Culture and Heritage

Heritage Months and Cultural Recognition 

With students, faculty, staff and guests representing over 160 countries, Binghamton University values the unique and enriching cultural experiences that each community member brings to our campus. The University acknowledges or observes various heritage months and cultural/identity recognition days to celebrate the rich tapestry of the Binghamton community.

Members of our campus community may request accommodations for cultural and religious observances. Find a listing of some upcoming cultural and religious holidays and related policies in the faculty and staff handbook for guidance on providing reasonable and appropriate academic accommodations.

Some Heritage Month Celebrations

  • FEBRUARY
    Black History Month
  • MARCH
    National Women's History Month
  • APRIL
    Arab American Heritage Month
    Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Month
  • MAY
    Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month;
    Jewish American Heritage Month
  • JUNE
    LGBTQ+ Pride Month
    Caribbean American Heritage Month
    Immigrant Heritage Month
  • JULY
    Disability Pride Month
  • SEPTEMBER
    Latin American Heritage Month
  • OCTOBER
    OUTober - LGBTQ+ History Month;
    National Disability Employment Awareness Month
  • NOVEMBER
    Native American Heritage Month

Some Cultural/Identity Recognition Days

Fall 2024

September

October

November

December

Spring 2025

January

  • Jan. 1 – New Year's Day

    A day to mark the commencement of a new calendar year, celebrated primarily by the Western cultures of Europe, North America, South America and Australia. (International)

  • Jan. 1 – Emancipation Proclamation

    President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, during the height of the Civil War. While it did not end de facto slavery in the U.S., it did add a moral imperative to a Union victory. (U.S.)

  • Jan. 4 – World Braille Day

    World Braille Day helps to bring awareness to issues impacting blind and visually impaired persons. It is also the birthday of the blind pioneer Louis Braille, who invented the most widely used form of writing for the blind. Learn more. (International)

  • Jan. 6 – Epiphany

    A feast day commemorating the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child is sometimes called Three King's Day. (Christian)

  • Jan. 13 – Korean American Day

    Korean American Day honors and highlights our friends of Korean descent who have made immeasurable contributions. (Korean-American)

  • Jan. 14 – Makar Sankranti or Magh

    A harvest festival that celebrates the arrival of longer days. (Hindu)

  • Jan. 20 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day

    Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a United States national holiday celebrating the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., a Civil Rights and social justice leader. (U.S.)

  • Jan. 26 – Indian Republic Day

    On this date in 1950, the Indian Constitution was finalized. (India)

  • Jan. 27 – International Holocaust Remembrance Day
  • Jan. 29-Feb. 16 – Chinese New Year

    Celebrations of Chinese New Year traditionally last for 16 days, starting with New Year's Eve and culminating in the Lantern Festival. The celebration includes many rituals to usher in good luck for the upcoming year. 2023 marks the Year of the Rabbit. (China)

  • Jan. 29 – Lunar New Year

    The Lunar New Year marks the first new moon of the lunar calendar and is derived from 12 full cycles of the moon. It is celebrated by many East Asian countries, especially those influenced by Chinese culture, including China, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. (Asia/International)

February

  • Feb. 1 – National Freedom Day

    In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln signed the 13th amendment (outlawing slavery). In 1948, President Harry Truman signed a bill proclaiming Feb. 1, the first National Freedom Day. (U.S.)

  • Feb. 5 – Kashmir Solidarity Day

    Kashmir Solidarity Day is observed by the people in Pakistan and Kashmir who have been fighting for their freedom for more than 70 years. (Pakistan/International)

  • Feb. 7 – National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

    First observed in 1999, this day acknowledges how HIV disproportionately affects the Black community. (U.S.)

  • Feb. 14 – Valentine’s Day

    Originally a Christian feast day honoring several early Christian martyrs named Valentine. Through later folk traditions, it has become a significant cultural, religious and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world. (Christian/International)

  • Feb. 15 – Parinirvana or Nirvana Day

    Parinirvana or Nirvana Day remembers Buddha’s passing in 483 BC and his final nirvana. (Buddhist)

  • Feb. 16-22 – Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week

    Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week is an international event meant to foster awareness and acceptance of aromantic spectrum identities and the issues they face. Aromantic individuals often experience little to no romantic attraction and demonstrate little interest in romantic relationships. (International/LGBTQ+)

  • Feb. 17 – President’s Day

    Part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1971, President's Day is a federal holiday that takes place on the third Monday of February. While many states still separately acknowledge the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12) and George Washington (Feb. 22), President's Day is a way to honor both presidents. (U.S.)

  • Feb. 26 – Shivratri

    Shivratri is a festival celebrated annually in honor of the god Shiva. The name also refers to the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance. (Hindu)

  • Feb. 28 -March 30 – Ramadan

    The ninth month of the Islamic calendar. A time of prayer and self-evaluation during which observers abstain from food and drink from dawn until sunset. (Islam/Muslim)

March

  • March 5 – Ash Wednesday

    Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and contemplation that concludes on Easter Sunday. (Christian)

  • March 5-April 17 – Lent

    Lent is the six weeks beginning Ash Wednesday leading to Easter Sunday. Through fasting or contemplation, this period marks a solemn observance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The span includes Palm Sunday and Good Friday. (Christian)

  • March 8 – International Women’s Day

    A day to celebrate women's social, economic, cultural and political achievements. It's also a call to raise awareness about discrimination and take action to drive gender parity. (International)

  • March 10 – Harriet Tubman Day

    An American holiday honoring anti-slavery activist Harriet Tubman. A former slave, Tubman helped over 70 slaves escape bondage via the Underground Railroad. Learn more about Tubman and her legacy at Binghamton University's Harriet Tubman Center for Freedom and Equity. (U.S.)

  • March 13-14 – Purim

    Purim is the Jewish festival commemorating the saving of the Jewish people and the defeat of Haman, as recounted in the Book of Esther. On Purim, observers are enjoined to exchange gifts and make donations to the poor. (Jewish) 

  • March 14 – Holi

    Holi is a joyful and colorful festival celebrated by Indian communities throughout the world. It is a celebration of spring, friendship, family and the triumph of good over evil. (Hindu)

  • March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day

    St. Patrick’s Day marks the birthday of this Irish saint, who brought Christianity to the Emerald Isle. (Irish)

  • March 20 – Naw-Ruz

    Naw-Ruz is an ancient Persian festival celebrating the New Year, and for Baha’is, it marks the end of the annual 19-Day Fast and coincides with the spring equinox. (Baha'i)

  • March 20 – Spring Equinox

    The day on which the sun's warmth and light fall unequally on the northern and southern halves of the planet. (International)

  • March 21 – International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

    International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (United Nations)

  • March 29-30 – Eid-al-Fitr  

    Eid Al-Fitr is the "Festival of Breaking the Fast," which may be called Lesser Eid or Eid, and is celebrated by Muslims worldwide to mark the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan. (Islam/Muslim) 

  • March 30 – Ugadi

    Ugadi or Yugadi, also known as Samvatsarādi, is the New Year's Day for the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka in India. (Hindu) 

  • March 31 – International Transgender Day of Visibility

    International Transgender Day of Visibility (International/LGBTQ+)

April

  • April 2 – World Autism Awareness Day

    World Autism Awareness Day honors and seeks to improve the lives of people on the Autism spectrum so they can lead full and meaningful lives. (People with Disabilities)

  • April 6 – International Asexuality Day 

    International Asexuality Day is a worldwide event celebrating and advocating for the full asexual spectrum, including demisexual, greysexual, and other ace identities. Individuals under the ACE spectrum typically lack sexual attraction or desire for others. (International/LGBTQ+)

  • April 10 – Mahavira-Jayanti

    Mahavira-Jayanti is one of the most important religious festivals in Jainism, celebrating the birth of Mahavir, the twenty-fourth and last Tirthankara of the present Avasarpiṇī. (Jain/Sikh/Hindu) 

  • April 11 – Day of Silence

    Day of Silence (LGBTQ+)

  • April 12-20 – Passover/Pesach

    Passover/Pesach commemorates the freeing of Jewish people from Egypt. The first and last two days are observed as full holidays. Includes a ceremonial meal called the Seder comprising food of symbolic significance, traditions and prayers. (Jewish / date changes each year)

  • April 18 – Good Friday

    Christians annually commemorate the death of Jesus Christ on Good Friday, also called "Holy Friday" or "Great Friday" by Orthodox Chrisitians, the Friday before Easter (Pascha). Orthodox Christians usually observe the Holy day by fasting and refraining from work in remembrance of Christ's great sacrifice. (Christian / date changes each year)

  • April 20 – Easter

    Easter is a holy day and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead on the third day of his burial following his crucifixion. (Christian / date changes each year)

  • April 22 – Earth Day

    Earth Day – celebrated internationally in more than 192 countries (International)

  • April 24-26 – Gathering of Nations

    Gathering of Nations – more than 500 Native American tribes meet to celebrate their traditions and cultures. (Native American)

  • April 28-May 4 – Lesbian Visibility Week

    Lesbian Visibility Week historically kicks off with International Lesbian Visibility Day on April 26 and is an annual observance dedicated to bringing awareness and education of lesbian women and non-binary people, fostering support and bringing into light issues faced within the community. (International/LGBTQ+) 

May

SUMMER 2025

June

  • June 1 - 3 – Shavuot

    Shavuot is the ‘Feast of Weeks,’ which marks the giving of the Law (Torah) at Mt. Sinai and is often linked with the Confirmation of teenagers. (Jewish)

  • June 6-7 – Eid al-Adha

    Eid al-Adha, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, is one of the two holiest Islamic celebrations, observed by Muslims around the world (Islam/Muslim) 

  • June 8 – National Puerto Rican Day Parade

    Puerto Rican Day Parade – festivities are planned across the country to celebrate Puerto Ricans’ accomplishments and contributions. (Puerto Ricans)

  • June 11 – National Children’s Day

    National Children’s Day highlights how important children are in society and that some still face many problems and difficulties in different aspects of their lives (U.S.).

  • June 12 – Pulse Night of Remembrance

    Pulse Night of Remembrance (LGBTQ+) 

  • June 15 – Father’s Day

    Father’s Day is a national holiday that commemorates fathers and the crucial role they play in people's lives, from childhood through to adulthood. (U.S.)

  • June 19 – Juneteenth

    Juneteenth is a federal holiday that commemorates the liberation of enslaved Black Americans in Texas and is celebrated nationwide. (U.S.)

  • June 20 – World Refugee Day

    World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees around the globe. It falls each year on June 20 and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. (United Nations)

  • June 26-27 – Al-Hijra

    Al-Hijra/Al-Hijri is the first day of the month of Muharram representing the Islamic New Year. (Islam/Muslim)

  • June 28 – Stonewall Riots Anniversary

    The Stonewall Riots Anniversary commemorates the Stonewall riots that began on June 28, 1969, in response to police brutality endured by the transgender, gay, and lesbian community in New York City. (LGBTQ+)

July

  • July 4 – Independence Day

    Independence Day commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, signed by all 13 colonies, and which marks the beginning of American Independence. (U.S.)

  • July 14 – International Non-binary People's Day

    Observed each year on July 14 and is aimed at raising awareness and organizing around the issues faced by non-binary people around the world.[ (International/LGBTQ+)

  • July 16 – International Drag Day

    International Drag Day is an annual event held to celebrate drag art and culture around the world to bring awareness and acceptance of self-expression. (International/LGBTQ+)

  • July 23 – Parents’ Day

    Parents’ Day is observed in recognition of what parents do to care for their families and their contributions to society overall (U.S.).

  • July 24 – Pioneer Day

    Pioneer Day is an official holiday celebrated in Utah. It marks the arrival of founder Brigham Young in the Salt Lake area (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints/U.S.).

  • July 30 – International Friendship Day

    To promote understanding, cooperation and togetherness among people across the globe. (United Nations)

August