UK awareness days and key dates

Friday 1 October 2027

• Fairtrade Fortnight

  Awareness20 September to 3 October 2027

  A two-week campaign promoting Fairtrade products and fair pay for farmers and workers, held 21 September to 4 October in 2026.

• British Food Fortnight

  Awareness25 September to 10 October 2027

  An annual autumn celebration of British food and produce, held 26 September to 11 October in 2026.

• Fire Door Safety Week

  Awareness27 September to 1 October 2027

  A UK campaign in late September that explains how fire doors work and urges people to check, report and keep them closed.

• 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.

• National Vegetarian Week

  Awareness1 to 7 October 2027

  The Vegetarian Society's week encouraging people to try meat-free meals, held 1 to 7 October in 2026.

• World Vegetarian Day

  Awareness

  Held on 1 October each year to promote the benefits of a vegetarian diet, and opens Vegetarian Awareness Month.

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.

Monday 4 October 2027

• Challenge Poverty Week

  Awareness4 to 10 October 2027

  A week in October when groups across Scotland highlight the reality of poverty and the action being taken to end it.

• Dyslexia Awareness Week

  Awareness4 to 10 October 2027

  A UK week in early October run by the British Dyslexia Association to raise understanding of dyslexia, held 5 to 11 October in 2026.

• Hospice Care Week

  Awareness4 to 10 October 2027

  A UK week in early October that celebrates hospice care and the people who provide it, and raises awareness of hospice funding.

• Kinship Care Week

  Awareness4 to 10 October 2027

  A UK week in early October that recognises relatives and friends who raise children when parents cannot.

• National Customer Service Week

  Awareness4 to 8 October 2027

  A UK week in the first week of October that recognises customer service staff and the value of good service, held from 5 October in 2026.

• National Work Life Week

  Awareness4 to 8 October 2027

  Working Families' annual week encouraging employers and staff to focus on wellbeing and work-life balance, held 5 to 9 October in 2026.

• 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.

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.

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.

• National Badger Day

  Awareness

  A day on 6 October celebrating badgers and the threats they face, marked by Badger Trust during Brocktober.

• World Cerebral Palsy Day

  Awareness

  A global day on 6 October to recognise and act for the millions of people living with cerebral palsy.

Thursday 7 October 2027

• National Poetry Day

  Awareness

  The UK's annual celebration of poetry on a Thursday in early October, held on 1 October 2026.

• World Cotton Day

  Awareness

  World Cotton Day on 7 October raises the profile of cotton and its importance to farmers, trade and development.

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.

• Bookshop Day

  Commercial and retail

  A UK and Ireland celebration of bookshops held on the second Saturday of October, which was 10 October in 2026.

• Dussehra (Vijayadashami)

  Religious and cultural

  Dussehra, or Vijayadashami, is the Hindu festival on the day after Navratri celebrating the victory of good over evil.

• National Hate Crime Awareness Week

  Awareness9 to 16 October 2027

  A UK week each October encouraging people to report hate crime and stand together against it, held 10 to 17 October in 2026.

• 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.

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.

Monday 11 October 2027

• Flood Action Week

  Awareness11 to 17 October 2027

  An October week that urges people to check their flood risk, sign up for warnings and make a flood plan before winter.

• 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.

• Scams Awareness Fortnight

  Awareness11 to 24 October 2027

  Citizens Advice's annual campaign helping people spot, report and recover from scams, running 12 to 25 October in 2026.

• 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.

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.

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.

• National Burn Awareness Day

  Awareness

  A UK day in October that aims to prevent burns and scalds, especially to children, and shares first aid advice.

• World Thrombosis Day

  Awareness

  A global day on 13 October that raises awareness of blood clots, their risk factors and their warning signs.

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.

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.

• Wear Red Day (Show Racism the Red Card)

  Awareness

  A UK day in October when schools, workplaces and football clubs wear red and raise money to support anti-racism education.

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.

• National Album Day

  Commercial and retail

  A UK day in October celebrating the album as an art form, with special releases, broadcasts and events in record shops.

• 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.

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.

Monday 18 October 2027

• Anti-Slavery Day

  Awareness

  A UK day on 18 October that raises awareness of modern slavery and human trafficking.

• Get Online Week

  Awareness18 to 24 October 2027

  A UK week in October that promotes digital inclusion and helps people build online skills, held from 19 to 25 October in 2026.

• National Adoption Week

  Awareness18 to 24 October 2027

  A week starting on the third Monday of October that raises awareness of modern adoption and encourages people to consider adopting.

• 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.

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.

• Green Libraries Week

  Awareness20 to 27 October 2027

  A UK week in October that shows how libraries help communities act on climate and sustainability, held from 21 to 28 October in 2026.

• World Osteoporosis Day

  Awareness

  A global day on 20 October that raises awareness of osteoporosis, bone health and the prevention of fractures.

Thursday 21 October 2027

• Apple Day

  Awareness

  Held on 21 October, Apple Day celebrates apples, orchards and local varieties, with tastings, fairs and identification events across the UK.

• International Credit Union Day

  Awareness

  Held on the third Thursday of October to recognise credit unions and their role in member owned financial services.

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.

• Wear it Pink

  Awareness

  Wear it Pink is Breast Cancer Now's fundraising day in October when people wear pink to support breast cancer research, held on Friday 23 October 2026.

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.

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.

Monday 25 October 2027

• UK Sausage Week

  Commercial and retail25 to 31 October 2027

  An annual week celebrating British sausages and the butchers and producers who make them, with a national competition. The 2026 week runs 26 October to 1 November.

• 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.

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.

Wednesday 27 October 2027

• National Black Cat Day

  Awareness

  A Cats Protection day on 27 October celebrating black cats, which often wait longer to be adopted.

• 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.

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.

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.

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.

Sunday 31 October 2027

• Halloween

  Commercial and retail

  The evening of 31 October, known for costumes, pumpkins and trick or treating.

• 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.