by The Justice William J. Murray Jr. Unity Bar Section

Cultural Awareness Brief from The Justice William J. Murray Jr. Unity Bar Section

September marks the start of Hispanic Heritage Month which is observed from September 15 to October 15 and corresponds with Mexican Independence Day which is celebrated on September 16 and recognizes the revolution in 1810 that ended Spanish dictatorship in Mexico.  September is Intergenerational Month, which promotes intergenerational understanding and connection among people of all ages; it is a time to recognize the importance of bridging the generational gap and fostering meaningful relationships between young and old. September is also World Alzheimer’s Month, National Recovery Month, National Suicide Prevention Month, National Dystonia Awareness Month, National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month, NICU Awareness Month, Chiari Awareness Month, Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month, Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, Vascular Disease Awareness Month, and Urology Awareness Month.

September 2 is Labor Day honoring the contribution that workers have made to the United States. September 7 is Ganesh Chaturthi, a Hindu holiday lasting approximately ten days in which the elephant-headed Hindu god is praised and given offerings. The second week in September is National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week, a weeklong celebration of the vital role HBCUs play in molding Black leaders, encouraging high-school aged youth to enroll into HBCUs, providing scholarship dollars for matriculation, and sustaining a pipeline for employment from undergraduate to corporate America.

September 11 is Ethiopian New Year which is celebrated by Rastafarians who believe that Ethiopia is their spiritual home. September 14 is Elevation of the Life Giving Cross (Holy Cross); in some Christian denominations, this is a day that commemorates the cross used in the crucifixion of Jesus. September 15 to 16 is Mawlid Al-Nabi, the observance of the birthday of Islam founder, the prophet Muhammad; Shi’a Muslims celebrate it five days later than Sunni Muslims. September 15 is Eid Milad un-Nabi, an Islamic holiday commemorating the birthday of the prophet Muhammad; during this celebration, homes and mosques are decorated, large parades take place, and those observing the holiday participate in charity events. The Birth of Confucius, the model master educator in ancient China, is also commemorated on September 15.

September 18 is Equal Pay Day; recognized for the first time in September, 2020, the day represents the long-standing efforts toward the achievement of equal pay for work of equal value. It further builds on the United Nations’ commitment to human rights and its efforts to eliminate all forms of discrimination. September 21 is Mabon, a celebration of the vernal equinox commemorated by Pagans and Wiccans. September 23 is International Day of Sign Languages, which was proclaimed by the United Nations to raise awareness about the importance of sign languages in the full realization of the human rights of people who are deaf.

September 27 is Native American Day, a federal holiday observed annually on the fourth Friday in September in the state of California and Nevada and on the second Monday in October in South Dakota and Oklahoma. September 27 is also Meskel, a religious holiday in the Ethiopian Orthodox and Eritrean Orthodox Churches that commemorates the discovery of the True Cross by the Roman Empress Helena in the fourth century. September 29 is Michaelmas, or the Feast of Michael and All Angels; a minor Christian festival dedicated to Archangel Michael that is observed in some Western liturgical calendars.