Celebrating
Differences
World Autism Awareness Day Thursday 2 April 2015
The aim of this month is to educate the public about autism. Autism is a lifelong developmental disability affecting how you communicate and interact with other people.
Find more information visit www.autism.org.uk
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1 April Fool’s Day
2 World Autism Awareness Day Holy (Maundy) Thursday - Christian Mahavir Jayanti - Jain
3 Bank Holiday - England / Wales / Scotland / Northern Ireland
Passover (Pesach) begins - Jewish Good Friday - Christian
Memorial of Christ's Death - Jehovah Witness 4 Theravada New Year - Buddhist
Hanuman Jayanti - Hindu
Lazarus Saturday - Orthodox Christian Holy Saturday - Christian
5 Easter Sunday - Christian
6 Easter Monday - Christian Bank Holiday - England / Wales / Northern Ireland / Scotland / Republic of Ireland 7 World Health Day
8 International Romani Day 11 Passover ends - Jewish
12 Pascha (Easter) - Orthodox Christian 14 Vaisakhi - New Year - Sikh
15 Yom HaShoah Holocaust - Remembrance Day begins 16 Lord's Evening Meal - Jehovah's Witness
Holocaust Remembrance Day - Ends - Jewish 18 Birthday of Guru Tegh Bahadur - Sikh
Birthday of Guru Angad Dev - Sikh
21 Anniversary of Haile Selassie’s visit to Jamaica -Rastafari
First day of Ridván - Bahá'í 23 Saint George’s Day - Christian
Yom HaAtzmaut
27 Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) -Jewish
29 Ninth Day of Ridvan - Bahá'í
April 2015
Special days
Mental Health Awareness Week 11 to 17 May 2015
Mental Health Awareness Week is a campaign to raise awareness of issues affecting the nation’s wellbeing.
For more information visit www.mentalhealth.org.uk
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1 Beltane - Wicca / Pagan 2 Twelth Day of Ridvan - Bahá'í
Birthday of Guru Arjan Dev (Nanakshahi calendar) - Sikh
4 Visakha Puja – Buddha Day - Buddhist
Bank Holiday - England / Wales / Scotland / Northern Ireland
Vesak or Buddha Day - Buddhist Deaf Awareness Week (6 to 12 May) 5 World Asthma Day
7 Lag B'Omer - Jewish 8 World Red Cross Day 9 Europe Day - European Union
11 Mental Health Awareness Week (11-17 May) 12 International Nurses Day
14 Ascension Day - Christian 15 International Day of Families 16 Lailat al Miraj - Muslim
17 International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia
Yom Yerushalayim - Jewish
21 World Day for Cultural Diversity Dialogue and Development
22 Declaration of the Bab - Bahá'í 23 Birthday of Guru Amar Das) - Sikh
Shavuot (23 to 25 May) - Jewish 24 Pentecost - Christian
25 Saint Bede the Venerable - Christian
Spring Bank Holiday - England / Wales / Scotland / Northern Ireland
29 Ascension of Baha'u'llah (28 to 29 May) - Bahá'í International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers 31 World No Smoking Day
Trinity Sunday - Christian
May 2015
Special days
Men’s Health Week 15 to 21 June 2015
Led by the Men's Health Forum, the purpose of Men’s Health Week is to raise awareness of preventable health issues and encourage men and boys to seek professional advice for health related problems.
For more information visit the Men’s Health Forum website
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1 International Children’s Day Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month
4 International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression
Corpus Christi - Christian 5 World Environment Day 7 All Saints’ Day - Orthodox Christian
9 Saint Columba of Iona (Date of Death) - Christian 12 Sacred Heart of Jesus - Catholic
Gay Pride parade Essex 13 Trooping the Colour 14 World Blood Donor Day 15 Men's Health Week (15-21 June ) 16 Guru Arjan Dev Martyrdom - Sikh
17 World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 18 Lailat al Bara'ah - Muslim
First Day of Ramadan (18 June to 17 July) (+-1 day)
19 The British Humanist Association Annual Conference (19 to 21 June)
20 World Refugee Day 21 Father’s Day - UK
Summer Solstice - Winter
Litha - Wicca/Pagan - Northern Hemisphere Yule - Wicca/Pagan - Southern Hemisphere 25 Gay Pride parade Norwich
27 Gay Pride parade in London 29 Saints Peter and Paul's Day - Christian
June 2015
Special days
World Hepatitis Day Tuesday 28 July 2015
Millions of people across the world now take part in World Hepatitis Day, to raise awareness about viral hepatitis, and to call for access to treatment, better prevention programs and governments action.
You can find out more about this year's events visit: www.worldhepatitisalliance.org
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2 Asala Dharma Day - Buddhist 4 Independence Day - U.S.
5 Birthday of Guru Hargobind - Sikh 9 Martyrdom of the Bab - Bahá'í 11 World Population Day
12 Orangemen’s Day (Battle of the Boyne) 13 Lailat al-Qadr - Muslim
The Festival of Souls Obon - Buddhist Bank Holiday - Northern Ireland 15 Saint Swithin’s Day - Christian 17 International Justice Day
Last day of Ramadan - 17 July (+-1 day) 18 Eid Ul-Fitr - (+-1day) - Muslim
19 Jamshedi Noruz - Zoroastrian 22 Saint Mary Magdalene - Christian 23 Birthday of Guru Har Krishen - Sikh
Birthday of Haile Selassie - Rastafari 24 Pioneer Day - Mormon
25 Tisha B’Av (25 to 26 July) - Jewish 28 World Hepatitis Day
30 International Friendship Day
July 2015
Special days
World Breast Feeding Week 1 to 7 August 2015
World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is an annual event held every year from 1 to 7 August in more than 120 countries. First organised by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) and is now supported by UNICEF and WHO.
The aim is to reinforce the importance of increasing and sustaining the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding in alignment with the eight global Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). For more information visit
www.worldbreastfeedingweek.org
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1 Lammas Lughnasadh - Wicca / Christian Fast in honor of Mother of Jesus - Christian World Breast Feeding Week (1 to 7 August) 6 Transfiguration of the Lord - Orthodox Christian 9 International Day of the World’s Indigenous
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12 International Youth Day
15 Dormition of the Theotokos - Catholic
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Catholic 17 Birthday of Marcus Garvey - Rastafari
18 Jamshedi Noruz - Shenshai / Zoroastrian 23 Khordad Sal - Shenshai / Zoroastrian
International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and its Abolition - Europe
European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism - Europe
26 Women’s Equality Day
28 Ullambana / Ghost festival - Buddhist 29 Beheading of John the Baptist - Christian
Raksha Bandhan / Rakhi - Hindu 31 Summer Bank Holiday - England / Wales /
Northern Ireland
August 2015
Special days
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou
World Suicide Prevention Day Thursday 10 September 2015
World Suicide Prevention Day promotes worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides. The sponsoring organisation, International Association for Suicide Prevention, the co-sponsor WHO and other partners, advocate for the prevention of suicidal behaviour, provision of adequate treatment and follow-up care for people who attempted suicide, as well as responsible reporting of suicides in the media.
For more information visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention website.
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1 Ecclesiastical year begins - Orthodox Christian
5 Krishna Janmashtami - Hindu
Leil Selichot - Jewish
8 Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Catholic
International Literacy Day 10 World Suicide Prevention Day 11 Ethiopian New Year - Rastafari
14 The Triumph of the Cross - Christian
Eve of Rosh Hashanah (14 to 15 September) -Jewish
15 International Day of Democracy 16 Fast of Gedalliah - Jewish
21 World Alzheimer’s Day International Day of Peace 23 Autumn Equinox
Eid-al-Adha (+-1day) - Muslim
Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (Date of Death) - Catholic
28 Meskel - Ethiopian Orthodox Christian
Feast of Tabernacles: (28 September to 4 October) Feast of Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel and Saint Raphael’s Day - Christian
September 2015
Special days
International Day of Older Persons Thursday 1 October 2015
International Day of Older Persons is a special day for older persons or senior citizens all over the world. In many countries, politicians make speeches, particularly those responsible for government departments that focus on senior citizens, at this time of the year.
For more information visit
www.un.org/en/events/olderpersonsday
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1 International Day of Older Persons Stoptober (1 to 28 October)
Black History Month (1 to 31 October) 2 Feast of Guardian Angels - Christian
International Day of Non-Violence Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday 4 Saint Francis Day of Assisi - Catholic
Hoshana Rabbah - Jewish
6 Simchat Torah (5 to 6 October) - Jewish
9 Birthday of Guru Ram Das - Sikh
10 World Mental Health Day 14 Al-Hijra - Muslim
16 World Food Day Simchat Torah - Judaism
17 World Day to Overcome Extreme Poverty 20 Birth of the Bab - Baha'i
Installation of the Scriptures as Guru Granth Sahib - Sikh
22 Dussehra - Hindu
24 United Nations Day 25 British Summertime ends 28 Milvian Bridge Day - Christian
31 All Hallow’s Eve - Christian
Samhain (Halloween) - Pagan
October 2015
Special days
“When grace is joined with wrinkles, it is adorable. There is an unspeakable dawn in happy old age”. Victor Hugo
Transgender Day of Remembrance Friday 20 November 2015
A day to remember and honour the lives of those individuals who have been killed because of their gender identity or expression. The official day started 16 years ago when a candlelight vigil was held for Rita Hester, a trans woman who had been murdered. For more information visitwww.pinknews.co.uk
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1 All Saints’ Day - Christian 2 All Souls’ Day - Christian
Coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie I - Rastafari 4 National Stress Awareness Day
8 Remembrance Day Sunday 11 Armistice Day
Diwali - Hindu Diwali - Jain Diwali - Sikh
12 Birth of Baha'u'llah - Bahá'í 13 World Kindness Day 14 World Diabetes Day 15 Shichi-Go-San - Shinto
Start of Winter Lent - Orthodox Christian 16 International Day for Tolerance 19 International Men’s Day 20 Universal Children’s Day
Transgender Day of Remembrance 22 Christ the King - Christian
23 Niinamese - Shinto
24 Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom - Sikh 25 Birthday of Guru Nanak - Sikh 26 Day of the Convenant - Bahá'í
Thanksgiving - U.S.
28 Ascension of the Abdu'l-Baha - Bahá'í 29 Advent Sunday - Christian
30 Saint Andrew’s Day - Christian
November 2015
Special days
International Day for Persons with Disabilities Thursday 3 December 2015
People from many countries worldwide participate in various ways to promote the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Events may include art exhibitions promoting artwork by people with disabilities. Other events take the form of protests to highlight the difficulties disabled people have in playing a full role in society.
For more information visit
www.disabilitynorth.org.uk/InternationalDay
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1 World AIDS Day
2 International Day for the Abolition of Slavery 3 International Day of People with Disabilities 5 International Volunteer Day for Economic and
Social Development 6 Saint Nicholas Day - Christian
7 Chanukah Hanukkah (6 to 14 December) - Jewish
8 Feast of the Immaculate Conception - Catholic
Rohatsu (Bodhi Day) - Buddhist
10 Human Rights Day
12 Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe - Catholic
13 Saint Lucy’s Day - Christian
18 International Migrants Day 22 Winter Solstice
24 Christmas Eve - Christian
Milad-un-Nabi (Prophet Muhammad’s birthday) 25 Christmas Day - Christian
Bank Holiday - England / Wales / Scotland / Northern Ireland / Republic of Ireland
26 Saint Stephen’s Day - Christian
Boxing Day Bank Holiday - England / Wales / Scotland / Northern Ireland / Republic of Ireland
Zarathosht Diso - Zoroastrian
Kwanzaa (December 26 to January 1) 28 Feast of the Holy Innocents - Christian
31 Watch Night - Christian Hogmanay / New Year’s Eve
December 2015
Special days
“Disability is a matter of perception. If you can do just one thing well, you're needed by someone.” Martina Navratilova
Holocaust Memorial Day Wednesday 27 January 2016
Holocaust Memorial Day is a national event in the United Kingdom dedicated to the remembrance of the victims of The Holocaust. It was first held in January 2001 and has been on the same date every year since. The chosen date is the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp by the Soviet Union in 1945.
For further information visit: www.hmd.org.uk
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1 New Year’s Day
National Glaucoma Awareness Month 4 World Cancer Day
5 Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti birthday - Sikh
7 Christmas Day - Orthodox Christian
11 Human Trafficking Awareness Day 13 Maghi - Sikh
15 Makar Sankranti - Hindu
17 World Religion Day 24 Vasant Panchami - Hindu
25 Robert Burns Night - Scotland
27 Holocaust Memorial Day
January 2016
Special days
“I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.” Mahatma Gandhi
World Day of Social Justice Saturday 20 February 2016
The United Nations' (UN) World Day of Social Justice is annually observed on February 20 to encourage people to look at how social justice affects poverty eradication. It also focuses on the goal of achieving full employment and support for social integration.
For more information visit
www.un.org/en/events/socialjusticeday/
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4 World Cancer Day
8 Chinese New Year (Year of the Monkey) 9 Shrove Tuesday
10 Ash Wednesday, Lent begins - Christian 12 Darwin Day
14 Valentine’s Day - Christian Shabbat Shekalim - Jewish
15 Parinirvana (Nirvana Day) - Buddhist 20 World Day of Social Justice 21 International Mother Language Day
February 2016
Special days
“There must exist a paradigm, a practical model for social change that includes an understanding of ways to transform consciousness that are linked to efforts to transform structures.” Bell Hooks
International Women’s Day Tuesday 8 March 2016
International Women’s Day has been observed since the early 1900s as a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialised world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies. Every year on 8 March, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements.
A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects women ranging from political rallies and business conferences to government activities and networking. We should remember that gender equality initiatives should always include men and women.
For more information visit
www.internationalwomensday.com
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1 Saint David’s Day - Christian
2 Nineteen Day Fast begins - (2 to 20 March) - Bahá'í 3 Hina-matsuri (Festival of dolls) - Shinto
5 Saint Piran's Day - Christian Purim - Jewish
6 Mothering Sunday Hola Mohalla - Sikh 8 International Women’s Day
13 L. Ron Hubbard's Birthday (Church of Scientology
17 Saint Patrick’s Day - Christian Maha Shiravatri - Hindu
19 Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary -Christian
20 International Day of Happiness 21 Naw-Ruz - Bahá'í
Jamshedi Noruz (Fasli) - Zoroastrian Shubun-sai (Equinox day) - Shinto World Down Syndrome Day
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
25 Good Friday The Feast of the Annunciation -Christian
27 Easter Sunday
28 Khordad Sal, birthday of Zoroaster (Fasli) - Zoroastrian
29 British Summertime - starts Palm Sunday
