Last month when I was creating a content plan for my new eco giftware company I searched around the web for environmental holidays to inspire my content. I thought that there must be a large list somewhere and I did find a few with 50+ however they often had missed the more specific or niche holidays. I put in the back of my mind to create a larger list but it wasn’t until Anna asked if anyone knew of a list in my Facebook Community for eco-minded entrepreneurs that I got the nudge I needed to start pulling together this list.
This list doesn’t (yet) include every green holiday because amazingly there are so many. It’s fantastic to see the increased awareness of these important issues.
International days are occasions to help educate on issues of concern, to encourage political change and shift resources to address global problems, while also celebrating and reinforcing what we as humanity have achieved so far.
International ‘days’ can also include weeks, years and decades designed to increase awareness and actions on important issues. Keep in mind, the actual dates vary by year.
International Days can be used in your business to help spread awareness of issues aligned with your product and services.
January International Ethical and Green Holidays
1 January – New Year’s Resolution
5 January – National Bird Day
24 January – International Day of Education
Last Saturday – Seed Swap Day
February International Ethical and Green Holidays
1 February – Schools Clean Up Day (Australia)
2 February – World Wetlands Day
20 February – World Day of Social Justice
21 February – February International Mother Language Day
27 February – International Polar Bear Day
28 February – Business Clean Up Day (Australia)
1st Week February – Recyclemania (USA)
Third Sunday – World Whale Day
End of February – Spay Day (USA)
March International Ethical and Green Holidays
1 March – Renewable Energy Day
1 March – Zero Discrimination Day
3 March – World Wildlife Day
4 March – World Obesity Day
8 March – International Women’s Day
11 March – World Plumbing Day
20 March – International Day of Happiness
20 March – World Sparrow Day
20/24 March – Spring/Autumn Equinox
20/24 March – MeatOut Day
21 March – International Day of Nowruz
21 March – International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
21 March – World Forestry Day/World Wood Day/ International Day of Forests
21 March – World Poetry Day
22 March – World Water Day
23 March – World Meteorological Day
24 March – International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims
25 March – International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
First Friday – Day of Unplugging
First Sunday – Clean Up Australia Day
Third Week – Solar Week
Last Saturday – Earth Hour
April International Ethical and Green Holidays
Earth Month
Garden Month
1 April – Fossil Fools Day
5 April – International Day of Conscience
6 April – International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
7 April – World Health Day
7 April – International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda
10-16 April – National Environmental Education Week
12 April – International Day of Human Space Flight
18 April – World Heritage Day
20 April – Chinese Language Day
21 April – World Creativity and Innovation Day
22 April – International Mother Earth Day (Earth Day)
23 April – World Book and Copyright Day
23 April – English Language Day
23 April – Spanish Language Day
24 April – International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace
26 April – International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day
26 April – World Intellectual Property Day [WIPO]
28 April – World Day for Safety and Health at Work
First Monday – National Public Health Week starts (America)
Last Saturday – Save the Frogs Day
Last Week – Air Quality Awareness Week
Last Week – TV-Turnoff Week
Last Friday – Arbour day (USA) (each country and U.S. state also has their own observation based on best tree planting time)
Third Week – National Park Week
Fourth Thursday International Girls in ICT Day
Week of the new moon – International Dark Sky Week
May International Ethical and Green Holidays
Clean Air Month
National Bike Month
2 May – World Tuna Day
3 May – World Press Freedom Day
4 May – Greenery Day (Japan)
7 May – “Vesak”, the Day of the Full Moon
15 May – International Day of Families
16 May – International Day of Living Together in Peace
16 May – International Day of Light
17 May – World Telecommunication and Information Society Day
18 May – Plant Conservation Day
18 May – International Museum Day
20 May – World Bee Day
21 May – International Tea Day
21 May – World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
21 May – Endangered Species Day
22 May – International Day for Biological Diversity
23 May – International Day to End Obstetric Fistula
23 May – World Turtle Day
24 May – European Day of Parks
29 May – International Day of UN Peacekeepers
First Tuesday World Asthma Day
Second Saturday – World Migratory Bird Day
Second Week – Fair Trade Week
Second Week – Green Office Week
Third Friday – Endangered Species Day
Third Friday – Bike to Work Day
June International Ethical and Green Holidays
Great Outdoors Month
1 June – Butterfly Education and Awareness Day
1 June – Global Day of Parents
3 June – World Bicycle Day
4 June – International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression
5 June – World Environment Day
5 June – International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing
6 June – Russian Language Day
7 June – World Food Safety Day
8 June – World Oceans Day
11 June – World Population Day
12 June – World Day Against Child Labour
12-13 June – Recycle Day (Germany)
13 June – International Albinism Awareness Day
14 June – World Blood Donor Day
15 June – Global Wind Day
15 June – World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
16 June – World Sea Turtle Day
16 June – International Day of Family Remittances
17 June – World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
18 June – Sustainable Gastronomy Day
19 June – International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict
20 June – World Refugee Day
20/24 June – Winter/Summer Solstice
21 June – International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice
21 June – World Naked Hiking Day
21 June – International Day of Yoga
22 June – Amazon Rainforest Day
23 June – International Widows’ Day
25 June – Day of the Seafarer
26 June – International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
26 June – United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
27 June – Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day
29 June – International Day of the Tropics
30 June – International Asteroid Day
30 June – International Day of Parliamentarism
First Week – National Fishing and Boating Week
Second Week – Bike Week
Third Week – Pollinator Week
First Saturday – National Trails Day
July International Ethical and Green Holidays
Plastic Free July
11 July – World Population Day
14 July – Shark Awareness Day
15 July – World Youth Skills Day
16 July – World Snake Day
18 July – Nelson Mandela International Day
20 July – World Chess for Sustainable Development Day
25 July – National Tree Day (USA)
28 July – World Hepatitis Day
29 July – International Tiger Day
30 July – International Day of Friendship
30 July – World Day against Trafficking in Persons
31 July – World Ranger Day
First Saturday International Day of Cooperatives
First Week – Clean Beaches Week
Last full week – National Moth Week
Ecological Debt Day (Earth Overshoot Day) – Moves each year so check the date.
August International Ethical and Green Holidays
9 August – International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
12 August – World Elephant Day
12 August – International Youth Day
19 August – World Humanitarian Day
21 August – International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism
22 August – International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief
23 August – International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition
29 August – International Day against Nuclear Tests
30 August – International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances
September International Ethical and Green Holidays
4 National Wildlife Day
5 International Day of Charity
5 Amazon Day
7 International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies
8 International Literacy Day
8 World Clean Up Day
9 International Day to Protect Education from Attack
12 United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation
15 International Day of Democracy
16 International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
16 World Ozone Day (International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer)
18 International Equal Pay Day
21 Zero Emissions Day
21 International Day of Peace
20/24 Fall/Autumn/Spring Equinox
22 World Car-Free Day
23 International Day of Sign Languages
26 International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
26 World Environmental Health Day
27 World Tourism Day
28 International Day for Universal Access to Information
28 Green Consumer Day
29 International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste
First Saturday – Vulture Awareness Day
Third Weekend – Clean Up The World Weekend
Third Saturday – International Coastal Cleanup Day
Third Week – Conservation Week
Fourth Saturday – National Public Lands Day
Fourth Saturday – National Hunting and Fishing Day
Fourth Sunday – World Rivers Day
Last Thursday – World Maritime Day
October International Ethical and Green Holidays
Vegetarian Awareness Month
1 October – International Day of Older Persons
1 October – World Vegetarian Day
2 October – International Day of Non-Violence
4 October – World Animal Day
4 October – World Sustainability Day
5 October – World Teachers’ Day
9 October – World Post Day
10 October – World Mental Health Day
10 October – World Migratory Bird Day
11 October – International Day of the Girl Child
13 October – International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction
15 October – International Day of Rural Women
16 October – World Food Day
17 October – International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
21 October – National Ride2Work Day (Australia)
22 October – World Planting Day
24 October – International Day of Climate Action
24 October – United Nations Day
31 October – World Cities Day
First Monday – World Habitat Day
Third Week – Solar Week
Third Week – National Chemistry Week
November International Ethical and Green Holidays
World Vegan Month
1 November – World Vegan Day
2 November – International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists
5 November – World Tsunami Awareness Day
6 November – International Day For Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict
10 November – World Science Day for Peace and Development
14 November – Children’s Day in India
14 November – World Diabetes Day
15 November – America Recycles Day
16 November – International Day of Tolerance
19 November – World Toilet Day
20 November – World Children’s Day
20 November – Africa Industrialization Day
25 November – International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
Third Thursday – Use Less Stuff Day
Third Thursday – World Philosophy Day
Fourth Friday – Buy Nothing Day (Black Frday USA)
Fourth Friday – Green Friday (Black Friday USA)
Tuesday after U.S. Thanksgiving – Giving Tuesday
Last week – European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR)
December International Ethical and Green Holidays
1 December – World AIDS Day
2 December – International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
3 December – International Day of Persons with Disabilities
3 December – World Conservation Day
4 December – International Cheetah Day
5 December – International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development
5 December – World Soil Day
9 December – International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime
9 December – International Anti-Corruption Day
10 December – Human Rights Day
11 December – International Mountain Day
12 December – International Day of Neutrality
12 December – International Universal Health Coverage Day
18 December – International Migrants Day
18 December – Arabic Language Day
20 December – International Human Solidarity Day
20/24 December – Winter/Summer Solstice
25 – Christmas Bird Count
