Commemorative Dates

2023-2024 Commemorative Dates

HPEDSB priority days are shown in red. The expectation is that HPEDSB schools and worksites not schedule unrelated events on significant priority days that would exclude observing staff and students from participating.

September

1 First Parkash (S)
3 Farvardegan (Z) (SC)
4 Labour Day (CAN)
7 Arbaeen (I)
7 Ukrainian Heritage Day
8 International Literacy Day
9 FASD Awareness Day
10 World Suicide Prevention Day
11 Nayrouz (C) (JC)
11 Samvatsari/Paryushan Parva ends/Daslakshan Parva begins (J)
15-17 Rosh Hashanah (JD)
16-24 National Coaches Week
17-23 International Week of the Deaf
19 International IT Professionals Day
19 Ganesh Chaturthi (H)
20 Kshamavani/Daslakshan Parva ends (J)
23 Harvestide/Fall Equinox (W)
23 International Day of Sign Languages
24-25 Yom Kippur (JD)
25 Franco-Ontarian Day (CAN)
25-30 National Truth and Reconciliation Week (IW)
28 Anant Chaturdashi (H), (J)
28 Rowan’s Law Day
29 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (acknowledged by HPEDSB)
29 Orange Shirt Day (acknowledged by HPEDSB)
30 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (IW)
30 Orange Shirt Day (IW)
30-6 Sukkot (JD)

October

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) Awareness Month Canadian Autism Awareness Month
Cyber Awareness Month
German Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month
Islamic Heritage Month
Latin American Heritage Month
Learning Disabilities Awareness Month
Women’s History Month
2 National Custodial and Maintenance Workers Recognition Day
4 National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ People (IW)
4 Milad-un-Nabi (I)
5 World Teacher Day
7-8 Simchat Torah (JD)
8-14 Fire Prevention Week
9 Thanksgiving (CAN)
10 World Mental Health Day
11 International Day of the Girl
13 World Sight Day
15 Sharad Navrati begins (H)
16 Birth of the Báb (B)
16-20 School Bus Safety Week
16-22 Local Government Week
17 Birth of Bahá’u’lláh (B)
17 Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Appreciation Day
17 International Day of the Eradication of Poverty
18 Persons Day
18 International Pronouns Day
18 Educational Assistant Appreciation Day
18 School Bus Operator Appreciation Day
20 Installation of Guru Granth (S)
20 Canadian Library and Support Staff Day
22 Durga Ashtami (H)
23-24 Vijaya Dashmi/Dassehra (H)
27 Dress Purple Day
29 Kathina Ceremony/Pavarana Day (BD)
31 Karva Chauth (H)
31 Halloween (CAN)

November

Hindu Heritage Month
1 Samhain (W)
1 All Saints Day (C)
5-11 Treaties Recognition Week (IW)
5-11 Veterans’ Week
7 Inuit Day (IW)
8 Indigenous Veterans Day (IW)
11 Remembrance Day (CAN)
12 Diwali (H)
12-13 Diwali/Lord Mahavir (J)
12 Bandi Chhor Divas (S)
13 New Year (H)
14 New Year/Enlightenment day of Gautamswami (J)
16 Louis Riel Day (IW)
18 Gnan Panchami (J)
19-25 Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week
20 World Children’s Day
20 International Transgender Day of Remembrance
24 Martyrdom of Guru Teg Bahadur (S)
26 Day of the Covenant (B)
27 Birth of Guru Nanak (S)
27 Dev Diwali (J)
28 Ascension ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (B)

December

3 First day of Advent (C)
3 International Day of Persons with Disabilities
6 National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (CAN)
10 International Human Rights Day
8 Bodhi Day (BD)
8-15 Chanukah/Hanukkah (JD)
13 Birthday of Imam Aga Khan (I)
21 Yule/Winter Solstice (W)
25 Christmas (C)
26-1 Kwanzaa African (African Canadian)
26 Zarathosht-no-diso (FC) (Z)
29 Amitabha Buddha’s Birthday (BD)

January

Tamil Heritage Month
1 Kwanzaa African (African Canadian)
1 New Year’s Day (C)
1 Temple Day (BD)
6 Epiphany (C)
7 Christmas (C) (JC)
13 Lohri (H)
13 Maghi (S)
14 New Year’s Day (C) (JC)
15 Makar Sankranti (H)
15-18 Thai Pongal (H)
15 Martin Luther King Jr. Day (USA)
17 Birth of Guru Gobind Singh (S)
19 Epiphany (C) (JC)
21 Lincoln Alexander Day
24 International Day of Education
27 Family Literacy Day
27 International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust

February

Black History Month
Psychology Month
1 Imbolc (W)
8 Isra’a and Mi’raj (I)
10 Lunar New Year/Maitreya Bodhisattva’s Birthday (BD)
14 Ash Wednesday (C)
14 Vasant Panchami (H)
15 National Flag Day of Canada
15 Sakyamuni Buddha’s Nirvana Day (BD)
19 Family Day (ON)
22 Human Trafficking Awareness Day
24 Lantern Festival (BD)
25 Nisfu Sha’ban (I)
26-29 Intercalary Days (B)
28 Pink Shirt Day

March

Greek Heritage Month
Irish Heritage Month
Bangladeshi Heritage Month
National Social Worker Month
1-19 Bahá’i Fast (B)
8 Mahashivratri (H)
8 International Women’s Day
10 Ramadan begins (I)
10 Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva’s Birthday (BD)
17 St. Patrick’s Day
18 Clean Monday (C) (JC)
19 World Social Work Day
20 Journée internationale de la Francophonie (CAN)
20 Ladyday/Spring Equinox (W)
20 Naw Ruz (New Year) (B)
21 Eid-e-Navroz (I)
21 Navroze (New Year) (Z) (FC)
21 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
21 World Down Syndrome Day
22 School Crossing Guard Appreciation Day
23-24 Purim (JD)
23 Earth Hour
24 Palm Sunday (C)
24-25 Holi (H)
25-27 Hola Mohalla (S)
26 Khordad Sal (Z) (FC)
26 Epilepsy Awareness Day
29 Good Friday (C)
31 Easter (C)
31 National Indigenous Languages Day (IW)
31 International Transgender Day of Visibility

April

Sikh Heritage Month
Month of the Military Child

1 Easter Monday (C)
2 World Autism Day!
4-5 Jumu’atul-Widaa (I)
5-6 Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) (CAN) (JD)
6-7 Lailat-ul-Qadr (I)
7 World Health Day
9-10 Eid ul-Fitr (Ramadan Ends) (I)
9-17 New Year/Vasant Navratri begins (H)
12 International Day of Pink
12 International Day of Silence
13 Vaisakhi (H) (S)
14 Tamil New Year (Tamil Hinduism) (H)
14-20 National Volunteer Week
15 Birth of Guru Nanak (S)
15 Sakyamuni Budda’s Enlightenment (BD)
17 Shri Ram Navami (H)
20 First Day of Ridvan (B)
21 Mahavir Jayanti/Janma Kalyanak (J)
22 Earth Day
22-30 Pesach/Passover (JD) (22-24, 30)
23 Zarathosht-no-diso (Z) (QC)
24 Administrative Professionals Day
24 Theravada New Year (BD)
27 Teal Up For Military Kids
28 Palm Sunday (C) (JC)
28 National Day of Mourning/World Day for Safety and Health at Work
29 Ninth Day of Ridvan (B)

May

Speech and Hearing Month
Sexual Violence Prevention Month
Mental Health Awareness Month
Asian Heritage Month
South Asian Heritage Month
Jewish Heritage Month
Dutch Heritage Month
Polish Heritage Month

1 Beltane (W)
1 School Principal’s Day
2 Twelfth Day of Ridvan (B)
3 Holy Friday (C) (JC)
5 National Day of Awareness and Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women,
Girls, and Two-Spirited Peoples (IW)
5 Easter (C) (JC)
6 Easter Monday (C) (JC)
6-10 Children’s Mental Health Week
6-10 Education Week
6-10 Child and Youth Worker Appreciation Week
10 Jordan’s Principle Day (IW)
11-13 Shavuot (JD)
14 Children and Youth in Care Day
15 International Day of Families
16 World Education Support Personnel Day
17 International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia
18 Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day (CAN)
19 Pentecost (C)
23 Wesak/Buddha Day (BD)
23 Declaration of the Báb (B)
26-1 National AccessAbility Week
28 Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh (B)

June

National Indigenous History Month
Pride Month
Deaf Blind Awareness Month
Italian Heritage Month
Filipino Heritage Month
Portuguese Heritage Month

2 Canadian Armed Forces Day
16 Eid ul-Adha (I)
16 Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev (S)
16 Waqfatu’ Arafat (I)
19 Juneteenth (USA)
20 Litha/Summer Solstice (W)
21 National Indigenous Peoples Day (IW)
21 Poson (BD)
23 Pentecost (C) (JC)
27 Canadian Multiculturalism Day (CAN)
30 All Saints Day (C) (JC)

July

1 Canada Day

1-7 Canada History Week

August

9 International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples

12 International Youth Day