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 January are:
January is the first month of the year and has 31 days. It marks the continuation of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. January is known for New Year’s Day, symbolizing fresh starts and resolutions. It’s a time for reflection and setting intentions for the year ahead.
Explore our comprehensive list of national and international months, weeks, days, and birthdays for the month of January:
January Celebrations:
Awareness Months
There are several awareness months celebrated in January — though the five that often get the most attention include National Blood Donor Month, Cervical Health Awareness Month, Mental Wellness Month, Poverty Awareness Month, and Veganuary.
Cervical Health Awareness Month
Learn about the women fighting in court for access to HPV vaccines
Dry January
Glaucoma Awareness Month
Mental Wellness Month
Read and share quotes about mental health
National Adopt a Rescued Bird Month
National Blood Donor Month
National Codependency Awareness Month
National Eye Care Month
National Hobby Month
Explore the ultimate list of hobbies — and our guide to hobbies for women
National Mentoring Month
National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month
National Stalking Awareness Month
Poverty Awareness Month
Read and share quotes about poverty
Self-Love Month
Explore the best quotes about self-care, quotes about self-love, and the 101 ideas for self-care
Veganuary
Walk Your Dog Month
The dog poop bag industry is full of greenwashing, but fortunately, we’ve put together a guide on compostable and sustainable dog poop bags and alternatives
Awareness Weeks
No Name-Calling Week - 3rd week of January
Awareness Days
New Year’s Day - January 1
Read our guide on thoughtful New Year's resolutions or explore ideas for your “word of the year”
World Braille Day - January 4
National Bird Day - January 5
National Electricity Day - January 9
National Save the Eagles Day - January 10
National Human Trafficking Awareness Day - January 11
Paget’s Awareness Day - January 11
World Religion Day - January 15
Read our collection of good news stories about people of faith
National Penguin Day - January 20
National Squirrel Appreciation Day - January 21
Trans Prisoner Day of Action and Solidarity - January 22
Moebius Syndrome Awareness Day - January 24
International Holocaust Remembrance Day - January 27
Use and share this guide on how to fight antisemitism in your community and around the world
National Geographic Day - January 27
NASA Day of Remembrance - January 27
Martin Luther King Jr. Day - 3rd Monday in January
Get to know how best to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day — and read (non-cliché) quotes from MLK and expand with quotes from his wife, Coretta Scott King, and his daughter, Bernice King.
World Leprosy Day - Last Sunday of January
International Zebra Day - January 31
Notable Birthdays
Birthdays of leading activists, nonprofit leaders, and other world-changers:
Greta Thunberg’s Birthday - January 3
Read and share the best quotes from Greta Thunberg
Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka’s Birthday - January 8
Learn about Dr. Gladys’ inspiring conservation efforts
Alice Nkom’s Birthday - January 14
Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday - January 15
Read Martin Luther King’s lesser-known quotes
Dian Fossey’s Birthday - January 16
Read about how the endangered mountain gorilla population has grown by 71% in 10 years
Michelle Obama’s Birthday - January 17
Read and share the best Michelle Obama quotes
Muhammad Ali’s Birthday - January 17
Eartha Kitt’s Birthday - January 17
Betty White’s Birthday - January 17
Read about Betty White’s legacy of caring for animals
Rev. James Lewis Stoll’s Birthday - January 18
Dolly Parton’s Birthday - January 19
Celebrate the day by reading Dolly Parton’s best inspirational quotes about making the world a better place
Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Birthday - January 25
You might also like: The Best January 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.
