Appendix H: Cultural Days of Observance 2021 and 2022

1 - New Year’s Day

4 - World Braille Day

6 - Christmas (Armenian Apostolic Church)

7 - Christmas (Christian-Coptic and Eastern Orthodox)

14 - Orthodox New Year (Orthodox Christian)

17 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day* / Tu B’Shevat (Arbor Day)

18 - Bodhi Day (Buddhism)

24 - World Day for African and Afro-descendant Culture / International Day of Education

24-25: Tu B’Shevat (Jewish)*

27 - International Holocaust Remembrance Day

29 - National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia

Black History Month

10 Chinese/Lunar New Year*

2 Groundhog Day

4 World Cancer Day

14 Vasant Panchami (Hindu)*

6 International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation

11 International Day of Women and Girls in Science

14 Valentine’s Day

15 National Flag of Canada Day

24 Magha Puja (Buddhism)*

17 Louis Riel Day (MB)*

20 World Day of Social Justice (United Nations)

21 Family Day* / International Mother Language Day / Mi’Kmaq and Nova Scotia Heritage Day*

28 Pink Shirt Day*

Women’s History Month (US)

Irish History Month

1: St. David’s Day / Zero Discrimination Day

3: Losar (Tibet)* / Chotrul Duchen (Tibetan Buddhists)*

8: International Women’s Day

8: Maha Shivaratri (Hindu)*

11: Eid ul Fitr (Islam)* to sundown April 8

14: Ash Wednesday, Start of Lent (Christianity)*

14: Commonwealth Day

17: St. Patrick's Day

19-20: Nowruz/New Year (Bahá’í)* / Persian New Year*

21: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

23-24: Purim (Jewish)*

24: Right to Truth Day

24: Palm Sunday (Christianity)

25: Holi (Hindu)*

25: International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

26: Birth Anniversary of Prophet Zarathustra (Zoroastrian)*

29: Good/Holy Friday (Christianity, Easter Orthodox)*/ Easter (Christian)* / Easter Monday (Christianity)*

31: International Trans Day of Visibility

Sikh Heritage Month

Genocide Remembrance, Condemnation and Prevention Month

2: World Autism Awareness Day

5: Laylatul Qadr (Night of Power)*

7: World Health Day

9: First day of Chaitra/New Year/Gudi Padwa/Puthandu/Ugadi (Hinduism)*

10-12: Eid-al-Fitr (Islam)* | Begins at sunset on April 9, 2024 and ends on Friday, April 12, 2024

13-15: Songkran (Thailand)*

13: Sinhala and Tamil New Year ((Buddhism; Hinduism)* / Vaisakhi (Sikh)*

13-15: Khmer New Year (Cambodia)*

14 International Day of Pink /

15-23 Passover/Pesach (Jewish)*

17: Ram Navami (Hindu)*

21-May 3: Feast of Ridvan (Bahá’i)*

22: Earth Day / Orthodox Good Friday*

24-26: Theravada New Year (Buddhism)*

27: Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah)

Asian Heritage Month

Canadian Jewish Heritage Month

Mental Health Awareness Month

4 - Holy Saturday (Coptic-Christian and Eastern Orthodox)*

5 -Easter/ Pasha (Coptic-Christian and Eastern Orthodox)*

5 - Yom Ha’atzmaut / Dutch Heritage Day

6 -Easter Monday (Coptic-Christian and Eastern Orthodox)*

12 - Mother’s Day*

17 - International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia

21 - International Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development

20 Victoria Day* (Canadian)

22 to 23 - Declaration of the Bab (Bahá’í)*

23 - Wesak/ Vesak (Buddhist)*

29 - Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh (Bahá’í)

Indigenous History Month

Pride Month

Italian Heritage Month

Filipino Heritage Month

11 to 13 - Shavuot (Judaism)*

5 - World Environment Day

16 - Father’s Day*

16 to 19 - Eid ul Adha*

20 - World Refugee Day

21 - National Indigenous People’s Day

24 - Saint Jean Baptiste Day

27 - Canadian Multicultural Day

1 - Canada Day (Canadian)

7 - Muharram (Islam)*

9 - Nunavut Day

10 - Huron Tract Treaty of 1827 Anniversary / Martyrdom of the Bab (Bahá’í)*

11 - Imamat Day (Isma’ili Islam)*

18 - Nelson Mandela Day

21 – Asalha Puja/Dharma Day (Theravada Buddhism)*

28 - Day of Commemoration of the Great Upheaval

1 - Civic Holiday* (Canadian)/ Emancipation Day

9 -International Day of the World’s Indigenous People

13 to 15 - Obon (Japanese Buddhist)*

15 - National Acadian Day

17 - Marcus Garvey Day (Jamaica)

19- Raksha Bandhan (Hindu)*

19 - World Humanitarian Day

19 to 23 -Public Service Pride Week*

23 - International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition / Paryushan-Parvarambha (Jain)*

26 - Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu)*

5 - Labour Day* (Canadian)

9 to 13 - Mennonite Heritage Week*

19 – Ganesh Chaturthi (Hinduism)*

10 - World Suicide Prevention Day

15 - International Day of Democracy

19 - Powley Day (Ontario (Métis Nation of Ontario; Métis communities across Canada)

20 to 26 - International Week of the Deaf

23 - Bisexual Awareness Day*

30 - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Canadian) / Orange Shirt Day

German Heritage Month

Canadian Islamic History Month

Latin American Heritage Month

Women’s History Month (Canada)

Cybersecurity Awareness Month

1 National Senior Day

2 to 12 - Rosh Hashanah (Jewish)*

4 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls National Day of Remembrance

6-14 Navratri (Hindu)*

10 World Mental Health Day

11 Thanksgiving* (Canada) / National Coming Out Day / International Day of the Girl / National Indigenous Peoples Day (US)*

14 Dussehra (Hindu)*

18 Healthcare Aide Day / Persons’ Day (Canada) / Mawlid al Nabi (Islam)*

20 International Pronouns Day*

25 Haldimand Treaty of 1784 Anniversary

31 Halloween