Awareness Days

There are Awareness Days for a whole range of topics, and keeping track of which ones might be relevant for congregations can be tricky. To aid planning, we have listed some we think are most pertinent, by month, with links to related sites. Note that some Days have the same date each year, whilst others change slightly.
If you think we have missed anything obvious, please get in touch with your suggestion.
January
11 – International Thank You Day
18-25 – Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
24 – International Day of Education
25 – World Leprosy Day
27 – Holocaust Memorial Day
30 – Parent Mental Health Day
February
LGBT History Month
1-9 – National Storytelling Week
4 – International Day of Human Fraternity
3-9 – Children’s Mental Health Week
6 – Time to Talk Day
6 – International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM
9 – Racial Justice Sunday
20 – World Day of Social Justice
22 – World Thinking Day
28 – Start of Ramadan
March
1 – Zero Discrimination Day
3 – World Wildlife Day
7 – World Book Day
7-16 – British Science Week
8 – International Women’s Day
9 – National Day of Reflection
21 – World Down Syndrome Day
24-30 – Debt Awareness Week
22 – World Water Day
22 – Earth Hour
24 – World TB Day
30 – Ramadan ends
31 – International Trans Day of Visibility
April
2 – World Autism Awareness Day
7 – World Health Day
12 – Pesach/Passover begins
20 – Pesach/Passover ends
22 – Earth Day
24-30 – Global Intergenerational Week
25 – World Malaria Day
28 – International Worker’s Memorial Day – see also here for Edinburgh
May
Dementia UK’s “Time for a Cuppa Month“
5-11 – Red Cross Week
5-11 – Deaf Awareness Week
5-11 – Dying Matters Week
7 – World Maternal Mental Health Day
11-17 – Christian Aid Week
12-15 – Water Saving Week
12-18 – Mental Health Awareness Week
18 – National Children’s Day UK
19-25 – Dementia Action Week
28 – World Hunger Day
29 – International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers
June
Pride Month
1 – Global Day of Parents
1 – Cancer Survivors Day
2-8 – Volunteer Week
3-9 – UK Clothing Poverty Awareness Week
4 – International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression
5 – World Environment Day
8 – World Oceans Day
9-15 – Carers Week
9-15 – Men’s Health Week
9-15 – Loneliness Awareness Week
12 – World Day Against Child Labour
15 – Father’s Day
16-22 – Learning Disability Week
15-21 – Refugee Week – see also Scottish Faiths Action for Refugees
18 – Autistic Pride Day
20 – World Refugee Day
July
3 – National Bereaved Parents Day – see also Care for the Family
13 – Seafarers Sunday
17 – International Justice Day
24 – Samaritans Awareness Day
30 – International Day of Friendship
30 – World Day Against Trafficking in Persons
August
1-7 – World Breastfeeding Week
6 – Playday
9 – International Day of the World’s Indigenous People
12 – International Youth Day – see also World Council of Churches
19 – World Humanitarian Day
21 – International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism
22 – International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief
23 – International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
28 – Makaton International Awareness Day – see also Becky George
29 – International Day against Nuclear Tests
30 – International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance
31 – International Day for People of African Descent
31 – International Overdose Awareness Day
September
Season of Creation – see also Eco-Congregation Scotland
World Alzheimer’s Month
5 – International Day of Charity
8 – International Literacy Day
10 – World Suicide Prevention Day – see also Samaritans
15 – International Day of Democracy
22 – Disability Awareness Sunday
22-05 Oct – Fairtrade Fortnight
23-29 – Scotland’s Climate Week
26 – International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
29 – International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste Reduction
October
Black History Month — see also resources from CTBI
22 Sep-05 Oct – Fairtrade Fortnight
1 – International Day of Older Persons – see also FiOP
2 – International Day of Non-Violence
7-13 – Challenge Poverty Week
9-15 – Baby Loss Awareness Week
9 – Sight Loss Sunday
10 – World Mental Health Day
16 – World Food Day
17 – International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
26 – Bible Sunday
November
Movember – Men’s Health Month
9-16 – Interfaith Week
13-17 – Anti-Bullying Week
13 – World Kindness Day
17-23 – Prisoners’ Week Scotland
17-23 – Book Week Scotland
19 – International Men’s Day
19 – World Toilet Day — see also Toilet Twinning
20 – World Children’s Day
20 – Transgender Day of Remembrance
25-10 Dec – 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence – see also Mother’s Union and Anglican Communion
25 – International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
25 – White Ribbon Day
December
25 Nov-10 Dec – 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence – see also Mother’s Union and Anglican Communion
1 – World AIDS Day
2 – International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
2-8 – National Grief Awareness Week
3 – International Day of Persons with Disabilities
5 – World Soil Day
10 – Human Rights Day
18 – International Migrants Day
20 – International Human Solidarity Day
28 – Feast of the Holy Innocents (some thoughts here from 2022)