Holidays
February 1-28-Black History Month
Black History Month, a month-long commemoration of African American history and achievement that takes place each February in the United States and was first celebrated in 1976. The idea for a Black History Month was first conceived by the historian Carter G. Woodson and members of his Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History). They selected the month of February for this celebration because it was close to the birthdays of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, who had been responsible for the Emancipation Proclamation, and the African American orator and abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
Monday, February 16, 2026-Presidents Day is a federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February; Presidents Day 2026 will occur on Monday, February 16. Originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, the holiday became popularly known as Presidents Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers.
Tuesday, February 17, 2026-Lunar New Year is one of the most important celebrations of the year among East and Southeast Asian cultures, including Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean communities, among others. The New Year celebration begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends on the first full moon of the lunar calendar, 15 days later. 2026 is the Year of the Horse.
Ramadan in 2026 is expected to begin in the evening of Tuesday, February 17 and end in the evening of Thursday, March 19, depending on the moon sighting. (No school on Friday, March 20th, in observance of Eid al-Fitr) Ramadan (or Ramazan) is a month-long spiritual period of fasting and prayer that commemorates the revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad, according to Muslim tradition. During Ramadan, Muslims do not eat or drink from dawn to dusk, and the month culminates with Eid al-Fitr, a three-day celebration that involves praying, visiting relatives, giving gifts to children, remembering deceased loved ones, and helping those experiencing poverty.
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