March Diversity Holidays

MARCH 1 - MARCH 19

• Bahá'i Fast, also known as the Nineteen-Day Fast, a period of spiritual discipline in the Bahá’í faith. It is viewed as a time of spiritual purification, renewal, and detachment from material desires, allowing believers to draw closer to God and strengthen their spiritual connection.

MARCH 1

• International Wheelchair Day, celebrates wheelchair users and the positive impact that having a wheelchair has had on their lives.
• Zero Discrimination Day is meant to highlight the need for people to be informed about and promote inclusion, compassion, peace and, above all, a movement for change.

MARCH 2

• American Citizenship Day, commemorates the moment in 1917 when Puerto Ricans were granted U.S. citizenship through the Jones-Shafroth Act. It's a significant event that recognizes Puerto Rico's status as a U.S. territory and the rights and responsibilities that come with American citizenship.

MARCH 3

• Beginning of Great Lent in the Orthodox Christian faith is also known as Clean Monday.

MARCH 4

• Shrove Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras, the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent. It is part of the Shrovetide period, a time of preparation and reflection before the 40-day fasting period of Lent. Mardi Gras celebrations are often characterized by lively parades, colorful costumes, music, dancing, and other festive activities. In places like New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, Mardi Gras is a famous and elaborate event with a unique cultural significance.

MARCH 5

• Crispus Attucks Day, honors Crispus Attucks, a significant figure in American history. Known for his role in the Boston Massacre where he was the first casualty, Attucks became a symbol of the growing resistance against British colonial rule. His death was a significant event that contributed to the mounting tensions leading to the American Revolution.
• Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent on the Christian calendar. Its name is derived from the symbolic use of ashes to signify penitence.

MARCH 7

• Employee Appreciation Day, recognizes and celebrates the hard work and contributions of employees in the workplace.

MARCH 8

• International Women’s Day. First observed in 1911 in Germany, it has now become a major global celebration honoring women’s economic, political, and social achievements.

MARCH 13 - 14

• Purim, a Jewish celebration that marks the time when the Jewish community living in Persia was saved from genocide. On Purim, Jewish people dress up in costumes, offer charity, and share food with friends.

MARCH 14

• Holi, the annual Hindu and Sikh spring religious festival observed in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, along with other countries with large Hindu and Sikh populations. People celebrate Holi by throwing colored powder and water at each other. Bonfires are lit the day before in memory of the miraculous escape that young Prahlada accomplished when demoness Holika carried him into the fire. It is often celebrated on the full moon (the Phalguna Purnima) before the beginning of the vernal equinox as based on the Hindu calendar.

MARCH 14 - 16

• Hola Mohalla, a Sikh festival that takes place on the second day of the lunar month of Chet, a day after the Hindu spring festival Holi.

MARCH 15

• International Day to Combat Islamophobia is observed to bring awareness to the growing global problem of Islamophobia. Islamophobia is a form of religious bigotry and discrimination that targets Muslims and their beliefs.

MARCH 17

• St. Patrick’s Day, a holiday started in Ireland to recognize St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland who brought Christianity to the country in the early days of the faith.

MARCH 17 - 23

• Neurodiversity Celebration Week, promotes the understanding, acceptance, and celebration of neurodiverse individuals. This week was created to challenge stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other neurodivergent conditions.

MARCH 19

• St. Joseph’s Day, in Western Christianity the principal feast of St. Joseph, the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

MARCH 20

• Nowruz, also known as the Persian New Year, a day of joy, celebration, and renewal. It is held annually on the spring equinox.
• International Happiness Day, recognizes the significance of happiness as a fundamental human goal, and encourages individuals, communities, and governments to prioritize happiness and well-being in policy-making and daily practices.
• Vernal Equinox, also known as the Spring Equinox, a celestial event that marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. It holds cultural and spiritual significance in many traditions around the world, symbolizing rebirth, renewal, and the awakening of nature after the winter months.
• Naw-Rúz, the Bahá’í New Year, is a holiday celebrated on the vernal equinox. It is one of the nine Bahá’í holy days on which work is suspended.

MARCH 21

• World Down Syndrome Day, raises awareness and celebrates the lives and accomplishments of individuals with Down Syndrome.
• National Single Parents Day, honors the efforts and sacrifices of single parents who are raising their children on their own.
• International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, observed annually in the wake of the 1960 killing of 69 people at a demonstration against apartheid “pass laws” in South Africa. The United Nations proclaimed the day in 1966 and called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.

MARCH 22

• Emancipation Day. On this day in 1873, the Spanish colonial government of Puerto Rico abolished slavery, fulfilling the commitment made after the Lares uprising of 1868.
• World Water Day, raises awareness about the importance of freshwater and advocates for the sustainable management of water resources.

MARCH 25

• Medal of Honor Day, honors the recipients of the United States' highest military decoration for valor.
• International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade is a United Nations international observation that offers the opportunity to honor and remember those who suffered and died at the hands of the brutal slavery system. First observed in 2008, the international celebration also aims to raise awareness about the dangers of racism and prejudice.  
• Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, a Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus.

MARCH 27

• Laylat al-Qadr, a night that commemorates when the first verses of the Quran were revealed to Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) by Allah. It is considered the holiest night of the year and falls during the last 10 days of Ramadan, particularly on one of the odd-numbered nights. Please note that the exact date of Laylat al-Qadr is unknown, and the date marked here is an estimate based on tradition.

MARCH 29

• National Vietnam War Veterans Day, honors the sacrifices and contributions that Vietnam veterans and their families made to the United States.

MARCH 29 - 30 (sundown to sundown)

• Eid al-Fitr, the first day of the Islamic month of Shawwal, marking the end of Ramadan. Many Muslims attend communal prayers, listen to a khutba (sermon), and give Zakat al-Fitr (charity in the form of food) during Eid al-Fitr.

MARCH 30

• Gudi Padwa, a spring festival marking the first day of the month of Chaitra, the new year in the western Indian state of Maharashtra according to the Hindu lunisolar calendar.
• Ugadi, the New Year festival celebrated in parts of India, marking the beginning of the traditional Hindu lunar calendar and falls on the first day of the Chaitra month, usually in March or April.

MARCH 30 - APRIL 7

• Chaitra Navratri, a festival honoring the Goddess Shakti and three of her most popular avatars: Durga, the warrior Goddess, Lakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity, and Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge. They are all worshipped during this nine-nights festival, which begins on the first day of the month of Chaitra and ends with Ramanavami.

MARCH 31

• National Indigenous Languages Day, aims to raise awareness of endangered languages. 
• Cesar Chavez Day, honors the legacy of Cesar Chavez, a pioneering labor leader and civil rights activist who co-founded the United Farm Workers union.
• International Transgender Day of Visibility, celebrated to bring awareness to transgender people and their identities as well as recognize those who helped fight for rights for transgender people.