1.03.22 – January Recognitions

Monday, January 3, 2022

January Recognitions

As we look back at 2021, we have seen life cannot help itself from moving in unpredictable ways. We have had to pull back into alignment during these times more than usual. This job brings things to distract and makes us feel happier, sadder, fuller, emptier, or safer. We have learned to roll with that wave inside us by being aware of who we are and what makes us tick, and it is grounded in keeping kindness, understanding, and appreciation front and center. For better or worse, being self-aligned has been what matters. In this spirit of 2022, we want to take this time to appreciate some of the unique life truths that January brings and expand our experiences and by taking the time to acknowledge what is important to each person we meet.

January 6th is Epiphany, and Theophany in Eastern Christianity celebrates when the three kings arrived in Bethlehem. Armenian Orthodox Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus on Epiphany. On January 19th, Armenians living in Israel celebrate Christmas.

January 7 is Coptic Orthodox Christmas when Orthodox Christians celebrate Jesus’s birth in the Julian calendar rather than the Gregorian version of the Western calendar.

January 9 is Guru Gobind Singh’s Birthday to celebrate the tenth Sikh Guru and spiritual master of Nanak and founder of the Khalsa.

January 14 is Makar Sankranti, where Hindu celebrate marking the turning of the sun toward the north, the first day of the sun’s transit into Makara Rashi (Capricorn).

January 16th-17th is Tu Bishvat, “New Year of the Trees.” The holiday is observed on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shevat. The holiday was the first of the year for tithing fruit of trees, and now is a day for environmental action in tree planting.

January 16 is World Religion Day in the Baha’i faith and is celebrated worldwide on the third Sunday in January each year, acknowledging the faiths across the world and what we have in common to encourage oneness of religion and unification.

January 17th is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The birthday of civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is on January 15th and is observed on the third Monday in January to honor his legacy and encourage us all to volunteer to improve our communities.

January 18 is Mahayana New Year. In Mahayana countries, the Buddhist New Year begins on the first full moon day in January.

January 27th is UN Holocaust Memorial Day commemorating the victims of the Holocaust. It is also the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp in 1945.

As we look toward this new year with new eyes and a renewed heart, we take with us an awareness that though this past year has been full of changes, some things never change, and we all want to be appreciated and understood. We can all be there to support and help each other grow to be all we are inside with integrity and grace, kindness, and love. With our heart in the right place, we can reach that place of pulling us all to become better, more whole, and making space for more of what matters.

Happy new year to you all!

In Solidarity,

Teddy, Chaddrian, Rhonda and Charlotte
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee Chairperson and Co-Chairs
[email protected]