Cultural Dates of Significance
Dates listed as per the NSW Premier's List of Days of Cultural Significance may be used for Personal Leave as per the relevant Staff Agreement. Other dates are in negotiation with your direct line manager.
January
| 1 |
Ganjitsu (Japan) Liberation Day – Cuba National Day – Sudan New Year's Day Ganta-sai-Shinto Independence Day - Haiti, Sudan |
| 4 |
Independence Day - Myanmar World Braille Day |
| 5 |
Guru Gobind Singh’s birthday festival (Sikh) Twelfth Night (Christian) |
| 6 |
Theophany - Orthodox Epiphany - Christian Christmas Day (Armenian Orthodox Christian) Three Kings Day (Christian) |
| 7 | Christmas Day (Orthodox Christian) |
| 13 | Seijin no hi (Coming of Age Day) - Shinto |
| 14 |
Maghi - Sikh Makar Sankranti - Hindu |
| 22 | Independence Day - Ukraine |
| 25 | Robert Burns Day - Scotland |
| 25 | Chinese New Year (Observance) |
| 26 | Australia Day |
| 27 |
Australia Day Public holiday in lieu of 26 Jan (Sun) International Holocaust Remembrance Day(UN) |
| 31 | National Day - Nauru |
February
| 2 |
Groundhog Day - USA World Wetlands Day |
| 4 |
Independence Day - Sri Lanka World Cancer Day (UN) |
| 6 | Waitangi Day - New Zealand |
| 7 | Independence Day - Grenada |
| 9 | St Maroun’s Feast Day (Maronite Christian) |
| 11 | National Day - Iran |
| 13 | World Radio Day (UN) |
| 14 | St Valentine’s Day |
| 15 |
National Day – Serbia Nirvana Day (Buddhist- Mahayana tradition) |
| 16 | Independence Day - Lithuania |
| 17 |
Discovery Day - Lord Howe Island (1788) Independence Day - Kosovo |
| 18 | Independence Day – Republic of the Gambia |
| 20 |
World Day of Social Justice (UN) Maslenitsa (Eastern Slavic) until Feb 26 |
| 21 | International Mother Language Day (UN) |
| 22 | National Day - Saint Lucia |
| 23 |
National Day - Brunei Darussalam National Day - Guyana |
| 24 | Independence Day - Estonia |
| 25 | National Day - Kuwait |
| 27 | Independence Day - Dominican Republic |
March
| 1 |
First day of autumn St David’s Day - Wales |
| 3 |
Liberation Day - Bulgaria World Wildlife Day (UN) |
| 6 |
Foundation Day Norfolk Island Independence Day – Ghana |
| 8 |
International Women’s Day (UN) United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace (UN) |
| 11 | Lithuanian Restoration of Independence Day |
| 12 |
National Day - Mauritius Purim (Jewish) |
| 14 |
New Year’s Day (Sikh) Pi Day (Mathematics) |
| 15 | Ides of March |
| 16 | National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence (NDA) |
| 17 | St Patrick’s Feast Day - Ireland |
| 19 | St Joseph’s Feast Day (Maronite) |
| 20 |
French Language Day (UN) Independence Day - Tunisia International Day of Happiness (UN) |
| 21 |
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (UN) Harmony Day |
| 22 | World Water Day (UN) |
| 23 | Pakistan Day - Pakistan |
| 23 | World Meteorological Day (UN) |
| 24 | World Tuberculosis Day (UN) |
| 25 | Independence Day – Greece |
| 26 | Independence Day - Bangladesh |
April
| 1 | April Fools’ Day |
| 4 | Independence Day – Senegal |
| 6 | International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (UN) |
| 7 |
World Health Day (UN) Good Friday (Christianity) |
| 8 | Hana Matsuri (Buddhist – Japan) |
| 9 | Easter Sunday |
| 10 | Easter Monday |
| 12 | International Day of Human Space Flight (UN) |
| 13 | International Turban Day (Sikh) |
| 14 | Baisakhi /Vaisakhi* (Sikh) |
| 16 | Queen’s birthday - Denmark |
| 17 | Independence Day - Syria |
| 18 |
Independence Day - Zimbabwe World Heritage Day (UN) |
| 20 | Chinese Language Day (UN) |
| 22 | International Mother Earth Day (UN) |
| 23 |
English Language Day (UN) National Sovereignty and Children’s Day – Turkey Spanish Language Day (UN) St George’s Day – England |
| 25 | ANZAC Day (public holiday) |
| 26 | Union Day – Tanzania |
| 27 |
Freedom Day - South Africa Independence Day - Sierra Leone King’s birthday - Netherlands National Day – Togo |
| 29 | International Jazz Day (UNESCO) |
May
| 1 |
International Labour Day May Day (Northern Hemisphere) National Day - Marshall Islands |
| 3 |
Constitution Day – Poland World Press Freedom Day (UN) |
| 4 | International Firefighters’ Day |
| 5 | Kodomo no Hi/ Children’s Day (Japan and Korea) |
| 8 |
World Red Crescent Day World Red Cross Day |
| 9 | Europe Day - European Union |
| 10 | World Lupus Day |
| 12 | International Nurses Day |
| 14 | National Day – Paraguay |
| 15 | International Day of Families (UN) |
| 17 |
Constitution Day – Norway International Day Against Homophobia |
| 18 | International Museum Day |
| 21 | World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (UN) |
| 22 | International Day for Biological Diversity(UN) |
| 22 | Unification Day – Yemen |
| 24 |
Declaration of the Báb (Baha’i) Independence Day – Eritrea |
| 25 |
Africa Day - African Union Independence Day – Jordan National Day – Argentina |
| 26 |
National Day – Georgia National Reconciliation Week National Sorry Day |
| 27 | National Reconciliation Week |
| 28 |
National Reconciliation Week National Day - Azerbaijan, Ethiopia |
| 29 |
National Reconciliation Week International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers (UN) |
| 30 | National Reconciliation Week |
| 31 | National Reconciliation Week |
| 31 | World No Tobacco Day (WHO) |
June
| 1 |
National Reconciliation Week First day of winter Global Day of Parents (UN) Independence Day – Samoa |
| 2 | National Reconciliation Week |
| 2 | Republic Day – Italy |
| 4 | International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression (UN) |
| 5 |
Constitution Day – Denmark World Environment Day (UN) |
| 6 |
National Day – Sweden Russian Language Day (UN) |
| 8 |
Queen’s birthday - Australia Bounty Day - Norfolk Island World Oceans Day (UN) |
| 10 | Portugal Day – Portugal |
| 12 |
Independence Day - Philippines National Day - Russian Federation World Day Against Child Labour (UN) |
| 14 | World Blood Donor Day (WHO) |
| 16 |
Guru Arjan’s Martyrdom (Sikh) International Day of the African Child |
| 17 |
National Day – Iceland National Refugee Week: With courage let us all combine World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (UN) |
| 18 |
National Refugee Week: With courage let us all combine National Day – Seychelles |
| 19 | National Refugee Week: With courage let us all combine |
| 20 |
National Refugee Week: With courage let us all combine World Refugee Day (UN) |
| 21 | National Refugee Week: With courage let us all combine |
| 22 | National Refugee Week: With courage let us all combine |
| 23 | National Refugee Week: With courage let us all combine |
| 23 |
International Olympic Day National Day – Luxembourg |
| 25 | Day of the Seafarer (UN) |
| 25 |
Independence Day - Mozambique National Day - Croatia National Day - Slovenia (Statehood Day) |
| 26 | National Day – Madagascar |
| 27 | Independence Day – Djibouti |
| 30 | Independence Day - Democratic Republic of Congo |
July
| 1 | |
| 3 | National Day – Belarus |
| 4 | Independence Day - USA |
| 5 | National Day - Cape Verdi |
| 6 |
Dalai Lama’s birthday National Day - Comoros (Independence Day) National Day – Malawi |
| 7 | National Day - Solomon Islands |
| 9 | Independence Day - South Sudan |
| 10 | Independence Day – Bahamas |
| 11 |
Independence Day - Mongolia World Population Day (UN) |
| 12 |
Malala Day (UN) National Day – Kiribati |
| 13 | National Day – Montenegro (Sovereignty or Statehood Day) |
| 14 |
Bastille Day – France Republic Day – Iraq |
| 15 | World Youth Skills Day (UN) |
| 18 | Nelson Mandela International Day (UN) |
| 20 | National Day – Colombia |
| 21 | National Day- Belgium |
| 23 | National Day – Egypt |
| 26 |
National Day – Liberia National Day – Maldives |
| 28 | Independence Day – Peru |
| 30 |
Independence Day – Vanuatu International Day of Friendship (UN) Throne Day – Morocco |
August
| 1 |
Horses’ birthday Wattle Day – NSW |
| 4 |
Constitution Day - Cook Islands National Aboriginal and Islander Children’s Day |
| 6 | Hiroshima Day (Japan) |
| 7 | National Day - Bolivia, Jamaica |
| 9 |
National Day - Cote d’Ivôire International Day of the World’s Indigenous People (UN) |
| 10 | National Day - Singapore |
| 11 | National Day – Ecuador |
| 12 | National Day – Chad |
| 13 | International Youth Day (UN) |
| 15 |
International Left-Handers Day Independence Day – India National Day - Republic of Congo National Day – Liechtenstein |
| 17 |
Independence Day – Indonesia National Day – Gabon |
| 18 | Vietnam Veterans’ Day - Battle of Long Tan |
| 19 |
Independence Day – Afghanistan World Humanitarian Day (UN) |
| 20 |
Foundation Day – Hungary National Day – Nepal |
| 23 | International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition (UNESCO) |
| 24 | National Day – Ukraine |
| 25 | Independence Day – Uruguay |
| 27 | National Day - Republic of Moldova |
| 29 | International Day against Nuclear Tests (UN) |
| 30 | Raksha Bandhan (Hindu) |
| 31 |
National Day- Kyrgyzstan (Independence Day of the Kyrgyz Republic) National Day- Malaysia (Hari Merdeka) National Day- Trinidad and Tobago (Independence Day) |
September
| 1 |
Constitution Day - Slovak Republic First day of spring National Day – Uzbekistan (Independence Day) National Wattle Day |
| 2 | National Day – Vietnam |
| 3 |
Australian National Flag Day National Foundation Day - San Marino (The Feast of St Marinus and Republic Day) |
| 5 | International Day of Charity (UN) |
| 6 |
Father's Day National Day – Swaziland (Independence Day, Smhlolo Day) |
| 7 |
Independence Day – Brazil Threatened Species Day |
| 8 |
Independence Day - Republic of Macedonia International Literacy Day (UN) World First Aid Day |
| 9 |
National Day - Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) National Day – Tajikistan (Independence Day) |
| 15 |
Independence Day - Honduras Independence Day – Nicaragua Independence Day - Costa Rica Independence Day - El Salvador Independence Day – Guatemala International Day of Democracy (UN) |
| 16 |
Independence Day - Papua New Guinea Independence Day – Mexico International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer (UN) |
| 17 | Australian Citizenship Day |
| 18 |
National Day – Chile (Independence Day) Graduation ceremonies finish |
| 19 | Independence Day - Saint Kitts and Nevis |
| 21 |
Independence Day – Malta International Day of Peace (UN) National Day – Armenia (Republic Day, Independence Day) National Day – Belize (Independence Day) |
| 22 | Independence Day – Mali |
| 23 | National Day - Saudi Arabia |
| 24 | Independence Day - Guinea-Bissau |
| 27 | World Tourism Day (UN) |
| 28 | Confucius’ birthday |
| 30 | National Day – Botswana (Botswana Day) |
October
| 1 |
Independence Day – Tuvalu, Guinea National Day – China, Nigeria, Palau, Cyprus |
| 2 |
Independence Day – Guinea International Day of Non-Violence (UN) Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday |
| 3 | National Foundation Day - Republic of Korea (South Korea) |
| 5 | Labour Day, public holiday |
| 4 |
Independence Day – Lesotho World Animal Day |
| 5 |
Labour Day New South Wales World Teachers’ Day (UNESCO) |
| 9 |
Independence Day – Uganda Navaratri* Hindu World Post Day (UN) |
| 10 |
Navaratri* Hindu National Day - Republic of China (Taiwan) National Day – Fiji (Fiji Day) World Mental Health Day (WHO) |
| 11 | Navaratri* Hindu |
| 12 |
Independence Day - Equatorial Guinea National Day – Spain (Fiesta Nacional de España) Hispanic Day (Día dela Hispanidad) Navaratri* Hindu |
| 13 | Navaratri* Hindu |
| 14 | Navaratri* Hindu |
| 15 |
Navaratri* Hindu International White Cane Day |
| 16 |
World Food Day (FAO) Navaratri* Hindu |
| 17 |
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty Navaratri* Hindu |
| 19 | National Day – Niue |
| 20 | Installation of Scriptures as Guru Granth (Sikh) |
| 24 |
Independence Day – Zambia United Nations Day |
| 26 | National Day – Austria |
| 27 |
National Day - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines National Day – Turkmenistan International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust |
| 28 | National Day - Czech Republic |
| 29 | National Day – Turkey |
| 31 |
Hallowe’en World Cities Day (UN) |
November
| 1 |
All Saints’ Day (Christian) Anniversary Day – Algeria (Revolution Day) National Day - Antigua and Barbuda (Independence Day) |
| 2 | All Souls’ Day (Christian) |
| 3 |
Independence Day – Dominica National Day - Federated States of Micronesia, Panama National Day - Panama |
| 4 | National Day – Tonga |
| 5 | Guy Fawkes’ Day (UK) |
| 6 | Kindness Day (Australia) |
| 9 |
Independence Day – Cambodia World Freedom Day |
| 10 | World Science Day for Peace and Development (UNESCO) |
| 11 | National Day – Angola |
| 13 | World Kindness Day |
| 16 |
World Diabetes Day (UN) Independence Day - Kazakhstan International Day of Tolerance (UN) |
| 17 | International Students Day |
| 18 |
Independence Day – Latvia National Day – Oman |
| 19 |
International Men’s Day National Day – Monaco |
| 20 | Universal Children’s Day (UN) |
| 21 | World Television Day |
| 22 | Independence Day – Lebanon |
| 24 | Guru Teg Bahadur’s martyrdom (Sikh) |
| 25 |
Independence Day – Suriname Statehood Day - Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| 28 |
National Day - Albania National Day – Mauritania |
| 29 | Thanksgiving Day - Norfolk Island |
| 30 |
National Day - Barbados St Andrew’s Day – Scotland |
December
| 1 |
First day of summer National Day - Central African Republic, Romania World AIDS Day |
| 2 |
National Day - Lao PDR, United Arab Emirates Inernational Day for the Abolition of Slavery |
| 3 |
International Day of Persons with Disabilities (UN) International Volunteer Day (UN) The King’s birthday anniversary – Thailand |
| 4 | World Soil Day (UN) |
| 5 |
Independence Day – Finland World Soil Day (UN) |
| 6 |
St Nicholas’ Day Independence Day - Finland |
| 8 | Bodhi Day* (Buddhist) |
| 10 | Human Rights Day (UN) |
| 11 | International Mountain Day (UN) |
| 13 | National Day - Burkina Faso (Proclamation of Independence / the Republic) |
| 16 |
Jamhuri Day – Kenya Independence Day – Kazakhstan National Day – Bahrain |
| 17 | National Day – Bhutan |
| 18 |
Arabic Language Day (UN) International Migrants Day (UN) National Day - Qatar |
| 19 |
National Day – Niger, Qatar International Human Solidarity Day (UN) |
| 20 | Emperor’s birthday - Japan |
| 24 |
Christmas Eve National Day – Libya |
| 25 |
Christmas Day Imbolc - Pagan |
| 26 | Boxing Day |
| 28 | New Year's Eve |
| 29 | Independence Day - Mongolia |