Public Anniversaries, UN & International Days
This page draws together an ‘easy reference’ resource for campaigners, teachers, bloggers and community groups around Wales seeking to connect their activities to wider events in Wales and the world. See the bottom for notes on content.
January
1 Jan – New Years Day bank holiday, New Years Resolutions for a better world!
6 Jan – Start of Schools Spring Term (to 22 March)
10 Jan – Anniversary of Welsh League of Nations Union founder’s meeting in Llandinam, Powys, 1922
10 Jan – Anniversary of the 1st UN General Assembly in London, 10 Jan-14 Feb 1946, with much Temple of Peace involvement (organiers, secretaries, speakers and choir)
24 Jan – International Day of Education (A/RES/73/25)
27 Jan – Holocaust Memorial Day in UK; UN International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust (A/RES/60/7)
29 Jan 2025 – Chinese New Year of the Snake (changes annually with lunar cycles; 29 Jan 2025; 17 Feb 2026; 6 Feb 2027; 26 Jan 2028; 13 Feb 2029). Start of 1 week national holiday in China, and for many Chinese diaspora.
February
02 Feb – Women’s Peace Appeal: 2 Feb 1924, Annie H-G & delegation departed Euston / Port of Liverpool for American Peace Tour.
06 Feb – FGM Awareness: International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (A/RES/67/146)
06 Feb – anniversary of the 1932 World Disarmament Conference Memorial from Wales being presented to WDC President Arthur Henderson in Geneva.
11 Feb – Women’s Peace Appeal delegation arrived in New York 11 Feb 1924
19 Feb – Women’s Peace Petition & chest presented to Women of America at Biltmore Hotel, New York 19 Feb 1924
20 Feb – World Day of Social Justice (A/RES/62/10)
21 Feb – International Mother Language Day (A/RES/56/262) – celebrate Welsh alongside living languages worldwide
21 Feb – Women’s Peace Appeal presented to US President Calvin Coolidge at White House, Washington 21 Feb 1924
24 Feb – Women’s Peace Tour of US started from Washington towards Chicago (returning to NYC 19 March)
24-28 Feb – Schools Spring Half Term
28 Feb -30 Mar – Ramadan (Islam)
March
01 Mar – St David’s Day / Dydd Gwyl Dewi, national day of Wales
06 Mar – World Book Day UK & Wales (Note – UN World Book Day internationally falls on 23 April. It is marked in UK 6 weeks earlier, to avoid the Easter holidays)
08 Mar – International Women’s Day; IWD2024 in UK;
11 Mar – Moshoeshoe Day, Lesotho – Wales’ twin nation
12 March – Anniversary of Founding of Dolen Cymru, Wales Lesotho Link, 12 March 1985
17 March – St Patrick’s Day (Ireland)
20 Mar – International Day of Happiness (A/RES/66/281)
21 Mar – World Poetry Day [UNESCO]
21 Mar – International Day of Forests (A/RES/67/200)
22 Mar – World Water Day (A/RES/47/193)
24 Mar – World Tuberculosis Day [WHO]
25 March – International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade (A/RES/62/122)
31 March 2025 – Eid al-Fitr / end of Ramadan (Islam)
April
1 April – April Fools Day (until 12.00!)
7 April – World Health Day (WHA/A.2/Res.35)
8 April – Temple of Peace Foundation Stone ceremony, laid on April 8 1937 by Lord Halifax (PCW Collection; feature article)
11-28 April – Schools Easter Holidays / end of Spring Term
12-20 April 2025 – Passover (Jewish)
18-21 April – Easter Bank Holidays (Good Friday / Easter Monday)
23 April – St George’s Day (England)
23 April – World Book Day [UNESCO] (UNESCO 28 C/Resolution 3.18). Note, World Book Day UK & Wales is marked 6 weeks earlier, circa 6 March, to avoid the Easter school holidays)
28 April – Start of Schools Summer Term (to 21 July)
May
5 May – Mayday Bank Holiday
8 May – VEDay80. 2025 marks the 80th Anniversary of VE Day (‘Victory in Europe’), the end of World War 2 in Europe on 8 May 1945.
18 May – Peace & Goodwill Day – traditional broadcast date for Wales’ Youth Message of Peace & Goodwill from 1923 to today.
22 May-1 June – Hay Literature Festival, Hay on Wye, Powys
23 May – Anniversary of Wales Conference of Women in Aberystwyth, 23 May 1923, which initiated the Women’s Peace Appeal to America.
26-31 May 2025 – 2025 Urdd Eisteddfod @ Margam, Port Talbot; 25-31 May 2026 Urdd @ Mon / Anglesey; 2027 Urdd @ Newport
27 May – Spring Bank Holiday
27-31 May – Summer Half Term Schools Break
June
5 June – World Environment Day (A/RES/2994 (XXVII)) – view World Envionment Day website
7 June 2025 – Eid al-Adha (Islam)
9 June 2025 – Whit Monday (Whitsun weekend was traditionally the annual ‘peace gathering’ for the Welsh League of Nations Union through 1920s-30s)
15 June – King’s Birthday (Commonwealth|)
16 June – Anniversay of passing of Temple founder Lord David Davies, 16 June 1944
20 June – World Refugee Day (A/RES/55/76) and Refugee Week in Wales 16-22 June (coordinated by Refugee Council) – Theme ‘Community as a Superpower’
22 June – Windrush Day
24 June – International Day of Women in Diplomacy (A/RES/76/269)
25 June – 3 July – Anniversary of 1926 World Peace Congress in Aberystwyth, the International Federation of League of Nations Societies (IFLNS)
30 June – International Day of Parliamentarism (A/RES/72/278)
July
5 July – NHS Anniversary of the ‘Appointed Day’ on 5 July 1948 when the UK’s National Health Service was launched (see NHS75 event)
8-13 July – Llangollen International Eisteddfod, Denbighshire
11 July – World Population Day (A/RES/45/216)
15 July – World Youth Skills Day (A/RES/69/145)
18 July – Nelson Mandela International Day (A/RES/64/13)
22 July – Start of Welsh Schools Summer Holidays (to 2 Sept 2024 – 2024-25 school year dates here)
22-25 July – Royal Welsh Show, Builth Wells
30 July – International Day of Friendship (A/RES/65/275)
August
2-9 Aug – 2025 Eisteddfod in Wrexham (always 1st week of August); 1-8 Aug 2026 in Pembrokeshire; TBC in South Wales for 31 July-7 Aug 2027
4 Aug – Anniversary of Outbreak of WW1, 4 Aug 1914
6 Aug – Hiroshima Day against Nuclear Weapons, UK events coordinated by CND
12 Aug – International Youth Day (A/RES/54/120)
19 Aug – World Humanitarian Day (A/RES/63/139)
23 Aug – International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition [UNESCO] (29 C/Resolution 40)
26 Aug – Summer Bank Holiday
September
1 Sept – Start of Schools Autumn Term (2025-26 term dates here)
2 Sept – Anniversary of end of World War 2 (in Pacific), 2 Sept 1945
3 Sept – Anniversary of Outbreak of WW2, 3 Sept 1939
5 Sept – International Day of Charity (A/RES/67/105)
15 Sept – International Day of Democracy (A/RES/62/7)
21 Sept – International Day of Peace (A/RES/36/67)
23 Sept 2025 – Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year
October
1-31 Oct – Black History Month UK wide
5 Oct – World Teachers’ Day [UNESCO] ((27 C/INF.7))
11 Oct – International Day of the Girl Child (A/RES/66/170)
11 Oct – WCIA51, Anniversary of the opening of WCIA the Welsh Centre for International Affairs on 11 Oct 1973 – end of WCIA’s 50th year ‘Golden Anniversary’.
21 Oct – Diwali (Hindu, Sikh & Jain)
24 Oct – United Nations Day (A/RES/168 (II)) – list of UN anniversaries
27 Oct – Anniversary of 1st Conference of the United Nations Association in Wales, post-WW2 successor to Welsh League of Nations Union, 27 Oct 1945.
27-31 Oct – Welsh Schools Half Term Holiday
31 Oct – Hallowe’en (marked internationally)
November
2 Nov – Wales Festival of Remembrance, St Davids Hall, starts week of Remembrance activities UK wide
5 Nov – Guy Fawkes Day, UK
9 Nov – Remembrance Sunday
11 Nov – Remembrance Day silence at 11.00 on 11/11/11 (UK coordination by British Legion);
15 Nov – BBC Children in Need UK wide fundraiser
20 Nov – World Children’s Day (A/RES/836(IX))
20 Nov – Anniversary of the 1st UNESCO Conference in Paris, 20 Nov – 10 Dec 1946 (approving Constitution and purposes drafted by Welsh Committee under Rev Gwilym Davies)
23 Nov – 87th Anniversary of the Temple of Peace & Health opening on 23 Nov 1938.
30 Nov – St Andrews Day (Scotland)
December
1 Dec – World AIDS Day
10 Dec – Welsh Churches Peace Appeal to America – anniversary of presentation in Detroit, on 10th Dec 1925, to the Congress of the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America, by Rev Gwilym Davies.
10 Dec – Human Rights Day (A/RES/423 (V)) and UN75 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
15 Dec 2025 – Hannukkah (Jewish)
18 Dec – International Migrants Day (A/RES/55/93)
20 Dec – International Human Solidarity Day (A/RES/60/209)
19 Dec-5 Jan – Welsh Schools Christmas Holidays
25-26 Dec – Christmas & Boxing Day Bank Holidays
Notes on Content
- Thematic ‘UN Days’ are linked to their relevant global initiatives (there are several hundred UN observances, so we have been slightly selective for those of most relevance to Welsh internationalists. For those who are after International Tea Day, Bee Day or Sea Day, please explore further the UN Observances Calendar.
- Major Welsh cultural events such as St Davids Day, Festivals and Eisteddfods are linked to their organising bodies.
- Welsh ‘Peace Heritage’ anniversaries are included, such as the Temple of Peace, Women’s Peace Appeal and dates for WCIA and other Welsh Civil Society Organisations
- School terms and public holidays are noted for reference, with links to Government guidance, along with key religious holidays across the UK’s major faith groups.
- Most dates recur every year (with some variation for public events & religious festivals). This list has been updated for 2024-25, individual events for future years may move a few days either way.
- We intend to rotate the list every three months so that the current ‘quarter’ appears at the top, and update any changes.
- If you spot any dates (or useful resources / links) missing, please email walesforpeace@wcia.org.uk.
