Holidays & Heritage Months
The following are some of the events that different members of the UMass Boston community observe related to their identity, religion, or heritage.
January 2025
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 20, 2025: Celebrated on the third month of January, Martin Luther King Jr. Day honors the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist minister, activist, and political philosopher who became the iconic champion of social justice and a prominent leader of the civil rights movement in the 1960's.
Lunar New Year
January 29, 2025: Lunar New Year is a holiday that marks the beginning of the new year on the lunisolar calendar, which is based on the cycles of the moon and the solar year. It's celebrated in many Asian countries and communities, including China, Vietnam, South Korea, and Singapore.
December
Hanukkah
Hanukkah, the Jewish 'Festival of Lights,' is celebrated for eight days and symbolizes freedom from oppression when a small group of Jewish warriors resisted foreign powers. The eight days symbolize the number of days oil burned in their lamp during this time. Dates are based on the Jewish Calendar.
Christmas
December 25: Christmas is the Christian celebration of the birth of Christ. The holiday shares the story of the nativity scene in the manger and the lighting of the Christmas tree with celebration and Christmas-themed songs known as 'carols.'
Kwanzaa
December 26 - January 1 : Kwanzaa celebrates African-American heritage and culminates in a communal feast called 'Karamu' usually held on the sixth day.
November
Diwali
A 5-day festival of lights celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains. Diwali focuses on celebrating various gods and goddesses. The day before Diwali, homes are cleaned and decorated with flowers, and white is painted on the front door to bring good luck. The Festival of Lights features lamps lit everywhere for the entire five days to ensure that Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess that brings good fortune, finds her way home.
Native American Heritage Month
November is Native American Heritage Month which celebrates the contributions — including cultures, traditions, and histories — of Indigenous people to the United States.
Día de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead)
November 1 - 2: Traditionally celebrated on in contemporary Mexico and among those of Mexican heritage in the U.S. On this day, souls of the dead return to visit their living family members, with many people celebrating by visiting the graves of deceased loved ones and setting up ofrendas (altars) with their favorite foods, drink, and photos. A few prominent symbols related to the Day of the Dead include calacas (skeletons) and calaveras (skulls).
Veteran's Day
November 11: Veterans Day is a national holiday in the United States that honors all veterans, living and deceased, who have served in the military.
Thanksgiving Day
On the fourth Thursday of November, people in the United States celebrate Thanksgiving, a national holiday honoring the early settlers and Native Americans who came together to have an historic harvest feast.
October
Hispanic Heritage Month
September 15 - October 15: Each fall, National Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes the contributions and influence of Hispanic and Latinx Americans to history, art, culture, and more.
Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah is the New Year in Judaism. The biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah. It is the first of the High Holy Days, and the date it's celebrated in the Gregorian calendar changes year to year.
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur is the annual "Day of Atonement" for Jewish people, who observe the occasion to repent and self-reflect. The date changes each year because it is set by the Hebrew calendar.
Indigenous Peoples' Day
October 14, 2024: Indigenous Peoples' Day honors the history and contributions of Native and Indigenous peoples. In some places, it is a state or city holiday. Indigenous People's Day is observed annually on the second Monday of October.