International awareness days and key dates

Awareness days, weeks and months, with bank holidays and the big commercial dates. Pick a country and the types you need, then subscribe in your own calendar.

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October 2027

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Plan ahead 3 months 6 months 12 months This month

Running all month

Season of Creation 1 September to 4 October 2027
ADHD Awareness Month 1 to 31 October 2027
Breast Cancer Awareness Month 1 to 31 October 2027

1Fri
Friday 1 October 2027
- Navratri
  Religious and cultural30 September to 8 October 2027
  
  Navratri is a nine-night Hindu festival in autumn honouring the goddess Durga, famous for Garba and Dandiya dancing.
- International Coffee Day
  Awareness
  
  International Coffee Day on 1 October celebrates coffee and calls for a fairer and more sustainable coffee sector for growers.
- International Day of Older Persons
  Awareness
  
  The International Day of Older Persons on 1 October celebrates older people's contributions and looks at the challenges of an ageing world.
- World Vegetarian Day
  Awareness
  
  Held on 1 October each year to promote the benefits of a vegetarian diet, and opens Vegetarian Awareness Month.
2Sat
Saturday 2 October 2027
- International Day of Non-Violence
  Awareness
  
  The International Day of Non-Violence on 2 October, Gandhi's birthday, promotes non-violence through education and public awareness.
- Rosh Hashanah
  Religious and cultural2 to 3 October 2027
  
  Rosh Hashanah is the two-day Jewish New Year, usually in September or early October.
4Mon
Monday 4 October 2027
- World Animal Day
  Awareness
  
  An international day on 4 October, the feast of St Francis of Assisi, to raise the status of animals and improve welfare standards.
- World Architecture Day
  Awareness
  
  World Architecture Day falls on the first Monday in October and focuses attention on architecture and the built environment, on 5 October in 2026.
- World Habitat Day
  Awareness
  
  World Habitat Day, on the first Monday of October, looks at the state of towns and cities and everyone's right to adequate shelter.
- World Investor Week
  Awareness4 to 10 October 2027
  
  A global campaign week in early October promoting investor education and protection, including warnings about scams.
- World Space Week
  Awareness4 to 10 October 2027
  
  World Space Week, 4 to 10 October, celebrates the benefits of space science and technology and inspires students to explore it.
5Tue
Tuesday 5 October 2027
- World Meningitis Day
  Awareness
  
  A global day on 5 October each year to raise awareness of meningitis, its warning signs and the goal of defeating it by 2030.
- World Teachers' Day
  Awareness
  
  World Teachers' Day on 5 October celebrates teachers and looks at the support they need to do their jobs well.
6Wed
Wednesday 6 October 2027
- International Geodiversity Day
  Awareness
  
  A UNESCO day on 6 October that celebrates the variety of rocks, minerals, landscapes and natural processes that shape the planet.
- World Cerebral Palsy Day
  Awareness
  
  A global day on 6 October to recognise and act for the millions of people living with cerebral palsy.
7Thu
Thursday 7 October 2027
- World Cotton Day
  Awareness
  
  World Cotton Day on 7 October raises the profile of cotton and its importance to farmers, trade and development.
9Sat
Saturday 9 October 2027
- Baby Loss Awareness Week
  Awareness9 to 15 October 2027
  
  A week from 9 to 15 October that remembers babies who have died and raises awareness of pregnancy and baby loss.
- Dussehra (Vijayadashami)
  Religious and cultural
  
  Dussehra, or Vijayadashami, is the Hindu festival on the day after Navratri celebrating the victory of good over evil.
- World Hospice and Palliative Care Day
  Awareness
  
  Held on the second Saturday in October, this day calls for better hospice and palliative care services around the world.
- World Migratory Bird Day (October)
  Awareness
  
  The October edition of World Migratory Bird Day, on the second Saturday of the month, celebrates migratory birds and the habitats they rely on.
- World Post Day
  Awareness
  
  World Post Day on 9 October celebrates postal services and their role in daily life, business and national development.
10Sun
Sunday 10 October 2027
- OCD Awareness Week
  Awareness10 to 16 October 2027
  
  An international week in October that challenges myths about obsessive compulsive disorder and helps people find effective treatment.
- World Mental Health Day
  Awareness
  
  A global day, held every 10 October, for raising awareness of mental health and pushing for better support and care everywhere.
11Mon
Monday 11 October 2027
- International Day of the Girl Child
  Awareness
  
  The International Day of the Girl Child on 11 October highlights the challenges girls face and promotes their rights and empowerment.
- Yom Kippur
  Religious and cultural
  
  Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the Jewish year, marked by a 25-hour fast.
12Tue
Tuesday 12 October 2027
- Ada Lovelace Day
  Awareness
  
  An international day on the second Tuesday of October celebrating women in science, technology, engineering and maths, on 13 October 2026.
- World Arthritis Day
  Awareness
  
  A global day on 12 October that raises awareness of arthritis and other rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.
13Wed
Wednesday 13 October 2027
- International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction
  Awareness
  
  On 13 October the UN highlights how people and communities are reducing their exposure to disasters and building resilience.
- World Thrombosis Day
  Awareness
  
  A global day on 13 October that raises awareness of blood clots, their risk factors and their warning signs.
14Thu
Thursday 14 October 2027
- International E-Waste Day
  Awareness
  
  Held on 14 October to encourage people to repair, reuse and properly recycle old electrical and electronic items.
- World Sight Day
  Awareness
  
  A global day on the second Thursday of October that draws attention to blindness, vision loss and access to eye care.
- World Standards Day
  Awareness
  
  Held on 14 October each year to recognise the experts who write the international standards used by business and government.
15Fri
Friday 15 October 2027
- Global Handwashing Day
  Awareness
  
  A global day on 15 October promoting handwashing with soap as a simple way to prevent disease.
- International Day of Rural Women
  Awareness
  
  The International Day of Rural Women on 15 October recognises the vital role of rural women in farming, food security and ending rural poverty.
16Sat
Saturday 16 October 2027
- International Repair Day
  Awareness
  
  A day on the third Saturday of October when repair cafes and fixers hold events to promote repairing rather than replacing.
- Restart a Heart Day
  Awareness
  
  Restart a Heart Day on 16 October each year aims to teach as many people as possible how to do CPR and use a defibrillator.
- Sukkot
  Religious and cultural16 to 22 October 2027
  
  Sukkot is a seven-day Jewish harvest festival in autumn, when families eat in temporary outdoor huts.
- World Food Day
  Awareness
  
  World Food Day on 16 October promotes action against hunger and for healthy, sustainable diets for everyone.
- World Spine Day
  Awareness
  
  World Spine Day on 16 October each year highlights back and neck pain and promotes good spinal health.
17Sun
Sunday 17 October 2027
- International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
  Awareness
  
  On 17 October the UN calls for an end to poverty and for people living in poverty to help shape the policies that affect them.
18Mon
Monday 18 October 2027
- World Menopause Day
  Awareness
  
  A global day on 18 October that raises awareness of the menopause and the support available to improve health at midlife.
20Wed
Wednesday 20 October 2027
- Global Ethics Day
  Awareness
  
  Held on the third Wednesday of October to encourage people and organisations to talk about ethics in public life and business.
- World Osteoporosis Day
  Awareness
  
  A global day on 20 October that raises awareness of osteoporosis, bone health and the prevention of fractures.
21Thu
Thursday 21 October 2027
- International Credit Union Day
  Awareness
  
  Held on the third Thursday of October to recognise credit unions and their role in member owned financial services.
22Fri
Friday 22 October 2027
- International Stammering Awareness Day
  Awareness
  
  An international day on 22 October to raise awareness of stammering, also called stuttering, and the people who stammer.
23Sat
Saturday 23 October 2027
- International Day of the Snow Leopard
  Awareness
  
  The International Day of the Snow Leopard on 23 October raises awareness of threats to the snow leopard and the need to protect it.
24Sun
Sunday 24 October 2027
- Disarmament Week
  Awareness24 to 30 October 2027
  
  Disarmament Week, 24 to 30 October, raises public awareness of disarmament and its role in peace and protecting civilians.
- Global Media and Information Literacy Week
  Awareness24 to 31 October 2027
  
  Global Media and Information Literacy Week, 24 to 31 October, helps people find, judge and share information responsibly.
- Simchat Torah
  Religious and cultural
  
  Simchat Torah is the Jewish festival celebrating the end and restart of the yearly Torah reading cycle, with dancing in synagogues.
- United Nations Day
  Awareness
  
  United Nations Day on 24 October marks the anniversary of the UN Charter coming into force in 1945.
- World Development Information Day
  Awareness
  
  World Development Information Day on 24 October draws attention to development problems and the need for international cooperation.
- World Polio Day
  Awareness
  
  World Polio Day on 24 October each year marks progress towards ending polio and raises funds for vaccination.
25Mon
Monday 25 October 2027
- World Opera Day
  Awareness
  
  Celebrated on 25 October, the birthday of Georges Bizet and Johann Strauss II, to share opera with new audiences around the world.
26Tue
Tuesday 26 October 2027
- Intersex Awareness Day
  Awareness
  
  Held on 26 October, Intersex Awareness Day raises awareness of intersex people and calls for an end to unnecessary medical interventions without consent.
27Wed
Wednesday 27 October 2027
- World Day for Audiovisual Heritage
  Awareness
  
  The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage on 27 October highlights the urgent need to preserve film, sound and video records.
28Thu
Thursday 28 October 2027
- International Animation Day
  Awareness
  
  International Animation Day on 28 October celebrates animated film, marking the first public projection of moving images by Emile Reynaud in Paris in 1892.
29Fri
Friday 29 October 2027
- Diwali
  Religious and cultural
  
  Diwali is the festival of lights celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains in October or November, the biggest date in the Hindu year.
- International Day of Care and Support
  Awareness
  
  The International Day of Care and Support on 29 October recognises the value of care work and calls for investment in care systems.
- World Psoriasis Day
  Awareness
  
  A global day on 29 October that raises awareness of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and challenges stigma around them.
- World Stroke Day
  Awareness
  
  A global day on 29 October to raise awareness of stroke, its warning signs and how it can be prevented.
30Sat
Saturday 30 October 2027
- Hindu New Year (Annakut)
  Religious and cultural
  
  Hindu New Year, the day after Diwali in the Gujarati calendar, is marked with Annakut, a vast offering of food in temples.
31Sun
Sunday 31 October 2027
- World Cities Day
  Awareness
  
  World Cities Day on 31 October draws attention to urbanisation and how to make cities sustainable and good places to live.
- World Savings Day
  Awareness
  
  Marked on 31 October to encourage saving and to highlight the role of savings banks in helping people manage money.

October at a glance

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66 dates this month in the International calendar.

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