September Holiday Spotlight

September is Hispanic Heritage Month, observed from September 15 to October 15. This month corresponds with Mexican Independence Day, which is celebrated on September 16 and recognizes the revolution in 1810 that ended Spanish dictatorship, as well as five Latin American countries that celebrate their independence during this month: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. 

This celebration was originally started in 1968 as a week-long recognition of Hispanic and LatinX cultures and contributions to the United States. In 1988, it was extended to its current month-long status.

Resources

• National Hispanic Heritage Month Website
• PARYUSHAN Parva: What, Why, How, and Origins
• DOL: History of Labor Day
• The meaning of Rosh Hashanah
• History, Importance and Rituals of Vinayaka Chavithi
• How to Celebrate the Ethiopian New Year
• What Is Yom Kippur?
• Sukkot The Festival of Booths
• What is Shemini Atzeret?

This Month

• September 4-11: Paryushana Parva
• September 6: Labor Day
• September 6-8: (sundown to sundown): Rosh Hashanah 
• September 10: Ganesh Chaturthi
• September 11: Ethiopian New Year
• September 15-16: (sundown to sundown): Yom Kippur
• September 18: International Equal Pay Day
• September 20-27: Sukkot
• September 27-29: (sundown to sundown): Shemini Atzeret

September 15-16 (sundown to sundown): Yom Kippur is the holiest and most solemn day on the Jewish calendar. On this day, according to tradition, God seals the Books of Life and Death for the coming year. The day is dedicated to communal repentance for sins committed over the course of the previous year. The tradition is to separate ourselves from the world in which we live, in order to devote our hearts and minds to our relationship with the Divine. Fasting is the most widespread common practice during this time: abstaining from food and drink, not washing or apply lotions or creams, not wearing leather footwear, and abstention from marital relations. The day is spent in synagogue praying for forgiveness and wearing white to symbolize personal purity.

Full details on each holiday can be found here. 

Written by Taylor Kanemori, Director of Equity & Inclusion