Recognized Dates of Significance
The Durham District School Board recognizes Indigenous rights are distinct. In the exercise of those rights, Indigenous staff and students shall not be subjected to actions with the aim or effect of depriving these distinct rights.
The Durham District School Board is committed to providing learning and working environments that centre human rights and equity and are safe, welcoming, respectful, equitable, accessible, inclusive and free from all forms of discrimination, oppression, harassment and harm.
The dates listed below are intended to promote inclusive and accessible learning spaces, provide positive and meaningful learning opportunities and cultivate welcoming working and learning environments throughout the DDSB.
When mapping out the year, school and department leaders use dates of significance to work alongside all members of their school and department community to best understand how to represent and affirm identity, provide accessible learning opportunities and supportive accommodations for all.
Types of Recognized Days
- Faith/Creed Days: Significant dates that represent a person's belief, creed and faith and intersectionality. (e.g. Christmas)
- Cultural Recognition Days/Periods: Recognition times that are acknowledged by a group of people based on culture, geography, values, and interests. Recognizing these dates provides cultural understanding, historical learning, cultural unity, interconnectedness, and creates safety, empathy and meaning learning opportunities. (e.g. Black History Month)
- Professional & Socially Recognized: Recognition of socially significant periods and professional occupations/roles to allow for reflection and honoring of individuals and community groups within and beyond our school community. The recognition of these days helps to create awareness, meaningful learning opportunities, that help promote safe and inclusive spaces. It is important that when moving these dates forward, we know who we are serving and we are responsive to them. (e.g. International Transgender Day of Visibility and EA Appreciation Day)
Monthly List View
Statutory Holidays: A statutory holiday in Canada is legislated either through the federal government or a provincial or territorial government. Most workers, public and private, are entitled to take the day off with regular pay. These days will be indicated with an “*”
Protected Dates: are faith based days where we can anticipate staff and students observing to be absent or navigate the work/school day differently. These days will be indicated with an “X”
Dates subject to the sighting of the moon each month and may vary for different members of the Islamic faith will be indicated with a “⬤”
Staff, students and community members may be fasting during the learning and working day will be indicated with a “O”
All Jewish and Islamic Holy Days commence on the preceding evening at sunset will be indicated with a “★”
The first two days and last two days of Passover are observed as full Holy Days will be indicated with a “☆”
2025-2026 School Year
| May |
|
Asian and South Asian Heritage Month; Jewish Heritage Month; Speech, Language and Hearing Month 01 - Vesak (Buddhism) 01 - National Principals’ Day 03-9 - Children’s Mental Health Week 05 - Cinco De Mayo 05 - National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ Peoples 12-18 - Tamil Genocide Education Week 16 - Support Staff Appreciation Day 17 - International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, Biphobia 18 - Victoria Day* 22-23 - Shavuot (Judaism) X★ 24 - Pentecost (Christianity) 24-29 - Day of Hajj (Islam) 26-30 - Eid-al-Adha (Islam) X ⬤, ★ 28-29 - Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh (Bahai) 31-05/06 - National Accessibility Week |
| June |
|
Indigenous Histories Month; Pride Month 31-05/06 - National Accessibility Week 03 - Red Shirt Day (Accessibility) 16 - Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev (Sikh) 16-17 - Islamic New Year (Islam) X 18 - Autistic Pride Day 19 - Juneteenth 20-21 - Alban Hefin (Druid) 20 - Litha (Druid) 21 - National Indigenous People's Day X 25-26 - Ashura (Islam) ⬤ ★ 29-7/3 - Gahambar Maidyoshem (Zoroastrianism) 31-05/06 - National Accessibility Week |
| July |
|
01 - Canada Day* 23 - Birthday of Emperor Haile Selassie I (Rastafarian) |
| August |
|
01 - Emancipation Day 03 - Civic Day* 09 – International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples 28 - Raksha Bandhan (Hindu) |
2026-2027 School Year
| September |
|
07 - Labour Day* 12-13 - Rosh Hashanah (Judaism) X ★ 14-18 - Consent Week 21-24 - Autumn Equinox 21 - Yom Kippur (Judaism) X ★ O 25 - Franco Ontarian Day 26-27 - Sukkot (Judaism) X ★ 26-02 - Sukkot (Judaism) 30 - Orange Shirt Day (Indigenous) 30 - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Indigenous) X |
| October |
|
Cyber Security Awareness Month; Islamic History Month; Hispanic Heritage Month; National Principals Month; Neurodivergent Acceptance Month; Autism Awareness Month; Disabilities Awareness Month; Dyslexia Awareness Month; Learning Disabilities Awareness Month; Women's History Month; 2SLGBTQIA+ History Month 02 - Custodian Appreciation Day 03 - Shemini Atzeret (Judaism) X 04 - Simchat Torah (Judaism) X 05 - World Teachers' Day 10 - World Mental Health Day 11-19 – Navaratri (Hinduism) 12 - Aga Khan’s Birthday (Islam) TBD - Early Childhood Educators and Child Care Worker Appreciation Day 17-21 - Durga Puja (Hinduism) 21-28 - Kanda Shasti (Hinduism) O 31 - Samhain (Pagan) 31 - Halloween |
| November |
|
Hindu Heritage Month 1-2 - Dia de los Muertos (Mexico) 1-7 - Treaties Recognition Week (Indigenous) 2-6 - Holocaust Education Week 6-10 - Diwali/Deepavali (Multifaith) 08 - Diwali/Deepavali (Multifaith) X 08 - Indigenous Veterans Day (Indigenous) 08 - Bandi Chhor Divas (Sikh) 10 - Birth of the Bab begins (Bahai) 11 - Birth Of Bahá'u'lláh begins (Bahá’í) 11 - Remembrance Day 13-19 - Transgender Awareness Week 16 - Louis Riel Day(Indigenous) 16-20 - Anti-Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week 24 - Guru Nanak Jayanti (Sikh) 20 - Transgender Day of Remembrance 25 - Int’l Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women (White Ribbon Day) 26 - Day of the Covenant (Bahá’í) 28 - Holodomor Memorial Day (Ukraine) 28 - Ascension Of Abdu'l-Bahá¡ begins (Bahá’í) 29 - First day of Advent (Christianity) |
| December |
|
02 – International Day for the Abolition of Slavery 4-12 - Hanukkah (Judaism) 05 - International Volunteer Day 06 - National Day of Remembrance and Actions on Violence Against Women 08 - Bodhi Day (Buddhism) 16-24 - Las Posadas (Latin America) 21 - Winter Solstice 21-22 - Shab-e Yalda (Persian) 22 - Tohji-Taisai (Shinto) 25 - Christmas Day (Christianity) * 26- Boxing Day* 26-01/02 - Kwanzaa X |
| January |
|
Tamil Heritage Month 01 - New Years Day* 06 - Guru Gobind Singh’s Birthday (Sikh) 06 - Epiphany (Christianity) 07 - Orthodox Christmas (Eastern Orthodox Christian) X 14 - Orthodox New Year (Eastern Orthodox Christian) X 15 - Thai Pongal (Tamil) X 15-18 - Thai Pongal (Tamil) 19 - Epiphany (Eastern Orthodox Christian) 21 - Lincoln Alexander Day 27 - Int’l Holocaust Remembrance Day 29 - National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia |
| February |
|
Black History Month; Psychology Month 1-2 - Imbolc (Druid) 04 - Imamat Day (Islam) 4-6 - Lunar New Year (Asia) X 4-12 - Lunar New Year (Asia) 08 - Start of Ramadan (Islam) ⬤ ★ X O 08-3/8 - Ramadan (Islam) ⬤ ★ O 10 - Ash Wednesday (Christianity) 10-3/25 - Lent (Christianity) 11 - Women and Girls in Science 14-20 - Kindness Awareness Week 14 - Valentine’s Day 15 - National Flag of Canada Day 15 - Family Day* 21 - Mother Language Day 24 - Pink Shirt Day TBD - Monlam (Great Prayer Festival) (Tibet, Buddhist) |
| March |
|
Social Work Month 05 - Laylat al Qadr (Islam) ⬤ ★ 05 - Shivratri (Hinduism) 08 - International Women’s Day 9-10 - Eid al-Fitr (Islam) X ⬤ ★ 15-05/02 - Orthodox Lent (Great Lent) (Eastern Orthodox Christian) 22 - Holi (Multifaith) 23 - Purim (Judaism) ★ - DDSB March Break 17 - Irish Heritage Day (St. Patrick’s Day) 19 - Ugadi (Hinduism) 20 - Spring Equinox 20 - Nowruz (Zoroastrianism) 20 - Earth Hour 21 - Palm Sunday (Christianity) 21 - World Down Syndrome Day 25 - Cerebral Palsy Awareness 26 - Purple Day for Epilepsy 26 - Good Friday (Christianity)* ★ 28 - Easter Sunday (Christianity) 29 - Easter Monday (Christianity)*★ 31 - International Transgender Day of Visibility 31 - National Indigenous Languages Day
|
| April |
|
Sikh Heritage Month; Genocide Awareness Month 02 - World Autism Acceptance Day 09 - Vimy Ridge Day 14 - Vaisakhi (Sikh and Hindu) X 13-14 - Tamil and Sinhala New Year (Tamil) X 21 - First Day of Ridvan (Bahá’í) X 21-05/02 - Ridvan (Bahá’í) 21 - Administrative Professionals Day 22 - Earth Day 22-29 - Passover/Pesach (Judaism) X ⬤ ★ ☆ 28 - National Day of Mourning 30 - Holy Friday (Eastern Orthodox Christian) X |
| May |
|
Asian and South Asian Heritage Month; Jewish Heritage Month; Speech, Language and Hearing Month 01 - National Principals’ Day 02 - Last Day of Ridvan (Bahá’í) X 02 - Easter (Eastern Orthordox Christian) 02-8 - Children’s Mental Health Week 04 - Yom HaShoah-Holocaust Memorial Day (Judaism) ★ 05 - Cinco De Mayo (Mexico) 05 - National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ Peoples (Indigenous) 12-18 - Tamil Genocide Education Week 14-18 - Day of Hajj (Islam) 16 - Pentecost (Christianity) 16 - World Education Support Personnel Day 16-20 - Eid-al-Adha (Islam) X ⬤ ★ 17 - International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, Biphobia 20 - Vesak (Buddhism) 24 - Victoria Day* 29 - Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh (Bahai) 30-05/05 - National Accessibility Week |
| June |
|
Indigenous Histories Month; Pride Month 30-05/05 - National Accessibility Week 02 - Red Shirt Day (Accessibility) 5-6 - Hijra (Islamic New Year) (Islam) X 7-12 - Crossing Guard Appreciation Week 11-12 - Shavuot (Judaism) X ★ 14-15 - Ashura (Islam) ⬤ ★ 16 - Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev (Sikh) 18 - Autistic Pride Day 19 - Juneteenth 21-22 - Summer Solstice 20 - Litha (Wiccan) 21 - National Indigenous People's Day X 29-7/3 - Gahambar Maidyoshem (Zoroastrianism) |
| July |
|
01 - Canada Day* 23 - Birthday of Emperor Haile Selassie I (Rastafarian) |
| August |
|
01 - Emancipation Day 02 - Civic Day* 09 – International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples 14 - Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi (Islam) 17 - Raksha Bandhan (Hindu) |
Request process to have a date added to the calendar
- Community members who wish to have dates added to the calendar must use the Online Submission Form or contact the Communication Department annually by end of day on the first Friday of March each year.
- Submitted dates will be reviewed by the end of March each year by the Dates of Significance Working Committee using the established Selection Guiding Principles.
- The submitters of the successful dates will be contacted no later than the end of April.
- Please see Dates of Significance Procedure for further information around adding new dates.
Recognizing Dates of Significance on Social Media
The DDSB is comprised of a vibrant community of students and their families, and staff who each bring unique identities, experiences, backgrounds, faiths, and perspectives.
On social media we recognize days or observances that hold meaning for DDSB’s diverse communities by:
-
Showcasing meaningful student artwork each month, courtesy of the annual Student Art Gallery.
-
Listing each date recognized that month.
-
Linking back to the Recognized Dates of Significance.
