Wellspring’s Paid Employee Holidays are designed to embody the ideals of DEIA by creating opportunities to learn something new, recognize those that are overlooked, and celebrate our differences. As a result, they purposefully change every year and may not always reflect dominant cultural holidays.

Wellspring will be closed on the dates listed below: 

 

Jan 4th (Wednesday): World Braille Day

Observed to raise awareness of the importance of Braille as a means of communication in fully realizing human rights for blind and partially sighted people. The date honors the birth of Louis Braille, the inventor of the Braille system.

 

March 20 (Monday): Nowruz (or Naw Ruz)

Translates to “New Day” in English and is both the Bahá’í and Persian New Year. The date often coincides with the Spring (or Vernal) Equinox.

 

April 18 (Tuesday): Laylat al-Qadr

The holiest night of the year for Muslims, who believe it is when the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the prophet Mohammed. It takes place toward the end of Ramadan, and many Muslims will spend this time engaging in acts of worship, such as praying, making supplications, giving charity, and reciting the Quran.

 

May 1 (Monday): International Worker’s Day (May Day)

Also known as “May Day,” this holiday has its origins in the US and stemmed from the pre-Christian holiday of Beltane, a celebration of rebirth and fertility. May Day honors laborers and the working classes and is celebrated in many countries throughout the world.

 

June 19 (Monday): Juneteenth

The oldest celebration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to June 19, 1865, when the news finally spread to Texas that the war had ended and that all enslaved people were now legally free — two and a half years after Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

 

July 3 (Monday): Ashalha Puja (Dharma Day)

This religious festival day is meant to celebrate the very first teachings from Buddha. It is tradition for Buddhists to celebrate by giving offerings to the monks and practicing Dharma. Therefore, this religious celebration is one of the most beloved and holy days of the year for those of the Buddhist faith.

 

September 25 (Monday): Yom Kippur

One of the two Jewish “high holidays” each year, Yom Kippur, is the “Day of Atonement.” The day is dedicated to introspection, prayer, and spiritual and/or self-forgiveness.

 

October 9 (Monday): Indigenous People’s Day

A day to honor native people and reveal historical truths about the genocide and oppression of indigenous peoples in the Americas, to organize against current injustices, and to celebrate indigenous resistance.

 

November 23 (Thursday): Thanksgiving

A US national holiday celebrating the bounty of the fall harvest. Although Thanksgiving has roots in religious and cultural traditions, it has long been celebrated as a secular holiday.

 

December 25 (Monday): Christmas

One of the most important Christian holidays of the year, commemorating the birth of Jesus.