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

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

November is National Native American Heritage Month, which celebrates the history and contributions of Native Americans; and California Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month, which honors the many contributions of the Sikh community to the state’s history, culture, and prosperity. November is also National Diabetes Month, a time when communities across the country team up to bring attention to diabetes; and National Family Caregivers Month, which honors the more than forty million caregivers across the country who support aging parents, ill spouses, or other loved ones with disabilities who remain at home.

November 1 is Diwali, the Hindu, Jain, and Sikh five-day festival of lights that celebrates new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil and lightness over darkness. November 1 is also  All Saints’ Day, a Christian holiday commemorating all known and unknown Christian saints. November 2 is All Souls’ Day, a Christian holiday commemorating all faithful Christians who are now dead. In the Mexican tradition, the holiday is celebrated as Dia de los Muertos (October 31–November 2), which is a time of remembrance for dead ancestors and a celebration of the continuity of life.  November 2 (sundown to sundown) is the Birth of Báb, a Bahá’í holiday celebrating the birth of the prophet Báb; November 3 (sundown to sundown) is the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í religion.

November 11 is Veterans Day, a federal holiday honoring military veterans. The date is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world and commemorates the ending of World War I in 1918.  November 13 to 19 is Transgender Awareness Week, the week before Transgender Day of Remembrance; people and organizations participate in Transgender Awareness Week to help raise the visibility of transgender people and address issues members of the community face. November 15 to December 24 is Nativity Fast, a period of abstinence and penance practiced by the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches in preparation for the Nativity of Jesus. November 19 is International Men’s Day, emphasizing the important issues affecting men (including health issues that affect men), improving gender relations, highlighting the importance of male role models, and promoting gender equality. November 20 is Transgender Day of Remembrance; established in 1998, the day is to memorialize those who have been killed as a result of transphobia and to raise awareness of the continued violence endured by the transgender community.

November 24 is Feast of Christ the King, a Catholic holiday established to thank God for the gift of time and a rededication to the Christian faith. November 28 is The Ascension of ‘Abdu’lBaha, a holy day in the Bahá’í Faith commemorating the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Baha. November 28 is also Thanksgiving Day in the United States; it began as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year.  November 29 is Native American Heritage Day; held annually on the Friday after Thanksgiving, it encourages Americans of all backgrounds to observe and honor Native Americans through appropriate ceremonies and activities. November 30 is Native American Women’s Equal Pay Day, marking the day that Native women need to work until they have made what Non-Hispanic white men made in the previous year; the point of this day is to acknowledge the pay disparity between men and women as well as how disproportionately Native women are impacted, making, on average, 59 cents on the dollar as compared to non-Hispanic, white men. November 30 is also St. Andrew’s Day, the feast day for St. Andrew within various Christian denominations.