While our daily calendars may be mostly used for schedules and deadlines, national days and holidays offer a refreshing pause to celebrate, remember, and learn about different cultures and traditions.
From the well-known public holiday and federal holidays to religious holidays and the fun and quirky food holidays, each day presents an opportunity to mark something special and celebrate with the kids.
In this blog post, we’re excited to guide you through the entire year, highlighting not just the typical national holidays but also offering you a great way to keep track of them with our free printable monthly calendar pages.
Why Use a Printable Calendar?
In today’s digital age, why opt for a printable calendar? For starters, a printable calendar offers a tangible way to organize your month, plan for special days, and even incorporate them into your academic program or business planning.
Whether you’re a teacher outlining the school year for elementary schools or a business owner looking to engage on social media with national day posters, our free printable templates serve as a blank canvas for your creativity.
We have a printable calendar that is undated, offering flexibility to start any month of the year, and you can re-use this calendar year after year, we also have a 2024 calendar that you can use if you prefer, and we update this annually
Or you can use these interactive calendar pages that are designed for preschool kids.
List of National Days, Holidays, and Observances – A Year-Round Celebration
Let’s go on a month-by-month journey, highlighting key national days, federal holidays, and unique celebrations. While this list isn’t exhaustive, it provides a starting point for you to fill in your printable calendar with the events that resonate most with you or your community.
Using this list of national holidays is also a great way to get inspiration for crafts and topics to explore with the kids.
- January
- 1st: New Year’s Day
- 3rd Monday: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- 5th: National Bagel Day
- 21st: National Hugging Day
- International Women’s Day (Date varies)
- February
- Black history month
- Dental health month
- 2nd: Groundhog Day
- 9th: National Pizza Day
- Chinese New Year (Date varies)
- 14th: Valentine’s Day
- 20th: National Love Your Pet Day
- 3rd Monday: Presidents Day
- March
- 1st St David’s Day
- 2nd Dr Seuss birthday
- 8th: International Women’s Day
- 14th: Pi Day (Celebrating the mathematical constant π)
- 17th: St. Patrick’s Day
- 23rd: National Puppy Day
- Mardi Gras / beginning of lent (date varies, a month before Easter)
- April
- 1st: April Fools’ Day
- 12th: National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day
- 22nd: Earth Day
- Good Friday (Date varies – the Friday before Easter)
- Last Sunday: Easter
- May
- 4th Star Wars Day (“May the Fourth be with you”)
- 5th: Cinco de Mayo
- Second Sunday: Mother’s Day (United States)
- Last Monday: Memorial Day
- 28th: National Hamburger Day
- June
- 5th: National Donut Day (First Friday of June
- 8th: National Best Friends Day
- 14th: Flag Day
- 3rd Sunday: Father’s Day
- 19th: Juneteenth
- 21st: International Yoga Day
- Summer Solstice (Date varies)
- July
- 1st: Canada Day
- 4th: Independence Day
- 7th: World Chocolate Day
- 14th: Bastille Day
- 17th: World Emoji Day
- August
- 9th: International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
- 10th: National S’mores Day
- 12th: International Youth Day
- 26th: National Dog Day
- September
- 1st Monday: Labor Day
- 19th: International Talk Like a Pirate Day
- 21st: International Day of Peace
- 29th: National Coffee Day
- Last Sunday: World Rivers Day
- Constitution Day (Date varies)
- October
- 1st: International Coffee Day
- 1st: International Music Day
- 2nd: International Day of Non-Violence
- 4th: National Taco Day
- 31st: Halloween
- November
- 1st: Day of the Dead
- 13th: World Kindness Day
- 11th: Veterans Day
- 4th Thursday: Thanksgiving Day
- Following Friday: Black Friday
- December
- 1st: World AIDS Day
- 3rd: National Sandwich Day
- 4th: National Cookie Day
- 10th: Human Rights Day
- 18th: Answer The Telephone Like Buddy The Elf Day
- 19th: International Men’s Day
- 25th: Christmas Day
- 25th Boxing Day
- 31st New Year’s Eve
- Winter Solstice (Date varies)
Holidays That Move Around the Year
Certain holidays have dates that shift each year, primarily because they are based on lunar calendars or astrological events, reflecting the rich traditions and historical significance behind them. Here’s how to know when these moveable holidays occur:
Lunar Holidays
- Chinese New Year: Marking the start of the lunar new year, this celebration’s date changes but generally falls between January 21 and February 20. It’s determined by the first new moon of the lunar calendar.
- Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr: Islamic holidays based on the lunar Hijri calendar. Ramadan, the month of fasting, concludes with Eid al-Fitr, a day of feasting. Since the Islamic calendar is about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, these dates shift annually.
- Diwali: While primarily a Hindu festival, Diwali is celebrated by multiple faiths across the globe. Its date is based on the Hindu lunar calendar, typically occurring in October or November.
Solar Holidays
- Easter: Determined by a complex calculation involving the vernal equinox and the phases of the moon, Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the vernal equinox.
- Holi: Known as the festival of colors, Holi’s date varies but it generally takes place in March, on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Phalguna.
How to Keep Track
For holidays that move around each year, it’s best to consult a current lunar or religious calendar specific to the celebration you’re observing. Many online resources and apps provide accurate dates for these holidays well in advance, helping you stay prepared and incorporate them into your free printable calendar.
Making Your Calendar a Cultural Journey
Adding these dynamic celebrations to your calendar not only enriches your understanding of global cultures but also transforms your calendar into a tool for connection and learning.
By marking down these varied holidays and observances, you invite the spirit of unity, reflection, and joy into your daily life, embracing the beautiful diversity of our world.
Remember, the purpose of including such a wide range of holidays and festivals in your calendar is to foster a deeper appreciation for the myriad ways people celebrate life’s moments around the globe.
Whether these days are marked by quiet reflection or exuberant celebration, they offer us all a chance to pause, learn, and connect with something larger than ourselves.
Special Days and Fun Observances
Apart from the traditional holidays, our calendar is your canvas to mark:
- National Coffee Day
- Bubble Bath Day
- National Pizza Day
- Weird Holidays like International Joke Day
Making the Most of Your Printable Calendars
- For Personal Use: Customize your calendar with birthdays, anniversaries, and personal milestones. Use sentence starters or frames to jot down goals or affirmations for each month.
- For Schools: Academic programs and school boards can incorporate monthly observances into their curriculum, celebrating different cultures and fostering a global mindset among students.
- For Businesses: Small businesses and entrepreneurs can use the calendar to plan promotions around national days, leveraging social media to engage with their audience in a fun and relevant way.
Ready to Start Planning?
Our free printable calendars are more than just a tool to track dates; it’s a way to inspire, celebrate, and connect with the world around us.
Whether you’re marking the date of independence, planning a special event for National Coffee Day, or looking for a unique way to engage with your community, our calendar offers a flexible and creative solution.
Remember, every day is a chance to celebrate something, and with our printable monthly calendar, you’ll never miss an opportunity to join in the festivities.
Download your free printable templates today and start filling in the special days, holidays, and weird observances that mean the most to you. Here’s to a year of celebration, reflection, and connection!
- Free Printable Kids Calendar 2024
- Free Printable 2024 Calendar Template for Kids to Design
- Free Interactive Preschool Calendar Printables (12 Months)
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.
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