Browse all researched observances

Victory Day

16 December annually · Bangladesh / national victory commemoration

Bangladesh’s Armed Forces Division describes December 16 as Victory Day, commemorating the 1971 victory and surrender in Dhaka, and its official observance program treats the day as a publi…

Victory Day

Second Monday in August; 10 August 2026 · Rhode Island, United States / state holiday

Rhode Island General Laws §25-1-1 establishes Victory Day as a legal state holiday on the second Monday in August; current Rhode Island state calendars continue to publish the holiday, and…

Victory Day (Estonia)

23 June annually · Estonia / national public holiday and civic-military commemoration

Estonia’s Public Holidays and Days of National Importance Act lists 23 June as Victory Day and a public holiday/day of rest. Estonian presidential, parliamentary and Defence League sources…

Victory in Europe Day (VE Day)

8 May · United Kingdom and wider European remembrance of the end of the Second World War in Europe

UK government material marks 8 May as VE Day and commemorates the end of the Second World War in Europe.

Victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran

11 February · Iran / national day and public-holiday observance; politically neutral descriptive treatment

Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs consular holiday material lists 22 Bahman / 11 February as Victory of the Islamic Revolution, while diplomatic protocol sources identify the same date as…

Vietnamese Family Day (Ngày Gia đình Việt Nam)

28 June every year; 28 June 2026 · Vietnam / national family observance

Vietnamese government cultural material states that 28 June every year is Vietnamese Family Day; 2026 marks 25 years from the 28 June 2001 designation.

Vietnamese Women’s Day / Vietnam Women’s Union founding anniversary

20 October · Vietnam / Vietnamese Women’s Day and Vietnam Women’s Union anniversary

The Vietnam Women’s Union marks October 20 as Vietnamese Women’s Day and the anniversary of the organization’s October 20, 1930 founding lineage.

Vijay Diwas

16 December annually · India / annual military remembrance of the 1971 war victory

Government of India material states that Vijay Diwas is observed every 16 December to commemorate India’s 1971 victory, with current national and military remembrance programming documented…

Vimy Ridge Day

9 April · Canadian national day of remembrance of the Battle of Vimy Ridge

Canada’s Vimy Ridge Day Act designates April 9 in every year as Vimy Ridge Day, and Veterans Affairs Canada continues to host annual commemorative ceremonies.

Vincy Mas

2026 season culminates in July; official programme dates are edition-specific · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines / national carnival

Official Vincy Mas and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines government sources identify Vincy Mas as the country’s national carnival, currently coordinated by the Carnival Development Corporati…

Waffle Day (Våffeldagen)

25 March · Swedish food tradition with international usage

Swedish public-broadcasting coverage identifies 25 March as Waffle Day and explains the Swedish tradition that has spread beyond Sweden.

Waitangi Day

6 February · New Zealand national public holiday and Treaty commemoration

The Waitangi Day Act 1976 makes February 6 in each year Waitangi Day and a public holiday; New Zealand government history documents the 1974–1975 New Zealand Day name period and the 1976 re…

Walk on Your Wild Side Day

12 April · United States / creator-defined informal Wellcat observance on April 12.

Wellcat’s creator calendar lists Walk on Your Wild Side Day on April 12 and identifies Wellcat Holidays as creations of Thomas and Ruth Roy; independent observance coverage also credits Tho…

Wallace & Gromit’s Wrong Trousers Day

19 June in the 2026 campaign edition · The Grand Appeal UK children’s-hospital fundraising campaign

The Grand Appeal documents the first Wrong Trousers Day in 1997 with Aardman and confirms Friday 19 June as the official 2026 campaign date. The day remains an annual charity fundraiser, wh…

Walpurgis Night

30 April annually in Sweden · Sweden / Valborg spring tradition; country-specific variants remain distinct

Visit Sweden identifies Walpurgis Eve (Valborg) on 30 April as a recurring Swedish spring tradition with bonfires, singing and community gatherings, while May Day on 1 May is a separate pub…

Walter Hunt safety-pin patent anniversary

10 April · Invention-history anniversary / Walter Hunt U.S. safety-pin patent

The original U.S. Patent No. 6,281 text identifies Walter Hunt’s dress-pin invention and dates the patent 10 April 1849; Smithsonian collections also identify Hunt with the safety-pin inven…

Washington’s Birthday (federal designation; “Presidents’ Day” is a common alternative label)

Third Monday in February · United States federal holiday; common “Presidents’ Day” label reconciled to the federal legal name

U.S. Office of Personnel Management / 5 U.S.C. 6103

Waste & Recycling Workers Week

Week of 17 June; 15–20 June in the organizer’s 2026 edition · Waste and recycling worker appreciation campaign / current Waste & Recycling Workers Week identity

The official organizer says John D. Arwood created the observance in 2012, that National Garbage Man Day was officially renamed Waste & Recycling Workers Week in 2019 for the 2020 celebrati…

Wave All Your Fingers At Your Neighbors Day

7 February · United States / creator-defined informal Wellcat observance on February 7.

Wellcat’s creator calendar lists Wave All Your Fingers At Your Neighbors Day on February 7 and identifies Wellcat Holidays as creations of Thomas and Ruth Roy; independent observance source…

Wear A Hat Day

27 March in 2026 · United Kingdom / Brain Tumour Research fundraising campaign

Brain Tumour Research states that Wear A Hat Day launched in 2010 and confirms Friday 27 March 2026 as its flagship fundraising day. Exact future dates remain edition-specific.

Weedless Wednesday

Third Wednesday in January · Canadian tobacco-cessation awareness activity within National Non-Smoking Week

Health Canada identifies Weedless Wednesday as a tobacco-cessation activity on the third Wednesday in January within National Non-Smoking Week. Canadian regional public-health material conf…

Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories

25–31 May · United Nations international week

A/RES/54/91

Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination

21–27 March · United Nations international week

A/RES/34/24

Weltkindertag (World Children’s Day in Germany)

20 September · Germany / World Children’s Day; statutory public holiday in Thuringia, not nationwide

UNICEF Germany states that Weltkindertag is observed every September 20; it has been a statutory public holiday in Thuringia since 2019.

West Virginia Day

20 June · West Virginia, United States / state legal holiday

West Virginia Code designates June 20 as West Virginia Day; current gubernatorial proclamations continue to recognize the date.

Western Australia Day

First Monday in June; 1 June 2026 and 7 June 2027 · Western Australia / state public holiday

Western Australian legislation and current government calendars establish Western Australia Day as the state public holiday observed on the first Monday in June; the 2012 Act renamed the lo…

What if Cats & Dogs Had Opposable Thumbs Day

3 March · United States / creator-defined informal Wellcat observance

The first-party Wellcat Holidays calendar lists What if Cats & Dogs Had Opposable Thumbs Day on March 3 and identifies the collection as created by Thomas and Ruth Roy.

White Cane Safety Day

15 October annually · United States / federal patriotic and national observance framework

36 U.S.C. §142 authorizes an annual presidential proclamation designating October 15 as White Cane Safety Day.

White Day

14 March annually in Japan · Japan / March 14 gift-giving custom with later adoption elsewhere

Japan National Tourism Organization identifies White Day on 14 March as a Japanese gift-giving custom; Japanese public-sector and industry-history material supports the national confectione…

White Ribbon Day

25 November annually for White Ribbon UK · England and Wales / White Ribbon UK campaign on 25 November; autonomous White Ribbon organizations elsewhere remain distinct

White Ribbon UK identifies 25 November as its annual White Ribbon Day and documents the wider White Ribbon movement’s 1991 Canadian origin; White Ribbon UK operates independently from other…

White Shirt Day

11 February annually in UAW tradition · United Auto Workers labor-history remembrance tied to the end of the Flint Sit-Down Strike

UAW sources describe White Shirt Day as an annual 11 February remembrance of the Flint Sit-Down Strike victory and worker dignity.

White Sunday

Second Sunday in October; 11 October in 2026, with Monday 12 October observed as a holiday in Samoa · Samoan Christian and family tradition centered on children

Samoa Tourism explains White Sunday as a major Samoan children’s and church observance; official mission calendars document the adjacent 2026 holiday observance.

Whole Grain Sampling Day

Organizer-selected date; examples include 4 April 2012 and 29 March 2017 · United States / Oldways Whole Grains Council campaign

The Oldways Whole Grains Council documents the campaign’s launch on 4 April 2012 and a later annual edition on 29 March 2017. Those first-party records show that the Gregorian date has vari…

Whooping Crane Day

28 May annually · North America / May 28 whooping-crane conservation awareness observance

Houston Zoo states that Whooping Crane Day takes place on May 28 each year, and the International Crane Foundation promoted the same May 28 observance in 2026; reviewed primary conservation…

Wikipedia Day / Wikipedia birthday

15 January annually · Wikimedia community / Wikipedia founding anniversary

Wikimedia Meta-Wiki identifies January 15 as Wikipedia Day each year on the anniversary of Wikipedia’s birth, while the Wikimedia Foundation independently dates Wikipedia’s launch to Januar…

Wild Koala Day

3 May · International / wild-koala conservation and habitat-awareness observance led by a network of Australian koala conservation groups

Wild Koala Day first-party material fixes the observance on May 3, documents its beginning in 2016 through a network of koala conservation groups, and continues to organize current annual p…

Wildfire Community Preparedness Day

First Saturday in May; 2 May 2026 · United States and Canada / NFPA preparedness campaign

NFPA’s 2026 fact sheet states that the campaign was piloted in Colorado in 2013, is managed by NFPA, and is held in the United States and Canada on the first Saturday in May; the 2026 date…

Women's Entrepreneurship Day

19 November each year · Women's Entrepreneurship Day Organization / global entrepreneurship campaign

The Women's Entrepreneurship Day Organization identifies 19 November as Women's Entrepreneurship Day and centers the campaign on supporting women entrepreneurs

Women’s Day (Tunisia) / Fête de la Femme

13 August · Tunisia / public-sector holiday and women’s-rights commemoration associated with the Personal Status Code

The Tunisian government FAQ lists Fête de la Femme on 13 August among holidays granting leave to state/public-sector personnel and cites Decree No. 2011-317; Tunisia’s Ministry of Justice s…

Women’s Equality Day

26 August · United States / presidential commemoration

A current Presidential message dated 26 August 2025 recognizes Women’s Equality Day and ties the observance to the certification of the Nineteenth Amendment on 26 August 1920.

Wonderful Weirdos Day

9 September · United States / creator-defined informal Wellcat observance

The first-party Wellcat Holidays calendar lists Wonderful Weirdos Day on September 9 and identifies the collection as created by Thomas and Ruth Roy.

Won’t You Be My Neighbor Day

20 March · United States / Mister Rogers-inspired neighborliness observance

Municipal and PBS materials tie Won’t You Be My Neighbor Day to Fred Rogers’ March 20 birthday and community acts of kindness and neighborliness.

Workers Memorial Day

28 April · International trade-union commemoration

The International Labour Organization states that 28 April has been associated since 1996 with the international trade union movement’s commemoration of victims of occupational accidents an…

World Afro Day

15 September · global Afro-hair celebration, education and anti-discrimination observance

World Afro Day organization; first event endorsed by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

World AIDS Day

1 December · Global health observance

United Nations observance

World Amateur Radio Day

18 April · International / IARU amateur-radio observance; participation remains subject to applicable licensing and operating rules

The International Amateur Radio Union states that World Amateur Radio Day is celebrated every April 18, the anniversary of IARU’s formation in Paris in 1925. IARU Resolution 94-3 establishe…

World AMR Awareness Week

18–24 November · World Health Organization official health campaign

World Health Assembly-mandated WHO campaign

World Anaesthesia Day

16 October annually · World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists / global anaesthesia awareness and professional observance

WFSA identifies World Anaesthesia Day as an annual 16 October observance commemorating the 1846 public ether demonstration and continues to coordinate annual global programming.

World Animal Day

4 October · Global / animal-welfare observance coordinated by World Animal Day and Naturewatch Foundation

World Animal Day first-party material fixes the observance on October 4, attributes the idea to Heinrich Zimmermann, documents the first celebration on 24 March 1925 and the later move to O…

World Animal Reiki Day

5 February · Global / Shelter Animal Reiki Association observance

Shelter Animal Reiki Association states that World Animal Reiki Day was created by Kathleen Prasad, is organized by SARA volunteer members, and is observed on February 5 in honor of the bir…

World Animal Road Accident Awareness Day

10 October · CatsMatter-created animal-road-safety awareness and remembrance campaign / annual October 10 observance; non-graphic welfare and road-safety boundaries

CatsMatter first-party pages establish World Animal Road Accident Awareness Day on October 10, identify the campaign as creator/current steward, document a 2020 launch cycle and continuing…

World Architecture Day

First Monday of October · Organizer-backed global architecture observance

The International Union of Architects states that it created World Architecture Day in 1985 and celebrates it each year on the first Monday of October alongside UN World Habitat Day. UIA’s…

World Art Day

15 April · UNESCO world day

World Arthritis Day

12 October · Organizer-backed international observance

Arthritis and Rheumatism International / EULAR community

World AS Day

First Saturday of May, except when May 1 is Saturday (then May 8) · global axial spondyloarthritis awareness observance

Axial Spondyloarthritis International Federation (ASIF)

World Aspergillosis Day

1 February · international aspergillosis awareness observance

National Aspergillosis Centre patient community / Aspergillus & Aspergillosis

World Atopic Eczema Day

14 September · Organizer-backed global health awareness observance

GlobalSkin and the international atopic-eczema community

World Autism Awareness Day

2 April · United Nations / international observance

A/RES/62/139

World AUTOimmune & AUTOinflammatory Arthritis Day

20 May annually · Global / International Foundation for Autoimmune & Autoinflammatory Arthritis campaign

AiArthritis identifies May 20 as World AUTOimmune & AUTOinflammatory Arthritis Day, says the International Foundation established the awareness day in 2012, and identifies itself as the off…

World Azerbaijanis Solidarity Day

31 December annually · Azerbaijan / national observance

Azerbaijan’s official presidential holiday information identifies 31 December as World Azerbaijanis Solidarity Day; current presidential messages use the same name.

World Backup Day

31 March · Independent global data-backup and digital-preservation awareness campaign / March 31; not a legal or cybersecurity compliance standard

The active World Backup Day first-party site verifies March 31, describes an origin on Reddit among concerned users, maintains current stewardship, and explains that the date was chosen as…

World Badminton Day

5 July · Badminton World Federation global sport-promotion observance / July 5; inaugural 2022

BWF first-party sources establish July 5 as World Badminton Day, tie the date to the July 5, 1934 formation of the International Badminton Federation, identify 2022 as the inaugural celebra…

World Bamboo Day

18 September · World Bamboo Organization global bamboo-awareness observance / September 18; created 2009; sustainability claims remain evidence-bounded

World Bamboo Organization first-party pages verify September 18, state that WBO created World Bamboo Day in 2009, place the first celebration at the 8th World Bamboo Congress in Bangkok, an…

World Barber Day

16 September · international barber-community and giving-back observance

World Barber Day organizers; launched in Ireland in 2017

World Basketball Day

21 December · United Nations / international observance

A/RES/77/324

World Bee Day

20 May · FAO / United Nations / international observance

A/RES/72/211

World Behavior Analysis Day

20 March · International behavior-analysis education and awareness observance / March 20; WBADA-coordinated; non-clinical observance copy with consent/dignity safeguards

WBADA first-party history traces the idea to Elizabeth Drago’s organizing beginning in 2019, identifies a 2020 inaugural celebration, documents the alliance’s 2021 formalization and current…

World Belly Dance Day

Second Saturday in May · International / belly-dance community observance

A Bayfield County, Wisconsin 2026 event page explicitly states that the second Saturday in May is World Belly Dance Day; dance-community historical references attribute the concept to Lydia…

World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day (W-BAD)

11 July annually · International / W-BAD awareness campaign

W-BAD first-party history verifies the November 2015 campaign concept, Wayne Douglas’s founder role, an inaugural 11 July 2016 observance and the July 11 Heather Ashton birthday rationale;…

World Bicycle Day

3 June · United Nations / international observance

A/RES/72/272

World Bipolar Day

30 March · Organizer-backed worldwide mental-health awareness observance

International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD), ANBD and International Bipolar Foundation

World Blood Donor Day

14 June · World Health Organization global health observance

WHA58.13