UK awareness days and key dates

Thursday 2 April 2026

• Hanuman Jayanti

  Religious and cultural

  Hanuman Jayanti is a Hindu festival in spring celebrating the birth of Hanuman, the devoted companion of Lord Rama.

• Maundy Thursday

  Religious and cultural

  Maundy Thursday falls three days before Easter Sunday and remembers the Last Supper.

• Passover (Pesach)

  Religious and cultural2 to 9 April 2026

  Passover is the eight-day Jewish spring festival recalling the Exodus from Egypt, opening with the Seder meal.

• World Autism Awareness Day

  Awareness

  World Autism Awareness Day on 2 April promotes the rights, acceptance and full participation of autistic people.

Friday 3 April 2026

• Good Friday (Christian observance)

  Religious and cultural

  Good Friday, two days before Easter Sunday, is the day Christians remember the crucifixion of Jesus.

• Good Friday bank holiday

  Public holidays

  A bank holiday across the UK.

Saturday 4 April 2026

• International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action

  Awareness

  On 4 April the UN raises awareness of landmines and explosive remnants of war and supports efforts to clear them.

Sunday 5 April 2026

• Easter Sunday

  Religious and cultural

  The main Christian festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. Its date moves each year with the spring full moon.

• International Day of Conscience

  Awareness

  The International Day of Conscience on 5 April encourages people to reflect on their actions and build a culture of peace with love and conscience.

Monday 6 April 2026

• Easter Monday bank holiday

  Public holidays

  A bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

• International Day of Sport for Development and Peace

  Awareness

  On 6 April the UN celebrates the power of sport to promote social change, community development and peace.

Tuesday 7 April 2026

• International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda

  Awareness

  On 7 April the UN remembers the victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and reflects on how to prevent such crimes.

• World Health Day

  Awareness

  The World Health Organization's day on 7 April, marking its founding in 1948 and highlighting a global health theme each year.

Saturday 11 April 2026

• World Parkinson's Day

  Awareness

  A global awareness day for Parkinson's held on 11 April, the birthday of James Parkinson.

Sunday 12 April 2026

• International Day of Human Space Flight

  Awareness

  The International Day of Human Space Flight on 12 April marks Yuri Gagarin's 1961 flight, the first by a human in space.

• Orthodox Easter

  Religious and cultural

  Orthodox Easter, or Pascha, is the main festival of the Eastern Orthodox churches and often falls later than Western Easter.

Tuesday 14 April 2026

• Vaisakhi

  Religious and cultural

  Vaisakhi, usually on 14 April, is the Sikh new year and harvest festival marking the founding of the Khalsa in 1699.

• World Chagas Disease Day

  Awareness

  World Chagas Disease Day on 14 April raises awareness of a neglected tropical disease that can silently damage the heart and gut.

Wednesday 15 April 2026

• International Wellness Day

  Awareness

  International Wellness Day promotes affordable, inclusive wellness practices for body and mind. The UN lists it in mid April.

• World Art Day

  Awareness

  A UNESCO day held on 15 April to celebrate the arts and the part they play in creativity and cultural life.

Friday 17 April 2026

• World Hemophilia Day

  Awareness

  A global day on 17 April that raises awareness of haemophilia and other inherited bleeding disorders.

Saturday 18 April 2026

• International Day for Monuments and Sites

  Awareness

  The International Day for Monuments and Sites on 18 April, also known as World Heritage Day, raises awareness of cultural heritage and its protection.

Monday 20 April 2026

• Allergy Awareness Week

  Awareness20 to 26 April 2026

  A UK week in April run by Allergy UK to raise awareness of allergy and the importance of getting a proper diagnosis.

• Chinese Language Day

  Awareness

  Chinese Language Day at the UN on 20 April celebrates Chinese, one of the UN's six official languages, and promotes multilingualism.

• Lesbian Visibility Week

  Awareness20 to 26 April 2026

  A week in April celebrating lesbian, bi and queer women and non-binary people and raising their visibility.

• MS Awareness Week

  Awareness20 to 26 April 2026

  A UK week in April when MS charities work together to raise understanding of multiple sclerosis, held 20 to 26 April in 2026.

• National Stalking Awareness Week

  Awareness20 to 24 April 2026

  A UK week in April raising awareness of stalking and calling for better responses to victims.

Tuesday 21 April 2026

• International Day of Greening the Planet

  Awareness

  The International Day of Greening the Planet on 21 April is a new UN day focused on making the planet greener.

• National Tea Day

  Commercial and retail

  A UK celebration of tea held on 21 April each year, with tea parties and events in cafes, pubs, hotels and tea rooms.

• World Creativity and Innovation Day

  Awareness

  World Creativity and Innovation Day on 21 April highlights how creative thinking and new ideas help solve problems and drive development.

Wednesday 22 April 2026

• Earth Day

  Awareness

  Earth Day is held on 22 April each year, bringing people in more than 190 countries together to act for the environment.

• International Mother Earth Day

  Awareness

  International Mother Earth Day on 22 April calls for living in harmony with nature and restoring damaged ecosystems.

Thursday 23 April 2026

• English Language Day

  Awareness

  English Language Day at the UN on 23 April celebrates English, one of the UN's six official languages, on the traditional date of Shakespeare's birth and death.

• Great British Beef Week

  Awareness23 to 30 April 2026

  An annual week starting on St George's Day, 23 April, that promotes British beef and the farmers who produce it, led by Ladies in Beef and AHDB.

• International Girls in ICT Day

  Awareness

  International Girls in ICT Day, on the fourth Thursday of April, encourages girls and young women to study and work in technology.

• Spanish Language Day

  Awareness

  Spanish Language Day at the UN on 23 April celebrates Spanish, one of the UN's six official languages, on the anniversary of Cervantes' death.

• St George's Day

  Religious and cultural

  England's national day on 23 April, the feast of its patron saint St George.

• World Book and Copyright Day

  Awareness

  World Book and Copyright Day on 23 April celebrates books and reading and recognises the role of copyright.

• World Book Night

  Awareness

  An evening on 23 April when The Reading Agency encourages everyone to spend an hour reading, especially those who rarely do.

Friday 24 April 2026

• International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace

  Awareness

  On 24 April the UN promotes multilateral cooperation and diplomacy as the way to settle disputes between nations peacefully.

• World Immunization Week

  Awareness24 to 30 April 2026

  World Immunization Week, 24 to 30 April, promotes vaccines that protect people of all ages from disease.

Saturday 25 April 2026

• International Delegate's Day

  Awareness

  International Delegate's Day on 25 April recognises the work of diplomats who represent their countries at the United Nations.

• World Malaria Day

  Awareness

  World Malaria Day on 25 April calls for sustained funding and political commitment to prevent, control and eliminate malaria.

Sunday 26 April 2026

• International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day

  Awareness

  On 26 April the UN remembers the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident and the communities still living with its effects.

• World Intellectual Property Day

  Awareness

  World Intellectual Property Day on 26 April explains how patents, trade marks, designs and copyright encourage innovation and creativity.

Monday 27 April 2026

• National Gardening Week

  Awareness27 April to 3 May 2026

  The RHS week celebrating gardening and its benefits, held 27 April to 3 May in 2026.

Tuesday 28 April 2026

• World Day for Safety and Health at Work

  Awareness

  The World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 28 April promotes the prevention of accidents and illness at work.

Wednesday 29 April 2026

• International Dance Day

  Awareness

  International Dance Day on 29 April celebrates dance in all its forms, falling on the birthday of the ballet reformer Jean-Georges Noverre.

• International Day in Memory of the Victims of Earthquakes

  Awareness

  On 29 April the UN remembers people killed in earthquakes and promotes preparedness and safer buildings.

• World Wish Day

  Awareness

  World Wish Day on 29 April marks the anniversary of the first wish granted by Make-A-Wish and raises funds to grant wishes for seriously ill children.

Thursday 30 April 2026

• International Jazz Day

  Awareness

  International Jazz Day on 30 April celebrates jazz and its power to bring people together and promote peace and dialogue.