Bio-Rad Cultural Calendar, October 2025
October 1, 2025
At Bio-Rad, we publish a monthly Cultural Calendar of events that are commonly celebrated in the United States and in other countries in which we operate. Our goal is to feature a variety of events that help bring cultural awareness to various groups' histories, traditions, and accomplishments while also highlighting events important to us both as a company and a community. We also publish a calendar internally with an even broader variety of events commonly celebrated in countries that Bio-Rad operates within.
Filipino American History Month: All October
Filipino American History Month is observed in October every year to mark the anniversary of the first recorded evidence of Filipinos in America. Filipino Americans are the second-largest Asian-American community in the U.S., and are the third-largest racial group in California. Their contributions to our country are exemplary and their achievements are recognized and celebrated throughout this designated month. To learn more, click here.
Breast Cancer Awareness: All October
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an international health campaign that’s held every October. The month aims to promote screening and reduce the risk of the disease, which affects 2.3 million women worldwide. Known best for its pink theme color, the month features a number of campaigns and programs designed to:
- support people diagnosed with breast cancer, including those with metastatic breast cancer
- educate people about breast cancer risk factors
- encourage women to go for regular breast cancer screening starting at age 40 or earlier, depending on personal breast cancer risk
- raise money for breast cancer research
To learn more, click here.
Yom Kippur: October 1-2
Yom Kippur (Hebrew: יוֹם כִּפּוּר or יום הכיפורים), Also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services. Yom Kippur completes the annual period known in Judaism as the High Holy Days. Click here to learn more.
Dussehra/Vijayadashami: October 1
Dussehra in Hinduism is a holiday marking the triumph of Rama, an avatar of Vishnu, over the 10-headed demon king Ravana, who abducted Rama’s wife, Sita. In the epic Ramayana, Rama, with the assistance of the monkey-general Hanuman, attacks Lanka to rescue Sita and slays Ravana. To learn more, click here.
Chuseok: October 6
Chuseok, also known as Hangawi, is a major mid-autumn harvest festival and a three-day holiday in South Korea celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunisolar calendar on the full moon.
Mid-Autumn (or Mooncake) Festival: October 6
The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is a harvest festival celebrated in Chinese culture.
During the festival, lanterns of all sizes and shapes – symbolizing beacons that light the path toward prosperity and good fortune for the people – are carried and displayed. Mooncakes, a rich pastry typically filled with sweet-bean or lotus-seed paste, are eaten during this festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival is based on the legend of Chang'e, the Moon goddess in Chinese mythology.
Our Lady of Aparecida’s Day: October 12
Our Lady of Aparecida Day is a public and liturgical holiday celebrated on October 12 in Brazil, honoring the patroness of the country. It commemorates the miraculous discovery of a dark-skinned statue of the Virgin Mary by fishermen in the Paraíba River in 1717, an event seen as a miracle that led to devotion and growth of the shrine that now houses the statue. The day also coincides with Children's Day in Brazil. To learn more about Our Lady of Aparecida Day, click here.
Canadian Thanksgiving: October 13
Canadian Thanksgiving (French: Jour de l'Action de grâce) is an annual holiday held in Canada on the second Monday in October. As a liturgical festival, Thanksgiving corresponds to the British and continental European harvest festival, with churches decorated with cornucopias, pumpkins, corn, wheat sheaves, and other harvest bounty. While the actual Thanksgiving holiday is on a Monday, Canadians may gather for their feast on any day during the weekend. To learn how Canadian Thanksgiving differs from Thanksgiving in America, click here.
Diwali: October 20
Diwali or Deepawali, known as the “festival of lights,” is usually celebrated in October or November. Lasting over five days, the holiday is celebrated by millions of Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs worldwide. The name of this festival is derived from ‘avali,’ which means ‘row,’ and ‘deepa,’ meaning “clay lamps.” When merged, these words mean “a row of lights.” For this reason, lights are symbolic of this festival and Indians get a lot of sparklers and fireworks to fuel the inner light that spiritually protects them from the darkness. To learn more, click here.
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