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Holidays & Observances
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, & Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May 1 to May 31, 2026 HERITAGE & HISTORY MONTH
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, & Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May 1 to May 31, 2026 HERITAGE & HISTORY MONTH
Asian American, Native Hawaiin & Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AANHPI Heritage Month) is an annual celebration that recognizes the historical and cultural contributions of individuals and groups of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to the United States. The AANHPI umbrella term includes cultures from the entire Asian continent—including East, Southeast and South Asia—Native Hawaiins and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, there were about 20.6 million people of Asian or Pacific Islander descent in the United States. According to the Pew Research Center, AANHPI people are a diverse and growing population that make up about 7 percent of the total U.S. population. AANHPI Heritage Month 2024 will take place from Wednesday, May 1 to Friday, May 31.
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In 2006, President George W. Bush declared May Jewish American Heritage Month to celebrate and recognize the millions of Jewish people who call the United States home. America has long been a safe haven for religious diversity, where members of any faith can freely practice their religion. A significant number of Jewish Americans are the descendants of Jews who fled not only discrimination and persecution but also, in the case of many European Jews, genocide at the hands of the Nazis and their allies in the 1930s and 1940s. Post WW-II America became a refuge for millions of Jews and is now home to approximately one third of the world’s Jewish people. Each May, we pay tribute to the many contributions Jewish Americans have made, and continue to make, to the United States, including Supreme Court Justices and Nobel Prize winners. As the world witnesses a rise in global antisemitism, the United States stands with the diverse American Jewish community and celebrates its rich and varied cultures and long history.
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May Day, day commemorates the historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement & is observed in many countries around the world on May 1. In the United States and Canada a similar observance, known as Labor Day, occurs on the first Monday of September.
In 1889 an international federation of socialist groups and trade unions designated May 1 as a day in support of workers, in commemoration of the Haymarket Riot in Chicago (1886). Five years later, U.S. Pres. Grover Cleveland, uneasy with the socialist origins of Workers’ Day, signed legislation to make Labor Day—already held in some states on the first Monday of September—the official U.S. holiday in honour of workers. Canada followed suit not long afterward.
In Europe May 1 was historically associated with rural pagan festivals, but the original meaning of the day was gradually replaced by the modern association with the labour movement.
May Day (May 1) in medieval and modern Europe is a holiday for the celebration of the return of spring. The observance probably originated in ancient agricultural rituals, and the Greeks and Romans held such festivals. Although later practices varied widely, the celebrations came to include the gathering of wildflowers and green branches, the weaving of floral garlands, the crowning of a May king and queen, and the setting up of a decorated May tree, or Maypole, around which people danced. Such rites originally may have been intended to ensure fertility for crops and, by extension, for livestock and humans, but in most cases this significance was gradually lost, so that the practices survived largely as popular festivities. Among the many superstitions associated with May Day was the belief that washing the face with dew on the morning of May 1 would beautify the skin.
Because the Puritans of New England considered the celebrations of May Day to be licentious and pagan, they forbade its observance, and the holiday never became an important part of American culture. In the 20th century, traditional May Day celebrations declined in many countries as May 1 became associated with the international holiday honouring workers and the labour movement.
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Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. The day, which falls on Sunday, May 5 in 2024, is also known as Battle of Puebla Day. While it is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations.
In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is widely interpreted as a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with substantial Mexican-American populations. Chicano activists raised awareness of the holiday in the 1960s, in part because they identified with the victory of Indigenous Mexicans (such as Juárez) over European invaders during the Battle of Puebla.
Today, revelers mark the occasion with parades, parties, mariachi music, Mexican folk dancing and traditional foods such as tacos and mole poblano. Some of the largest festivals are held in Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston.
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Mother’s Day, a holiday in honor of mothers that is celebrated in countries throughout the world. In its modern form the holiday originated in the United States, where it is observed on the second Sunday in May. Many other countries also celebrate the holiday on this date, while some mark the observance at other times of the year. During the Middle Ages the custom developed of allowing those who had moved away to visit their home parishes and their mothers on Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent. This became Mothering Sunday in Britain, where it continued into modern times, although it has largely been replaced by Mother’s Day.
Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia, whose mother had organized women’s groups to promote friendship and health, originated Mother’s Day. On May 12, 1907, she held a memorial service at her late mother’s church in Grafton, West Virginia. Within five years virtually every state was observing the day, and in 1914 U.S. Pres. Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday. Although Jarvis had promoted the wearing of a white carnation as a tribute to one’s mother, the custom developed of wearing a red or pink carnation to represent a living mother or a white carnation for a mother who was deceased. Over time the day was expanded to include others, such as grandmothers and aunts, who played mothering roles. What had originally been primarily a day of honour became associated with the sending of cards and the giving of gifts, however, and, in protest against its commercialization, Jarvis spent the last years of her life trying to abolish the holiday she had brought into being.
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Held every year on 21 May, the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development celebrates not only the richness of the world’s cultures, but also the essential role of intercultural dialogue for achieving peace and sustainable development. The United Nations General Assembly first declared this World Day in 2002, following UNESCO’s adoption of the 2001 Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, recognizing the need to “enhance the potential of culture as a means of achieving prosperity, sustainable development and global peaceful coexistence.”
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Shavuot is a two-day Jewish holiday that falls on the Hebrew calendar dates of Sivan 6–7. Secular dates for Shavuot 2024 begins at sundown on Tuesday June 11, 2024, and concludes at nightfall on Thursday, June 13, 2024. Engaging in work or labor is generally prohibited on Shavuot, much like during Shabbat and other Jewish festivals. Use of electronic devices and driving should be refrained from during the holiday, as these activities are considered forms of creative work.
Shavuot commemorates the date when G‑d gave the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai over 3,000 years ago. Preceded by 49 days of counting in eager anticipation.
The ancient pilgrimage festival of Shavuot marks the culmination of the wheat harvest in Israel and celebrates giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Traditionally, Shavuot is celebrated through desisting from work, candle-lit dinners, staying up all night to study Torah, listening to the reading of the Ten Commandments in synagogue,
The holiday is deeply tied to midrashim, rabbinic narratives that illustrate biblical texts. One of them says the wilderness of Sinai, awash with flowers and green pastures, was flowing with milk and honey. As a result, Shavuot is known as a holiday on which we eat cheesecake and blintzes and all manner of dairy products.
Ways to Celebrate
Greet others with "Happy Shavout"
Traditional requires no work during Shavuot. It's a time to study the Torah and reflect on the meaning behind the Ten Commandments.
If you visit Israel during Shavuot, you might find many sights and restaurants being closed for 1–2 days. But instead, you could take in the festivities, parades, parties, and scenes of children with garlands on their heads and stores full of spring fruits.
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Vesak (also known as Visakha Puja/Budhha Purnima/Budhha Day), is one of the most important of the Buddhist festivals, commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha. The event is observed on the full-moon day of the lunar month Visakha, which falls in April or May. The day is observed as a public holiday in many Southeast Asian countries. It is marked by special devotional services and various deeds intended to be meritorious, such as the presentation of food or alms to monks or the release of captive birds.
On Vesak, devout Buddhists and followers alike assemble in their various temples before dawn for the ceremonial and honorable hoisting of the Buddhist flag and the singing of hymns in praise of the holy triple gem: The Buddha, The Dharma (his teachings), and The Sangha (his disciples). Devotees may bring simple offerings of flowers, candles and joss-sticks to lay at the feet of their teacher. These symbolic offerings are to remind followers that just as the beautiful flowers would wither away after a short while, and the candles and joss-sticks would soon burn out, so too is life subject to decay and destruction. Devotees are enjoined to make a special effort to refrain from killing of any kind. They are encouraged to partake only of vegetarian food for the day. In some countries, notably Sri Lanka, two days are set aside for the celebration of Vesak, and all liquor shops and slaughter houses are closed by government decree during the two days.
Also birds, insects and animals are released by the thousands in what is known as life release to give freedom to those who are in captivity, imprisoned, or tortured against their will. (The practice, however, is banned in some countries such as Singapore, as the released animals are unable to survive long-term or may adversely impact the local ecosystem if they do.)
The date of observance of this festival varies by region:
24 May 2026 (China, Vietnam, the Philippines and East Asia)
31 May 2026 (Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka)
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Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Memorial Day 2026 will occur on Monday, May 27 this year.
Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season.
Cities and towns across the United States host Memorial Day parades each year, often incorporating military personnel and members of veterans’ organizations. Some of the largest parades take place in Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C.
Americans also observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries and memorials. Some people wear a red poppy in remembrance of those fallen in war—a tradition that began with a World War I poem. On a less somber note, many people take weekend trips or throw parties and barbecues on the holiday, perhaps because Memorial Day weekend—the long weekend comprising the Saturday and Sunday before Memorial Day and Memorial Day itself—unofficially marks the beginning of summer.
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'Arafah is the ninth day of Dhu'l-Ḥijjah, the 12th and final month in the Islamic calendar. It occurs on the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah (and its surrounding religious waymarks) that Muslims are obligated to perform at least once in their lifetimes, if able. In 2024, it begins in the evening of June 15 and ends on June 16.
While Pilgrims do not fast on the Day of ‘Arafah, Muslims who are not making Hajj are strongly urged to fast this day.
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The word "Eid" means feast or festival. "Eid al-Adha means "feast of the sacrifice."
It is the commemoration of Abraham (Ibrahim)'s willingness to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, in obedience to a command from God. However, before Abraham could sacrifice his son in the name of God, and because of his willingness to do so, God provided him with a lamb to sacrifice in his son's place.
Many Muslims attend Eid prayers at their mosque early in the morning. It is traditional to wear new clothes for Eid and to eat something sweet on the way to the mosque, such as a date, and recite a short prayer, called a takbeer.
How to Celebrate
During the Eid al-Adha celebration, Muslims greet each other by saying 'Eid Mubarak', which is Arabic for "Blessed Eid".
In many countries, observes often enjoy large meals with friends and family. It is also common for elders to give money to children and younger members of their family.
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From the evening of May 28, 2026 through May 29, 2026, Bahá’ís around the world will celebrate the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh. The holiday commemorates the anniversary of the death of Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith. Baha’u’llah was seventy-five years old when he passed away on May 29, 1892.
At the age of 27, Bahá'u'lláh became a follower of the Báb, a Persian merchant who began preaching that God would soon send a new prophet similar to Jesus. The Báb and many of his followers were executed by the Ottoman authorities for their beliefs. Bahá'u'lláh was exiled for the same reason, despite this, in 1863 he declared that he was the expected prophet the Báb spoke of. Since then, Bahá'ís have seen Bahá'u'lláh to be a Manifestation of God.
Bahá'u'lláh was imprisoned by Ottoman authorities, first in Edirne, and then in the prison city of Acre, (present-day Israel), where he spent his final 24 years of life. On May 9, 1892, Bahá'u'lláh contracted a fever which became progressively worse, and resulted in his death. Just after sunset on the day he passed away, Bahá’u’lláh was buried in a simple room in a house next to the Mansion of Bahjí in Arce, where he resided. His burial place is a destination of pilgrimage for his followers, and the Bahá'í World Centre sits in nearby Haifa. Bahá'u'lláh named Abdu’l-Bahá as his successor and head of the Bahá’í Faith. This was the first time in history that the founder of a world religion had named his successor in a written irrefutable text. This choice of a successor is central to what is known as the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh.
When Baha’u’llah passed, many wondered if the newly founded Bahá’í Faith would survive. However, not only did it survive, it thrived, growing rapidly and spreading throughout the world.
Baha’is celebrate the Ascension of Baha’u’llah by gathering together in devotion and prayer. These meetings have a somber and meditative tone in remembrance of Baha’u’llah. The Ascension of Baha’u’llah is also one of the nine holy days of the year.
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