Save the date:
WORLD MASK WEEK
May 25 - 31, 2026
To submit a translation, contact us here.
What is Mask Week?
At its simplest, Mask Week asks folks to commit to masking up for collective health for 1 week.
Bigger picture, Mask Week is so many things: an invitation to co-ideate with folks inside or outside your region, a tangible solidarity action, a vessel to meet like-minded folks, a way to truly embody intersectional values, & so much more.
It can (and should!) look different place to place, but our intentions are rooted in deepening our practices of community care.
Previous lore at Celebrate845.com/MaskWeek
Build & archive your findings at #MaskWeek2026 & #WorldMaskWeek
Note: this is an extremely grassroots effort that encourages autonomy from place to place and from person to person. We are super open to helping bring ideas to life, collaborations, etc. but you do not need our permission to do your thing. Interpret freely! And also a loving reminder to please be gentle with feedback, as we are regular people learning as we go who are not compensated for this labor.
Who is Mask Week for?
- Folks looking to opt back into masking up more often
- Folks who are “still COVIDing” or trying to avoid airborne illnesses
- Folks needing accessible PPE including masks, rapid tests, and other resources
- Folks wanting to fight things like fascism, mask bans, and oppression towards Indigenous, Black, 2SLGBTQIA+, disabled, houseless, elder, youth & other marginalized beloveds
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Join a virtual World Mask Week Planning Session for "Hudson Valley NY" folks on Zoom
Zoom links here. Help shape what we do here! Meetings are ~1 hour long and fully virtual on Zoom. If you need suggestions on where to access free WiFi, let us know. No expectation to have video on or to use audio. Engagement in the chat only is fine. We do ask that folks participate in the chat at least a bit so we know who is present. Moderators have the right to remove folks. Hate, COVID denialism, and bad faith energy will not be tolerated. Non-"Hudson Valley New York" folks are very welcomed to attend, connect & get inspired, but we'll be centering building our efforts in the HV. Zoom offers automatic caption & translation services that transcribe across languages. We hold space for non-English speakers and invite attendees to utilize captions so we can all communicate.
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Roles
There were so many different avenues to tap into this effort. This list is not exhaustive but is for community members, supporters, artists, writers, dreamers, organizers, mask blocs, and anyone interested in being a part. You know the landscape where you live and we trust you to accommodate, adjust, and fine-tune as needed, as Mask Week will and should look different from place to place. Make it your own!
Here are some possible ways to tap into or steward World Mask Week:
Here are some possible ways to tap into or steward World Mask Week:
- Mask up for the week: for folks who don’t always mask but are looking to tap back in in solidarity. You don't have to do this "perfectly", but we'd be so so thrilled if you participated as many days as possible. Literal harm reduction in real time, as masks are a proven tool to stop spreads. A great place to start is Masking Up at "The Big 3": stores, at appointments, and on all public transit.
- Amplifier or Designer: help get the word out! On social media, through in person flyering outside where you live, by talking about it wherever you find yourself, helping with press and writing PR, designing promo materials. Get creative! We're open to new ways of spreading the word.
- Event Holder: wanna host an event during Mask Week? Do it! Events should of course be accessible, hybrid, and/or have precautions in place.
- Free PPE Hub: if you have a space, venue, etc. and are willing to hold free PPE for folks to snag leading up to Mask Week, that’d be helpful!
- PPE Distro: don’t underestimate the power behind doing distro! Whether it's a one off or building something consistent, moving the tools feels great and stays important. And not just at places who already have the goods! How can we get PPE into impacted hands and in places that may not have access?
- Meeting Facilitator or Attender: a really special part of Mask Week is the comradery building! Hold meetings leading up to Mask Week for people in your region to attend, connect through, and have space to ideate within is a great way to build community.
- Translator: ensuring that materials are offered in multiple languages is important af.
- Dreamer: have thoughts that aren’t listed here? Do it! Try it! Ask for help if needed!
Sharables
Feel free to download, print, hang, share, post, do all of the things.
If you'd like any editable templates or to submit your own work to this archive, contact us here.
If you'd like any editable templates or to submit your own work to this archive, contact us here.
A note about Mask Weeks "not being enough": we hear you. And honestly, in some ways, we are with you. We at Celebrate845 are fully aware that folks masking for 1 week alone is not enough to eradicate COVID. But we deeply believe that it is a successful on-ramp for folks looking to find their way back to masking and is an avenue to build lasting community among folks who care "full time". We have proof of all of this. It is unfortunate that U.S. and global propaganda have pushed average people to believe that illness prevention and public health are not to be prioritized and that both are individual decisions instead of collective ones, and so we offer Mask Weeks as attempts to reach people. People who are "still COVIDing" (or however they choose to identify), and also people of conscience who are open to the idea of tapping back in. Masking is concrete community care, and we believe that a majority of people genuinely don't recognize the impacts of COVID or Long COVID but, if given a combination of information, community, and accessible tools, would mask more. Over time, we hope that this 1 week of practice leads to lifestyle change. If you're not interested in Mask Week efforts, that's okay. But if you are, we appreciate you and are here to work together.