Days of Significance

• Over 200 million Christians around are associated with the Orthodox Church and most celebrate Christmas on January 7th as they follow the Julian Calendar for their celebrations

• This is a popular folk festival with the Dogra and Punjabi peoples that celebrates the passing of the winter solstice and welcomes the end of winter, it is determined by the Hindu Solar calendar 

• Lincoln Alexander broke barriers by becoming the first Black Canadian to be elected to the House of Commons in 1968 for Hamilton West, as well as the first Black Canadian to be Lieutenant Governor of a province

• This marks the beginning of a new year based on the lunar calendars and is celebrated by billions of people at different points with the arrival of the first "new moon" of their respective calendar

• Originating as a Christian feast day honoring the martyr Valentine it has since evolved through later folk traditions as a celebration of romance and love across many regions of the world.

• Observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community Ramadan takes place during the 9th month of the Islamic Calendar and takes place between the sightings of the crescent moon

• An official Christian feast day and observed by a number of Christian denominations and is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the province of Newfoundland and Labrador but celebrated world wide

• Also known as the "March Equinox" and is generally the marking of the spring season in the Northern Hemisphere, it also is closely linked to Passover in the Jewish faith and Easter in the Eastern Orthodox Church

• Observed within the International Organization of La Francophonie's 77 members and celebrates the French language and culture of the 369 million French speakers on Earth

• This marks the first day of the Baha'i calendar and is one of the eleven holy days for adherents of the Baha'i Faith and marks the end of their month long fast and is often celebrated with a dinner.

• A worldwide movement begun as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia in 2007 it is now observed by countries across the world by turning off all non-essential lights and electronics for one hour

• A popular and significant Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love and Spring. The day signifies the divine love of the deities Radha and Krishna and celebrates the arrival of Spring and the blossoming of love.

• Begun in 2009, this date is dedicated to celebrating transgender people and their contribution to society as well as raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide

• Passed in 2019 by the Canadian Government April was designated as Sikh Heritage Month and celebrates the contributions the 500,000 Sikh Canadians have made to Canada

• Commemorating the deaths and casualties of members of the Canadian Corps during the Battle of Vimy Ridge which marked the first time all four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force fought together and became a symbol of Canadian national achievement and sacrifice 

• Known in English as "Feast of Breaking the Fast" it marks the first of 2 official holidays celebrated within Islam and marks the end of the month long dawn-to-dusk fasting of Ramadan  

• Begun in 2007 by students in Berwick, Nova Scotia to show solidarity to a class mate bullied during the first day of school for wearing a pink shirt, it is now celebrated nationally to raise awareness about bullying

• A spring harvest celebrated primarily in Punjab and Northern India and for many Hindus it marks the first day of the traditional solar new year

• A major Jewish holiday that celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and the beginning of the 40 years of wandering in the desert

• This became a national observance in 199 by the Canadian Government and officially begun in 1991, this day commemorates workers who have been killed, injured or suffered illness due to workplace related hazards

• Officially designated in 2002 with May chosen to honour Manzo Nagano, the first known Japanese person to officially immigrate to Canada and provides the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of Asian-Canadians

• Begun in 2011, May marks the Ontario celebration of Dutch Heritage Month to celebrate the achievements and contributions of the over 500,000 Dutch Canadians in Ontario

• Established in 2018, May celebrates the approximately 400,000 Jewish Canadians, the fourth largest Jewish population in the world, and their contributions to Canada and their community 

• Started in 1999 in Australia to honor the lives of 5 firefighters who died fighting a bushfire in Australia the previous year it now honors all those who have lost their lives during service 

• A day of remembrance and reflection, Red Dress Day is one of several campaigns started by activists to call attention to disproportionate rates of violence against Indigenous Women and Girls 

• Observed as Israel's day of commemoration for the approx. six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust by Nazi Germany and its collaborators and for the Jewish resistance in that period 

• Annual celebration to recognize mothers, motherhood and maternal bonds and their positive contributions to families and society as a whole

• A day dedicated to raising awareness around the issue of missing children as well as highlighting the efforts made to find and bring them back safely while supporting the families affected by these tragedies

• Started in the City of Toronto and declared across Canada in 2018, June marks a month to celebrate the Filipino community in Canada and the contributions they have made to Canada 

• Proclaimed in Ontario in 2001, Canada celebrates the vibrant Portuguese Canadian community and the enrichment of their history, language and culture to Canada

• Celebrated across Ontario to recognize the over 1,350,000 Italian Canadians and their significant contributions to the growth and prosperity of the Province of Ontario and Canada.

• The second of the two main holidays in Islam, it falls on the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar with celebrations and observances carried forward to the three following days, known as the Tashreeq days

• Annual celebration to recognize fathers, fatherhood and fraternal bonds and their positive contributions to families and society as a whole

• The longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere when the Earth's pole has it's maximum tilt toward the Sun resulting in the Sun being at it's highest position in the sky of the year

• An opportunity to celebrate and honor the many cultural communities that have helped build a strong and vibrant Canadian Society 

• Originated to commemorate the passing of the American with Disabilities Act in July 1990, it is now recognized worldwide as a way to celebrate people with disability's, their identities, their culture and their contribution to society while working to change the way people define disability and to end the stigma 

International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples - August 9, 2024

• A day to raise awareness and protect the rights of the world's indigenous population, while also recognizing the achievements and contributions that the indigenous people make to improve world issues.

• Held globally since 2001, the day raises awareness of overdoses, reduce stigma around drug-related deaths and acknowledge the grief felt by families and friends

• This marks the moment when the Sun appears to cross the celestial equator heading 

• October is Women’s History Month in Canada, a time to celebrate the women and girls from our past, and our present, who are contributing to a better, more inclusive Canada

• In 2007 the Canadian Government declared the month as Canadian Islamic History Month as a way to celebrate the important contributions to literature, math, science, art and history

• A time where many communities hold vigils to raise awareness and honour the memory of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls across Canada 

• The Hindu festival of lights, it symbolises the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance and is celebrated during the Hindu lunisolar months of Ashvin and Kartika  

• November is an opportunity recognize and celebrate and provide education about the significant contributions of Canadians of Hindu Heritage who continue to strengthen and inspire our communities

• This annual event honours the importance of Treaties and helps students and residents of Ontario learn more about Treaty rights and relationships

• A day of celebration set up to acknowledge and celebrate Inuit culture and contributions, but most importantly to affirm the voices of Inuit across the circumpolar world

• First recognized in 1994, Indigenous Veterans Day is a memorial day observed in Canada in recognition of aboriginal contributions to military service, particularly in the First and Second World 

• Observed on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in accordance with the armistice of 1918 that ended hostilities of the First World War, it now is a day to honour armed forces member who have died in the line of duty

• A one-week celebration leading up to the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which memorializes victims of transphobic violence

• This day commemorates the life and legacy of Louis Riel, a prominent Métis leader and a key figure in the history of Manitoba who played a significant role in the fight for Métis rights and the recognition of their identity and culture

• A day dedicated to raising awareness about housing and homelessness and the need to work on ensuring housing security for all Canadians

• An international day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who have died of the disease