The Third Circuit Court Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Team’s Mission: "We appreciate our common connection and respect our diverse and unique human experiences. We move forward as an inclusive organization as we provide accessible and equal justice."

The Court’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Team strives to ensure the values of its diverse bench, staff, and court users are acknowledged and reflected in our delivery of service as well as our work environment.

In that spirit, the team creates and shares a monthly list of various holidays and observations along with some celebration suggestions. We invite our work community and the community at large to contribute.

“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we all must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.” – Maya Angelou

APRIL 2024

Month-Long Observances:

• Arab-American Heritage Month                                   
• Autism Awareness Month
• Celebrate Diversity Month
• Earth Month
• National Child Abuse Prevention Month
• National Deaf History Month      

April 1 – April Fool’s Day,

April 2 – World Autism Awareness Day

April 5 – Laylat al-Qadr (Muslim)

April 6 – National Tartan Day

April 7 – World Health Day  

April 9 – End of Ramadan

April 10 - Eid al-Fitr Celebration Begins

April 12 – National Day of Silence (LGBTQ+)

April 16 – National Stress Awareness Day

April 21 – Start of Ridvan (Baha’i)

April 22 – Start of Passover

April 22 – Earth Day

April 24 – Administrative Professionals’ Day

April 28 – World Day for Safety and Health at Work

April 30 – Passover ends

Fun facts about April (courtesy of Wikipedia):

April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian and Julian calendars. It is the first of four months to have a length of 30 days, and the second of five months to have a length of less than 31 days. April is commonly associated with the season of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, where it is the seasonal equivalent to October in the Northern Hemisphere and vice versa.                    

Arab-American Heritage Month  

National Arab American Heritage Month celebrates the Arab American heritage and culture and pays tribute to the contributions of Arab Americans and Arabic-speaking Americans. Arab American Heritage Month is an annual observance that takes place in April to celebrate Arab American heritage and culture. Across the country, cultural institutions, school districts, municipalities, state legislatures, public servants, and Arab Americans engage in special events that celebrate the community’s rich heritage and numerous contributions to society. According to ArabAmerica.com, it was first celebrated in the 1990s, primarily in school districts. Since then, it has grown to be recognized increasingly by states, cities, and school districts across the country. In 2017, Arab America, a media and educational resource organization dedicated to portraying the Arab community in the United States began an initiative to designate the month as a national holiday. The celebration of the holiday has previously been observed sporadically in various states and at different times of the year since the 1990s until 2017 when Arab America began a national initiative to coordinate all states under National Arab American Heritage Month.

Autism Awareness Month

World Autism Awareness Month is an opportunity to understand how those with autism can improve their lives. If you don’t have a loved one with an autism diagnosis, you may not have a strong understanding of how the world may be challenging for these individuals. Fortunately, this day seeks to raise awareness and improve their acceptance in society. We recommend celebrating by spreading kindness and uplifting those with autism by reading, watching, or listening to content created by them. 

Diversity Month

April is Diversity Month, a time to celebrate and recognize our unique backgrounds, cultures and traditions. It’s an opportunity to appreciate our diversity in thought and leverage the strength found in those differences.

Earth Month



Today, let’s celebrate Mother Earth. Promote protecting the environment and advocate for sustainable living. This day serves as an important reminder of conservation, recycling, and action to protect the climate and our natural resources.