How to do it:

Not all communities observe the Gregorian calendar. This includes Muslims, Jews, Hindus, and people from certain nations. Religious and cultural observances often follow older calendars even for people who live day-to-day Western (gregorian) lives. Show a warm welcome by taking other group’s important dates into consideration when scheduling events.

Apple and Google publish dates for a wide array of communities, and will allow you to turn them on and off so you can have an “uncluttered” view of your own schedule. If you avoid those calendars, add the most important dates (start with ones you’ve heard of) manually. Be aware non-Gregorian calendars may shift each year (both Jewish and Muslim calendars do, in different ways), so you can’t ‘set and forget’ manual scheduling. Don’t hit “repeat every year.” Instead add an annual reminder to schedule the dates again.

Keep an eye out for upcoming events. If they require fasting, abstaining from work, or are important family holidays, avoid scheduling important meetings, school tests and so forth. Remind others to check calendars for local communities before scheduling too. You can also post greetings on social media to help spread awareness and help neighbors feel cared for. (Check for cultural appropriateness. “Merry Yom Kippur” or a picture of a festive ham dinner for Ramadan won’t hit right.)