This calendar identifies some of the international, national and local religious and cultural events and activities that will be taking place in 2024; opportunities for people to come together; to learn more about different cultures; to join in with cultural celebrations and/or to focus on particular culturally related issues.
January |
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| 7th | Christmas Day | For Orthodox Christians |
| 19th | World Religion Day | WORLD RELIGION DAY – January 19, 2025 – National Today |
| 16th | Martin Luther King Day | King Holiday 2025 – The King Center |
| 25th | Burns Night | A celebration of the life and poetry of Scottish poet Robert Burns. Burns Night 2025 resources – BBC Teach |
| 27th | Holocaust Memorial Day – 2025 Theme: For a better future | Holocaust Memorial Day Trust | HMD 2025 Theme |
| 27th Jan – 4th Feb | Lunar New Year | New Year celebration in many Chinese and Buddhist communities Chinese New Year: 2025—Year of the Snake (Lunar New Year). The Hongkongers in Exeter will be organising celebrations in Exeter |
February |
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| Whole Month | LGBT+ History Month | LGBT+ History Month |
| 5th to 11th | Race Equality Week – ListenActChange | Race Equality Week – Race Equality Matters |
| 1st to 9th | National Storytelling Week | NSW – Society for Storytelling |
| 3rd to 9th | Race Equality Week 2025 Theme: #EveryActionCounts | Race Equality Week – Race Equality Matters |
| 12th | Magha Puja (aka “Fourfold Assembly Day”) | Māgha Pūjā Celebration of the presentation of teachings by the Buddha to a spontaneous gathering of 1250 arahants (holy men). Also known as ‘Great Assembly Day’ or ‘Sangha Day’. |
| 14th | St Valentine’s Day | International celebration of love. Valentine’s Day: Origins, Background & Traditions | HISTORY |
| 28th Feb or 1st Mar | Ramadan – probable start date for 2025 | Fasting month. Observance of Ramadan is one of the 5 pillars of Islam Ramadan Information: Understanding its Significance and Practice |
March |
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| Whole Month | Women’s History Month | Women’s History Month Calendar | Women For Women |
| 1st | St David’s Day | National day for Wales Where to celebrate St David’s Day | Visit Wales |
| 4th | Shrove Tuesday (“Pancake Day” aka “Mardi Gras”). | The History of Pancake Day |
| 6th | World Book Day | World Book Day. Schools often ask children to prepare a report on their favourite book. |
| 8th | International Women’s Day Theme: #Accelerate Action | International Women’s Day 2025 |
| 14th | Holi | Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love and Spring Holi: Festival of Colors | Britannica |
| 17th | St Patrick’s Day | A celebration of Irish culture St Patrick’s Day | Ireland.com |
| 21st | Kurdish Newroz | New Year – celebration of Spring for Kurdish communities Kurdish Newroz. The Kurdish Community will be organising a celebration in Exeter |
| 30th | Mothering Sunday (“Mother’s Day”) | https://www.arenaflowers.com/blogs/news/the-history-of-mother-s-day/ |
| 30th/ 31st | Eid-ul Fitr | Islamic festival to mark the end of Ramadan https://www.islamic-relief.org.uk/giving/islamic-giving/ramadan/eid-al-fitr/ |
April |
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| 1st | Easter Monday | Start of the Easter holidays |
| 1st | April Fool’s Day | April Fool’s Day | LearnEnglish (britishcouncil.org) |
| 9th to 11th | Eid-ul Fitr | Islamic festival to mark the end of Ramadan |
| 13th | Vaisakhi | Festival which celebrates the founding of the Sikh community, the Khalsa, in 1699. It was originally a harvest festival in the Punjab until it became Sikhism’s most important festival. |
| 22nd | Stephen Lawrence Day | National Stephen Lawrence Day was inaugurated in 2019 to celebrate the short life and legacy of Stephen Lawrence, who was killed in a racist attack at just 18 years old. |
| 22nd to 30th | Passover | A major Jewish festival that celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites’ escape from slavery in Egypt. |
| 23rd | St George’s Day | National day for England. A truly multicultural saint, St George is the patron saint of England, Georgia, Venice, Genoa, Portugal, Ethiopia and Catalonia |
May |
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| Whole month | Local and Community History month | Trips, library exhibitions and local lectures Local and Community History Month / Historical Association |
| 1st | Beltane – | The Gaelic May Day festival, marking the start of Summer |
| 13th to 19th | Mental Health Awareness Day | A week during which events are held to highlight issues around mental health. |
| 22nd | Wesak Buddha’s birthday | Wesak | Buddhist Celebration, Vesak Day, Buddha’s Birth | Britannica |
June |
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| 8th and 9th | Exeter Respect Festival | The largest celebration of diversity in the South West. Takes place in Belmont Park, Exeter. This year is 27th Respect festival |
| 16th | Eid al-Adha | One of the holiest days in Islam, Eid al-Adha commemorates Ibrahim’s (Abraham’s) willingness to sacrifice his son for God, marked by prayers, charity, and community gatherings |
| 20th | Summer Solstice | Midsummer, the longest day of the year and a pagan festival |
| 22nd | Windrush Day | A day to honour the contributions of migrants to life in the UK.. Specifically, it celebrates Afro-Caribbeans who began arriving on the HMT Empire Windrush in 1948 |
July |
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| 7th or 8th | Islamic New Year | The start of the New Year 1446 in the Islamic calendar |
| 18th | South Asian Heritage Month | The start of a month-long celebration of South Asian heritage and culture South Asian Heritage Month |
| 23rd | Birthday of Emperor Haile Selassie | Rastafarian celebration of the birthday of Hailie Selassie |
August |
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| 13th to 15th | Obon | Obon (also known as Bon festival) is an important Zen Buddhist festival in Japan – a commemoration of ancestors |
| 23rd |
International day for the remembrance of the slave trade |
International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition | UNESCO |
September |
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| 31st Aug to 7th Sept | Paryushan | The most important holy festival for Jains – an 8 day festival focusing on new beginnings |
| 23rd to 29th | National Inclusion Week (Inclusive Employers) | National Inclusion Week 2024 | Inclusive Employers dedicated to celebrating inclusion and taking action to create inclusive workplaces |
| 26th | European Day of Languages | Council of Europe initiative to celebrate language and cultural diversity. Click here for ideas to celebrate the day: European Day of Languages > Home (ecml.at) |
October |
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| Whole month | Black History Month | Annual awareness campaign to highlight African and Caribbean history and heritage, and the UK’s diverse cultural heritage. A range of events to entertain and educate. |
| 3rd | National Poetry Day | About National Poetry Day – National Poetry Day – schools often ask children to prepare poems for lessons. |
| 10th | World Mental Health Day | Aims to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health. |
| 16th | International Pronouns Day | International Pronouns Day — Pronouns.org Resources on Personal Pronouns |
| 31st | Halloween | A festival with diverse origins (including Pagan and Christian traditions) that has become an important cultural festival in UK and USA |
| 11th to 17th | Anti-bullying Week | A nationwide initiative that highlights the issue of bullying and encourages individuals to take action against it. It emphasizes the importance of fostering a culture of respect and support, where bullying is not tolerated, and every person is valued. |
| 30th | St Andrews Day | A day of celebration in Scotland. The thistle flower is associated with this day. |
November |
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| Whole month | Islamophobia Awareness Month | Islamophobia Awareness Month (IAM) is a campaign founded in 2012 by a group of Muslim organisations. It aims to showcase the positive contributions of Muslims as well as raise awareness of Islamophobia in society. |
| 1st | Diwali | The Hindu festival of lights |
| 5th | Guy Fawkes Night (aka “Bonfire Night”) | Guy Fawkes Day | History, Rhyme, & Facts | Britannica |
| 10th | Remembrance Sunday | A day to remember people killed or wounded in war. People often observe 2 minutes’ silence starting at 11am. |
| 10th to 17th | UK Interfaith Week | Inter Faith Week Aims to strengthen relations between people of different religious and non-religious beliefs. |
December |
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| 18th | International Migrants’ Day | International Migrants Day | United Nations An annual opportunity to celebrate the positive contributions of migrants to societies around the world. |
| 25th | Christmas Day | Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus and a secular family holiday celebrated by both Christians and non-Christians |
| 25th Dec – 2nd Jan | Hanukkah | When Is Hanukkah in 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027? | My Jewish Learning |
| 31st | New Year’s Eve/Hogmanay | A worldwide festival to mark the arrival of a New Year |