Google has recently made the controversial decision to no longer include references to significant cultural holidays such as Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and LGBTQ+ Pride Month in its Google Calendar. Previously, the tech giant marked these events, with Black History Month being acknowledged in February and Pride Month in June. However, for 2025, these holidays will no longer appear on Google Calendar.
A Google spokesperson provided some clarity on the situation, explaining that the decision was rooted in the need for a more sustainable approach to the company’s calendar offerings. In a statement, the spokesperson revealed that the Calendar team had initially added a wide variety of cultural observances across different countries. However, they received feedback suggesting that certain events and countries were still missing, creating the challenge of managing hundreds of observances on a global scale.
Why Did Google Choose to Stop Manually Adding Cultural Moments?
The spokesperson elaborated, saying, “Some years ago, the Calendar team started manually adding a broader set of cultural moments in a wide number of countries around the world. We got feedback that some other events and countries were missing – and maintaining hundreds of moments manually and consistently globally wasn’t scalable or sustainable.”
As a result, in mid-2024, Google Calendar decided to revert to showing only public holidays and national observances sourced from timeanddate.com worldwide. This change, according to the spokesperson, allows users to manually add other important cultural moments themselves.
What Does This Mean for Users Who Want to Keep Track of These Events?
The removal of these holidays from Google Calendar has sparked disappointment and frustration among many users, particularly those who relied on the calendar to track important cultural observances like Pride Month, Black History Month, and Indigenous Peoples’ Month. Now, users who wish to continue observing these events will need to add them manually to their calendars.
In a response to concerns, Google clarified that this decision would not affect its other platforms, such as Google Doodles. “Google continues to actively celebrate and promote cultural moments as a company in our products,” the company explained. For instance, YouTube Music still offers a Black History Month playlist, maintaining a presence for such celebrations across its platforms.
What Other Recent Changes Has Google Made?
This change to the calendar follows a broader pattern of policy shifts that have raised eyebrows among users and observers alike. Google Calendar is just one of several areas where changes are being made. Google has also made adjustments to its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. These changes align with broader political shifts, particularly following the start of Donald Trump’s second term as president. One of Trump’s first actions in office was to issue orders curbing DEI initiatives in federal agencies, prompting some companies, including Google, to reassess their approaches to such policies.
Additionally, in late January, Google announced another significant alteration for U.S. users: the name of the Gulf of Mexico was changed to the “Gulf of America,” and the company began referring to Denali (the mountain in Alaska) as “Mount McKinley,” following executive orders issued by Trump during his first day in office. The Gulf name change went live for U.S. users on January 13, 2025.
What Do Users Think of These Changes?
Many social media users have expressed frustration with Google’s decision to remove cultural holidays from Google Calendar. Many felt the move undermined the company’s commitment to inclusivity and cultural representation. Users now have to manually add significant events to their calendars if they wish to keep track of them.
Will Google Continue to Celebrate Cultural Moments in Other Ways?
While these changes to the calendar have drawn considerable backlash, Google has emphasized that they will continue to promote and celebrate cultural moments through other channels. Despite removing these holidays from the calendar, Google maintains that cultural observances will still be honored on their platforms in other formats, such as through digital artwork and music playlists. For instance, users will still find a Black History Month playlist on YouTube Music, ensuring that the company continues to celebrate these events, albeit outside the context of the Google Calendar.
In conclusion, while the removal of these holidays from Google Calendar may be seen as a step back for inclusivity, the company insists that it remains committed to acknowledging cultural milestones across its range of services.
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