DIVERSITY CALENDAR 2023
The University of Cambridge and the School of Clinical Medicine represent a diverse community of people from different cultural, religious and secular backgrounds. The purpose of this diversity calendar is to recognise festivals, holy days and other important dates which individuals may wish to commemorate. This initiative is part of our commitment to promoting a positive work culture and our focus on issues of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). This calendar can be used alongside information on other Clinical School events (https://hr.medschl.cam.ac.uk/home/events-and-training/).
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 2 2 3 4 World Braille Day 5 8 8 8 9 10 11 12 14 14 16 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Holocaust Memorial Day 28 29 30 31 1st - New Year’s Day 6th - Epiphany Christian Western 7th - Christmas Day Christian Orthodox / Eastern 7th - Mahayana New Year Buddhism 13th – Maghi Sikhism 15th - Makar Sankranti Hinduism 22nd – Chinese New Year 26th – Vasant Panchami Hinduism 1
6 7 15 13 22 26
JANUARY
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 1 3 Time to Talk Day 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 2nd - Candlemas Christian Western 6th – 15 Shevat Judaism 15th – Nirvana Day Buddhism 18th - Lailat al Miraj Islam 18th - Maha Shivaratri Hinduism 21st – Shrove Tuesday Christian Western 22nd – Ash Wednesday & Lent Christian Western 7th – Great Lent begins Christian Orthodox / Eastern
2 15 6 18 22 21 27
FEBRUARY
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 International Women’s Day 9 10 British Science Week 11 12 13 14 15 16 Disabled Access Day 17 18 19 Mother’s Day (UK) 21 Int. Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Int. Transgender Day of Visibility 6th – Purim begins Judaism 8th – Holi Hinduism 8th – Hola Mohalla Sikhism 20th – Spring Equinox/ Ostara Wicca/ Pagan 21st - Naw-Rúz Bahá’í MARCH 20 6 8 21
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 15 16 18 19 20 21 23 25 26 Lesbian Visibility Day 27 28 30 APRIL 2nd –Ramadan begins Islam 10th – Palm Sunday Christian Western 14th – Vaisakhi Sikhism 15th – Pesach begins Judaism 15th – Good Friday Christian Western 17th – Easter Sunday Christian Western 17th – Palm Sunday Christian Orthodox / Easter 18th – Easter Monday Christian Western Stress Awareness Month 22 21 21st - First Day of Ridván Bahá’í 22nd – Good Friday Christian Orthodox / Eastern 24th – Eater Day Christian Orthodox / Eastern 25th - Easter Monday Christian Orthodox / Eastern 29th - Laylat al-Qadr Islam 29th - Ninth Day of Ridván Bahá’í 10 15 17 18 2 14 24 25 29
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 2 3 Int. Family Equality Day 3 Deaf Awareness Week 4 5 6 7 9 10 Mental Health Awareness Week 11 12 13 15 16 17 Int. Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 30 31 MAY 1st – Beltane/May Eve Wicca/ Pagan 2nd – Eid al-Fitr Islam 2nd – Twelfth Day of Ridván Bahá’í 8th – Buddha Day / Vesak Buddhism 14th – Second Passover Judaism 18th – Lag BaOmer begins Judaism 24th - Declaration of the Báb Bahá’í 29th - Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh Bahá’í 2 18 1 8 24 29 14
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Men’s Health Week Loneliness Awareness Week 14 Learning Disability Week 15 17 18 Autistic Pride Day 19 Father’s Day (UK) 2 World Refugee Day 22 National Windrush Day 23 Int. Women in Engineering Day 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 JUNE 4th – Shavuot begins Judaism 16th - Guru Arjan Martyrdom Sikh 20th – Apostles’ Feast begins Christian Orthodox / Eastern 21st - Summer Solstice/Litha Wicca/Pagan Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month 20 16 21 4
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 10 9 10 11 12 14 International Non-Binary People’s Day 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 30 31 JULY 8th - Waqf al Arafa - Hajj Day Islam 9th – Eid ul-Adha Islam 10th - Martyrdom of the Báb Bahá’í 13th - Asala - Dharma Day Buddhism 29th – Al-Hijra Islam 29th - Muharram - New Year Islam 8 13 10 29
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 12 14 16 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 AUGUST 1st - Lughnassadh/Lammas Wicca/Pagan 5th – Tisha B’Av Judaism 11th - Raksha Bandhan Hinduism 13th – Obon Buddhism 15th – Assumption Christian Western 15th – Dormition Christian Orthodox / Eastern 18th – Krishna Janmashtami Hinduism 31st – Ganesh Chaturthi Hinduism 15 18 1 11 13 5 31
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 World Suicide Prevention Day 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Bi Visibility Day 24 27 28 29 30 SEPTEMBER 25th – Rosh Hashanah begins Judaism 26th – Navarathri Hinduism 25 26
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 1 2 3 Dyspraxia Awareness Week 5 6 8 Baby Loss Awareness Week 10 World Mental Health Day 11 National Coming Out Day 12 13 World Sight Day 14 15 16 18 World Menopause Day 19 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 National Mentoring Day 28 29 30 31 OCTOBER 4th – Yom Kippur begins Judaism 4th – Dussehra Hinduism 7th – Mawlid un Nabi Islam 09th – Sukkot begins Judaism 16th - Birth of the Báb Bahá’í 17th - Birth of Bahá’u’lláh Bahá’í 17th – Simchat Torah begins Judaism 24th – Diwali Hinduism 24th – Bandi Chhor Divas Sikhism 7 17 4 9 24 16
Men’s Health Awareness Month Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 2 3 5 6 7 9 10 11 Armistice Day 12 Remembrance Sunday 13 World Kindness Day 14 Interfaith Week/ Transgender Awareness Week 15 16 17 18 19 International Men’s Day 20 Transgender Day of Remembrance 21 22 UK Disability History Month 23 24 25 Int. Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women 26 28 29 30 NOVEMBER 1st – All Saints Day Christianity Western 8th – Guru Nanak Birthday Sikhism 26th – Day of the Covenant Bahá’í 27th – Advent Christian Western 28th – Nativity Fast begins Christian Orthodox / Eastern 28th – Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Bahá’í 8 27 4 1 26 28
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 1 2 3 Int. Day of Persons with Disabilities 4 5 6 7 9 10 Human Rights Day 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 26 27 28 39 30 31 DECEMBER 8th – Bodhi Day Buddhism 18th – Hanukkah begins Judaism 25th – Christmas Day Christian Western 8 18 25
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. Inclusion of a particular religion or belief does not constitute endorsement of the particular religion or belief by the University and local observance may vary. Staff wishing to observe religious festivals or holy days should negotiate any annual leave with their managers in advance. We encourage you to let us know if we have missed an important date, have got something wrong or if you wish to notify us about an EDI (Equality, Diversity or Inclusion) related talk, other event or activity. Please contact:
CSEDI@admin.cam.ac.uk
Websites of interest
• SCM webpages on Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) https://hr.medschl.cam.ac.uk/a-great-place-to-work/equality-diversityinclusion/
• University webpages on EDI
https://www.equality.admin.cam.ac.uk/equality-diversity-cambridge
• University webpages on EDI events
https://www.equality.admin.cam.ac.uk/events
• University facilities for reflection or prayer https://www.equality.admin.cam.ac.uk/projects/faith-and-belief-practice/facilitiesreflection-or-prayer
• University of Cambridge Inter-faith programme https://www.interfaith.cam.ac.uk/
• Interfaith calendar http://www.interfaith-calendar.org/
• UK interfaith network https://www.interfaith.org.uk/members/list
