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The Lunar New Year begins in East Asia on the second new moon after the winter solstice, which happens in late December. While the recognition holiday is commonly called “Chinese New Year” in the West, China is not the only country to observe it.

The Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the most celebrated and longest of all Asian festivals and is observed by millions of people worldwide. In fact, many countries in East Asia, including, but not limited to, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, and the Philippines, hold their own New Year celebrations around this time.

As with many other winter solstice celebrations, the symbolic darkness of night is banished by the light of fireworks, lanterns, and candles. Man-made paper lanterns are hung by the hundreds in public spaces, bringing good luck to the new year. There are dances, performances, festival parades with music and acrobatics, and food that symbolize luck, wealth, and long life. The festival continues for 15 days, concluding with a special lantern festival that concludes the New Year celebration.   

We are celebrating and honoring this recognition day as an intentional shift away from a U.S. centric perspectives on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging and leaning toward a pluralistic framework that not only appreciates but recognizes that the whole is made up of many different cultures, ethnicities, races, religious groups, sexual orientations and more. We are not a homogenous community, nor should our perspectives on identities be singular and rigid. Instead, we invite you into a broader, more global conversation on inclusion and belonging, recognizing that together, we are better, stronger, and powerful.  

The following clubs and organizations at The New School are doing incredible belonging work, and I encourage you to learn more about them and become actively engaged with them.

Chinese Students and Scholars Association
Indonesian Student Organization
Taiwanese Student Organization
Japanese Creatives
IN2M2
 

Lastly, we are in the most culturally diverse city in the world, and I invite you to learn how you can not only take advantage of Lunar New Year celebrations but also support local businesses during this exciting celebratory time.

Ramadan is an annual religious observance is celebrated by Muslims worldwide and lasts either 29 or 30 days, depending on the sighting of the crescent moon. 

Ramadan falls on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is one of the holiest times of the year for Muslims. During this month, Muslims observe a strict fast from dawn until sunset. Fasting is viewed as an act of worship drawing one closer to God, as well as a form of spiritual discipline, gratitude, and a means to empathize with those less fortunate. At the end of the day, the fast is typically broken with prayer and a meal called Iftar, followed by an evening prayer called Taraweeh. 

The celebration of Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan. On this day, there is a community-wide prayer service in the morning, along with a gathering among friends and family where a meal is shared and gifts are exchanged.

We honor and celebrate the Muslim community for its contributions, achievements, and successes while also recognizing ongoing Islamophobia, discrimination, and marginalization that attempts to erase the essence of who Muslims are as a people. It continues to remain critical that we not only persist in our support and advocacy of this faith community, but be active participants in the process of rooting out ignorance, bias, and hatred. As we move forward, we must lead with a desire to increase empathy for each other and center our humanity. Only then can we begin to internally heal and cultivate a global sense of what it means to be in a peaceful community with each other, with an understanding of how the fate of the world, and that of humanity, is intertwined. As Malcolm X said, “You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless [they] have [their] freedom.”   

I encourage you to connect with the following on-campus student clubs/organizations to learn more about this vibrant community, as well as visit Narwhal Nation for a more comprehensive listing, including student-led activities.

MENA Creatives
Iranian Student Culture Club
Indonesian Student Association

Additionally, all who observe are welcome to use the university’s Meditation, Contemplation, and Prayer room during Ramadan. It is located in the University Center, room UL206 (click here to view building hours). New School community members also have access to attend prayers and daily Iftar dinners at The Islamic Center at NYU. 

We honor International Transgender Day of Visibility.

The origins of International Transgender Day of Visibility dates back to 2009 when transgender activist Rachel Crandall, frustrated with the lack of support for transgender people, created the annual event as an acknowledgement and celebration of the transgender community. Crandall, in particular, noted that the only well-known transgender-specific observance at the time was the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which mourns transgender lives that have been lost due to anti-transgender violence. The day of recognition Crandall created is dedicated to celebrating the lives of transgender people, honoring their contributions to society, and raising awareness about the discrimination the transgender community faces.

As we embark upon this day, I invite us to be curious, reflective, and introspective about the history, contributions, and cultural legacy of transgender people. I recommend we give consideration to the societal structures that have systematically oppressed transgender and nonbinary people.  Understanding gender construction in relation to stifling social norms is crucial for our collective liberation. 

Furthermore, as the transgender community continues to seek equitable access to gender-affirming healthcare and to grapple with attacks on its safety, it is vital that we actively persist in our support of and advocacy for transgender people. I recommend we reflect upon what it means to advocate for the pursuit of freedom. I urge us to contemplate two questions – what does freedom mean? And, what does it mean to be in solidarity with one another, celebrating our freedom and finding joy in our common existence? 

To honor this recognition day, I would like to remind you that Gender Riot, TNS’s trans and gender non-conforming collective club invites current and new members to their weekly meetings. 

We honor those in our community who are celebrating Easter.

This Christian religious observance celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion. Scholars record the earliest observation of this holiday beginning in the second century; though, the commemoration of Jesus Christ is believed to have occurred earlier.     

The religious observance concludes what is known as the Passion of Christ. This is a series of events and other religious observances that begin with Lent, a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and sacrifice and concludes with Holy Week, which includes Holy or Maundy Thursday (the celebration of Jesus’ Last Supper with his twelve disciples), Good Friday (an observation for Jesus’ crucifixion), and Easter Sunday.

There are many traditions within this religious observance, including but not limited to attending church, fasting, praying, and visiting with family and friends. Other non-religious Easter traditions include the annual Easter egg roll and hunt hosted at the White House for children and their families.

You can learn more about the Easter season and the various ways it is celebrated by connecting with one of the following clubs and organizations at The New School. 

Encounter Christian Fellowship
Ecclesia Christian Ministry
CRU
IN2-M2

Passover is a religious holiday sometimes referred to as the Feast of Unleavened Bread. We honor and celebrate the Jewish community during this religious observance while also recognizing ongoing antisemitism, discrimination, and the current political turmoil transpiring regionally, nationally, and globally. During this time, we must lead with a desire to increase empathy for each other and center our humanity. Then, we can begin to internally heal and cultivate a global sense of what it means to exist in a peaceful community with each other, with an understanding of how the fate of the world, and that of humanity, is intertwined.

This religious observance lasts eight (8) days and is celebrated by Jewish people worldwide. Passover commemorates the Hebrew people’s liberation from slavery in Egypt and the presence of divine protection. Throughout this period, all leaven, whether in bread or other mixtures, is prohibited, and only unleavened bread, called matzo, may be eaten. The matzo symbolizes both the suffering experienced during bondage, as well as the haste with which the Hebrew people fled Egypt in the course of the Exodus. The first night of Passover is celebrated with a special family meal called the seder. During the seder, foods of symbolic significance honoring the Hebrews’ liberation are eaten, and prayers and traditional recitations are performed. In addition, Passover involves dietary restrictions and special prohibitions regarding work at the beginning and end of the religious observance. 

Visit Narwhal Nation for a more comprehensive listing of our on-campus student-led clubs/organizations, including student-led activities, and to learn more about this vibrant community. Additionally, all who observe are welcome to use the university’s Meditation, Contemplation, and Prayer room during Passover. It is located in the University Center, room UL206 (click here to view building hours). 

We commemorate the start of LGBTQ+ History Month in October. This dedicated month honors and celebrates the history and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary, intersex, asexual, queer, genderqueer, and gender non-conforming (LGBTQIAGNC+) people. The celebration dates back to 1994 when high school teacher Rodney Wilson of Missouri advocated for a month when this community could be acknowledged and celebrated. Wilson was a proponent of education as a vehicle for learning and growth and promoting values of inclusion and belonging for all.  

During this commemorative month, we also celebrate National Coming Out Day on October 11, 2024. National Coming Out Day is recognized as a day of visibility and celebration for the LGBTQIAGNC+ community. The day was enacted in 1988 by Jean O’Leary and Robert Eichberg to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. While the original intention was to counter the legal and social marginalization present during the AIDS epidemic, these same forces still compel many LGBTQIAGNC+ people to live hidden lives. National Coming Out Day has increasingly become a day for uplifting LGBTQIAGNC+ joy, reflecting on personal journeys, and celebrating LGBTQIAGNC+ cultural contributions.

As we embark upon this month, I invite all of us to reflect upon the societal structures that systematically oppress individuals identifying as part of the LGBTQIAGNC+ community. Specifically, we must address gender discrimination, racial marginalization and minoritization of queer people, health and wellness disparities, and the binary structures that persistently hinder physical safety and psychological well-being, hamper holistic support, and perpetuate othering. Moreover, I want to call attention to the critical importance of transgender, genderqueer, gender non-conforming, and nonbinary individuals and the escalating concern within this community for their overall well-being, health, and safety. These communities have been targets of ongoing and rising discrimination in the United States and globally. 

Further, I encourage all of us to reflect upon the meaning of inclusion and belonging and to strive for the collective goal of liberating all oppressed people. The aspiration for our broader community is to cultivate spaces where we can come together to honor both the legacy and the active contributions of the LGBTQIAGNC+ community in ways that acknowledge our collective humanity and diverse identities.

To kick off the month, I would like to invite you to the First Annual LGBTQ+ History Month Mixer on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the University Center at the Social Justice Hub, Room 514. This will be an opportunity to connect with each other and celebrate this community at The New School. Light refreshments and appetizers will be served.

You may also visit the LGBTQ+ History Month website for the full list of events, community resources, and student organizations on campus.

October 11th, marks the beginning of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which is considered the holiest day of the year in Judaism. Yom Kippur is observed on the tenth day of the lunar month of Tishri, typically falling in late September or early October. It is one of two High Holy Days, or Days of Awe, along with Rosh Hashanah, which occurred nine days earlier.   

This important Jewish holiday is primarily centered on atonement and repentance. It is an opportunity for Jewish people to reflect on the year, goals, past actions, and seek forgiveness for wrongdoings against God and human beings. Those observing may spend the day fasting, practicing asceticism, attending extended prayer services, reciting scripture, and sin confessions. According to Jewish tradition, this is a time when one's fate for the coming year is sealed.

During this significant observance, we honor the Jewish community while also recognizing ongoing antisemitism and discrimination. We must always lead with a desire to increase empathy for each other and center our humanity. Only then can we begin to heal while also cultivating a greater sense of belonging that promotes community and dialogue.

Visit Narwhal Nation for a comprehensive listing of our on-campus student-led clubs/organizations, student-led activities, and to learn more about this vibrant community. Lastly, the university’s Meditation, Contemplation, and Prayer room is open and available for use during Yom Kippur and beyond. It is located in the University Center, room UL206.

The New School honors Indigenous Peoples’ Day on October 14, 2024. This important day recognizes the history, culture, and contributions of Native American and Indigenous communities. This recognition comes with an understanding of the history of violence and oppression perpetrated against communities that have endured centuries of colonization and attempted erasure. 

Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a counter-celebration to the U.S. federal holiday of Columbus Day. Many people reject celebrating Christopher Columbus, expressing that he represents a violent history of colonization in the Western Hemisphere. In 2021, President Joe Biden formally commemorated Indigenous Peoples’ Day with a presidential proclamation, becoming the first U.S. president to do so.

Explore the Native Land website which maps out Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages around the world. We acknowledge that The New School in New York City is situated on the ancestral homelands of the Lenape people. While this day in the U.S. centers on First Nations of North America, we are broadening Indigenous perspectives and communities to include, but not be limited to, the Taíno Peoples of the Caribbean, descendants of the Arawak-speaking peoples from South America who began settling in the Caribbean more than 2,000 years ago. Expanding our viewpoint allows for a more holistic narrative and approach toward teaching about colonization. Increased understanding and support of marginalized and vulnerable communities help us lean into difficult conversations in order to effect change. 

The New School celebrates and honors Diwali, the Festival of Lights. Diwali is a Hindu festival that symbolizes the “spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.” This holiday occurs during the Hindu lunisolar months of Ashvin (per the Amanta tradition) and Kartika, typically lasting five to six days.

Diwali is a major cultural event for the Hindu, Sikh, and Jain diaspora. The main day of the festival of Diwali (the day of Lakshmi Puja) is an official holiday in Fiji, Guyana, India, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Key rituals on the third day of the festival include lighting Diyas and candles around the house, worshiping Lakshmi and Ganesha to summon health and wealth, and bursting crackers. Families and friends exchange gifts and celebrate with a grand feast featuring delicious food and a variety of sweets.

As we honor this beautiful holiday, we invite you to Diwali Dhamaka hosted by Tadka Student Association. 

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‌The event will be held on Saturday, November 9th, from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. in Arnhold Hall, Theresa Lang Student Center, Room 202.

We encourage you to be in community with the Tadka Student Association and to learn more about the holiday and the terrific events they are hosting this year.

The New School celebrates and honors Native American Heritage Month. Since 1916, several resolutions, bills, and proclamations have been issued to honor this community, evolving from American Indian Day to Native American Awareness Week to Native American Heritage Month and National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month.

This is an important time to recognize the history, culture, and contributions of Native American and Indigenous communities. Such recognition also entails understanding the history of violence, oppression, and colonization inflicted against these communities, who have endured centuries of attempted erasure, broken treaties, dispossession of ancestral lands, and policies of assimilation and termination aimed at decimating Native populations and their ways of life. Despite these obstacles, we acknowledge the resilience, strength, and power of the surviving First Nations who have made significant contributions to this country and continue to thrive successfully as champions of change. 

As we celebrate and honor this community, let’s begin to ground ourselves in awareness and education about Indigenous communities worldwide. we encourage you to visit the Native Land website, which maps out Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages across the globe. We acknowledge that The New School in New York City is situated on the ancestral homelands of the Lenape people. While this month in the U.S. centers on First Nations of North America, we broaden our focus to recognize Indigenous perspectives and communities worldwide as part of our global university community. Expanding our viewpoint allows for a more holistic narrative and approach toward teaching about colonization. Additionally, holistically understanding and supporting global majority communities that have been marginalized is essential to leaning into difficult conversations in order to effect change. 

We invite you to our Second Annual Native American Heritage Month Mixer on Monday, November 4, 2024, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the University Center, Room 513. This will be an opportunity to connect with other students, staff, and faculty who identify with and support the First Nation and indigenous communities. Light refreshments and appetizers will be served. 

The New School celebrates and honors Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead. This holiday is an opportunity to celebrate both death and life. It is unlike any other holiday honoring the dead, where mourning is exchanged for celebration. The Day of the Dead reframes death as being a natural part of life.  

With origins dating back more than 3,000 years, this holiday is very popular in Mexico but is celebrated worldwide. Many religions observe All Souls’ Day (also known as All Saints’ Day) around the same time as Día de los Muertos. However, Día de los Muertos is unique in its traditions—such as the ofrenda (offering), its perspective on life and death, the use of calaveras (skulls), the influence of La Catrina, and, more recently, vibrant street festivals.