Great Dane Dialogue
This fall, with the backdrop of a contentious election season, global crises, and unrest on college campuses worldwide, the University at Albany is stepping into its role as an educator with an expansive effort to encourage civil discourse and civic engagement among our students.
Building an Inclusive Community
Diversity-related events on the university events calendar
Visit the University Events Calendar and MyInvolvement for more cultural events and programming.
You can also access videos, audio, and presentations from our previous events.
events
Great Dane Dialogue: Talking Traditions Campaign
On a diverse, welcoming, and inclusive campus, it's important to understand and celebrate our friends' traditions, identities, and holidays, even if – or maybe, especially if – we come from different backgrounds.
Diversity is a core institutional priority and intrinsic to our goal of becoming the nation's leading diverse public research university. UAlbany is a proud recipient of the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award (HEED) seven years in a row.
In the Talking Traditions campaign, the Great Dane Dialogue team asks our students, administrators, and faculty to talk about what their traditions mean to them. We will explore heritage and cultural awareness and give our community an understanding of all-inclusive Great Dane community members.
The University acknowledges or observes various heritage months and cultural/identity recognition days to celebrate the rich tapestry of the campus community.
The list is not exhaustive, faculty and staff should continue to consult with their students to be assured any holidays and observances are recognized and accommodated per New York State Education Law 224-A. Members of our campus community may request accommodations for cultural and religious observances.
Every effort has been made to ensure that this information is accurate and inclusive. If you have any additions or corrections, please feel free to contact us.
Heritage Observances
January 2025
- Poverty in America Awareness Month
February 2025
- Black History Month
- American History Month
- Human Relations Month
March 2025
- Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
- Greek American Heritage Month
- Gender Equality Month
- Irish American Heritage Month
- Ethnic Equality Month
- National Women’s History Month
April 2025
- Community Service Month
- Earth Month
- Arab American Heritage Month
- Celebrate Diversity Month
- Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Month
May 2025
- National Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
- Highlighting AAPI Faculty & Research: Learn more about AAPI faculty and research at UAlbany.
- Haitian Heritage Month
- Indian Heritage Month
- Jewish American Heritage Month
- Mental Health Month
- National Military Appreciation Month
June 2025
- National Immigrant Heritage Month
- National Caribbean American Heritage Month
- Black Music Month
- Pride Month
- Celebrating Pride Month: Learn more about UAlbany's queer and trans community
July 2025
- French American Heritage Month
- Disability Pride Month
September 2025
- Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15)
October 2025
- LGBTQ+ History Month
- Domestic Violence Awareness Month
- Filipino American Heritage Month
- Italian American Heritage Month
- National Disability Employment Awareness Month
November 2025
- Native American Heritage Month
- National Native American Indian & Alaska Native Heritage Month
Cultural Observances
December 2024
- World AIDS Day — December 1
- International Day of Persons with Disabilities — December 3
- Human Rights Day — December 10
- Las Posadas — December 16 to 24
- International Migrants Day — December 18
- Christmas — December 25
- Hanukkah / Chanukah — December 25 to January 2
- Kwanzaa — December 26 to January 1
January 2025
- New Year's Day — January 1
- Emancipation Proclamation — January 1
- Epiphany (Three Kings’ Day) — January 6
- World Braille Day — January 4
- Korean American Day — January 13
- Makar Sankranti or Magh — January 15
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day — January 15
- Indian Republic Day — January 26
- International Holocaust Remembrance Day — January 27
- Chinese New Year- January 29- February 12
February 2025
- National Freedom Day — February 1
- Kashmir Solidarity Day — February 5
- National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day — February 7
- Lunar New Year — February 10
- Valentine’s Day — February 14
- Parinirvana or Nirvana Day — February 15
- President’s Day — February 17
- Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week — February 16-22
- Shivratri- February 28
- Ramadan- February 28- March 30
March 2025
- Ash Wednesday- March 5
- Lent- March 5 to April 17
- International Women’s Day — March 8
- Harriet Tubman Day — March 10
- St. Patrick’s Day — March 17
- Naw-Ruz (Persian New Year) — March 20
- International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination — March 21
- Purim — March 13 to 14
- Holi — March 14
- Eid-al-Fitr- March 29-30
- International Transgender Day of Visibility — March 31
- Last day of Ramadan- March 30
- Ugadi- March 30
April 2025
- World Autism Awareness Day — April 2
- International Asexuality Day — April 6
- Day of Silence — April 11
- Easter- April 20
- Mahavira-Jayanti — April 10
- Earth Day — April 22
- Passover/Pesach — April 12 before sundown to April 20 after nightfall
- Lesbian Visibility Day — April 26
- Gathering of Nations — April 25 to 27
May 2025
- International Labor Day (May Day) — May 1
- Constitution Memorial Day — May 3
- National Day of Prayer — May 1
- Cinco de Mayo — May 5
- Buddahs Birth- May 5
- Mother’s Day — May 11
- International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia — May 17
- Agender Pride Day — May 19
- Harvey Milk Day — May 22
- Pansexual Visibility Day — May 24
- May Revolution Day — May 25
- Memorial Day — May 26
June 2025
- Puerto Rican Day Parade — June 8
- National Children’s Day — June 8
- Shavuot — evening of June 1 to June 3
- Pulse Night of Remembrance — June 12
- Father’s Day — June 15
- Juneteenth — June 19
- Eid al-Adha — June 6 to 7
- Al-Hijra/Al-Hijri - June 27
- Stonewall Riots Anniversary — June 28
July 2025
- Independence Day — July 4
- Non-Binary Awareness Day — July 14
- International Drag Day — July 16
- Parents’ Day — July 27
- Pioneer Day — July 24
- International Friendship Day — July 30
August 2024
- Tisha B’Av - August 2 to 3
- International Day of the World’s Indigenous People — August 9
- International Youth Day — August 12
- Feast of the Assumption — August 15
- Sri Krishna Jayanti — August 15
- World Humanitarian Day — August 19
- Women’s Equality Day — August 26
- Individual Rights Day — August 29
September 2025
- Slovakia Constitution Day — September 1
- Labor Day — September 2
- Ganesh Chaturthi — September 6 to 7
- Brazil Independence Day — September 7
- National Suicide Prevention Week — September 10 to 16
- Patriot Day — September 11
- International Day of Democracy — September 15
- Mexican Independence Day — September 16
- Bisexual Awareness Week — September 16 to 23
- Saudi National Day - September 23
- Autumnal Equinox — September 22
- Rosh Hashanah — Evening of September 22 - 24
October 2025
- Yom Kippur — Evening October 1 to 12
- German-American Day - October 6
- World Mental Health Day — October 10
- National Coming Out Day — October 11
- Indigenous Peoples’ Day — October 13
- International Pronouns Day — October 15
- LGBTQ+ Spirit Day — October 16
- Ace Week (formerly Asexual Awareness Week — October 19 - 25
- Diwali — October 20
- Intersex Awareness Day — October 26
- National Immigrants Day — October 28
- Halloween — October 31
November 2025
- Black Solidarity Day — November 3
- Election Day — November 4
- Veterans Day — November 11
- International Education Week — November 18 to 22
- Transgender Awareness Week — November 13 to 19
- International Day for Tolerance — November 16
- Transgender Day of Remembrance — November 20
- National Day of Mourning /Thanksgiving — November 27
Religious Observances
Please visit the Absences due to Religious Observance page on the Registrar's Office website for a detailed list of religious observances.