Acknowledging and celebrating different communities, identities, and perspectives.
Cultural Observances
The Coastline student body is diverse, representing many cultures, customs, and religions. This calendar is intended for educational and planning purposes only; it is not intended as a comprehensive listing. If you have a suggested cultural observance or are interested in hosting or facilitating a cultural observance, please email the Student Events Planning Workgroup at collegeevents@cccd.edu.
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Programming Considerations
The Coastline student body is diverse, representing many cultures, customs, and religions.
In an effort to streamline and organize the calendar of Cultural Observances for which the college will be planning events, the following criteria questions were developed.
- Is the event/observance in question a cultural observance or is it a social issue?
- Culture definition: Culture is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups. Culture is often originated from or attributed to a specific region or location. Five main elements include values and beliefs, norms, symbols, language, and rituals.
- Therefore, we define Cultural Observances as: An event or practice related to a specific culture or cultural tradition. For the purposes of the Student Events Planning Workgroup, Cultural Observances are prioritized when they are in alignment with current college or state priorities and/or the Student Equity and Achievement (SEA) Plan and have events that are centered on student engagement, particularly during the Fall and Spring semesters.
- Social Issues are defined as: A widely recognized subject of concern that - spans across multiple cultures, is a common problem in present-day society that many people strive to solve, and the college has committed itself to bringing awareness to (ex. Student Debt, Wage & Equality, Housing, Voting/Civic Engagement, Climate Justice, Mental Health, Sexual Assault Awareness, Environmental Awareness, National Bullying Month).
- Note: While the college will promote these types of observances, they will be facilitated separately from the Cultural Programming Calendar. We recognize that cultural identity and social issues are inextricably linked.
- Does the observance align with current college/state priorities and/or the Student Equity & Achievement Plan (SEA) plan?
- Observances in line with current college/state priorities and/or with the SEA plan will most likely have funding support - thus having the opportunity of a higher level of student engagement - and therefore potentially requiring a higher level of marketing and promotion, ultimately resulting in a higher tier level assignment.
- Will there be student-facing events and activities planned?
- Observances with corresponding events planned (particularly Coastline and/or Coast District-hosted events) - therefore having the opportunity of a higher level of student engagement with the observance - will most likely result in a higher level of marketing and promotion.
- Is the observance during a semester (spring, fall), or between semesters (winter intersession, summer)?
- Timing of observance - If an observance takes place between semesters (Intersession, Summer), it might not be as widely promoted given the possibility of lower student engagement vs. an observance taking place during a semester.
- Is the event/observance in question a cultural observance or is it a social issue?
January
| Day(s) | Recognizing | Description | More Info |
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Third Sunday |
World Religion Day |
Promoting inter-faith understanding and harmony. |
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Third Monday |
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day |
The birthday of civil rights activist, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., is on January 15th, observed on the third Monday. |
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Jan. 27 |
Holocaust Rememberance Day |
Honoring the millions victims of the Holocaust and of Nazism. |
February
| Day(s) | Recognizing | Description | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|
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Full Month |
Black History Month |
Celebrating Black History and African American culture in the United States. |
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First new moon - date varies - but always falls between Jan. 21 and Feb. 21 |
Lunar New Year |
Celebrating the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. It is the most important holiday in China and is also widely celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam, and other countries. |
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Feb. 1 |
National Freedom Day |
Signing of the 13th Amendment, abolished slavery, 1865 |
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Feb. 20 |
World Day of Social Justice |
Recognizing the need to promote social justice. |
March
| Day(s) | Recognizing | Description | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|
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Full Month |
Women's History Month |
Honoring women as significant agents of historical change. |
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Full Month |
Developmental Disabilities Month |
Raising awareness about the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities. |
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March 8 |
International Women's Day |
Celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women worldwide. |
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March 31 |
International Transgender Day of Visibility |
Celebrating transgender and non-binary people. |
Learn more about International Transgender Day of Visibility |
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March 31 |
Cesar Chavez Day |
Honoring Mexician Ameican farm worker, labor leader and activist, Cesar Chavez, who was a nationally respected voice for social justice. |
April
| Day(s) | Recognizing | Description | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|
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Full Month |
Autism Awareness Month |
Honoring the contribution of people on the autism spectrum and the autism community to our nation and the world. Recognizing the needs of people on the autism spectrum - and their families - for support, understanding, acceptance, inclusion, and empowerment. |
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Full Month |
Arab-American Heritage Month |
Celebrating the rich and diverse culture and contributions of the diverse population of Arab Americans, National Arab American Heritage Month has been observed during the month of April since 2017. |
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Full Month |
Earth Month |
Celebrating our planet by learning about the environment and sustainable practices. |
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Full Month |
Celebrate Diversity Month |
Recognizing and honoring the diversity surrounding us all. |
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April 2 |
World Autism Awareness Day |
Raising awareness about people with autism spectrum disorder throughout the world. |
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April 22 |
Earth Day |
Annual celebration honoring the achievements of the environmental movement and raising awareness of the importance of long-term ecological sustainability. |
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April 22 |
Day of Silence |
Spreading awareness about the effects of the bullying and harassment of LGBTQ students. |
May
| Day(s) | Recognizing | Description | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|
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Full Month |
National Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month |
Recognizing the contributions and celebrating the culture of Asians and Pacific islanders in the United States. |
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Full Month |
Mental Health Month |
Reminding us all that mental health is essential and that those living with mental health issues are deserving of care, understanding, compassion, and pathways to hope, healing, recovery, and fulfillment. |
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Full Month |
South Asian Heritage Month |
South Asian Heritage Month is held annually from July 18 to August 17 to honor, recognize, and appreciate South Asian history and culture, as well as to comprehend the rich cultural legacy of countries and South Asia. It is a month-long celebration of the existence and legacy of individuals with origins in the South Asian countries of Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives. Continue reading below for more on South Asia’s fascinating past. |
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Full Month |
Foster Care Awareness Month |
An initiative of the Children's Bureau seeking to increase national awareness of foster care issues. |
June
| Day(s) | Recognizing | Description | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|
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Full Month |
LGBTQ Pride Month |
Commemorating the anniversary of the June 28, 1969 Stonewall riot in New York City, the incident that initiated the modern gay rights movement in the United States. |
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Second Sunday |
Race Unity Day |
Combating racism by focusing attention on racial prejudice. |
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June 19 |
Juneteenth |
Commemorating of the ending of slavery in the United States. |
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June 20 |
World Refugee Day |
Celebrating and honouring refugees from around the world. |
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June 21 |
National Indigenous Peoples Day |
Honoring the cultures and histories of the Native Amercian people. |
July
| Day(s) | Recognizing | Description | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|
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July 26 |
Disability Independence Day |
Commemorating the ADA, a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. |
August
| Day(s) | Recognizing | Description | More Info |
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Aug. 19 |
World Humanitarian Day |
A global celebration of people helping people. |
September
| Day(s) | Recognizing | Description | More Info |
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Sept. 15 - Oct. 15 |
Hispanic Heritage Month |
Recognizing the achievement and contribution of HIspanic American champions. |
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First Monday |
Labor Day |
In recognition of U.S. workers. |
October
| Day(s) | Recognizing | Description | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|
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Full Month |
National Bullying Prevention Month |
A campaign to unite communities nationwide to educate and raise awareness of bullying prevention. |
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Full Month |
Domestive Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) |
Connecting and uniting individuals and organizations to work on domestic violence issues while raising awareness for those issues. Since its nationwide launch in October 1987, much progress has been made to support domestic violence victims and survivors, to hold abusers accountable, and to create and update legislation to further those goals. |
Learn more about DVAM and the DVAM Hotline |
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Full Month |
LGBTQ History Month |
Marks and celebrates the lives and achievements of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning people in the United States. |
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Full Month |
AIDS Awareness Month |
Supporting educational campaigns that disseminate science-based, factual, and clear information to youths, at-risk people, and the general public. With over 37 million people living with HIV worldwide, public information about its prevention, transmission, and treatment must be accurate and widely available. |
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Full Month |
Down Syndrome Awareness Month |
In every cell in the human body there is a nucleus, where genetic material is stored in genes. Genes carry the codes responsible for all of our inherited traits and are grouped along rodlike structures called chromosomes. Typically, the nucleus of each cell contains 23 pairs of chromosomes, half of which are inherited from each parent. Down syndrome occurs when an individual has a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21. |
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Oct. 10 |
World Mental Health Day |
Raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health. |
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Oct. 11 |
National Coming Out Day |
Encouraging honesty and openness about being lesbian, gay, bisexual or trangender. Commemorating October 11, 1987, when 500,000 peopole marched on Washington, DC, for gay and lesbian equality. |
November
| Day(s) | Recognizing | Description | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|
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Full Month |
Native American/American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month |
Celebrating the rich traditions, languages, and contributions of Indgenous people. |
Learn more about Native American/American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month |
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Nov. 2 |
Equal Pay Day |
Dedicated to raising awareness of the gender pay gap. |
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Nov. 20 |
Transgender Day of Rememberance |
Memorializing those who have been murdered as a result of transphobia. |
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Nov. 25 |
Native American Heritage Day |
A civil holiday observed on the day after Thanksgiving in the United States. |
December
| Day(s) | Recognizing | Description | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|
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Dec. 1 |
World Aids Day |
Raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who have died of the disease. |
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Dec. 3 |
International Day for People with Disability |
Promoting the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities at every level of society and development, and to raise awareness. |
Learn more about International Day for People with Disability |
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Dec. 10 |
International Human Right's Day |
The day the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. |
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Dec. 26 |
Kwanzaa Begins |
Annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1. |