Equality and Inclusion Calendar 2026 - 2027
Our annual inclusion calendar highlights key heritage, cultural and religious observances, and general EDI awareness dates throughout the academic year.
Developed by the Equality and Inclusion Unit at Leeds, it has been designed to support staff networks and workplace inclusion campaigns and help build inclusion into everyday activity across the University community.
Teams are invited to use it to support and celebrate the demographics of their own faculty, team, or service. Please check dates carefully when planning your activities.
Please note that this calendar is not exhaustive, but is designed to include dates which may be of most relevance to our staff and student communities. This resource is constantly evolving. To suggest a change or addition to the calendar, or provide feedback, please contact [email protected]
Calendar key
There are holidays and observances which shift in dates annually due to the fact they follow the lunar calendar, which tracks the different phases of the moon.
We have highlighted where dates vary using this key:
* Date changes yearly
** Starts at sunset the evening before the listed date
September 2026
East and Southeast Asian Heritage Month
1. First Parkash (Sikhism) * Date changes yearly
10. World Suicide Prevention Day
11. Rosh Hashanah (Judaism) * Date changes yearly ** Begins at sunset, and is commonly observed over 2 days.
12. Onam (Hinduism) * Date changes yearly
14-20. National Inclusion Week
20. Yom Kippur (Judaism) * Date changes yearly ** Begins at sunset, and is observed through the following evening.
21. International Day of Peace
22. Autumn Equinox (Paganism) * Date changes yearly
23. International Day of Sign Languages
24: Chuseok (Korean Harvest Festival) * Date changes yearly
25: Sukkot (Judaism) * Date changes yearly ** Begins at sunset and is observed for 7 days.
25: Tsukimi (Japanese 'moon-viewing' festival) * Date changes yearly ** Begins at sunset and may be observed over one of several days.
October 2026
2. Dussehra (Hinduism)
2. Shemini Atzeret (Judaism) * Date changes yearly ** Begins at sunset and is observed through the following day
3. Simchat Torah (Judaism) * Date changes yearly **Starts at sunset the evening before
11. Sharad Navrati (Hinduism) * Date changes yearly
16. Durga Puja (Hinduism) * Date changes yearly
21. International Pronouns Day
25. Thadingyut (Buddhism) * Date changes yearly
31. Samhain (Paganism)
November 2026
1. All Saints Day (Christianity)
2. All Souls Day (Christianity)
6. Dhanteras (Hinduism) * Date changes yearly **Starts at sunset the evening before
8. Diwali (Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism) * Date changes yearly **Starts at sunset the evening before
8. Bandi Chhor Divas (Sikhism) * Date changes yearly
8-15. Inter Faith Week
13. Chhath Puja (Hinduism) * Date changes yearly ** Begins at sunset and is typically observed for 4 days.
19. Beginning of UK Disability History Month * Date changes yearly
20. Transgender Day of Remembrance
24. Guru Nanak Jayanti (Sikhism) * Date changes yearly
29. International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
December 2026
2. International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
3. International day of persons with disabilities
4. Hannukah (Judaism) * Date changes yearly ** Begins at sunset and continues for 8 nights.
8. Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Christianity)
8. Bodhi (Buddhism)
10. Human Rights Day
18. International Migrants Day
19. End of UK Disability History Month * Date changes yearly
21. Yule (Paganism)
25. Christmas (Christianity)
January 2027
6. Feast of Epiphany/Three Kings (Christianity)
7. Orthodox Christmas (Christianity)
13. Lohri (Sikhism)
22. Mahayana New Year (Buddhism) * Date changes yearly
22. Tu BiShvat (Judaism) * Date changes yearly ** Begins at sunset and is often observed through the following day.
23. Lailat al-Bara’ah (Islam) * Date changes yearly ** Begins at sunset and lasts through the night until dawn.
27. International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust
February 2027
1. Imbolc (Paganism)
6. Lunar New Year * Date changes yearly ** Begins on the evening of the new moon (which can occur around sunset or during the evening depending on the time zone) and traditionally lasts for about 15 to 16 days, ending with the full moon and the lantern festival.
7. Ramadan (Islam) * Date changes yearly **Begins at sunset, and is observed for about a month, ending around sunset.
8. International Epilepsy Day * Date changes yearly
10. Ash Wednesday (Christianity) * Date changes yearly
11. Vasant Panchami (Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism) * Date changes yearly
15. Nirvana (Buddhism)
20. World Day of Social Justice
20. Lantern Festival * Date changes yearly ** Begins at sunset signifying the first full moon of the lunar year.
21. Magha Puja (Buddhism) * Date changes yearly
March 2027
Women's History Month
6. Maha Shivaratri (Hinduism) * Date changes yearly **Begins at sunset and continues until sunrise the next day.
10. Eid al-Fitr (Islam) * Date changes yearly ** Begins at sunset on the last day of Ramadan and may last for one to three days.
15. International Day to Combat Islamophobia
17. St Patrick's Day (Christianity)
20. Ostara (Paganism) * Date changes yearly
21. Navroz (Islam) * Date changes yearly
21. Nowruz / Persian New Year * Date changes yearly
21. Naw-Ruz (Baha'i Faith)
21. International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
22. Holi (Hinduism) * Date changes yearly ** Begins at sunset and continues for 2 days.
22. Purim (Judaism) * Date changes yearly ** Begins at sunset and is observed through the following day.
23. Holla Molhalla (Sikhism) * Date changes yearly
26. Purple Day
26. Good Friday (Christianity) * Date changes yearly
27. Holy Saturday (Christianity) * Date changes yearly
28. Easter Sunday (Christianity) * Date changes yearly
April 2027
5. Qingming (Chinese Memorial Day) * Date changes yearly
6. International Asexuality Day
7. Ugadi (Hinduism) * Date changes yearly
7. Chaitra Navrati (Hinduism) * Date changes yearly
12. Orthodox Easter * Date changes yearly
12. Theravada New Year (Buddhism) * Date changes yearly
13. Thingyan/Myanmar New Year * Date changes yearly
13. Songkran (Thai Water Festival)
14. Sinhalese (Sri Lankan New Year) * Date changes yearly
14. Vaisakhi (Sikhism) * Date changes yearly
15. Ram Navami (Hinduism) * Date changes yearly
19. Mahavir Jayanti (Jainism) * Date changes yearly
21. Passover/Pesach (Judaism) * Date changes yearly ** Begins at sunset and can last up to 7 to 8 days.
22. Earth Day
26-30: Lesbian Visibility Week * Date changes yearly
May 2027
1. Beltane (Paganism)
3. Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day) * Date changes yearly **Starts at sunset the evening before
5. Cinco de Mayo (Mexican Victory Celebration)
6. Ascension Day (Christianity) * Date changes yearly
10. Yom HaZikaron (Israeli Memorial Day) * Date changes yearly **Starts at sunset the evening before
11. Yom HaAtzmaut (Israeli Independence Day) * Date changes yearly **Starts at sunset the evening before
13. National Day for Staff Networks * Date changes yearly
15. Eid Al Adha (Islam) * Date changes yearly ** Begins at sunset and is observed for 3 or 4 days.
17. IDAHOBIT
20. Vesak (Buddhism) * Date changes yearly
21. GAAD (Global Accessibility Awareness Day)
24. Lag BaOmer (Judaism) * Date changes yearly
25. Africa Day
June 2027
Pride Month
GRT History Month
Men's Health Month
6. Muharram (Islamic New Year) * Date changes yearly ** Begins at sunset and is observed for 29 or 30 days, marking the first month of the Islamic calendar.
10. Shavuot - Festival of Weeks (Judaism) * Date changes yearly ** Begins at sunset and is observed for 1 or 2 days
15. Ashura (Islam) * Date changes yearly ** Begins at sunset and is observed through the following day.
15-21. Refugee Week
18. International Day for Countering Hate Speech
21. Litha (Paganism) * Date changes yearly
22. Windrush Day
July 2027
9. Martyrdom of Bab (Baha'i Faith)
15. Asalha Puja (Dhamma) (Buddhism) * Date changes yearly
17. World Day for International Justice
18. Nelson Mandela International Day
18. Guru Purnima (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism) * Date changes yearly
August 2027
9. International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples
11. Tisha B’Av (Judaism) * Date changes yearly **Begins at sunset and is observed through the following day.
14. Eid Milad un-Nabi (Islam) * Date changes yearly **Starts at sunset the evening before the listed date
16. Ullambana (Buddhism) * Date changes yearly
17. Raksha Bandhan (Hinduism) * Date changes yearly