UMA Heritage Month Calendar

About UMA

	December 2025
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
	1 World AIDS Day World AIDS Day December 1, 2025 World AIDS Day, observed since 1988 and established by the World Health Organization, commemorates those who died of AIDS and raises awareness about the disease. The the of the 2025 World AIDS Day is “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response." Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources World AIDS Day (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) World AIDS Day 2025 (World Health Organization) World AIDS Day 2025 (UNAIDS) World AIDS Day 2022 at NIH: Reflecting on the Progress and Promise of HIV/AIDS Research (National Institutes of Health) See more details •	2	3 International Day of Persons with Disabilities International Day of Persons with Disabilities December 3, 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities, observed since 1992 and established by the United Nations, raises awareness of disability issues and garners support for wider inclusion of people with disabilities in every aspect of society. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources Opportunities for People with Disabilities (Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife) Disability & Health U.S. State Profile Data for Maine (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Students With Disabilities (National Center for Education Statistics) International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) (United Nations) See more details •	4	5	6
7	8 Bodhi Day (Zen Buddhism) Bodhi Day (Zen Buddhism) December 8, 2025 Bodhi Day is a Buddhist holiday that celebrates the day Gautam Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, attained body or enlightenment. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources Bodhi (Encyclopedia Britannica) Bodhi Day (BBC Teach) Celebrating Bodhi Day for the 21st Century (Huffington Post) See more details •	9	10 International Human Rights Day International Human Rights Day December 10, 2025 The Human Rights Day, established by the United Nations in 1948, commemorates the day when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights -- that proclaims all inalienable rights of human beings and has been translated into over 500 languages -- was adopted by the UN. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources Human Rights Day (United Nations) Human Rights Day: A Commemorative Observances Legal Research Guide (Library of Congress) See more details •	11	12	13
14 Chanukah (Judaism) Chanukah (Judaism) December 14, 2025 - December 22, 2025 Chanukah or Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that celebrates the recovery of Jerusalem in the second century BC and is observed for eight nights and days. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources Hanukkah (The History Channel) When is Hanukkah and Why Is It Celebrated? (The Old Farmer’s Almanac) Hanukkah (Encyclopedia Britannica) Chanukah, or Hanukkah? (NPR) When is Hanukkah and why does it last 8 days? (2022, News Center Maine) See more details •	15 Chanukah (Judaism) Chanukah (Judaism) December 14, 2025 - December 22, 2025 Chanukah or Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that celebrates the recovery of Jerusalem in the second century BC and is observed for eight nights and days. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources Hanukkah (The History Channel) When is Hanukkah and Why Is It Celebrated? (The Old Farmer’s Almanac) Hanukkah (Encyclopedia Britannica) Chanukah, or Hanukkah? (NPR) When is Hanukkah and why does it last 8 days? (2022, News Center Maine) See more details •	16 Chanukah (Judaism) Chanukah (Judaism) December 14, 2025 - December 22, 2025 Chanukah or Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that celebrates the recovery of Jerusalem in the second century BC and is observed for eight nights and days. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources Hanukkah (The History Channel) When is Hanukkah and Why Is It Celebrated? (The Old Farmer’s Almanac) Hanukkah (Encyclopedia Britannica) Chanukah, or Hanukkah? (NPR) When is Hanukkah and why does it last 8 days? (2022, News Center Maine) See more details •	17 Chanukah (Judaism) Chanukah (Judaism) December 14, 2025 - December 22, 2025 Chanukah or Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that celebrates the recovery of Jerusalem in the second century BC and is observed for eight nights and days. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources Hanukkah (The History Channel) When is Hanukkah and Why Is It Celebrated? (The Old Farmer’s Almanac) Hanukkah (Encyclopedia Britannica) Chanukah, or Hanukkah? (NPR) When is Hanukkah and why does it last 8 days? (2022, News Center Maine) See more details •	18 Chanukah (Judaism) Chanukah (Judaism) December 14, 2025 - December 22, 2025 Chanukah or Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that celebrates the recovery of Jerusalem in the second century BC and is observed for eight nights and days. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources Hanukkah (The History Channel) When is Hanukkah and Why Is It Celebrated? (The Old Farmer’s Almanac) Hanukkah (Encyclopedia Britannica) Chanukah, or Hanukkah? (NPR) When is Hanukkah and why does it last 8 days? (2022, News Center Maine) See more details International Migrants Day International Migrants Day December 18, 2025 The International Migrants Day, established by the United Nations in 1990, highlights the contributions of the over 272 million migrants worldwide and raises awareness about the challenges they face. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources International Migrants Day 2024 (International Organization for Migration) International Migrants Day Background (United Nations) See more details • •	19 Chanukah (Judaism) Chanukah (Judaism) December 14, 2025 - December 22, 2025 Chanukah or Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that celebrates the recovery of Jerusalem in the second century BC and is observed for eight nights and days. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources Hanukkah (The History Channel) When is Hanukkah and Why Is It Celebrated? (The Old Farmer’s Almanac) Hanukkah (Encyclopedia Britannica) Chanukah, or Hanukkah? (NPR) When is Hanukkah and why does it last 8 days? (2022, News Center Maine) See more details •	20 Chanukah (Judaism) Chanukah (Judaism) December 14, 2025 - December 22, 2025 Chanukah or Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that celebrates the recovery of Jerusalem in the second century BC and is observed for eight nights and days. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources Hanukkah (The History Channel) When is Hanukkah and Why Is It Celebrated? (The Old Farmer’s Almanac) Hanukkah (Encyclopedia Britannica) Chanukah, or Hanukkah? (NPR) When is Hanukkah and why does it last 8 days? (2022, News Center Maine) See more details Yule (Wiccan & Pagan) Yule (Wiccan & Pagan) December 20, 2025 - December 23, 2025 Yule is a winter festival celebrated among Wiccan and Pagan communities that shares a root with the Christmas festival. It is the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere, a time to meditate on the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources Yule (Encyclopedia Britannica) The Story Behind Yule and the Yule Log (Old Farmer’s Almanac) See more details • •
21 Chanukah (Judaism) Chanukah (Judaism) December 14, 2025 - December 22, 2025 Chanukah or Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that celebrates the recovery of Jerusalem in the second century BC and is observed for eight nights and days. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources Hanukkah (The History Channel) When is Hanukkah and Why Is It Celebrated? (The Old Farmer’s Almanac) Hanukkah (Encyclopedia Britannica) Chanukah, or Hanukkah? (NPR) When is Hanukkah and why does it last 8 days? (2022, News Center Maine) See more details Yule (Wiccan & Pagan) Yule (Wiccan & Pagan) December 20, 2025 - December 23, 2025 Yule is a winter festival celebrated among Wiccan and Pagan communities that shares a root with the Christmas festival. It is the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere, a time to meditate on the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources Yule (Encyclopedia Britannica) The Story Behind Yule and the Yule Log (Old Farmer’s Almanac) See more details • •	22 Chanukah (Judaism) Chanukah (Judaism) December 14, 2025 - December 22, 2025 Chanukah or Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that celebrates the recovery of Jerusalem in the second century BC and is observed for eight nights and days. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources Hanukkah (The History Channel) When is Hanukkah and Why Is It Celebrated? (The Old Farmer’s Almanac) Hanukkah (Encyclopedia Britannica) Chanukah, or Hanukkah? (NPR) When is Hanukkah and why does it last 8 days? (2022, News Center Maine) See more details Yule (Wiccan & Pagan) Yule (Wiccan & Pagan) December 20, 2025 - December 23, 2025 Yule is a winter festival celebrated among Wiccan and Pagan communities that shares a root with the Christmas festival. It is the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere, a time to meditate on the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources Yule (Encyclopedia Britannica) The Story Behind Yule and the Yule Log (Old Farmer’s Almanac) See more details • •	23 Yule (Wiccan & Pagan) Yule (Wiccan & Pagan) December 20, 2025 - December 23, 2025 Yule is a winter festival celebrated among Wiccan and Pagan communities that shares a root with the Christmas festival. It is the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere, a time to meditate on the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources Yule (Encyclopedia Britannica) The Story Behind Yule and the Yule Log (Old Farmer’s Almanac) See more details •	24	25 Christmas (Christianity) Christmas (Christianity) December 25, 2025 Christmas, the holiest festival among the Christian community, commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ and is a public holiday in many countries. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources Christmas (The History Channel) Why Is Christmas on December 25? (Old Farmer’s Almanac) Celebrating Christmas and the Holidays, Then and Now (Pew Research Center) See more details •	26 Kwanzaa (African American) Kwanzaa (African American) December 26, 2025 - January 1, 2026 Kwanzaa, meaning "first fruits" in Swahili, is a weeklong African American and Pan African holiday that combines aspects of several harvest traditions such as Ashanti and Zulu and is celebrated through singing and dancing, drums, storytelling, poetry recitation and a traditional meal. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources Official Kwanzaa Website Kwanzaa (National Museum of African American History and Culture) Kwanzaa (The History Channel) What Kwanzaa means for Black Americans (PBS) See more details •	27 Kwanzaa (African American) Kwanzaa (African American) December 26, 2025 - January 1, 2026 Kwanzaa, meaning "first fruits" in Swahili, is a weeklong African American and Pan African holiday that combines aspects of several harvest traditions such as Ashanti and Zulu and is celebrated through singing and dancing, drums, storytelling, poetry recitation and a traditional meal. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources Official Kwanzaa Website Kwanzaa (National Museum of African American History and Culture) Kwanzaa (The History Channel) What Kwanzaa means for Black Americans (PBS) See more details •
28 Kwanzaa (African American) Kwanzaa (African American) December 26, 2025 - January 1, 2026 Kwanzaa, meaning "first fruits" in Swahili, is a weeklong African American and Pan African holiday that combines aspects of several harvest traditions such as Ashanti and Zulu and is celebrated through singing and dancing, drums, storytelling, poetry recitation and a traditional meal. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources Official Kwanzaa Website Kwanzaa (National Museum of African American History and Culture) Kwanzaa (The History Channel) What Kwanzaa means for Black Americans (PBS) See more details •	29 Kwanzaa (African American) Kwanzaa (African American) December 26, 2025 - January 1, 2026 Kwanzaa, meaning "first fruits" in Swahili, is a weeklong African American and Pan African holiday that combines aspects of several harvest traditions such as Ashanti and Zulu and is celebrated through singing and dancing, drums, storytelling, poetry recitation and a traditional meal. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources Official Kwanzaa Website Kwanzaa (National Museum of African American History and Culture) Kwanzaa (The History Channel) What Kwanzaa means for Black Americans (PBS) See more details •	30 Kwanzaa (African American) Kwanzaa (African American) December 26, 2025 - January 1, 2026 Kwanzaa, meaning "first fruits" in Swahili, is a weeklong African American and Pan African holiday that combines aspects of several harvest traditions such as Ashanti and Zulu and is celebrated through singing and dancing, drums, storytelling, poetry recitation and a traditional meal. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources Official Kwanzaa Website Kwanzaa (National Museum of African American History and Culture) Kwanzaa (The History Channel) What Kwanzaa means for Black Americans (PBS) See more details •	31 Kwanzaa (African American) Kwanzaa (African American) December 26, 2025 - January 1, 2026 Kwanzaa, meaning "first fruits" in Swahili, is a weeklong African American and Pan African holiday that combines aspects of several harvest traditions such as Ashanti and Zulu and is celebrated through singing and dancing, drums, storytelling, poetry recitation and a traditional meal. Local Events We aren’t aware of local events yet — if your organization is planning one, we’d love to include it on our calendar! Submit your event information here: https://tinyurl.com/4yhjcnce Learning Resources Official Kwanzaa Website Kwanzaa (National Museum of African American History and Culture) Kwanzaa (The History Channel) What Kwanzaa means for Black Americans (PBS) See more details •

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What is the UMA Heritage Month Calendar?

As part of the Fostering Inclusion objectives of its 2021-25 Strategic Plan to create a more inclusive and equitable educational environment, the University of Maine at Augusta has taken the initiative to introduce a dynamic Heritage Month Calendar. This calendar showcases various days of importance across cultural and religious traditions, provides additional resources for community members to learn about one another’s heritage, and shares ongoing online and in-person events at the university, local, and state level that anyone can participate in.

The goals of this calendar include:

giving institutional recognition to the value each member of the university community adds to the institution
highlighting the rich tradition and history of various demographics marginalized based on economic, ethnic, gender, national, religious, sexual, and other identities and abilities
emphasizing the central and essential role of diversity, equity, and inclusion in any pedagogical project
helping schedule university events and classroom instructions mindful of the needs of everyone
highlighting which identity groups might be in need of greater efforts to be included in the community through more inclusive event planning and institutional efforts

The calendar, featuring 91 holidays at present, is not meant to be comprehensive, and members of the university community are encouraged to utilize the submission form at the bottom of this page to suggest ongoing events pertaining to the different holiday traditions featured in the calendar as well as contribute information about holidays that are currently not included. The learning resources provided with each holiday are chosen based on the renown and potential reliability of a source and should not be considered as endorsements from UMA.

Consider submitting holidays currently not featured here or submit upcoming or past events at UMA, in Augusta, or in Maine pertaining to specific holidays that you want to see reflected on the Heritage Month Calendar.

Don’t miss out on upcoming events. Subscribe to the calendar and access it easily from the convenience of your computer, tablet, or mobile device.

About UMA

December 2025

Learning Resources

What is the UMA Heritage Month Calendar?