Cultural calendar
Increasing cultural awareness
As workplaces become increasingly diverse, working in cross-cultural teams has become an integral part of the modern workplace. Managing this diversity is a critical capability for any successful organisation, and improving cultural awareness is an important first step in creating an inclusive environment for all.
Developing cultural awareness begins with building cultural knowledge. Our calendar of awareness-raising days and religious, national and global annual celebrations provides organisations with an inclusion resource towards building a sense of belonging among all staff.
Top tip
Use the calendar when planning meetings, setting deadlines and organising events to avoid or accommodate significant religious festivals and ensure all staff feel included, and able to fulfil their true potential.
January
Love Your Liver Month / Dry January
Throughout
January
2025
Let’s show our livers some love by doing something healthy. Take a pledge to love your liver and make a change that will benefit your liver health.
Veganuary
Throughout
January
2025
Join the Plant-Based Revolution! Veganuary has inspired and supported millions of people to try vegan since 2014 – with participants from almost every country in the world. We have worked with businesses to drive up vegan options in shops and restaurants, and have made veganism more visible and accessible through our work with national and international media.
New Year's Day
1
January
2025
New Year’s Day is a moment celebrated all over the world. This is a day with many different traditions including sports matches, parades, long walks and time with family. What many of these traditions have in common is a calmness after the festivities of December and New Year’s Eve.
World Braille Day
4
January
2025
World Braille Day, celebrated since 2019, is observed to raise awareness of the importance of Braille as a means of communication in the full realisation of the human rights for blind and partially-sighted people.
Epiphany (Christian)
6
January
2025
End of the 12 days of Christmas. Celebrates visit of the Magi (Three Kings or Three Wise Men) to baby Jesus. Especially important to Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics.
Christmas Day (Orthodox)
7
January
2024
Orthodox communities in Europe, Africa and the Middle East which make up more than 12% of all Christians celebrate Christmas Day weeks after most of the Western world. This is because they use a different calendar, called the Julian calendar, to work out what day Christmas should be. The Eastern Orthodox Christmas falls on 7 January in the Gregorian (Western) calendar.
Bodhi Day (Buddhist)
8
January
2025
Bodhi Day is a Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day Siddhartha Gautama attained awakening or enlightenment and became the Buddha 2,600 years ago
January
Love Your Liver Month / Dry January
Throughout
January
2025
Let’s show our livers some love by doing something healthy. Take a pledge to love your liver and make a change that will benefit your liver health.
Veganuary
Throughout
January
2025
Join the Plant-Based Revolution! Veganuary has inspired and supported millions of people to try vegan since 2014 – with participants from almost every country in the world. We have worked with businesses to drive up vegan options in shops and restaurants, and have made veganism more visible and accessible through our work with national and international media.
New Year's Day
1
January
2025
New Year’s Day is a moment celebrated all over the world. This is a day with many different traditions including sports matches, parades, long walks and time with family. What many of these traditions have in common is a calmness after the festivities of December and New Year’s Eve.
World Braille Day
4
January
2025
World Braille Day, celebrated since 2019, is observed to raise awareness of the importance of Braille as a means of communication in the full realisation of the human rights for blind and partially-sighted people.
Epiphany (Christian)
6
January
2025
End of the 12 days of Christmas. Celebrates visit of the Magi (Three Kings or Three Wise Men) to baby Jesus. Especially important to Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics.
Christmas Day (Orthodox)
7
January
2024
Orthodox communities in Europe, Africa and the Middle East which make up more than 12% of all Christians celebrate Christmas Day weeks after most of the Western world. This is because they use a different calendar, called the Julian calendar, to work out what day Christmas should be. The Eastern Orthodox Christmas falls on 7 January in the Gregorian (Western) calendar.
Bodhi Day (Buddhist)
8
January
2025
Bodhi Day is a Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day Siddhartha Gautama attained awakening or enlightenment and became the Buddha 2,600 years ago
February
LGBT History Month
Throughout
February
2025
Celebrate the lives and achievements of the LGBT+ community. 2025 theme: Activism and Social Change.
World Hijab Day
1
February
2025
World Hijab Day is commemorated in over 150 countries every 1 February. It aims to raise awareness and dismantle prejudice, bigotry, and discrimination against Muslim women. World Hijab Day is a great opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges faced by hijabis. On this day non-hijabis can experience hijab as a means to foster religious tolerance and understanding. “If a woman can choose to wear a miniskirt, surely I can choose to cover my hair?” ― Mona Eltahawy (Egyptian-American journalist, NYC, born 1967)
February
LGBT History Month
Throughout
February
2025
Celebrate the lives and achievements of the LGBT+ community. 2025 theme: Activism and Social Change.
World Hijab Day
1
February
2025
World Hijab Day is commemorated in over 150 countries every 1 February. It aims to raise awareness and dismantle prejudice, bigotry, and discrimination against Muslim women. World Hijab Day is a great opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges faced by hijabis. On this day non-hijabis can experience hijab as a means to foster religious tolerance and understanding. “If a woman can choose to wear a miniskirt, surely I can choose to cover my hair?” ― Mona Eltahawy (Egyptian-American journalist, NYC, born 1967)
March
Women's History Month
Throughout
March
2025
Celebrating the vital role that women have played throughout history. Women's History Month is an annual observance to highlight the remarkable contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society.
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Throughout
March
2025
March the Month. March 11,000 steps every day during the month of March to raise awareness of prostate cancer.
Zero Discrimination Day
1
March
2025
A global campaign to promote diversity, tolerance, and inclusion. Zero discrimination day calls to end discrimination, stigmatisation and criminalisation. It challenges all institutions and people of influence to not only be non-discriminatory but to be anti-discrimination. 2025 theme: To protect everyone’s health, protect everyone’s rights.
March
Women's History Month
Throughout
March
2025
Celebrating the vital role that women have played throughout history. Women's History Month is an annual observance to highlight the remarkable contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society.
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Throughout
March
2025
March the Month. March 11,000 steps every day during the month of March to raise awareness of prostate cancer.
Zero Discrimination Day
1
March
2025
A global campaign to promote diversity, tolerance, and inclusion. Zero discrimination day calls to end discrimination, stigmatisation and criminalisation. It challenges all institutions and people of influence to not only be non-discriminatory but to be anti-discrimination. 2025 theme: To protect everyone’s health, protect everyone’s rights.
April
Stress Awareness Month
Throughout
April
2025
Bringing attention to the negative impact of stress. Stress awareness month has been held every April since 1992 to increase public awareness about both the causes and cures for our modern stress epidemic.
World Autism Awareness Day
2
April
2025
World Autism Awareness Day is an internationally recognised day to raise awareness about autistic individuals, improving their quality of life and ensuring they have the same human rights and freedoms as others. 2025 theme: Colour.
April
Stress Awareness Month
Throughout
April
2025
Bringing attention to the negative impact of stress. Stress awareness month has been held every April since 1992 to increase public awareness about both the causes and cures for our modern stress epidemic.
World Autism Awareness Day
2
April
2025
World Autism Awareness Day is an internationally recognised day to raise awareness about autistic individuals, improving their quality of life and ensuring they have the same human rights and freedoms as others. 2025 theme: Colour.
May
National Walking Month
Throughout
May
2025
Encouraging people to walk more. Walking is one of the easiest ways to improve our health and stay connected to our community, helping us feel less lonely and isolated. 2025 theme: Magic of walking.
Action on Stroke Month
Throughout
May
2025
Make May Purple. Increasing awareness of strokes, their impact, and the signs and symptoms.
May
National Walking Month
Throughout
May
2025
Encouraging people to walk more. Walking is one of the easiest ways to improve our health and stay connected to our community, helping us feel less lonely and isolated. 2025 theme: Magic of walking.
Action on Stroke Month
Throughout
May
2025
Make May Purple. Increasing awareness of strokes, their impact, and the signs and symptoms.
June
Pride Month
Throughout
June
2024
Celebrate LGBTQ+ people and raise awareness about their continued struggle against discrimination.
June
Pride Month
Throughout
June
2024
Celebrate LGBTQ+ people and raise awareness about their continued struggle against discrimination.
July
International Women with Alopecia Month
Throughout
July
2025
International Women with Alopecia Month is observed in July every year. It aims to raise awareness about women living with alopecia, one of the most common types of hair loss, caused by an autoimmune disruption where the body attacks its own hair follicles.
July
International Women with Alopecia Month
Throughout
July
2025
International Women with Alopecia Month is observed in July every year. It aims to raise awareness about women living with alopecia, one of the most common types of hair loss, caused by an autoimmune disruption where the body attacks its own hair follicles.
August
World Breast-feeding Week
1
August
2025
1–7 August 2025 Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year across the world from 1 August — 7 August. This global campaign aims to raise awareness about breastfeeding and its advantages.
August
World Breast-feeding Week
1
August
2025
1–7 August 2025 Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year across the world from 1 August — 7 August. This global campaign aims to raise awareness about breastfeeding and its advantages.
September
Sickle Cell Awareness Month
Throughout
September
2025
Dedicated to raising awareness about sickle cell disorder (SCD) and the challenges faced by people across the World.
September
Sickle Cell Awareness Month
Throughout
September
2025
Dedicated to raising awareness about sickle cell disorder (SCD) and the challenges faced by people across the World.
October
Black History Month
Throughout
October
2025
Black History Month has its roots in 1920s USA, when Carter G Woodson, a black American historian, set up a week in February to celebrate the contribution of African Americans. In the UK, Black History Month began in 1987, when the first event took place in London. Today the month is marked by events across the country, celebrating the importance of black people in history.
October
Black History Month
Throughout
October
2025
Black History Month has its roots in 1920s USA, when Carter G Woodson, a black American historian, set up a week in February to celebrate the contribution of African Americans. In the UK, Black History Month began in 1987, when the first event took place in London. Today the month is marked by events across the country, celebrating the importance of black people in history.
November
MOVEMBER - Men's Health Awareness Month
Throughout
November
2025
Movember is a month-long campaign that encourages men to grow mustaches (or 'Mos') and engage in activities to raise awareness about men's health. It focuses on promoting conversations about men's mental health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.
November
MOVEMBER - Men's Health Awareness Month
Throughout
November
2025
Movember is a month-long campaign that encourages men to grow mustaches (or 'Mos') and engage in activities to raise awareness about men's health. It focuses on promoting conversations about men's mental health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.
December
Universal Human Rights Month
Throughout
December
2025
Universal Human Rights Month is an annual designation observed in December, which began in December 1948 when the United Nations wrote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This month, and every month to follow, people across the globe are encouraged to stand up for equality, justice, and the dignity of all humans. The UDHR is an international document stating the basic rights and fundamental freedoms to which all human beings are entitled. These rights include freedom from discrimination, the right to equality, and the right to be considered innocent until proven guilty.
December
Universal Human Rights Month
Throughout
December
2025
Universal Human Rights Month is an annual designation observed in December, which began in December 1948 when the United Nations wrote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This month, and every month to follow, people across the globe are encouraged to stand up for equality, justice, and the dignity of all humans. The UDHR is an international document stating the basic rights and fundamental freedoms to which all human beings are entitled. These rights include freedom from discrimination, the right to equality, and the right to be considered innocent until proven guilty.
© 2025 Halsden Centre Limited. A company registered in England & Wales No 15730726
© 2025 Halsden Centre Limited. A company registered in England & Wales No 15730726
© 2025 Halsden Centre Limited. A company registered in England & Wales No 15730726