List of minor secular observances


Terminology

A national or international awareness day or observance is a date usually set by a major organisation or government to commemorate a public health or ethical cause of importance on a national or international level.
An international observance, also known as an international dedication or international anniversary, is a period of time to observe some issue of international interest or concern. This is used to commemorate, promote and mobilize for action. Many of these periods have been established by the United Nations General Assembly, Economic and Social Council, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, World Health Organization and other United Nations bodies including the International Telecommunication Union, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Intellectual Property Organization, United Nations Environment Programme, International Maritime Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization. In this case, the lead agency for a particular international observance uses the symbolism of the United Nations, perhaps a specially designed logo for the year, and the UN infrastructure to coordinate events worldwide. It also presents a written report about the event. This summarizes the activities that took place around the world under the auspices of the international observance, and makes recommendations for the future.
The lists below include some days, month, years, and decades that have been recognized as international observances by the United Nations, or by other organizations that declare international observances but are not as widely recognized

Days

January

February

DayNameEstablished/recognized by
February 1ImbolcGaelic Traditional
February 1World Hijab Day
February 1World Aspergillosis Day
February 2Groundhog Day
February 2World Wetlands Day
February 2Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Day
February 4Sri Lankan Independence Day
February 4World Cancer DayUN, WHO
February 5Kashmir Solidarity Day
February 5World Nutella Day
February 6Sami National Day
February 6Waitangi Day
February 6International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital MutilationWHO
February 10World Pulses DayUN, FAO
February 11European 112 DayInstituted by the European Union
February 11World Day of the SickInstituted by Pope John Paul II
February 11International Day of Women and Girls in ScienceUN Women
February 12Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness DayCanadian Federation for Sexual Health
February 12Darwin Day
February 12International Day of Women's HealthCanadian Foundation for Women's Health
February 12Red Hand DayChild Soldier Awareness
February 13World Radio DayUN, UNESCO
February 14World Valentine Day
February 14Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day Children's Heart Society
February 14V-DayGlobal day to end violence against women
February 15 Singles Awareness Day
February 15Total Defence Day
February 15International Childhood Cancer DayChildhood Cancer Foundation
February 17Random Acts of Kindness Day -
February 17Serbian Statehood Day
February 20World Day of Social JusticeUN
February 21International Mother Language DayUN, UNESCO
February 21Language Movement Day
February 21Global Information Governance Day
February 22Founders DayScouts' Day, worldwide
February 22World Thinking Day
February 26 National Wear Red Day
February 27World NGO DayBaltic Sea NGO Forum of the Council of the Baltic Sea States, Communities, International Leaders and Organizations
February 27Anosmia Awareness Day, World NGO Day
February 27National Pancake Day
February 28/29 Rare Disease Day
February Ice Cream for Breakfast Day
February Safer Internet Day
February Washington's Birthday

March

DayNameEstablished/recognized by-
March 1World Civil Defence Day-
March 1National Pig Day -
March 1Self-Injury Awareness DayAlso known as Self-Harm Awareness Day-
March 2Employee Appreciation Day-
March 2Texas Independence Day-
March 2 Read Across America Day National Education Association-
March 3World Wildlife DayUN
March 3Liberation Day of the Republic of Bulgaria-
March 5Dissociative Identity Disorder Awareness Day-
March 8International Women's DayUN-
March 10National Women and Girl's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day-
March 10Mario Day-
March 10 or Friday of first full weekMiddle Name Pride Day-
March 11National Singles Day and Solo Poly Day UK-
March 12World Glaucoma Day-
March 14Pi Day-
March 14Steak and Blowjob Day-
March 14White Day -
March 15World Consumer Rights Day, World Sleep Day-
March 15World Contact Day-
March 18Transit Driver Appreciation Day-
March 19Mario Monti Day -
March 20World Oral Health DayThe most important day in the dental calendar worldwide; organized by World Dental Federation -
March 20International Day of Francophonie-
March 20International Day of HappinessUN-
March 20World Sparrow Day-
March 20World Rights to Water Day-
March 21Anal Cancer Awareness Day-
March 21Cluster Headache Awareness DayPromoted by OUCH alongside The European Headache Federation and European Headache Alliance.
Cluster headaches are one of the ten most painful conditions known to medical science, with a 1 in 1000 prevalence rate but zero drug research funding.		-
March 21Human Rights Day South Africa-
March 21International Colour Day-
March 21International Day for the Elimination of Racial DiscriminationUN-
March 21World Poetry DayUN, UNESCO-
March 21International Day of NowruzUN-
March 21World Down Syndrome DayUN-
March 21World Puppetry DayUNIMA-
March 21International Day of ForestsUN-
March 22World Water DayUN-
March 23Pakistan Day-
March 23World Meteorological DayUN, WMO, WHO-
March 23National Puppy Day -
March 24World Tuberculosis DayUN, WHO-
March 25International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave TradeUN-
March 25International Day of the Unborn ChildCatholic Church-
March 25Observance of National Genocide DayBPCA-
March 25EU Talent Day-
March 25FND Awareness Day UKFor functional neurological disorder and non-epileptic attack disorder-
March 25Tolkien Reading Day-
March 26Bangladesh Independence Day-
March 26Purple Day for epilepsy-
March 27World Theatre Day-
March 30World Bipolar DayInternational Society for Bipolar Disorders-
March 31International Drug Checking Day-
March 31World Backup Day-
March 31International Transgender Day of Visibility-
March National Corndog Day -
March World Kidney Day-
Monday before Shrove TuesdayNickanan Night, Collop Monday. Hall' Monday-

April

DayNameEstablished/recognized by
April 1April Fools' Day
April 1Edible Book Festival
April 2World Autism Awareness DayUN
April 2International Children's Book Day
April 2Male Escorts' Day
April 5National Maritime Day
April 6International Day of Sport for Development and PeaceUN
April 6World Bohring-Opitz Syndrome Awareness Day
April 7Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Rwanda GenocideUN
April 7World Health DayUN, WHO
April 8International Romani Day
April 10World Homeopathy Day
April 10Siblings Day
April 11International Louie Louie Day
April 12Equal Pay Day
April 12Cosmonautics Day
April 13FND Awareness Dayfunctional neurological disorder and conversion disorder.
FND Hope; since adopted by other groups and medical professionals worldwide.
April 14Black Day
April 14Pohela Boishakh
April 15Day of Dialogue
April 15World Bleeding Disorders Awareness DaySupported by the World Federation of Hemophilia
April 16National Healthcare Decisions Day
April 16Foursquare Day
April 16World Voice Day
April 17, 18 and 19 have been usedRecord Store Day
April 17World Haemophilia Day
April 18International Day For Monuments and Sites
April 18Youth Homelessness Matters DayNational Youth Coalition for Housing, Australia
April 19Bicycle Day
Third Thursday of AprilNational High Five Day
April 20420: international day for cannabis-related protests and eventsGlobal cannabis culture
April 21Day of Silence
April 21National Tea Day
April 22Earth Day
April 22International Mother Earth DayUN
April 22 Administrative Professionals' Day
April 23World Book and Copyright DayUN, UNESCO
April 23English Language Day
April 24Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day
April 24World Meningitis Day
April 24Fashion Revolution Day
April 24International Sculpture Day
April 24World Day for Laboratory Animals
April 25DNA day
April 25World Malaria DayUN, WHO
April 25International Delegate's DayUN
April 25Parental Alienation Awareness Day
April 25ANZAC Day
April 25Liberation Day
April Administrative Professionals' Day
April 26World Intellectual Property Day
April 27King's Day
April 27Freedom Day
April 28World Day for Safety and Health at WorkUN, ILO
April 29Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical WarfareUN
April 29International Dance DayUNESCO
April 30International Jazz DayUN

May

June

September

October

November

December

Other days that vary by location

International

WeekNameRecognized by
February 1–7World Interfaith Harmony WeekUN with A/RES/65/5
February 7–14Congenital Heart Defect Awareness WeekMended Hearts
Begins every 2nd Sunday of MarchWorld Glaucoma WeekWGA
March 27 – April 2 Global Money Week
Last week of AprilWorld Immunization WeekWorld Health Organization
Last week of AprilVaccination Week In The Americas-
April 25 – May 2 Vaccination Week in the AmericasPan American Health Organization
May 8 to May 14Mental Health Awareness Week - 8–14 MayMental Health Foundation and others
May 20 to May 26Dementia Action Week
Third week in JuneMosquito Awareness WeekPan American Health Organization
August 1–7World Breastfeeding WeekWHO
September 5–11, 2016-2017Idiopathic Hypersomnia Awareness Week
First week in SeptemberZero Waste Week
Last week in SeptemberGlobal ITP Awareness WeekGlobal ITP Alliance
October 5 to October 11Mental Illness Awareness Week - 5–11 October 2008
December 26 to January 1Kwanzaa

Regional or national

See List of month-long observances.

Years

Decades