2024 Commemorative Days for Newfoundland and Labrador Communities

The calendar was developed through input from various community groups and organizations in Newfoundland and Labrador, and in consultation with the Department of Canadian Heritage.

The dates of celebration may vary based on local customs, according to moon sightings or solar calendar. If any dates noted here are incorrect, or if you would like to add new dates for the 2024 edition of the calendar, please e-mail us at diversity@gov.nl.ca.

JANUARY
TAMIL HERITAGE MONTH (CANADA)
Date 2024 Origin
1 New Years’ Day International
Feast Day of St Basil Orthodox Christian
Shogatsu / Gantan-sai (New Years) New Year (正月, shōgatsu) Shinto (Japan)
Independence Day Sudan
Independence Day Haiti
4 Independence Day Myanmar
6 Epiphany/Three King’s Day Christian
Joan of Arc Day France
7 Orthodox Christmas Day Orthodox Christian
12 Swami Vivekananda Jayanti Hindu
14 Lohri (Winter Solstice) India
Magh Bihu Hindu
International Kite Day International
Orthodox New Year Orthodox Christian
14-17 Pongal Hindu
15

Makar Sankranti Hindu
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Many Religions
Maghi/Magha Ra Saza Northern India
17 Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh (Jan 17) Sikh
18 Bodhi Day Buddhist
20 Timkat Ethopian
21 World Religion Day International
23 Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti India
24

World Day for African and Afrodescendant Culture (WDAC) International
International Day of Education International
24-25 Tu B’Shevat (Arbor Day) Jewish
25 Mahayana New Year Buddhist
26 Australia Day Australia
27 The International Holocaust Remembrance Day International
29 National Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia Canada

 

FEBRUARY
BLACK HISTORY MONTH (INTERNATIONAL)
Date 2024 Origin
1 World Hijab Day International
1-11 World Interfaith Harmony Week International
2 Imbolc (The Feast of Waxing Light) Paganism
Groundhog Day North America
6 International Day of zero tolerance to female genital mutilation International
6-7 Lailat al-Mi’raj Muslim
8-9 Maha Shivaratri Hindu
10

Losar (Tibetan New Year) Tibetan
Chinese New Year/Lunar New Year Southeast Asia
13 Pancake day/Shrove Tuesday Christian
14

Valentine’s Day Many Regions
Ash Wednesday Christian
14-MAR 28 Lent Christian
15 Lui-Ngai-N Manipur India
Flag Day Canada
Nirvana Day Buddhist
19

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti India
Family Day Canada
24

Magha Puja Day Buddhist
Chinese Lantern Festival China
26-29 Ayyám-i-Há (Intercalary Days) Baha’i
27 Dominican Independence Day Dominican Republic
29-MAR 19 Nineteen Day Fast Baha’i

 

MARCH
MULTICULTURALISM MONTH (NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR)
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH (INTERNATIONAL)
IRISH HERITAGE MONTH (CANADA)
Date 2024 Origin
1 Zero Discrimination Day Many Regions
6 Independence Day Ghana
8 International Women’s Day International
Lailat al Bara’ah Muslim
10 Harriet Tubman Day United States
  Ramadan (Starts) Islam
14 Commonwealth Day Many Regions
16 Ta’anit Ester (Fast of Queen Ester) Jewish
17 St. Patrick’s Day Many Regions
18 Chötrul Düchen Tibetan
20 International Francophonie Day International
Ostara Wicca/Pagan
21 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination International
World Down Syndrome Day International
Naw-Rúz The Bahá’í New Year Baha’i, Persian
23-24 Purim Jewish
25 Holi Hinduism/Sikhism
26 Independence Day Bangladesh
28 Khordad Sal Zoroastrianism
29 Good Friday Christian
31

International Transgender Day of Visibility International
Easter Sunday Christian

 

APRIL
SIKH HERITAGE MONTH (CANADA)
GENOCIDE REMEMBRANCE, CONDEMNATION, AND PREVENTION MONTH (CANADA)
Date 2024 Origin
1

Easter Monday Christian
April Fool’s Day International
2 World Autism Awareness Day International
5 Laylatul Qadr (Night of Power) Islam
6 National Tartan Day Scottish
7 Rwandan Genocide Memorial Day Rwanda
World Health Day International
9 Eid al-Fitr Islam
13 Baisakhi / Vaisakhi Hinduism, Sikhism, Bangladesh
20 First Day of Ridvan Baha’i
Eid-al-Fitr (20 – 21) Muslim
21 First Day of Ridván Baha’i, Persian
22

Earth Day International
Pesach/Passover (Start) Jewish
24 Armenian Genocide Memorial Day International
25 Italy Liberation Day Italy
28-29 Ninth Day of Ridván Baha’i
30

Journey to Freedom Day Vietnamese Canadians
Last Day of Passover Jewish

 

MAY
ASIAN HISTORY MONTH (CANADA)
JEWISH HERITAGE MONTH
DUTCH HERITAGE MONTH (CANADA)
Date 2024 Origin
1 May Day (International Worker’s Day) International
1-2 Twelfth Day of Ridván Baha’i
5 Cinco de Mayo Mexico
12 Mother’s Day Many Regions
18 Flag and University Day Haiti
19 Pentecost Christian
22-23 Declaration of the Báb Baha’i
23 Visakha Puja – Buddha’s Birthday Buddhist
25-26 Lag B’Omer Jewish
27 Memorial Day United States of America
27-28 Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh Baha’i
30 Provincial Francophonie Day Newfoundland and Labrador

 

JUNE
NATIONAL INDIGENOUS HISTORY MONTH (CANADA)
ITALIAN HERITAGE MONTH (CANADA)
FILIPINO HERITAGE MONTH (CANADA)
PORTUGUESE HERITAGE MONTH (CANADA)
Date 2024 Origin
2 Italy Republic Day Italy
10

Portugal Day Portugal
Dragon Boat Festival China, Hong Kong, Taiwan
12

Philippines Independence Day Filipino
World against child labour International
16

Father’s Day Many Regions
Eid-Al-Adha Islam
19 Juneteenth National Independence Day United States
20 World Refugee Day International
21 National Indigenous Peoples Day Canada
24
St. John’s Day (Midsummer) Christian
Fête Nationale du Québec (Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day) Quebec
24-25 Eid al-Ghadir Islam
27 Canadian Multiculturalism Day Canada
30 Independence Day Congo

 

JULY
PRIDE MONTH (PLEASE CHECK LOCAL CALENDARS)
Date 2024 Origin
1 Beaumont Hamel Memorial Day Newfoundland and Labrador
Canada Day Canada
4 Independence Day United States
5 Independence Day Venezuela and Algeria
6 Birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama Tibet, Buddism
8 Martyrdom of the Báb Baha’i
9 Independence Day Argentina
11

Srebrenica Remembrance Day International
World Population Day International
12 St. Benedict Day Catholic Christian
14 Bastille Day France
15 St. Vladimir the Great Day Orthodox Christian
16-17 Day of Ashura Muslim
20-21 Asalha Puja (Dharma Day) Buddhist
24 Pioneer Day Mormon Christian
25 Tunisia Republic Day Tunisia

 

AUGUST
Date 2024 Origin
1 Emancipation Day Canada
9 International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples International
10 The Qixi Festival (Chinese) China
12 International Youth Day International
13-15 Obon Buddhist/Japanese
14 Independence Day Pakistan
15 Ascension of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Christian
Independence Day India
National Acadian Day Canada
Korean Liberation Day Korea (North and South)
16 Parsi New Year (Shahenshahi) Jamshedi Navroz Parsi
19

Independence Day Afghanistan
Raksha Bandhan Hindu
24 Independence Day of Ukraine Ukraine
26 Krishna Janmashtami Hindu
National Heroes Day Philippines

 

SEPTEMBER
Date 2024 Origin
2 Independence Day Vietnam
4 Labour Day Many Regions
5 Onam (5-17) Hindu (Kerala)
7

Independence Day Brazil
Ganesh Chaturthi Hindu
14 Holy Cross Day Christian
15

Mawlid al-Nabi (15-16) Muslim
Terry Fox Run Canada
16 Mexican Independence Day Mexico
17 Mid-Autumn Festival China
30 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Canada

 

OCTOBER
ISLAMIC HISTORY MONTH (CANADA)
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
MI’KMAQ HISTORY MONTH (CANADA)
GERMAN HERITAGE MONTH (CANADA)
LATIN AMERICA HERITAGE MONTH (CANADA)
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH (CANADA)
Date 2024 Origin
1 National Day China
Independence Day Nigeria
2
Rosh Hashanah (2-4) Jewish
Gandhi Jayanti (Birthday of Mahatma Gandhi) India
3 Day of German Unity Germany
9 Durga Puja (9-13) Hindu
11

Yom Kippur (11-12) Jewish
ChungYang Festival (The Double Ninth Festival China
12 Dussehra/Vijayadashami Hindu
14

Thanksgiving Canada
Svetitskhovleli Cathedral Georgia
16


Lakshmi Puja Hindu
Birth of the Bab Baha’i
Sukkot (16-23) Jewish
19 Karva Chauth (Oct 19-20) Hindu
20 Installation of the Scriptures as Guru Granth Sikh
24 Simchat Torah (24-25) Jewish
29 Diwali (October 29 – November 03) Sikh/Hindu/Jain
Republic Day Turkey
31 All Hallows Eve (Halloween) North America

 

NOVEMBER
LEBANESE HERITAGE MONTH (CANADA)
Date 2024 Origin
3 Bhai Dooj Hindu
5 Chhat Puja (5-8) Hindu
11 Remembrance Day Canada
16 International Day of Tolerance International
20

Transgender Day of Remembrance International
National Child Day Canada
23 Holodomor Memorial Day Canada
25 International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women International
26 Ascension of Abdu’l-Bahá 26-27 Baha’i
28 Thanksgiving (American) United States of America
29 Sigd (29-30) Ethiopian Jewish community

 

DECEMBER
Date 2024 Origin
1

Independence Day Portugal
First Sunday of Advent Christian
2 International Day for the Abolition of Slavery International
3 International Day of Persons with Disabilities International
9 Tanzania Independence Day Tanzania
10 World Human Rights Day International
12 Kenya Independence Day Kenya
16 Simbang Gabi (16-24) Filipino Catholic
20 Yelda Persian
21 Dongzhi Festival East Asia
24 Christmas Eve Christian
25
Hanukkah (25 Dec-Jan 2, 2025) Judaism
Christmas Day Christian
Kwanzaa (26 Dec-Jan 1, 2025) USA
26 Boxing Day Christian
31 New Year’s Eve International