2023 Autumn term
Popular autumn events include Bonfire Night, Remembrance Day, Children in Need, Hallowe’en and Christmas. Explore our ideas for more autumn events here.
September
DATE |
EVENT |
TYPE |
LINKS |
1 |
Jane Hissey (b. 1952) |
Author-Illustrator |
|
4 |
Joan Aiken (b. 1924) Zero Waste Week (4-8 Sept 2023) |
Author National week |
|
7 |
Eric Hill (b. 1927) |
Author |
|
13 |
International Chocolate Day Roald Dahl Day (b. 1916) Rutland Day |
Food day Author County day |
|
16 |
Julia Donaldson (b. 1948) 75 years British Food Fortnight (16 Sept to 1 Oct 2023) |
Author Food week (UK) |
|
19 |
Hermione Granger (b. 1979) Talk Like a Pirate Day |
Literary character |
|
22 |
Michael Faraday (b. 1791) Derbyshire Day |
Chemist County day |
|
23 |
September equinox 2023 (UK) |
Season |
|
24 |
Yom Kippur (24-25 Sept 2023) |
Jewish holiday |
|
25 |
Monmouthshire Day |
County day |
|
26 |
George Gershwin (b. 1898) 125 years |
Composer |
|
27 |
World School Milk Day 2023 |
Food day |
|
29 |
Westmorland Day |
County day Awareness Campaign |
|
October
DATE |
EVENT |
TYPE |
LINKS |
October |
Black History Month International School Library Month National Pizza Month |
Campaigns Food month (US observance) |
|
1 |
World Vegetarian Day International Coffee Day Lincolnshire Day Grandparents’ Day 2023 |
Food days County day Grandparents’ Day |
|
5 |
Observance |
|
|
10 |
World Porridge Day |
Food day |
|
12 |
Harry Potter Book Day 2023 (new date) |
Event |
|
13 |
World Egg Day 2023 |
Food day |
|
14 |
National Baking Week (14-20 Oct, 2023) |
UK food week |
|
16 |
World Food Day Recycle Week 2023 (16-22 Oct) 20 year anniversary |
Food day Awareness |
|
19 |
Oxfordshire Day |
County day |
|
21 |
Alfred Nobel (b. 1833) 190 years Apple Day (UK) |
Chemist Food day |
|
22 |
National Nut Day |
Food day |
|
25 |
Pablo Picasso (b. 1881) World Pasta Day Northamptonshire Day |
Artist Food day County day |
Step-by-step: Art exhibition
|
26 |
Essex Day |
County day |
|
27 |
Global Champagne Day |
Food day |
|
31 |
Halloween |
Observance |
|
Oct |
National Seafood Week 2023 - date TBC UK Sausage Week - postponed until further notice |
UK food weeks |
|
November
DATE |
EVENT |
TYPE |
LINKS |
1 |
All Saint’s Day World Vegan Day |
Christian Food day |
|
2 |
All Soul’s Day |
Christian |
|
5 |
Bonfire Night |
Observance |
|
6 |
National School Meals Week (6-10 Oct 2023) |
UK food week |
|
7 |
Marie Curie (b. 1867) |
Physicist |
|
11 |
Remembrance Day |
Observance |
|
12 |
Diwali 2023 |
Hindu holiday |
|
13 |
Anti-Bullying Week (13-17 Nov 2023) |
Awareness |
|
14 |
World Diabetes Day |
Awareness |
|
17 |
Children in Need 2023 |
Campaign |
|
20 |
Edwin Hubble (b. 1889) |
Astronomer |
Step-by-step: Stargazing and space fundraiser |
24 |
Frances Hodgson Burnett (b. 1849) Scott Joplin (b. 1868) 155 years |
Author Composer |
|
25 |
Georgia O’Keeffe (b. 1887) |
Artist |
Step-by-step: Art exhibition |
26 |
Charles M Schulz (b. 1922) |
Author |
|
27 |
Lancashire Day |
County day |
|
28 |
Bedfordshire/Caernarfonshire Day |
County days |
|
29 |
C S Lewis (b. 1898) 125 years |
Author |
|
30 |
St Andrew’s Day |
National day (Scotland) |
|
December
DATE |
EVENT |
TYPE |
LINKS |
2 |
Food day |
|
|
7 |
Christmas Jumper Day 2023 First day of Hanukkah 2023 |
Awareness Jewish holiday |
|
15 |
Last day of Hanukkah 2023 |
Jewish holiday Campaign |
|
16 |
Ludwig van Beethoven (b. 1770) |
Composer |
|
22 |
Mick Inkpen (b. 1952) December solstice |
Author Season |
|
24 |
Christmas Eve |
Observance |
|
25 |
Christmas Day Sir Isaac Newton (b. 1642) |
Bank holiday Physicist |
|
26 |
Boxing Day Charles Babbage (b. 1791) |
Bank holiday Computer Scientist |
|
30 |
Rudyard Kipling (b. 1865) |
Author |
|
31 |
New Year’s Eve |
Observance |
|
Have we missed something? Email us at info@pta.co.uk.
2024 Spring term
Popular spring term events include Burns Night, Lunar New Year, Pancake Day, Valentine’s Day, Leap Day, World Book Day, Mother’s Day, Comic/Sport Relief, Easter and April Fool’s Day. Discover more spring term ideas here.
January
DATE |
EVENT |
TYPE |
LINKS |
1 |
New Year’s Day |
|
|
2 |
New Year’s Day (Scotland bank holiday) 2024 |
Bank holiday (Scotland) |
|
3 |
J R R Tolkien (b. 1892) |
Author |
|
5 |
Wassail |
|
|
8 |
Stephen Hawking (b. 1942) RSPB’s Big Schools’ Birdwatch (8 Jan to 19 Feb 2024) |
Physicist Campaign |
|
13 |
Michael Bond (b. 1926) |
Author |
|
15 |
Activist |
|
|
18 |
A A Milne (b. 1882) Arthur Ransome (b. 1884) 140 years Raymond Briggs (b. 1934) 90 years |
Authors |
|
25 |
Burns Night |
Local observance (Scotland) |
Step-by-step: Ceilidh |
26 |
RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch (16-18 Jan 2024) |
Campaign |
|
27 |
National Storytelling Week (27 Jan to 4 Feb 2024) Lewis Carroll (b. 1832) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (b. 1756) |
Author Composer |
February
DATE |
EVENT |
TYPE |
LINKS |
February |
LGBT history month (UK) |
Awareness |
|
1 |
Time To Talk Day 2024 |
Awareness |
|
2 |
NSPCC’s Number Day 2024 Wear Red Day 2024 |
Campaign Awareness |
|
5 |
Children’s Mental Health Week (5-11 Feb 2024) Schools' Football Week (5-11 Feb 2024) |
Awareness Sports week |
|
6 |
Safer Internet Day 2024 |
Event |
|
7 |
Charles Dickens (b. 1812) |
Author |
|
9 |
Awareness |
|
|
10 |
Lucy Cousins (b. 1964) 60 years Lunar New Year 2024 (Dragon) |
Author-Illustrator
|
|
11 |
Campaign |
|
|
12 |
Judy Blume (b. 1938) Charles Darwin (b. 1809) 215 years Student Volunteering Week (12-18 Feb 2024) |
Author Biologist
|
|
13 |
Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) 2024 |
Christian |
|
14 |
Valentine’s Day International Book Giving Day |
|
|
15 |
|
|
|
17 |
Random acts of kindness day |
|
|
19 |
Nicolaus Copernicus (b. 1473) |
Astronomer |
Step-by-step: Stargazing and space fundraiser |
21 |
|
|
|
23 |
George Frideric Handel (b. 1685) Shropshire Day |
Composer County day |
|
29 |
Leap Year (2024) |
|
March
DATE |
EVENT |
TYPE |
LINKS |
1 |
St David’s Day Frederic Chopin (b. 1810) Ron Weasley (b. 1980) |
National day (Wales) Composer Literary character |
|
2 |
Dr. Suess (b. 1904) 120 years |
Author Event (UK) |
Request donations of ‘old stuff’ (unwanted items) for tombola prizes, on National Old Stuff Day! |
3 |
|
|
|
4 |
Antonio Vivaldi (b. 1678) |
Composer |
|
5 |
Cornwall Day (St Piran’s Day) |
County day |
|
6 |
Michaelangelo (b. 1475) |
Artist |
Step-by-step: Art exhibition |
7 |
World Book Day 2024 |
Event |
|
8 |
British Science Week (8-17 Mar 2024) |
Campaign |
|
10 |
Mother’s Day (UK) 2024 Ramadan starts 2024 |
Mother’s Day (UK) Muslim |
|
11 |
Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel (previously The Big Pedal) (11-22 Mar 2024) |
Campaign |
|
15 |
The Great British Spring Clean (15-31 Mar 2024) |
Keep Britain Tidy campaign UK charity |
|
17 |
St Patrick’s Day |
Bank holiday (Northern Ireland) |
|
18 |
Neurodiversity Celebration Week (18-24 Mar 2024) |
Awareness |
|
19 |
March Equinox |
Season |
|
20 |
County Durham Day |
County day |
|
21 |
World Poetry Day |
Literacy |
|
23 |
World Maths Day 2024 |
|
|
24 |
Holi (24-25 Mar 2024) |
Hindu holiday |
|
26 |
Purple Day 2024 |
Campaign |
|
27 |
Dick King-Smith (b. 1922) |
Author |
|
28 |
Wear A Hat Day 2024 |
Campaign |
|
29 |
West Riding Day Good Friday 2024 |
County day Bank holiday (UK) |
|
30 |
World Bipolar Day Vincent Van Gogh (b. 1853) |
Awareness Artist |
Step-by-step: Art exhibition |
31 |
J S Bach (b. 1685) Easter Sunday 2024 Daylight Savings Time starts (2024) |
Composer Christian
|
|
Mar |
*Sport Relief is evolving into a year-round celebration linked with major sport events and partnerships throughout the year. |
|
|
April
DATE |
EVENT |
TYPE |
LINKS |
April |
National Pet Month (1 Apr to 1 May 2024) |
|
|
1 |
April Fool’s Day Easter Monday 2024 |
Bank holiday (Eng, Wal, NI) |
|
2 |
Hans Christian Andersen (b. 1805) Autism Awareness Day |
Author Awareness |
|
7 |
Observance |
|
Have we missed something? Email us at info@pta.co.uk.
2023 Summer term
Popular summer celebrations include The London Marathon, May Day, the coronation of King Charles III, VE Day, Father’s Day, sports day and leavers’ events as well as summer fairs and festivals. Find more summer event inspiration here.
April
DATE |
EVENT |
TYPE |
LINKS |
15 |
Leonardo da Vinci (b. 1452) Cressida Cowell (b. 1966) |
Artist/Inventor Author & Children’s Laureate (2019-2021) Event |
Step-by-step: Art exhibition |
15 |
International Dark Sky Week (15-22 Apr 2023) |
Event |
Step-by-step: Stargazing and space fundraiser |
16 |
Orkney Day |
County day |
|
20 |
Allergy Awareness Week (20-25 Apr 2023) |
Awareness |
|
21 |
Eid al-Fitr (21-22 Apr 2023) |
Islamic celebration |
|
22 |
Stephen Lawrence Day Passover (Pesach) (22-30 Apr 2024) |
Observance Jewish celebration |
|
23 |
St George’s Day Shakespeare Day The London Marathon 2023 |
National day (England) Observance Event |
Success story: London Marathon fundraiser |
25 |
Huntingdonshire Day |
County day |
|
May
DATE |
EVENT |
TYPE |
LINKS |
May |
Campaign Literacy Community |
||
1 |
May Day Staffordshire Day Early May bank holiday 2023 |
County day Bank holiday (UK) |
|
1 |
Volunteers Week (1-7 May 2023) National Gardening Week (1-7 May 2023) |
Nature |
|
3 |
Sun awareness week (3-9 May 2023) |
Campaign |
|
6 |
The coronation of King Charles III |
National event |
|
7 |
Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky (b. 1840) |
National event Composer |
|
7 |
International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) (7-13 May 2023) |
Awareness |
|
8 |
Bank holiday for the coronation of King Charles III & The Big Help Out VE Day |
National celebrations & volunteering initiative |
Read more about The Big Help Out |
9 |
J M Barrie (b. 1860) |
Author |
|
11 |
Salvador Dalí (b. 1904) Somerset Day |
Artist County day |
Step-by-step: Art exhibition |
12 |
National Limerick Day |
Literacy |
|
14 |
National Children’s Day UK (2023) |
Campaign |
|
15 |
L. Frank Baum (b. 1856) |
Author |
|
15 |
Walk to School Week (15-19 May 2023) Mental Health Awareness Week (15-21 May 2023) |
Campaign Awareness |
|
16 |
Middlesex Day |
County day |
|
16 |
National Vegetarian Week (16-22 May 2023) |
Food week |
|
20 |
National Doughnut Week (20-28 May 2023) |
Campaign Food week |
|
26 |
Kent Day |
County day |
|
27 |
National Children’s Gardening Week (27 May to 4 June 2023) |
Campaign |
|
29 |
National BBQ Week (29 May to 4th June 2023) |
Event |
June
DATE |
EVENT |
TYPE |
LINKS |
1 |
Dorset/Pembrokeshire Day |
County days |
|
1 |
Volunteers Week (1-7 June) |
Event |
|
2 |
National Doughnut Day 2023 |
Food day |
|
4 |
Devon Day |
County day |
|
5 |
Allan Ahlberg (b. 1938) 85 years Wiltshire Day |
Author County day Nature |
|
5 |
Bike Week (5-11 June 2023) Fiver Challenge (5-30 June 2023) |
Campaigns |
|
8 |
Tim Berners-Lee (b. 1955) |
Computer Scientist Campaign |
|
10 |
The Great Big Green Week (10-18 June 2023) |
Campaign |
|
11 |
Jacques Cousteau (b. 1910) |
Oceanographer |
|
12 |
BNF Healthy Eating Week (12-16 June 2023) |
Awareness |
|
16 |
Sussex Day |
County day |
|
18 |
International Picnic Day Father’s Day 2023 |
Event Father’s Day |
|
19 |
National Insect Week (19-25 June 2023) National School Sport Week (19-25 June 2023) |
Campaigns |
Step-by step: Beetle Drive |
21 |
Summer solstice |
Season |
|
21 |
Shetland/Suffolk Day National Writing Day (2023) |
County days Literacy Event |
|
22 |
Windrush Day |
Observance |
|
25 |
Eric Carle (b. 1929) |
Author |
|
27 |
Global pride day |
Awareness |
|
29 |
Children’s Art Week (29 June to 19 July 2023) |
Event |
Step-by-step: Art exhibition |
July
DATE |
EVENT |
TYPE |
LINKS |
July |
Campaign |
||
6 |
Frida Khalo (b. 1907) |
Artist |
Step-by-step: Art exhibition |
7 |
World Chocolate Day |
Food day |
|
10 |
International Don’t Step on a Bee Day |
Awareness |
|
12 |
Battle of the Boyne |
Bank holiday (Northern Ireland) |
|
15 |
Edvard Grieg (b. 1843) 180 years |
Composer UN initiative |
|
17 |
World Emoji Day 2023 |
|
|
20 |
Kenneth Grahame (b. 1859) |
Author |
|
25 |
Rosalind Franklin (b. 1920) |
Biologist |
|
27 |
Norfolk Day |
County day |
|
28 |
Beatrix Potter (b. 1866) |
Author-Illustrator/ Scientist/Conservationist |
|
29 |
Buckinghamshire Day |
County day |
|
31 |
JK Rowling (b. 1965) Harry Potter (b. 1980) |
Author Literary character |
August
DATE |
EVENT |
TYPE |
LINKS |
1 |
Yorkshire Day |
County day |
|
5 |
Northumberland Day |
County day |
|
7 |
Summer bank holiday (Scotland) 2023 |
Bank holiday (Scotland) |
|
11 |
Enid Blyton (b. 1897) |
Author |
|
12 |
UN initiative |
||
19 |
World Photo Day |
|
How to take better event photos |
22 |
North Riding Day |
County day |
|
24 |
East Riding Day |
County day |
|
28 |
Summer bank holiday (England, Wales, Northern Ireland) 2023 |
Bank holiday (Eng, Wal, NI) |
|
Have we missed something? Email us at info@pta.co.uk.