Last Monday. Memorial Day. A United States federal holiday commemorating those who have died while serving in the U.S. armed forces.

June

• 6/19 Juneteeth. A commemoration of the emancipation of those enslaved in the United States.

July

• 7/4 Independence Day (also known as the Fourth of July). A United States federal holiday that celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

September

• First Monday. Labor Day. A United States celebration honoring the contribution laborers have made to the country.

Note: if a federal holiday falls on a weekend (Saturday or Sunday), it is generally observed on the nearest workday – Monday for a Sunday holiday and Friday for a Saturday holiday. Please check with your supervisor for additional details.

NOTE: All Jewish, Islamic, and Bahá’í holidays begin at sundown on the evening before the first date shown.

• *These holidays (or dates within holidays) are designated non-work (observance) days.
• # Some of these dates are not fixed to a calendar but based on the actual sighting of the moon and therefore there may be some variance by a day. All Jewish, Islamic, and Bahá’í holidays begin at sundown on the evening before the first date shown.

October

• Columbus Day. A United States federal holiday that marks the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492.
• Italian Heritage Day. Celebrated in the City of New Haven and elsewhere in the United States; a tribute to the contribution of Italians and Italian-Americans.
• Indigenous People’s Day, an alternative celebration to Columbus Day that gives recognition to the Indigenous populations of North America.
• 10/11 National Coming Out Day.  An annual LGBT awareness day.

November

• 11/20 Transgender Day of Remembrance.  Remembering and honoring individuals killed as a result of transphobia and raising awareness of the violence against transgender people.

December

• 12/10 Established by the United Nations in 1948 to commemorate the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

January

• 1/27 The International Day of Commemoration. Remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust.

February

• Since 1976, February is designated as Black History Month in the United States and Canada.

March

• Started in 1987, March is designated as Women’s History Month.
• March is also designated as National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month to increase understanding of issues affecting people with disabilities.
• 3/8 International Women’s Day. Global celebration honoring women’s contributions and achievements.

April

• April is Autism Awareness Month, established to raise awareness about the developmental disorder that affects children’s normal development of social and communication skills.
• 4/22 Earth Day. Promote peace and sustainability of planet Earth.

May

• May is designated as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in the United States.
• 5/5 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).

June

• June is designated as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month.

July

• 7/1 Canada Day or Fête du Canada. Canadian federal holiday that celebrates the 1867 enactment of the Constitution Act.
• 7/14 Bastille Day. French federal holiday that commemorates the Storming of the Bastille.
• 7/18 Nelson Mandela International Day. Recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in 2009 in recognition of Nelson Mandela’s birthday.

August

• 8/17 Marcus Garvey Day. Jamaica. Celebrates the birthday of the Jamaican politician and activist.
• 8/23 International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade. Designated by UNESCO. Anniversary of the uprising in Santo Domingo (Haiti and the Dominican Republic) that initiated the abolition of slavery in the Caribbean.
• 8/26 Women’s Equality Day. Commemorates the August 26, 1920 certification of the United States Constitution 19th Amendment that gave women the right to vote.

September

.      • 09/17 Constitution Day. We recognize the adoption of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens.

        • From September 15th to October 15th is Hispanic Heritage Month. This month corresponds with Mexican Independence Day,                which is celebrated on September 16th, and recognizes the revolution in 1810 that ended Spanish dictatorship.