A note about designated days and months, e.g. International Day of Pink, and National Indigenous History Month. While these days and months are good reminders to celebrate underrepresented and marginalized groups, learn about their histories and the oppressions, inequities, and issues that they face, as well as take action, we must be mindful to be continuously commemorating these groups, educating ourselves, and standing-up in solidarity.
2025 dates are listed below.
January
| Date | Observance | Observed by (including but not limited to) |
|---|---|---|
| January | Tamil Heritage Month | Canada |
| January 1 | New Year's Day | Gregorian calendar |
| January 4 | National Ribbon Skirt Day | Canada |
| January 4 | World Braille Day | United Nations |
| January 7 | Feast of the Nativity | Orthodox Christian |
| January 20* | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | United States |
| January 21 | Lincoln Alexander Day | Canada |
| January 24 | World Day for African and Afrodescendant Culture | United Nations |
| January 27 | International Holocaust Remembrance Day | United Nations |
| January 29* | Lunar New Year | International |
| January 29 | National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia | Canada |
February
| Date | Observance | Observed by (including but not limited to) |
|---|---|---|
| February | Black History Month | Canada and US |
| February 1 | World Hijab Day | International |
| February 26* | Anti-Bullying/Pink Shirt Day (Day of awareness of bullying in schools, workplaces, home, and online) | Canada |
| February 28* | Start of Ramadan | International |
March
| Date | Observance | Observed by (including but not limited to) |
|---|---|---|
| March | Women's History Month | Canada |
| March 8 | International Women's Day | United Nations |
| March 17-21* | Neurodiversity Celebration Week | United Kingdom |
| March 20* | Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTQQIA+ Awareness to Celebration Day | Canada |
| March 21 | International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination | United Nations |
| March 25 | International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade | United Nations |
| March 29* | End of Ramadan | International |
| March 31 | International Transgender Day of Visibility | International |
April
| Date | Observance | Observed by (including but not limited to) |
|---|---|---|
| April | Sikh Heritage Month | Canada |
| April 2 | World Autism Awareness Day | United Nations |
| April 6 | International Asexuality Day | International |
| April 9* | International Day of Pink (day of action against bullying, discrimination, homophobia, and transphobia) | International |
| April 18* | Good Friday | Christian |
| April 20* | Easter Sunday | Christian |
| April 22 | Earth Day | United Nations |
| April 30 | Journey to Freedom Day | Canada |
May
| Date | Observance | Observed by (including but not limited to) |
|---|---|---|
| May | Asian and South Asian Heritage Month | Canada |
| May | Jewish Heritage Month | Canada |
| May | Sexual Assault Prevention & Awareness Month | Canada |
| May 5 | Red Dress Day (Day of awareness and action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit People) | Canada |
| May 5 | South Asian Arrival Day | Canada |
| May 15 | International Day of Families | United Nations |
| May 19 | Malcolm X Day | United States |
| May 17 | International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia | International |
| May 19-23* | Anti-Racism Awareness Week | Canada |
| May 24 | International Pansexual and Panromantic Visibility Day | International |
| May 25 | Africa Day | International |
| May 25-31* | National AccessAbility | Canada |
June
| Date | Observance | Observed by (including but not limited to) |
|---|---|---|
| June | National Indigenous History Month | Canada |
| June | Pride Month | Canada |
| June | Filipino Heritage Month | Canada |
| June 2-8* | Canadian Environment Week | Canada |
| June 10 | Action Anxiety Day | Canada |
| June 12 | World Day Against Child Labour | United Nations |
| June 13 | International Albinism Awareness Day | United Nations |
| June 18 | International Day to Counter Hate Speech | United Nations |
| June 19 | International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict | United Nations |
| June 19 | Juneteenth | |
| June 20 | World Refugee Day | United Nations |
| June 21 | National Indigenous Peoples Day | Canada |
| June 22-28 | Deafblind Awareness Week | International |
| June 25-July1 | Somali Heritage Week | Ontario/Manitoba |
| June 27 | Canadian Multiculturalism Day | Canada |
July
| Date | Observance | Observed by (including but not limited to) |
|---|---|---|
| July 1 | Canada Day | Canada |
| July 18 | Nelson Mandela Day | United Nations |
| July 28 | World Hepatitis Day | International |
| July 30 | World Day Against Trafficking in Persons | United Nations |
August
| Date | Observance | Observed by (including but not limited to) |
|---|---|---|
| August 1 | Emancipation Day | Canada |
| August 12 | International Youth Day | United Nations |
| August 23 | International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition | United Nations |
September
| Date | Observance | Observed by (including but not limited to) |
|---|---|---|
| September 1* | Labour Day | Canada and US |
| September 21 | International Day of Peace | United Nations |
| September 22-24* | Rosh Hashanah | Jewish |
| September 23 | International Day of Sign Languages | United Nations |
| September 22-28* | International Week of Deaf People | International |
| September 23 | Bi Visibility Day | International |
| September 30 | National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (A remembrance to grieve the Indigenous children who were stolen from their families and placed in residential schools across Canada, to pay respect to survivors and recognize the intergenerational trauma on survivors, and learn about the ongoing impacts on Indigenous communities.) | Canada |
October
| Date | Observance | Observed by (including but not limited to) |
|---|---|---|
| October | Women's History Month | Canada |
| October | Islamic History Month | Canada |
| October | Disability Employment Awareness Month | Canada |
| October | Autism Awareness Month | Canada |
| October | Alternative & Augmentative Communication Awareness Month | International |
| October | Mi’kmaq History Month | Nova Scotia |
| October 1 | International Day of Older Persons | United Nations |
| October 1-2* | Yom Kippur | Jewish |
| October 4 | National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls | Canada |
| October 5-11* | Mental Illness Awareness Week | Canada |
| October 10 | World Mental Health Day | World Health Organization |
| October 11 | International Day of the Girl Child | United Nations |
| October 11 | National Coming Out Day | International |
| October 13-17* | Workplace Bullying Awareness Week | International |
| October 15* | International Pronouns Day | International |
| October 20 (5 days: Oct 17-23)* | Diwali | India |
| October 19-25* | Invisible Disabilities Week | International |
| October 19-25* | Ace (Asexual) Awareness Week | International |
| October 22 | International Stuttering Awareness Day | International |
| October 26 | Intersex Awareness Day | International |
November
| Date | Observance | Observed by (including but not limited to) |
|---|---|---|
| November | Hindu Heritage Month | Canada |
| November | Diabetes Awareness Month | International |
| November | Indigenous Disability Awareness Month | Canada |
| November | National Domestic Violence Awareness Month | Canada |
| November 3-9* | Treaties Recognition Week | Ontario |
| November 7 | Inuit Day | Canada |
| November 8 | National Indigenous Veterans' Day | Canada |
| November 11 | Remembrance Day | Canada and US |
| November 14 | World Diabetes Day | International |
| November 16-22* | Restorative Justice Week | Canada |
| November 17-21* | Anti-Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week | Ontario |
| November 20 | International Transgender Day of Remembrance | International |
| November 25 | International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women | United Nations |
| November 25 - December 10 | 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence | Canada |
December
| Date | Observance | Observed by (including but not limited to) |
|---|---|---|
| December | Universal Human Rights Month | International |
| December 1 | World AIDS Day | United Nations |
| December 2 | International Day for the Abolition of Slavery | United Nations |
| December 3 | International Day of Persons with Disabilities | United Nations |
| December 6 | National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women | Canada |
| December 8 | Pansexual Pride Day | International |
| December 10 | Human Rights Day | United Nations |
| December 14-22* | Hanukkah | Jewish |
| December 18 | International Migrants Day | United Nations |
| December 25 | Christmas Day | Gregorian calendar and Christian |
| December 26 - January 1 | Kwanzaa | Canada and US |
* Dates change annually