Calendar
The following is not a complete listing of every world, or Australian, special day or event, only those felt likely to be of value to schools. Some major religion-specific dates are found here, but a more complete listing can be found through the Multifaith Calendar page.
Calendar events are given as one listing for each month rather than separate listings as before.
Where the date is not known at this time, we have used the code “TBC” [To Be Confirmed]. The date will be added as soon as it is known.
The date/events given for the months already completed this year, provide 2017 dates, where these are known.
“Year of … ” Information
The following is a list of “Years” allotted to 2018. They include international nominations as well as others such as the “Chinese Year of …”. Every effort has been made to include all major nominations.
The first group are Officially Nominated Years [International, e.g. United Nations, Chinese Calendar, … ], the second “Decades of”. The final group are those declared by a range of other bodies.
“Year of … ”
- 100 Years of Anzac [2014-2018; Final year]
- 2018 Year of Lifelong Learning [Adult Learning Australia]
- 2018, Year of the Dog
- Year Of Youth in Australia 2018
“Decade of … ”
- United Nations Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification 2010-2020
- Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020
- Third International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism 2011-20
- United Nations Decade on Biodiversity 2011-20
- Decade of Sustainable Energy for All 2014-2024
- International Decade for People of African Descent 2015-2024
- United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition 2016-2025
“Other Years of … ”
- 2018 The Year of Clean and Healthy Planet
- 2018 The Year of Irena Sendler [Learning from the Righteous]
- 2018, Year of Young People, Scotland
- European Cultural Heritage Year 2018
- Year of Mathematical Biology 2018 [Europe]
“Future Years of … ”
Listed in the same groupings and order as above. Others will be added as we become aware of them.
- 2019 The Year of the Pig
- United Nations International Year of Indigenous Languages 2019
- International Year of the Salmon [2019, Focal Year]
- Proposed International Year of Sound 2019
- 2020 International Year of Plant Health
- 2020 Scotland’s Year of Coast and Waters
- 2020 Year of the Rat
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | Teachers begin Term 1 : ACT |
| 1-28 | HeartKids National Awareness Month |
| TBC | Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge : ACT |
| TBC | Premier’s Reading Challenge starts - VIC |
| 2 | Play Outside Day [First Saturday of every month] |
| 2 | World Wetlands Day |
| 4 | New Students begin Term 1 : ACT |
| 4 | Students begin Term 1 : WA [TBC] |
| 4 | Teachers begin Term 1 : WA [TBC] |
| 4 | Teachers begin Term 1 : Tas |
| 4 | World Cancer Day |
| 5 | Chinese New Year [Year of the Pig] |
| 5 | Continuing Students begin Term 1 : ACT |
| 5 | Safer Internet Day [TBC] |
| 6 | Waitangi Day [NZ] |
| 6 | Students begin Term 1 : Tas |
| 10 | Vasant Panchami [Hinduism] |
| TBC | Duchenne Awareness Week |
| 13 | The Apology : Anniversary |
| 13 | World Radio Day |
| 14 | Library Lovers Day |
| 14 | Sweetheart Day |
| 14 | Valentine’s Day |
| 15 | Galileo’s Birthday |
| 15 | Nirvana Day [Buddhism] |
| 18 | International Asperger’s Day |
| 20 | World Day of Social Justice |
| 21 | World Harmony Day |
| 21 | Mother Language Day |
| 22 | World Thinking Day |
| TBC | Hearing Awareness Week |
| TBC | Queensland HPE Week |
| 28 | Last Day of Summer |