Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Significant dates calendar
All sporting organisations and event organisers are encouraged to explore this calendar of significant dates in order to:
- celebrate and raise awareness of diverse communities
- meet diverse community needs and expectation and improve planning
- create welcoming and inclusive environments
- recognise the vast array of identities and beliefs of all Australians and practice allyship
- show support for our diverse communities.
January 2024
| Day | Category | Observance | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Disability | World Braille Day | World Braille Day | United Nations |
| 6 | CALD | Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Ji | Considered an important day among the Sikh community celebrating the birthday of the 10th Guru. |
| 7 | Orthodox Christmas | Orthodox Christians follow the Julian calendar and celebrate Christmas on January 7 | |
| 14 | CALD | Thai Pongal | The day is considered auspicious and is celebrated with much enthusiasm by the Tamil community. It marks the beginning of the month of Thai which believed to bring good luck by vanishing away one's problems. |
| 14 | CALD | Mahayana / Buddhist New Year | Mahayana Buddhist communities celebrate the new year on the first full moon day in January. It is a significant cultural occasion in which communities prioritise bonding with their families and self-reflect both individually and as a community. |
| 19 | CALD | World Religion Day | A day that aims to promote interfaith understanding, unity, and harmony among people of different faiths. |
| 19 Jan - 9 Feb | LGBTIQ+ |
Midsumma Festival Ends with Melbourne Pride | Midsumma Festival - Midsummer Festival - Home Midsumma Festival - Victoria's Pride Street Party and Regional Events |
| 26 | ALL | Australia Day | Australia Day |
| 29 | CALD | Lunar New Year | What is Lunar New Year, and how is it celebrated in Australia? | SBS English |
February 2024
March 2024
| Day | Category | Observance | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disability | International Wheelchair Day | International Wheelchair Day |
| 1 | ALL | Zero Discrimination Day | Zero Discrimination Day |
|
1-7 3 | Disability | Hearing Awareness Week World Hearing Day | Hearing Awareness Week |
| 5 | Ash Wednesday | It is the first day of Lent in the Western Christian calendar. | |
| 8 | Women | International Women’s Day | |
| 13-14 | CALD | Purim | It is a joyous Jewish holiday that celebrates the saving of the Jews of Persia by Queen Esther. |
| 14 | CALD | Holi (Festival of colours) | Holi in Australia – Holi Festivalin Australia, Holi Celebration in Australia |
| 14 | CALD | Rama Navami | It is a holy festival observed by the Hindu community that celebrates the birthday of Lord Rama the seventh avatar of the deity Vishnu |
| 15 | CALD | International Day to Combat Islamophobia | International Day to Combat Islamophobia |
| 17-23 | CALD | Cultural Diversity Week VIC | Cultural Diversity Week VIC |
|
17-23 21 | CALD | Harmony Week Harmony Day & International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination | Harmony Week Harmony Day & International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination |
| 20 | CALD | Naw-Ruz / Baha’i and Persian New Year | Naw-Ruz / Baha’i and Persian New Year |
| 20 | First Nations | National Close the Gap Day | National Close the Gap Day |
| 21 | Disability | World Down Syndrome Day | World Down Syndrome Day |
| 30 Mar - 1 Apr | CALD | Eid el Fitr (Breaking the Fast) | Use same link as Ramadan or the following: Celebration: Eid al-Fitr : SBS Food |
| 31 | LGBTQ+ | Transgender Day of Visibility | Transgender Day of Visibility |
April 2024
| Day | Category | Observance | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CALD | Kha b-Nisan / Assyrian and Chaldean New Year | A spring festival celebrated by the Assyrian and Chaldean communities to mark the beginning of a new year by holding parties, picnics, and parades. |
| 2 | Disability | World Autism Day | https://www.un.org/en/observances/autism-day |
| 5 | CALD | Rama Navami | It is a holy festival observed by the Hindu community that celebrates the birthday of Lord Rama the seventh avatar of the deity Vishnu |
| 6 | ALL | International Day of Sport for Development and Peace | International Day of Sport for Development and Peace |
| 7 | ALL | World Health Day | World Health Day |
| 12-20 | CALD | Passover / Pesach | A gentile's guide to Passover | SBS Food |
| 12 | CALD | Hanuman Jayanti | It is a Hindu religious festival that commemorates the birth of Lord Hanuman. It is celebrated by visiting temples, reciting prayers, and taking a holy bath. |
| 13-16 | CALD | Songkran (Thai New Year), Thingyan (Burmese New Year), Choul Chnam Thmey (Cambodian New Year), and Pii Mai (Lao New Year) | A water festival marking the beginning of the new year on the Buddhist calendar. It is celebrated by the Thai, Burmese, Cambodian, and Lao communities by pouring water on Buddha statues and splashing water on each other to wash away bad luck and have a fresh start. |
| 13 | CALD | Theravada - Buddhist New Year | Cultural Atlas (sbs.com.au) |
| 14 | CALD | Sinhala Aluth Avurudda (Sinhalese New Year) | It is a major traditional and cultural festival celebrating the beginning of the new year by the Sinhalese people and most Sri Lankans around the world. In the period between the ending of the old year and the beginning of the new year (called nonagathe – neutral period), people keep off from all types of work and engage in religious activities. |
| 14 | CALD | Puthandu (Tamil New Year) | The first day of the new year on the Tamil calendar and celebrated by the Tamil community all over the world. |
| 14 | CALD | Baisakhi or Vaisakhi | It is the most important Sikh festival that commemorates the formation of the Khalsa (the pure), by the tenth Sikh master, Guru Gobind Singh. It also a spring harvest festival and marks the Sikh and Punjabi new year. |
| 14 | CALD | Nava Varsha (Nepalese New Year) | A religious holiday observed by the Nepalese community and celebrated with parades, feasts, and family reunions. |
| 15 | CALD | Pohela Boishakh (Bengali New Year) | The first day of the Bengali calendar celebrated by all Bengalis regardless of religious faith. It is also the official calendar of Bangladesh. |
| 15 | ALL | International Day of Families | International Day of Families |
| 18-21 | Good Friday Easter Sunday -Monday | ||
| 20 Apr-1 May | CALD | Ridvan | Ridvan – The Greatest Baha’i Festival - BahaiTeachings.org |
| 24 | Disability | International Guide Dog Day | Guide Dogs Australia |
| 28 Apr-4 May | LGBTQ+ | Lesbian Day of Visibility | Lesbian Day of Visibility |
| 25 | ALL | ANZAC Day | ANZAC Day |
| 28 | ALL | World Day for Safety and Health at Work | World Day for Safety and Health at Work |
May 2024
| Day | Category | Observance | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | LGBTQ+ | International Family Equality Day | International Family Equality Day – Celebrating the Rainbow of families in our World! |
| 15 | ALL | International Day of Families | International Day of Families | United Nations |
| 16 | Disability | Global Accessibility Awareness Day | Home - GAAD (accessibility.day) |
| 17 | LGBTQ+ | International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia | Home - IDAHOBIT - May 17 |
| 19-25 | ALL | National Volunteer Week | National Volunteer Week - Volunteering Australia |
| 20 | CALD | Dehwa Daymaneh | A festival observed by the Mandaean community celebrating the birthday of John the Baptist, the Mandaean greatest and final prophet. |
| 21 | CALD | World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development | https://www.un.org/en/observances/cultural-diversity-day |
| 22-23 | CALD | Declaration of the Báb & Ascension of Baha’u’lláh | A religious day for the Baha’i community around the world commemorating Bahá’u’lláh – the prophet and founder of the Baha’i faith. |
| 23 | CALD | Vesak / Buddha’s Day | https://www.buddhaday.org.au/ Vesak Day | United Nations |
| 24 | LGBTQ+ | Pansexual Visibility Day | We can take some info from this page if we can’t link to it: Panoramic Views: In conversation for Pansexual Pride dayPride in Diversity (prideinclusionprograms.com.au) |
| 25 | CALD | Africa Day | ADA - Africa Day Australia |
| 26 | First Nations | National Sorry Day | National Sorry Day - Reconciliation Australia |
| 27 May-3 June | First Nations | Reconciliation Week | National Reconciliation Week - Reconciliation Australia |
| 28 | LGBTQ+ | LGBTQ Domestic Violence Awareness | LGBTQ Domestic Violence Awareness Day - LGBTIQ+ Health Australia |
June 2024
| Day | Category | Observance | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-30 | LGBTQ+ | Pride Month | |
| 1-3 | CALD | Shavuot | Shavuot, the Festival that commemorates the Spring Harvest and the giving of the Torah on mount Sinai, with Peta Jones Pellach | SBS Hebrew |
| 1 | ALL | Global Day of Parents | Global Day of Parents |
| 3 | First Nations | Mabo Day | Commemorating Mabo Day - Reconciliation Australia |
| 6-10 | CALD | Eid el Adha | Explained: why do Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha? | SBS News |
| 8 | Pentecost | A Christian holiday which takes place on the 7th Sunday or 50 days after Easter. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit and the start of the church's mission to the world. | |
|
15-21 20 | CALD | Refugee Week Refugee Day | https://www.refugeeweek.org.au |
| 27 | CALD | Al Hijra (Islamic New Year) | It is the first day of the Islamic year and observed by most Muslims. It marks the Hijra when the Prophet Muhammad moved from Mecca to Medina, and set up the first Islamic state. |
July 2024
| Day | Category | Observance | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First Nations | Coming of the Light | |
| 6-13 | First Nations | NAIDOC Week | NAIDOC Week | NAIDOC |
| 10 | CALD | Asalha Puja (Dhamma) Day | Cultural Atlas (sbs.com.au) |
| 14 | LGBTIQ+ | International Non-Binary Peoples Day | |
| 19-21 | CALD | Mandaean New Year | A day celebrated by the Mandaean community around the world and is often spent by flowing rivers where Mandaeans get baptised and cleansed going into the new year. |
August 2024
| Day | Category | Observance | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | First Nations | National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day | National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day (aboriginalchildrensday.com.au) |
| 9 | First Nations | International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples | International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples | United Nations |
| 9 | CALD | Raksha Bandhan | A Hindu festival where sisters tie a thread (or Rakhi) around their brothers' wrist for ritual protection. The brothers likewise make promises to safeguard or look after their sisters. |
| 12 | ALL | International Youth Day | International Youth Day | United Nations |
| 16 | ALL | National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence | National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence (bullyingnoway.gov.au) |
| 16 | CALD | Krishna Janmashtami | It is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna the 8th avatar of Vishnu. |
| 18 | International Equal Pay Day | ||
| 29 | LGBTQ+ | Wear It Purple | Wear It Purple |
| 31 | CALD | International Day for People of African Descent | International Day for People of African Descent - EN | United Nations |
September 2024
| Day | Category | Observance | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-5 | CALD | Onam | It is an Indian harvest festival celebrated by the Malayalee community. |
| 5 | CALD | Mawlid Al-Nabi (Birth of the Prophet Muhammad) | Why most Muslims – but far from all – celebrate Mawlid, the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday (theconversation.com) |
| 6 | CALD | Mid-Autumn (Moon) Festival | It is the second grandest festival for East and South-East Asian communities after the Lunar New Year. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, where the moon is believed to be at its fullest and brightest. The full moon symbolises reunion so families reunite for celebrations to worship and appreciate the moon together, and share mooncakes to celebrate. |
| 10 | ALL | World Suicide Prevention Day | World Suicide Prevention Day (who.int) |
| 11 | CALD | Enkutatash (Ethiopian New Year) | New Year in Ethiopia and Eritrea |
| 11 | CALD | Nayrouz (Coptic New Year) | It is a feast when martyrs and confessors are commemorated within the Coptic Orthodox Church. It marks the first day of the Coptic year. |
| 11 | ALL | R U OK Day | Host an Event on R U OK?Day | R U OK? |
| 22-24 | CALD | Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) | Rosh Hashanah : SBS Food |
| 22-28 28 | Disability | National Week of Deaf People / World Deaf Day | National Week of Deaf People - Deaf Australia |
| 22 Sept- 2 Oct | CALD | Navaratri | The Significance of Navratri | SBS Hindi |
| 23 | LGBTQ+ | Celebrate Bisexuality Day / Bisexual Awareness Week | The Importance of Bi Visibility | Pride in Diversity (prideinclusionprograms.com.au) |
| 23 | Disability | International Day of Sign Languages | https://www.un.org/en/observances/sign-languages-day |
| 27-29 | CALD | Durga Puja | It is an annual and the most important religious festival of Bangla speaking Hindus that is dedicated to Hindu goddess Durga. It is celebrated through recitation of the verses from holy scriptures, blowing of conch shells, and beating of drums in temples. It is also an occasion for reunion and rejuvenation, and a celebration of traditional culture and custom. |
October 2024
| Day | Category | Observance | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | International Day of Older Persons | https://www.un.org/en/observances/older-persons-day | |
| 1-30 | National Safe Work Month | National Safe Work Month | Safe Work Australia | |
| 1-30 | Disability | Dyslexia Awareness Month | A month to shine a light on dyslexia and spread the word about ways to support those with this learning difficulty. |
| 1-30 | Disability | Blindness Awareness Month | A month of awareness and advocacy to educate the public on blindness and vision impairment. It is a great time to share stories about blind or visually impaired people accomplishing incredible things and learn about how to support them. |
| 1-2 | CALD | Yom Kippur | Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is the holiest and most solemn day of the Jewish year observed with fasting and prayers. |
| 4-11 | Disability | National Amputee Awareness Week | Amputee Awareness Week – Amputees NSW |
| 6 | Disability | World Cerebral Palsy Day | https://worldcpday.org/ |
| 6 | CALD | Mid-Autumn (Moon) Festival | It is the second grandest festival for East and South-East Asian communities after the Lunar New Year. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, where the moon is believed to be at its fullest and brightest. The full moon symbolises reunion so families reunite for celebrations to worship and appreciate the moon together, and share mooncakes to celebrate. |
| 6-13 | CALD | Sukkot | A Jewish pilgrimage festival that commemorates the sheltering and protection that God gave the Jews as they were fleeing Egypt with Moses during the Exodus. It lasts 7 days and many Jewish Australians may observe work restrictions on the first day. |
| 8 | LGBTQ+ | International Lesbian Day | International Lesbian Day - LGBTIQ+ Health Australia |
| 9 (second Thur) | World Sight Day | World Sight Day 2021 (who.int) | |
| 10 | World Mental Health Day | World Mental Health Day (who.int) | |
| 11 | Women | International Day of the Girl Child | https://www.un.org/en/observances/girl-child-day |
| 11 | LGBTQ+ | National Coming Out Day | International Coming Out Day | For government | Queensland Government |
| 12-18 | National Carer’s Week | National Carers Week | 12 - 18 October 2025 | |
| 15 | Disability | International White Cane Awareness Day | nternational White Cane Day 2022 - Guide Dogs Australia |
| 15 | International Day of Rural Women / Rural Women’s Day | Rural Women's Day | United Nations | |
| 15 (third Wed) | LGBTQ+ | International Pronouns Day | International Pronouns Day — Pronouns.org Resources on Personal Pronouns |
| 19-25 | LGBTQ+ | Asexual Awareness Week | Ace Week 2025: October 19-25 |
| 20 | CALD | Inauguration (Gurgaddi) of Guru Granth Sahib | It commemorates the eternal installation of the Sikh holy scripture referred to as Guru Granth Sahib. |
| 20 | CALD | Deepavali / Diwali (Festival of Light) and Bandi Chhor Divas (The Celebration of Freedom) | What is Diwali and how do Australian communities celebrate it? | SBS Hindi |
| 22-23 | CALD | Birth of the Báb | The Birth of the Bab – and a New Spiritual Reality - BahaiTeachings.org |
| 26 | LGBTQ+ | Intersex Awareness Day | Intersex Awareness Day – Intersex Human Rights Australia (ihra.org.au) |
November 2024
| Day | Category | Observance | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | All Saints’ Day | It is a day for many people of Christian faith in Australia to remember and honour the saints of the church. | |
| 2 | All Souls Day / Day of the Dead | This day is a time for all Christians to remember and pray for the souls of the departed. | |
| 5 | CALD | Birth of Guru Nanak | A day observed by the Sikh community to celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru and the founder of the Sikh faith. |
| 5 | CALD | Loy Krathong – Festival of Lights | It is a traditional Thai festival that is celebrated annually to pay respects to the Goddess of water - Phra Mae Khongkha. People pay respect to legendary Buddhist figures and the rivers, their source of life, by floating their crafted 'Krathong' into the water. |
| 8 | LGBTQ+ | Intersex Solidarity Day / Intersex Day of Remembrance | Intersex Day of Solidarity - Intersex Day |
| 13-19 | LGBTQ+ | Transgender Week of Awareness | |
| 20 | LGBTQ+ | Transgender Day of Remembrance | Trans Awareness Week and Trans Day of Remembrance 2022 - LGBTIQ+ Health Australia |
| 16 | International Day for Tolerance | International Day for Tolerance | UNESCO | |
| 20 | World Children’s Day | World Children's Day | United Nations | |
| 22-30 | Social Inclusion Week / Inclusion at Work Week | https://www.socialinclusionweek.com.au/ | |
| 24 | CALD | Martyrdom (Shahidi) of Guru Tegh Bahadur | A day observed by the Sikh community to commemorate the death anniversary and sacrifice of the 9th Sikh Guru. |
| 25 | Women | International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women | International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women | United Nations |
| 27 | CALD | The Ascension of Abdu'l Baha | A Baha’i holy day that commemorates the death of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá – who led the Baha'i community from 1892 to 1921. |
December 2024
| Day | Category | Observance | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | World AIDS Day | World AIDS Day | United Nations | |
| 3 | Disability | International Day of Persons with Disabilities | https://www.un.org/en/observances/day-of-persons-with-disabilities |
| 5 | International Volunteer Day | ||
| 8 | CALD | Bodhi Day | Bodhi Day is a popular cultural Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day the historical Buddha gained enlightenment. The day is typically observed in quiet nature, with people usually participating in meditation or chanting. |
| 10 | ALL | Human Rights Day | Human Rights Day | United Nations |
| 14-22 | CALD | Hanukkah (Festival of Lights) | Celebration: Hanukkah : SBS Food |
| 18 | CALD | International Migrants Day | https://www.un.org/en/observances/migrants-day |
| 25 | Christmas Day |