February: Awareness Months & Holidays for Causes (2024)

Illustrated February awareness calendar

Every month, there are hundreds of national and international celebrations dedicated to raising awareness and support for meaningful causes.

For those working to bring attention to important topics, it can be challenging to keep track of the next relevant awareness event. We’re here to help.

At Good Good Good, we aim to help people feel more hopeful and do more good. For years we’ve privately curated a comprehensive list of important cause-themed holidays that we’ve used for creating content on our good news Instagram, our Goodnewsletter, our Goodnewspaper, and on this very website.

We’ve organized this list of observances and events by month — and are making them public for the first time. Our hope is that this will help you or your organization bring attention to important issues.

Where applicable, we’ve included resources (usually good news around particular topics, action steps on how to make a difference, or relevant quotes) — and encourage you to share them if you find them helpful.

The main days and months you should know about for February are:

February Holidays Date
Black History Month February 1
Humpback Whale Awareness Month February 1
World Cancer Day February 4
Shine a Light on Slavery Day February 13
Random Act of Kindness Day February 17
World Day of Social Justice February 20

February is the second month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It typically has 28 days, except in leap years when it has 29 days. It continues the season of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. February is renowned for Valentine’s Day, a celebration of love and affection.

Explore our comprehensive list of national and international months, weeks, days, and birthdays for the month of February:

February Celebrations:

Awareness Months

There are several awareness months celebrated in February — though the five that often get the most attention include Black History Month, Humpback Whale Awareness Month, National Cancer Prevention Month, American Heart Month, and Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month.

Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month

American Heart Month

Black History Month

Explore ideas and activities for to celebrate Black History Month

Dog Training Education Month

Humpback Whale Awareness Month

Read good news about humpback whales

Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month

Low Vision Awareness Month

Marfan Awareness Month

National Bird-Feeding Month

National Cancer Prevention Month

National Cat Health Month

Pet Dental Health Month

Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month

Awareness Weeks

Tinnitus Awareness Week

1st full week of February

National School Counseling Week

1st full week of February

Congenital Heart Defects Awareness Week

Week-long event in February

Homes for Birds Week

Week-long event in February

Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week

Week after February 14th

National Nestbox Week 

Week-long event in February 

National Justice for Animals Week

Week-long event in February 

Read our entire collection of dozens of good news stories about people making a difference for animals

Bird Health Awareness Week

Week-long event in February 

Black Climate Week

Third full week of February

National Invasive Species Awareness Week

Last Monday of February

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week

Last week of February or the first week of March

Awareness Days

Lunar New Year - Based on lunar calendar

National Freedom Day - February 1

World Hijab Day - February 1

World Wetlands Day - February 2

National Wear Red Day - February 2

National Women Physicians Day - February 3

World Cancer Day - February 4

Learn about the good news about the fight against cancer and meet one doctor changing the way we treat cancer 

National Mail Carrier Day - February 4

Transit Equity Day - February 4

Time to Talk Day - 1st Thursday of February

Anniversary of the Appointment of the First Openly Gay United States Federal Judge, Joseph Gale - February 6

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day - February 7

Safer Internet Day - February 8

International Epilepsy Day - 2nd Monday of February

National Day of Women and Girls in Science - February 11

Get inspired by Afghan girls who are bypassing the Taliban through underground coding classes

World Day of the Sick - February 11

National Freedom to Marry Day - February 12

Shine a Light on Slavery Day - February 13

Read about one nonprofit that found a creative way to combat human trafficking with a fashion challenge

Valentine’s Day - February 14

This day can often be filled with waste, but we put together a guide for celebrating a sustainable Valentine’s Day and a guide to eco-friendly Valentine’s Day gifts

Anniversary of the Parkland Shooting - February 14

Read about the Parkland students who became activists and are working to bring an end to gun violence — and also about how to stop school shootings

Congenital Heart Defects Awareness Day - February 14

National Donor Day - February 14

World Bonobo Day - February 14

Douglass Day - February 14

World Hippopotamus Day - February 15

International Childhood Cancer Day - February 15

Marfan Awareness Day of Giving - February 15

Random Act of Kindness Day - February 17

Try one of these ideas for random acts of kindness and read about how to celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day

Project For Awesome - 48-hour event in February

Learn more about Hank and John Green’s annual Project For Awesome

World Pangolin Day - 3rd Saturday of February

The Great Backyard Bird Count - 3rd Sunday of February

World Whale Day - 3rd Sunday of February

Read good news about humpback whales and learn how noise reduction can save whales

Day of Remembrance - February 19

World Day of Social Justice - February 20

Check out our curated collection of the best quotes about social justice

National Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day - February 22

Chosen Family Day - February 22

International Polar Bear Day - February 27

Rare Disease Day - February 28

There’s good news to be celebrated about science’s progress against rare diseases

World Encephalitis Day - Last day of February

Notable Birthdays

Birthdays of leading activists, nonprofit leaders, and other world-changers:

Frederick Douglass’ Birthday - February 1 

Langston Hughes’ Birthday - February 1 

Harry Styles’ Birthday - February 1

Elizabeth Blackwell’s Birthday - February 3  

Amal Clooney’s Birthday - February 3

Rosa Parks’ Birthday - February 4

Read and share the best Rosa Parks quotes

Mia Farrow’s Birthday - February 9 

Thomas Edison’s Birthday - February 11 

Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday - February 12

Susan B. Anthony’s Birthday - February 15 

Audre Lorde’s Birthday - February 18

Read and share the best Audre Lorde quotes

Yoko Ono’s Birthday - February 18

Read and share the best quotes from Yoko Ono

Ansel Adams’ Birthday - February 20 

Rihanna’s Birthday - February 20 

Sidney Poitier’s Birthday - February 20 

Read about Sidney Poitier’s Hollywood legacy

Elliot Page’s Birthday - February 21 

John Lewis’ Birthday - February 21 

Read and share the best quotes from John Lewis

Nina Simone’s Birthday - February 21

Steve Irwin’s Birthday - February 22

W. E. B. Du Bois’ Birthday - February 23 

You might also like: The Best February Quotes

Explore More Events:

Main Awareness Calendars: All Awareness Holidays | Heritage Months | International Days

More Awareness Calendars:  Animals | Pets | Environment & Sustainability | LGBTQ+ | Black & African American | Mental Health | Disability | Cancer | HIV/AIDS

Awareness Days & Months: January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December

Is this list missing a holiday or awareness week/month? Let us know. We want to ensure this list is comprehensive and inclusive.

Article Details

November 11, 2022 8:30 PM
February 19, 2024
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