Religious Holidays:
🌸 Twelfth Day of Ridván (April 30 – May 1): Ridván translates to “paradise” in the Arabic language. The Twelfth Day of Ridván is the last day Baha’u’llah spent in the Garden of Ridván in Baghdad in 1863.
🌸 Beltane (May 1): Beltane, also known as May Day, is one of the eight sabbats celebrated by Pagans, Wiccans and Witchcraft practitioners.
🌸 Vesak | Buddha Day (May 12): Buddha Day, also known as Buddha Jayanti, celebrates the birth of the founder of Buddhism, Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who later became the Gautama Buddha. Buddha Day is a lunar holiday and usually falls during the first full moon of May.
🌸 Lag B’Omer (May 15 – May 16): Celebrates the anniversary of the passing of the great sage and mystic Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, author of the Zohar.
🌸 Declaration of the Báb (May 22 – May 23): The anniversary of the Báb`s announcement of His mission in 1844.
🌸 Ascension of Bahá’u’llah (May 28): This day commemorates the passing of Bahá’u’lláh, the prophet and founder of the Bahá’í Faith—a religion centered on the spiritual unity of all humankind.
🌸 Feast of the Ascension of Jesus (May 29): Ascension Day, also known as the Feast of the Ascension, is a Christian holiday that commemorates Jesus Christ’s ascension into heaven.
We welcome the celebration of each of these holidays on our campuses and encourage support for those requiring accommodations. You can find information and guidance about academic accommodations for religious observations on the Provost Office’s webpage.
To see more information about resources and events happening this month and throughout the semester, please visit our events page at www.diversity.uconn.edu/events. ODI writes these letters in collaboration with our partners across the UConn system. If we inadvertently omitted a cultural or religious holiday, please let us know by emailing us at diversity@uconn.edu.
Religious Holidays:
🌸 Twelfth Day of Ridván (April 30 – May 1): Ridván translates to “paradise” in the Arabic language. The Twelfth Day of Ridván is the last day Baha’u’llah spent in the Garden of Ridván in Baghdad in 1863.
🌸 Beltane (May 1): Beltane, also known as May Day, is one of the eight sabbats celebrated by Pagans, Wiccans and Witchcraft practitioners.
🌸 Vesak | Buddha Day (May 12): Buddha Day, also known as Buddha Jayanti, celebrates the birth of the founder of Buddhism, Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who later became the Gautama Buddha. Buddha Day is a lunar holiday and usually falls during the first full moon of May.
🌸 Lag B’Omer (May 15 – May 16): Celebrates the anniversary of the passing of the great sage and mystic Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, author of the Zohar.
🌸 Declaration of the Báb (May 22 – May 23): The anniversary of the Báb`s announcement of His mission in 1844.
🌸 Ascension of Bahá’u’llah (May 28): This day commemorates the passing of Bahá’u’lláh, the prophet and founder of the Bahá’í Faith—a religion centered on the spiritual unity of all humankind.
🌸 Feast of the Ascension of Jesus (May 29): Ascension Day, also known as the Feast of the Ascension, is a Christian holiday that commemorates Jesus Christ’s ascension into heaven.
We welcome the celebration of each of these holidays on our campuses and encourage support for those requiring accommodations. You can find information and guidance about academic accommodations for religious observations on the Provost Office’s webpage.
To see more information about resources and events happening this month and throughout the semester, please visit our events page at www.diversity.uconn.edu/events. ODI writes these letters in collaboration with our partners across the UConn system. If we inadvertently omitted a cultural or religious holiday, please let us know by emailing us at diversity@uconn.edu.
Cultural and Federal Holidays:
🌸 Cinco de Mayo (May 5): Cinco de Mayo is an annual celebration of the Mexican military’s defeat of the Second French Empire in the Battle of Puebla in 1862.
🌸 Mother’s Day (May 11): In the United States, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May. The American celebration of Mother’s Day was created in 1905 to honor the sacrifices mothers make for their children.
🌸 National Nurses Week (May 6 – 12) and International Nurses Day (May 12): International Nurses Day is celebrated globally every May 12th, the birthday of Florence Nightingale. In the United States, the week leading up to International Nurses Day is National Nurses Week.
🌸 Memorial Day (May 26): Memorial Day began as a day for families and friends to visit and decorate the graves of loved ones lost during the American Civil War. Congress made Memorial Day an official holiday in 1971, designating the last Monday in May to honor all who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States.
Cultural and Federal Holidays:
🌸 Cinco de Mayo (May 5): Cinco de Mayo is an annual celebration of the Mexican military’s defeat of the Second French Empire in the Battle of Puebla in 1862.
🌸 Mother’s Day (May 11): In the United States, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May. The American celebration of Mother’s Day was created in 1905 to honor the sacrifices mothers make for their children.
🌸 National Nurses Week (May 6 – 12) and International Nurses Day (May 12): International Nurses Day is celebrated globally every May 12th, the birthday of Florence Nightingale. In the United States, the week leading up to International Nurses Day is National Nurses Week.
🌸 Memorial Day (May 26): Memorial Day began as a day for families and friends to visit and decorate the graves of loved ones lost during the American Civil War. Congress made Memorial Day an official holiday in 1971, designating the last Monday in May to honor all who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States.
To the UConn Community:
The Office for Diversity and Inclusion and the Provost’s Office would like to remind you of several celebrations, commemorations, and moments of raising awareness for members of our community during the month of May:
Heritage and Awareness Months:
🌸 ALS Awareness Month: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as ALS, is a nervous system disease that impacts nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. May is designated as ALS awareness month to increase public understanding through storytelling of those impacted by the disease, highlighting the progress made in the race to find a cure, and to raise funds in support of ongoing research endeavors.
🌸 Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. This national heritage celebration began in 1978 when Congress established a week to honor the contributions Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders have made to the United States.
🌸 Foster Care Awareness Month: May is National Foster Care Awareness Month. Initiated by the Children’s Bureau, National Foster Care Awareness Month honors and recognizes the unique experiences of over 365,000 children and youth in foster care in the United States.
🌸 Haitian Heritage Month: This national heritage month celebrates Haitian culture and traditions. It is an expansion of Haitian Flag Day (May 18th), which commemorates Haiti’s revolution from France and the formation of the world’s first Black republic
🌸 Jewish American Heritage Month: This national heritage month recognizes more than 350 years of Jewish contributions to the United States, paying tribute to generations of Jewish Americans who helped form the fabric of American history, culture, and society.
🌸 Mental Health Awareness Month: Mental Health Awareness month aims to increase awareness about our emotional, psychological, and social well-being.
🌸 Military Appreciation Month: Congress began recognizing Military Appreciation month in 1999 to honor all service members past and present
To the UConn Community:
The Office for Diversity and Inclusion and the Provost’s Office would like to remind you of several celebrations, commemorations, and moments of raising awareness for members of our community during the month of May:
Heritage and Awareness Months:
🌸 ALS Awareness Month: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as ALS, is a nervous system disease that impacts nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. May is designated as ALS awareness month to increase public understanding through storytelling of those impacted by the disease, highlighting the progress made in the race to find a cure, and to raise funds in support of ongoing research endeavors.
🌸 Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. This national heritage celebration began in 1978 when Congress established a week to honor the contributions Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders have made to the United States.
🌸 Foster Care Awareness Month: May is National Foster Care Awareness Month. Initiated by the Children’s Bureau, National Foster Care Awareness Month honors and recognizes the unique experiences of over 365,000 children and youth in foster care in the United States.
🌸 Haitian Heritage Month: This national heritage month celebrates Haitian culture and traditions. It is an expansion of Haitian Flag Day (May 18th), which commemorates Haiti’s revolution from France and the formation of the world’s first Black republic
🌸 Jewish American Heritage Month: This national heritage month recognizes more than 350 years of Jewish contributions to the United States, paying tribute to generations of Jewish Americans who helped form the fabric of American history, culture, and society.
🌸 Mental Health Awareness Month: Mental Health Awareness month aims to increase awareness about our emotional, psychological, and social well-being.
🌸 Military Appreciation Month: Congress began recognizing Military Appreciation month in 1999 to honor all service members past and present