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June Diversity Holidays

June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Pride Month, established to recognize the impact that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals have had on the world. LGBTQ+ groups note this time with Pride parades, picnics, parties, memorials for those lost to hate crimes and HIV/AIDS, and other group gatherings. The last Sunday in June is LGBTQ+ Pride Day.  

June is Immigrant Heritage Month, established in June 2014. It gives people across the United States an opportunity to explore their heritages and celebrate the shared diversity that forms the unique story of the United States. It celebrates immigrants across the United States and their contributions to their local communities and economy.

June is Caribbean American Heritage Month, established in June 2006 to honor and celebrate the rich and diverse culture of the Caribbean American population.

JUNE 2

  • Native American Citizenship Day, commemorating the day in 1924 when the US Congress passed legislation recognizing the citizenship of Native Americans.

JUNE 7

  • Feast of the Most Sacred Heart, a solemnity in the liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church.

JUNE 10

  • Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev, observed by members of the Sikh faith. Guru Arjan Dev was the fifth Sikh guru and the first Sikh martyr.

JUNE 11 - 13 (sundown to sundown)

  • Shavuot, a Jewish holiday that has double significance. It marks the wheat harvest in Israel and commemorates the anniversary of the day when the Jews received the Torah at Mount Sinai.

JUNE 12

  • Loving Day (Black American): anniversary of a historic court decision for interracial marriage.

JUNE 14

  • Flag Day in the United States, observed to celebrate the history and symbolism of the US flag.

JUNE 15 - 16 (sundown to sundown)

  • Waqf al Arafa, the second day of pilgrimage within the Islamic faith.

JUNE 16 - 17 (sundown to sundown)

  • Eid al-Adha, an Islamic festival to commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim (also known as Abraham) to follow Allah’s (God’s) command to sacrifice his son, Ishmael. Muslims around the world observe this event.

JUNE 19

  •  Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, was established as a federal holiday in June 2021. This celebration honors the day in 1865 when slaves in Texas and Louisiana finally heard they were free, two years after the end of the Civil War. June 19, therefore, became the day of emancipation for thousands of African Americans.  
  • New Church Day, according to Christian belief, on this day the Lord called together the twelve disciples who had followed him on Earth, instructed them in the Heavenly Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, and sent them out to teach that “the Lord God Jesus Christ reigns, whose kingdom shall be for ages and ages.” This was the beginning of the New Christian Church. 

JUNE 20

  • Litha, the summer solstice celebrated by Wiccans and Pagans. It is the longest day of the year, representing the sun’s “annual retreat.”

JUNE 21

  • National Indigenous Peoples Day or First Nations Day, a day that gives recognition to the indigenous populations affected by colonization in Canada.

JUNE 29

  • Feast Day of Saints Peter and Paul, a liturgical feast in honor of the martyrdom in Rome for the apostles St. Peter and St. Paul in Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

LAST SUNDAY IN JUNE

  • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Day in the United States. It commemorates the Stonewall Riots that occurred on June 28, 1969. 

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