Hi team,

On behalf of the eHealth Technologies DEI Committee, we’d like to shed light on the many observances and holidays celebrated by our team members and beyond throughout the month of July.

Do you celebrate any of these observances? If so, we’d love to hear more about why they are important to you. Feel free to share your memories and photos and we may include them in the next employee newsletter – send an email to BrilliantIdeas@ehealthtechnologies.com.

JULY 2023

Disability Pride Month

Disability Pride Month is celebrated every July to commemorate the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This month aims to change the way people think about disability and end the stigma that people with disabilities are limited in what they can do.

July 3: Asalha Puja, or Dharma Day, celebrates Buddha’s first teachings.

July 4: Independence Day, or the Fourth of July, is a U.S. federal holiday that celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The original thirteen American colonies declared independence from Britain and established themselves as a new nation known as the United States of America.

July 6: Dalai Lama’s birthday – The day that Tibet’s leader in exile and Nobel Peace Prize recipient was born.

July 9: The Martyrdom of the Bab is a day when Bahá’ís observe the anniversary of the Báb’s execution in Tabriz, Iran, in 1850.

July 11: St. Benedict Day is the feast day of St. Benedict celebrated by some Christian denominations.

July 14: International Nonbinary People’s Day is aimed at raising awareness and organizing the issues faced by nonbinary people around the world while celebrating their contributions.

July 15: St. Vladimir Day is a Roman Catholic feast celebrating St. Vladimir.

July 18: Nelson Mandela International Day was established on July 18, 2009, in recognition of Nelson Mandela’s birthday via a unanimous decision of the UN General Assembly. It was inspired by a call Mandela made a year earlier for the next generation to take on the burden of leadership in addressing the world’s social injustices. He stated, “It is in your hands now.” It is more than a celebration of Mandela’s life and legacy; it is a global movement to honor his life’s work and to change the world for the better.

July 18 – 19: Hijri New Year marks the beginning of the new Islamic calendar year.

July 23: The birthday of Haile Selassie I, the former emperor of Ethiopia whom the Rastafarians consider to be their savior, is celebrated on this day.

July 24: Pioneer Day is observed by Mormons to commemorate the arrival of the first Latter-day Saints pioneer in Salt Lake Valley in 1847.

July 25: St. James the Greater Day is a feast day for St. James the Greater celebrated by some Christian denominations.

July 26: Disability Independence Day celebrates the anniversary of the 1990 signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

July 27 (sundown) to July 28 (sundown): Ashura is an Islamic holiday marked by Muslims with a voluntary day of fasting. The holiday commemorates the day Noah left the Ark and Moses was saved from the Egyptians by God. For Shia Muslims specifically, this day honors the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, who was the beloved grandson of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.

July 30: The International Day of Friendship was proclaimed in 2011 by the UN General Assembly with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures, and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.