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 also 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 1 is Labor Day honoring the contribution that workers have made to the United States. September 3 to 4 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 6 is Hungry Ghost Festival, a Chinese holiday in which street, market, and temple ceremonies take place to honor dead ancestors and appease other spirits. September 7 is Brazilian Independence Day, a holiday in Brazil commemorating the day The Regent Prince, Dom

Pedro, son of the Portuguese king, Dom João VI, was authorized to rule if the king either died or returned to Portugal.

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 Patriot Day, a day of remembrance and national service to honor victims and heroes of the 2001 terrorist attacks. September 11 is also Ethiopian New Year which is celebrated by Rastafarians who believe that Ethiopia is their spiritual home.

September 15 is Independence Day in Guatemala, a holiday marking the anniversary of the day the region known as Central America declared its independence from Spanish rule. September 15 is also Respect for the Aged Day, a Japanese holiday honoring older citizens. September 18 is Independence Day in Chile, a holiday commemorating the beginning of the process of Chile gaining independence from Spain. September 18 is also International 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 The Day of the Walloon Region, a Belgian holiday commemorating the day in 1944 when the first shots were fired in the liberation of Wallonia, the southern region of Belgium, from Nazi German occupation during World War II.

September 22 to 24 (sundown to sundown) is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year celebration, marking the creation of the world. September 22 to October 1 is Sharad Navratri, a nine-day Hindu festival celebrating the triumph of good over evil. September 22 is Mabon, a celebration of the vernal equinox commemorated by Pagans and Wiccans. September 22 is also Autumnal Equinox Day, a Japanese holiday celebrating the autumn harvest. September 23 is Saudi National Day, a holiday in Saudi Arabia commemorating the 1932 proclamation that renamed the Kingdom of Nejd and Hejaz as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. September 23 is also 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 26 is Native American Day, a U.S. holiday honoring Native American cultures and the history of violence against them in the United States; it is 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 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 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; and French Community Holiday, a Belgian holiday recognizing the cultural identity, traditions, and history of the French-speaking community of the country. September 28 is the commemoration of the Birth of Confucius, the model master educator in ancient China. 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. September 30 is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a Canadian holiday honoring the Indigenous children who never returned home and survivors of residential schools as well as their families and communities.