A Canadian holidays and observances calendar is a useful tool for marketing or for inspiring blog post, newsletter content and social media ideas. Traditional holidays have been joined by many observances in Canada and internationally, all of which now enjoy more exposure via the Internet. Combined with famous Canadian birthdays and historical events, there is no shortage of inspiration. As a bonus, you may come up in searches for the holiday or observance in question.
Starting this year, we’ll be publishing a calendar of holidays and observances for Canadians each month (in the last days of the month before). This calendar includes Canadian and international holidays and observances, from the official, to the charitable, and on to the strange and unusual. Many of the observances have spilled into Canada from other countries to become virtually universal in their celebration.
Numerous holidays and observances are marketable to virtually all Canadians, while others will be more useful to certain sectors and topical websites. We’ve included food day observances for those in the grocery, baking and farming industries, for example.
While I have been accused of being able to stare at a calendar and still forget a birthday, this year I’m on it. My parents both celebrate birthdays in January, so happy birthday to Burpee and Betty Pond in New Brunswick, Canada!
January is…
Adopt A Rescued Bird Month by Petfinder.com
Alzheimer Awareness Month
Apple and Apricots Month
Artichoke and Asparagus Month
Bath Safety Month
Be Kind to Food Servers Month
Creativity Month
Celebration of Life Month
Crime Stoppers Month (Ontario)
Financial Wellness Month
Get A Balanced Life Month
Get Organized Month
Hobby Month
Hot Tea Month
Brain Teaser Month
International New Year’s Resolutions Month for Businesses
International Quality of Life Month
International Wealth Mentality Month
Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month
Braille Literacy Month Link
Clean Up Your Computer Month
March of Dimes Month
Mail Order Gardening Month
Mentoring Month
Personal Self-Defense Awareness Month
Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month
Stalking Awareness Month
Polka Music Month
Skating Month
Soup Month
Oatmeal Month
Self-help Group Awareness Month
Teen Driving Awareness Month
Train Your Dog Month by The Association of Pet Dog Trainers
Unchain A Dog Month by PETA
Worldwide Rising Star Month
January 2014 “Weeks”
New Year’s Resolutions Week January 1st-4th
Celebration of Life Week January 1st-7th
Diet Resolution Week January 1st-7th
Silent Record Week January 1st-7th
Home Office Safety and Security Week January 5th-11th
Lose Weight/Feel Great Week January 5th-12th
3-D Week January 7th-10th
Universal Letter Writing Week January 8th-14th
Vocation Awareness Week January 13th-19th
International Snowmobile Safety and Awareness Week January 18th-26th
Week of Christian Unity January 18th-25th
Clean Out Your Inbox Week January 19th-25th
Healthy Weight Week January 19th-25th
Activity Professionals Week January 19th-24th
Non-Smoking Week January 19th-25th
Handwriting Analysis Week January 19th-25th
No Name Calling Week January 19th-25th
Sugar Awareness Week January 19th-25th
International Hoof Care Week January 28th-31st
January 2014 “Days”
1st
New Year’s Day
Polar Swim Day
Global Family Day
Commitment Day
Copyright Law Day
Z Day – A fun day for those who are always last alphabetically. Today they get to be first!
Florence Lawrence’s Birthday – Canadian known as the World’s first movie star.
2nd
Day After New Year’s Day (Quebec)
Mew Year Day for Cats Day
Buffet Day
Motivation and Inspiration Day
Personal Trainer Awareness Day
Pet Travel Safety Day
Science Fiction Day
3rd
Drinking Straw Day
Memento Mori “Remember You Die” Day – This day is basically a reminder to live each day like it’s your last.
Cream Puff Day
Festival of Sleep Day
4th
World Braille Day
Pop Music Chart Day
Spaghetti Day
Tom Thumb Day
Trivia Day
World Hypnotism Day
5th
Bean Day
Whipped Cream Day
Bird Day
6th
Epiphany (Feast of the Epiphany or Three Kings’ Day) – The 12th day of Christmas, when the wise men visited baby Jesus.
Shortbread Day
Apple Tree Day
Weigh-In Day
Thank God It’s Monday” Day
7th
Harlem Globetrotter’s Day
I’m Not Going to Take it Anymore Day – A day to protest on either a personal or mass level.
International Programmers’ Day
Orthodox Christmas Day
Old Rock Day – Think fossils.
Tempura (Batter) Day
Typewriter patented
8th
War on Poverty Day
Argyle Day
Bubble Bath Day
Earth’s Rotation Day
National English Toffee Day
Women’s Day (Midwife’s Day)
Joy Germ Day – Spread a good germ for a change!
Show and Tell Day at Work
Apricot Day
Sarah Polly’s birthday – Known for her character in Road to Avonlea, set in early Prince Edward Island.
9th
Static Electricity Day
Félicité Angers’ birthday – Canada’s first female, french-Canadian novelist.
10th
Bittersweet Chocolate Day
Cut your Energy Costs Day
Houseplant Appreciation Day
League of Nations Day – League of Nations was established.
Peculiar People Day – This is when y’all celebrate me and my people. 😉
11th
Sir John A. MacDonald Day
Amelia Earhart Day
Human Trafficking Awareness Day
Fruitcake Toss Day
Milk Day
12th
Golden Globe Awards
Marzipan Day
Pharmacist Day
First X-ray image
13th
International Skeptics Day
Make Your Dream Come True Day
Blame Someone Else Day
National Clean Off Your Desk Day
Peach Melba Day
Public Radio Broadcasting Day
Rubber Duckie Day
Frisbee invented
14th
Orthodox New Year
Dress Up Your Pet Day
Hot Pastrami Sandwich
Poetry at Work Day
Organize Your Home Day: 14 Link
Carrie Matilda Derick’s birthday – The first female university professor in Canada.
15th
Humanitarian Day – Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday
Hat Day
Strawberry Ice Cream Day
16th
Get to Know Your Customers Day
International Hot & Spicy Food Day
Religious Freedom Day
Tu B’Shevat (Arbor Day) – Jewish holiday, “New Year for Trees”.
17th
Blessing of the Animals at the Cathedral Day
Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day
Kid Inventors’ Day
Pig Day
18th
Martin Luther King Day
Winnie the Pooh Day – Celebrate this delightful character modeled after a real Canadian Black Bear named Winnipeg.
Jazz Day
Thesaurus Day
Pro-Life Day
19th
World Religion Day
Popcorn Day
Tin Can Day
Cheese Lovers Day
20th
Day of Service (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)
International Day of Acceptance – “Friends, tell the world you embrace who you are; a person with social rights, who has an opinion, who has interests, who has goals and who loves life; a person who is empowered to make a difference in the world and not be without a voice in society. You are not living disabled, you are living.” ~3E Love website
Basketball Day – A game invented by Canadian, Dr. James Naismith.
Penguin Awareness Day
National Disc Jockey Day
21st
National Hugging Day
Rid The World of Fad Diets and Gimmicks Day
Squirrel Appreciation Day
22nd
Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day
Celebration of Life Day
Weedless Wednesday (smoking cessation)
23rd
Handwriting Day
Pie Day
24th
Women’s Healthy Weight Day
Belly Laugh Day
Beer Can Day
Compliment Day
Peanut Butter Day
Talk Like A Grizzled Prospector Day – Yessiree, I reckon it’s high time you varmits change yer way of talkin’!
Boy Scouts organization founded
25th
AFRMA Fancy Rat & Mouse Day
A Room of One’s Own Day – Attributed to the observance of Virginia Woolf’s essay promoting education for women.
Macintosh Computer Day
Irish Coffee Day
Opposite Day
Seed Swap Day
First day of the first Winter Olympics
First transatlantic phone call
26th
World Leprosy Day
Lotus 1-2-3 Day
Toad Hollow Day of Encouragement – Share a kind word from the heart.
Spouse’s Day
Peanut Brittle Day
Pistachio Day
27th
International Holocaust Memorial Day
Family Literacy Day
Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day
Chocolate Cake Day
Thomas Crapper Day – Who doesn’t appreciate the guy who invented the flush toilet? Have you ever used an outhouse on a January day in Canada? ‘Nuff said.
Thomas Edison’s lightbulb was patented
Susan Aglukark’s birthday – Inuit singer from Manitoba.
28th
Blueberry Pancake Day
Data Privacy Day
National Kazoo Day
Thank A Plugin Developer Day
Daisy Day
Sarah McLachlan’s birthday – Singer from Nova Scotia.
29th
Curmudgeons Day
Freethinkers Day (AKA Thomas Paine Day) – Celebrated on Thomas Paine’s birthday.
Puzzle Day
Seeing-Eye Dog Day
Croissant Day
Cornchip Day 29
Carnation Day
30th
Inane Answering Message Day
31st
Backward Day
Lunar (Chinese) New Year
Fun at Work Day
Inspire Your Heart with Art Day
World Day for the Abolition of Meat
Other: Until January 15th, you can get an anti-bullying pink shirt for $6 for Pink Shirt Day (February 26th). All proceeds go to anti-bullying programs.
Please let us know if we’ve missed any observances or holidays celebrated in Canada, from the weird to the wonderful.
✔ You may also be interested in reading:
Increase Holiday Traffic and Conversions with Guest Posting
Top Web Analytics Tools Used by Marketers
Connected Canadians: eCommerce and Internet Use Statistics
Top Reasons Canadians Share Content on Social Media (2013 Statistics)
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Melody McKinnon is an internet entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in a wide range of online business models, backed by a formal business/marketing education and enhanced by training and mentorship. She has owned or managed both educational and ecommerce websites. Her book, 7 Recession Proof Online Businesses to Start From Home, is available from all major ebook retailers.
Melody has worked with many businesses in a multitude of capacities. She can often be found on CanadianDigitalMedia.com, CanadiansInternet.com, CanadianFamily.net, and AllNaturalPetCare.com, as well as other quality digital publications. Her content has earned reference links from highly-respected websites, magazines and university textbooks.
You’re going to keep me plenty busy this year, girl! Great idea, thanks for the work you do.
WOW! What a supply of ideas! Thank you so much!
Holy moly! I’ll be writing my fingers to the bone now LOL 😉 😉
I write about some holidays and charity days but wow I had no idea so many were celebrated. Many thanks.