Montgomery County lawmakers want to make sure county employees recognize holidays across residents’ cultures and ethnicities, which is why Councilmen Marc Elrich and George Leventhal, D-at large, introduced a bill Tuesday designating “days of commemoration” to help them out.
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“The ability of county employees to provide high-quality customer service is enhanced when county employees know that certain days have special religious, ethnic or cultural meaning that will affect the daily activities of a significant number of county residents,” Bob Drummer, a council attorney, wrote in a memo.
The list of days of commemoration includes religious observances and federal holidays. Some of the lesser known include the Festival of Ridvan, a Baha’i celebration commemorating the 12-day period when Baha’i founder Baha’u’llah became a prophet, and Magha Puja, which marks the day Buddha addressed a meeting of 1,250 Arhats.
Though a number of days of commemoration were established by a 2006 bill, that bill also authorized the county’s chief administrative officer to establish other days of commemoration. The new bill codifies each of these additional days:
– Jan. 6, 2012: Three Kings Day
– Jan. 7, 2012: Orthodox Christmas Day
– Jan. 13, 2012: Korean American Day
– Feb. 15, 2012: Parinirvana – Nirvana Day
– Feb. 20, 2012: Presidents’ Day
– March 8, 2012: Magha Puja
– March 20, 2012: Norouz
– April 6-9, 2012: Theravada New Year
– April 21, 2012: Festival of Ridvan
– May 6, 2012: Wesak or Buddha Day
– May 17, 2012: Ascension Thursday
– May 28, 2012: Memorial Day
– July 3, 2012: Dharma Day
– July 4, 2012: Independence Day
– July 20, 2012: Ramadan
– Sept. 3, 2012: Labor Day
– Nov. 11, 2012: Veterans’ Day
– Nov. 22, 2012: Thanksgiving Day
– Nov. 23, 2012: American Indian Heritage Day
– Dec. 8-16, 2012: Hanukkah
– Dec. 8, 2012: Bodhi Day
