Holidays, Traditions & Observances

Japanese national holiday marking the start of the year.

Eating seven-herb rice porridge to pray for good health.

Breaking and eating the New Year mochi offering.

Marks the end of New Year festivities; eating red-bean porridge.

Marks the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake; a day to reflect on disaster preparedness.

International cancer-awareness day led by the Union for International Cancer Control.

Japanese national holiday.

A day to express love and affection.

UN international day promoting social justice.

UNESCO international day celebrating linguistic and cultural diversity.

From the cat-sound pun "nyan-nyan-nyan" (2-2-2).

Japanese national holiday (Reiwa era).

Festival praying for girls' growth and happiness.

A global day celebrating women and advocating equality.

Commemorates the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan.

A day to return Valentine’s gifts.

A celebration of the mathematical constant π (3.14).

Irish cultural celebration; people wear green.

UN international day on the importance of freshwater.

A day for lighthearted hoaxes and jokes.

UN day to raise awareness and understanding of autism.

WHO-designated global health awareness day.

Buddhist festival celebrating the birth of the Buddha.

Marks Yuri Gagarin's first human spaceflight in 1961 (a UN observance).

International day to support environmental protection.

A UNESCO day promoting reading and publishing.

Japanese national holiday.

International day celebrating workers.

Japanese national holiday.

Japanese national holiday.

Japanese national holiday celebrating children.

Marks the birthday of Red Cross founder Henry Dunant.

Marked on the birthday of Florence Nightingale.

UN international day highlighting the importance of families.

WHO day highlighting the health risks of tobacco.

Traditional seasonal change to summer clothing.

From the Japanese pun "mu-shi" (6-4); start of dental health week.

A UN day for environmental awareness.

UN international day celebrating the role of the ocean.

A Japanese day (since 1920) to reflect on the value of time.

WHO day promoting blood donation, held on Karl Landsteiner's birthday.

UN day honoring and supporting refugees worldwide.

Marks the 1776 U.S. Declaration of Independence.

Star festival; people write wishes on strips of paper.

UN day focusing on global population issues.

Celebration based on the date shown on the calendar emoji 📅.

A UN day promoting friendship.

Commemorates the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

An international day celebrating cats and their welfare.

Commemorates the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki.

Japanese national holiday.

UN international day on the role of young people.

Marks the end of World War II in Japan (1945).

Celebrates photography; marks the 1839 announcement of the daguerreotype.

From a Japanese pun reading 8-2-9 as "yakiniku".

A day for disaster preparedness, marking the 1923 Great Kantō Earthquake.

A UNESCO day promoting literacy worldwide.

Double Ninth festival praying for longevity with chrysanthemums.

Commemorates the 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.

A UN day calling for peace worldwide.

International day on the value of tourism (UN Tourism).

UN day celebrating translation, on the feast of St. Jerome.

A global day to celebrate coffee.

International day for animal welfare, on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.

A UNESCO day honoring teachers (since 1994).

The figures "10 10" turned sideways resemble eyebrows and eyes.

UN international day on the rights of girls.

Day on global food issues, established by the UN FAO.

Marks the 1945 entry into force of the UN Charter.

Festival of costumes and trick-or-treating.

From the dog-bark pun "wan-wan-wan" (1-1-1).

Japanese national holiday promoting culture.

From the Japanese pun "ii-ha" (good teeth), 11-8.

Named for the "1111" resembling the stick snacks.

Celebration of children's growth at ages 3, 5 and 7.

An international day celebrating students worldwide.

UN day promoting children's rights and welfare.

From the pun "ii-fuufu" (good couple), 11-22.

Japanese national holiday honoring labor.

From the pun "ii-Nihonshoku" (good Japanese food); celebrates washoku culture.

From the Japanese pun "ii-niku" (good meat), 11-29.

A global day for AIDS awareness and prevention.

UN international day on the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.

A UN day marking the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).

A Japanese day (pun "good-character") when the kanji of the year is announced.

The evening before Christmas.

Holiday celebrated around the world.

The last day of the year; people eat toshikoshi soba.