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:
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.
National Blood Donor Month
Glaucoma Awareness Month
Cervical Health Awareness Month
Learn about the women fighting in court for access to HPV vaccines
National Adopt a Rescued Bird Month
Self-Love Month
Explore the best quotes about self-care — and read 101 ideas for self-care.
Mental Wellness Month
Read and share quotes about mental health
Poverty Awareness Month
Read and share quotes about poverty
National Eye Care Month
National Codependency Awareness Month
National Stalking Awareness Month
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
Veganuary
Dry January
Awareness Weeks
No Name-Calling Week - 3rd week of January
Awareness Days
New Year’s Day - January 1
Read our guide on sustainable New Year's resolutions to help the planet 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
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
Explore this timeline of Greta Thunberg’s climate activism
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
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
Explore More Events:
- Top Awareness Days & Months Calendar
- The Ultimate Calendar of Heritage Months
- Environmental & Sustainability Days & Months Calendar
- Disability Awareness Days & Months Calendar
- LGBTQ+ Pride Days & Months Calendar
- Animal & Pet Awareness Calendar
- Mental Health Days & Awareness Months Calendar
Is this list missing a holiday or awareness week/month? Let us know. We want to ensure this list is comprehensive and inclusive.
