Scroll over highlighted events for additional information.

January	February
March	April
May	June
July	August
September	October
November	December

Information provided here is only intended as a general summary.  This service is continuously under development.  We will make every effort to keep this site current and to correct errors brought to our attention.  Please contact webmaster for changes.

The United States Coast Guard Multicultural, Diversity and Inclusion Calendar for 2012 was developed by the Office of Diversity and the Civil Rights Directorate as an education and training tool to enhance mutual understanding and respect among the various religious, ethnic and cultural groups.  This calendar is about honoring our differences and increasing awareness of the numerous important national and international observances and celebrations that may be commemorated in the United States.  Acknowledging and respecting these events promotes greater knowledge of multiculturalism and diversity and is a foundation to inclusion.  Realizing diversity requires the creation of an inclusive work environment that respects and values the differences that each service member and employee brings to the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard is defined by its history, culture, missions and traditions.  This includes our people who bring a wide range of diverse backgrounds and experiences that enrich our ability to perform our global missions. People are the strength of our service and diversity and inclusion is vital to our mission readiness and excellence.

Our mission is to build a positive work environment for all personnel and nurture a climate of respect for all people of all backgrounds and cultures.  To this end, we will position the Coast Guard organization as the "Service of Choice" and nationally recognized leader in diversity and inclusion management in the federal government.

Cultural Observances are held service-wide to recognize the continuous achievements of all Americans to American culture and to increase awareness, mutual respect, and understanding.  Educational programs and cultural observances are effective ways to promote the employment and advancement of women, members of targeted racial and ethnic groups, and people with disabilities.  The following cultural events are observed by the Coast Guard:

                                        January 15: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
                                        February: African-American History Month
                                        March: National Women's History Month
                                        May: Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month
                                        August 26: Women's Equality Day
                                        September 15 - October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month
                                        October: National Disability Employment Awareness Month
                                        November: National Native American Heritage Month

For more information about Special Observances and education programs, contact your Civil Rights Service Provider (CRSP)

A printer friendly version can be found here.

January
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Remember! Celebrate! Act!
A Day On, Not a Day Off

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
1 New Years Temple Day (Buddhist) Gantan-sai (Shinto)	2	3	4	5	6 Epiphany (Christian) Christmas (Armenian Orthodox Christian)	7 Orthodox Christmas Day (Russia)
8	9 Mahayana New Year (Buddhist)	10	11	12	13	14 Makar Sankranti (Hindu) Religious Freedom Day (US)
15 World Religion Day (Bahá'i)	16 Martin Luther King Jr. Day	17	18	19	20	21
22 Seollal Holiday (S. Korea) 22-24	23 Lunar New Year National No Name Calling Week	24 Spring Festival Golden Week (China)	25	26	27 International Commemoration Day in Memory of Victims of the Holocaust	28 Vasant Panchami (Hindu)
29	30 Greek Education Day	31

February
National African-American History Month
Black Women in American Culture & History

 

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
			1 National Freedom Day	2	3	4
5 Milad Al-Nabi (Islamic)	6 Constitution Day (Mexico) Lantern Festival (China)	7	8 Nirvana Day (Buddhist) Tu B'Shvat (Jewish)	9 Milad un Nabi (Muslim)	10	11
12	13	14 Valentine's Day Race Relations Day	15 Susan B. Anthony Day Nirvana Day (alternative date, Buddhist)	16	17	18
19	20 President's Day World Day of Social Justice Mahashivaratri (Hindu)	21 International Mother Language Day Mardi Gras President's Day	22 Ash Wednesday (Christian)	23 Zhonghe Festival (China)	24	25
26 Ayyam-I-Ha/Intercalary Days (Bahá'i) through 1 Mar	27 Clean Monday (Eastern Christian)	28	29

March
National Women's History Month
Women's Education - Women's Empowerment
Irish-American History Month

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
				1	2 Nineteen Day Fast (Bahá'i)	3 Hina Matsuri (Doll Festival) (Japan)
4	5	6	7	8 International Women's Day Purim (Jewish) Holi (Hindu)	9	10
11	12	13	14 Commonwealth Day(Canada)	15	16	17 St. Patrick's Day
18	19	20 Vernal Equinox Naw-Ruz (Iranian New Year) (Bahá'i)	21 Naw-Ruz (Iranian New Year) (Bahá'i)	22 International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination	23 Padwa/Ugadi (Hindu)	24
25 International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery	26	27	28	29	30	31

April
Celebrate Diversity Month

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
1 Ramanavami & Swaminarayan Jayanti (Hindu) Palm Sunday (Christian)	2 World Autism Awareness Day	3	4 International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action Qing Ming Jie (China)	5 Holy Thursday (Christian)	6 Passover (Jewish) Theravada New Year (Buddhist) Hanuman Jayanti (Hindu) Good Friday (Christian)	7 Passover or Pesach (Jewish) until 14 Apr World Health Day
8 Easter (Christian)	9	10	11	12	13	14 Varsakhi (Hindu)
15 Days of Remembrance until 22 Apr	16	17	18	19 Yom Hashoah or Holocaust Remembrance Day	20	21 Ridvan Festival (Bahá'i) until 2 May
22 International Earth Day	23 World Book and Copyright Day St. George's Day (Canada)	24 Yom Haatzmaut (Independence Day) (India) until 26 Apr	25	26	27	28
29 Shōwa Day (Japan)	30

May
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Jewish American Heritage Month

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
		1 International Worker's Day Spring and Labor Day (Russia)	2 Spring and Labor Day (Russia)	3 World Press Freedom Day	4	5 National Day of Prayer Cinco de Mayo (Mexico) Wesak or Buddha Day (Buddhist)
6	7	8	9 Victory Day (Russia)	10 Lag B'Omer (Jewish)	11	12
13 Mother's Day	14	15 International Day of Families	16	17 Ascension Day (Christian)	18	19
20	21 World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue & Development	22	23 Declaration of the Báb (Bahá'i) Victoria Day (Canada)	24	25	26
27 Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) (Jewish)	28 Memorial Day	29 Ascension of the Bahá'u'lláh (Bahá'i)	30	31

June
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month
Caribbean-American Heritage Month

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
					1	2
3	4 International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression	5 World Environment Day	6	7	8	9
10 Race Unity Day (Bahá'i) All Saints Day (Eastern Christian)	11	12 Loving Day Russia Day (Russia)	13	14 Flag Day	15	16
17 Isra and Mi'raj (Muslim)	18	19	20 World Refugees Day	21	22	23 United Nations Public Service Day Dragon Boat Festival (China)
24	25	26	27	28	29	30

July
American Heritage Month

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
1 Canada Day (Canada)	2	3 Asala Puja or Dharma Day (Buddhist)	4 Independence Day	5 Nisf Shabaan (Buddhist)	6	7
8	9 Martyrdom of the Báb (Bahá'i)	10	11 World Population Day Imamat Day (Muslim)	12	13 Festival of Souls (Japan) until 15 Jul	14
15	16 Umi no Hi (Japan) Wassana (Buddhist)	17	18	19	20 Ramadan (Muslim) until 18 Aug	21
22	23	24 Pioneer Day (Mormon) Tanabata (Japan)	25	26	27	28 Tisha B'Av (Jewish)
29	30	31

August
Family Heritage and Diversity Month

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
			1	2 Raksha Bandham (Hindu)	3	4
5	6 Hiroshima Day (Japan)	7	8	9 International Day of the World's Indigenous People	10 Janmashtami (Hindu)	11
12 International Youth Day	13	14 Laylat al Qadr (Muslim)	15 Assumption (Christian) Liberation Day (Korea)	16	17	18
19 Eid-al-Fitr (Muslim)	20 Asman (Bahá'i)	21	22	23 International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition	24	25
26 Women's Equality Day	27	28	29	30	31

September
National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15 - Oct 15)
Healthy Aging Month
Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
						1 Israel Miraji Ascent of the Prophet Muhammad
2	3 Labor Day	4	5	6	7	8 International Literacy Day
9 Grandparent's Day	10	11 Patriot Day	12	13	14 San Genarro Day (Italian-American)	15 San Genarro Day (Italian-American)
16 Independence Day (Mexico) Rosh Hashanah (Jewish)	17 Constitution Day and Citizenship Day	18	19	20	21	22 Autumnal Equinox (Japan)
23	24	25 Yom Kippur (Jewish)	26	27	28	29
30

October
Diversity Awareness Month
National Disability Employment Awareness Month
German-American Heritage Month
Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual History Month
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
National Italian-American Awareness Month
National Mental Illness Awareness Month
Polish-American Heritage Month

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
	1 Sukkot (Jewish) until 7 Oct	2	3	4	5	6
7 Simchat Torah (Jewish)	8 Native American Day Columbus Day Shemini Atzeret (Jewish)	9 Cirio de Nazare (Brazil)	10	11 National Coming Out Day	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26 Eid-al-adha (Islamic, Muslim)	27
28 Mother in Law Day	29	30	31 Halloween Reformation Day (Christian)

November
National Native American Heritage Month
American Diabetes Month
Epilepsy Awareness Month
National AIDS Awareness Month
National Long Term Care Awareness Month

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
				1 All Saints Day (Christian)	2 All Souls Day (Christian)	3
4	5	6 Election Day Daylight Savings Time Ends Eid-al-adha (Brazil)	7	8	9 Kristallnacht	10
11	12 Veteran's Day Birthday of Baha'u'llah (Bahá'i) American Education Week	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22 Thanksgiving	23	24
25	26 Dec Al Hijra (Muslim) until 28 Nov	27	28	29	30

December
Universal Human Rights Month

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
						1 World AIDS Day Rosa Parks Day
2 International Day for the Abolition of Slavery Advent Begins	3 International Day of Persons with Disabilities	4	5 International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development	6	7	8 Bodhi Day (Buddhist)
9	10 Human Rights Day	11	12 Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe (Mexico)	13	14	15 Bill of Rights Day
16	17	18 International Migrants Day	19	20 International Human Solidarity Day Hanukkah (Jewish) until 27 Dec	21	22
23	24	25 Christmas Day	26 Boxing Day (Canada) Kwanzaa until 1 Jan	27	28	29
30	31 New Year's Eve Omisoka (Japan)

Honoring Differences