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
4 – World Braille Day
11 – Human Trafficking Awareness Day
18–25 – Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
24 – International Day of Education
25 – World Leprosy Day
27 – Holocaust Memorial Day
28 – International Day of Peaceful Coexistence
30 – Parent Mental Health Day
31 January–8 February – National Storytelling Week
February
LGBT+ History Month
1–7 February – World Interfaith Harmony Week
31 January–8 February – National Storytelling Week
4 – International Day of Human Fraternity
5 – Time to Talk Day
6 – Reclaim Social Day
6 – International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM
8 – Racial Justice Sunday
9–15 – Children’s Mental Health Week
10 – Safer Internet Day
18 – Expected start of Ramadan
20 – World Day of Social Justice
22 – World Thinking Day
March
1 – Zero Discrimination Day
3 – World Wildlife Day
6 – World Book Day
6 – World Day of Prayer
6-15 – British Science Week
8 – International Women’s Day
8 – Covid Day of Reflection
16–22 – Debt Awareness Week
18 – Ramadan expected to end
21 – World Down Syndrome Day
22 – World Water Day
24 – World TB Day
28 – Earth Hour
31 – International Trans Day of Visibility
April
1 – Pesach/Passover begins
2 – World Autism Awareness Day
7 – World Health Day
9 – Pesach/Passover ends
22 – Earth Day
24–30 – Global Intergenerational Week
25 – World Malaria Day
28 – International Workers’ Memorial Day
May
1–8 – Dementia UK’s “Time for a Cuppa Week“
4–10 – Deaf Awareness Week
5–11 – Dying Matters Week 2025 – 2026 dates TBC
8–14 – Red Cross Week
6 – World Maternal Mental Health Day
10 – National Children’s Day UK
10–16 – Christian Aid Week
11–15 – Water Saving Week
11–17 – Mental Health Awareness Week
18–24 – Dementia Action Week
28 – World Hunger Day
29 – International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers
June
Pride Month
1 – Global Day of Parents
1–7 – Volunteer Week
1–7 – UK Clothing Poverty Awareness Week
4 – International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression
5 – World Environment Day
7 – Cancer Survivors Day
8 – World Oceans Day
8–14 – Carers Week
8–14 – Men’s Health Week
8–14 – Loneliness Awareness Week
12 – World Day Against Child Labour
15–21 – 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
11 – Srebrenica Memorial Day
12 – 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
5 – Playday
9 – International Day of the World’s Indigenous People
12 – International Youth Day
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
21 – International Day of Peace
21 – World Alzheimer’s Day
21 September–4 October – Fairtrade Fortnight
26 – International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
28 – Disability Awareness Sunday 2025 – 2026 date TBC
29 – International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste Reduction
29 September–5 October – Scotland’s Climate Week 2025 – 2026 dates TBC
October
Black History Month
21 September–4 October – Fairtrade Fortnight
1 – International Day of Older Persons
2 – International Day of Non-Violence
5–11 – Challenge Poverty Week
9–15 – Baby Loss Awareness Week
10 – World Mental Health Day
12 – Sight Loss Sunday 2025 – 2026 date TBC
16 – World Food Day
17 – International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
25 – Bible Sunday
November
Movember – Men’s Health Month
2–9 – Interfaith Week 2025 – 2026 dates TBC
9–13 – Anti-Bullying Week (dates TBC)
13 – World Kindness Day
16–23 – Prisoners’ Week Scotland 2025 – 2026 dates TBC
17–23 – Book Week Scotland 2025 – 2026 dates TBC
19 – International Men’s Day
19 – World Toilet Day – see also Toilet Twinning
20 – World Children’s Day
20 – Transgender Day of Remembrance
25 – International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
25 – White Ribbon Day
25–10 Dec – 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence – see also Mother’s Union and Anglican Communion
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)