List of unofficial observances in New Zealand

Apart from the public holidays in New Zealand, usually celebrated by a paid day off work, there are a number of unofficial observances in New Zealand that are celebrated for days, weeks or months. Most of these are international in nature. They range from established traditions of major world religions to spoofs such as Talk Like A Pirate Day.

Days

• Chinese New Year, January/February (varies)
• Valentine's Day, 14 February
• Loud Shirt Day, 24 February
  (2023, No information available for 2022) ^[1]
• Children's Day, first Sunday in March
• International Women's Day, 8 March
• Walk To Work Day, second Wednesday of March ^[2]
• World Sleep Day, 15 March ^[3]
• Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March
• Race Relations Day, 22 March
• World Haemophilia Day, 17 April
• April Fools' Day, 1 April
• World Book Day, 23 April
• Poppy Day, Friday before April 25 (Anzac Day)
• J Day, 3 May
• Sleep Apnea Awareness Day, 5 May ^[4]
• Mother's Day, second Sunday in May
• Pink Shirt Day, third Friday in May
• World No Tobacco Day, 31 May
• Eid al-Fitr (varies) ^[5]
• World Refugee Day, 20 June
• Shades for Migraine, 21 June
• National Disco Day, 2 July
• International Day of Indigenous People, 9 August
• World Youth Day, 12 August
• Daffodil Day (Cancer Society Fundraiser), last Friday of August
• Random Acts of Kindness Day, 1 September ^[6]
• Father's Day, first Sunday in September ^[7]
• eDay 12 September ^[8]
• Wig Wednesday 13 September (Child Cancer)
• Māori Language Day 14 September
• Suffrage Day, 19 September
• International Talk Like a Pirate Day, 19 September
• Pink Ribbon Day (Breast Cancer Awareness), 8 October
• World Arthritis Day, 12 October
• Rā Maumahara (New Zealand Wars Remembrance Day), 28 October (also the anniversary of the New Zealand Declaration of Independence)
• World Stroke Day, 29 October
• Halloween, 31 October
• Gumboot Friday, First Friday every November
• Diwali, 3 November
• Melbourne Cup Day, first Tuesday of November
• NZDA National Oral Health Day, first Friday of November
• Guy Fawkes Night, 5 November
• Premature Awareness Day, 17 November
• World day for the Prevention of Abuse and Violence Against Children, 19 November
• White Ribbon Day (for the Elimination of Violence against Women), 25 November
• Red Ribbon Day (AIDS Awareness), 1 December
• Crate Day, first Saturday of December ^[9]
• International Day of Disabled Persons, 3 December
• World Volunteers Day, 5 December
• World Human Rights Day, 10 December

Weeks

Many of these national weeks change from year to year.

• Sea Week, 27 Feb–6 March ^[10]
• Multiples Awareness Week, 28 Feb–6 March ^[11]
• Global Public Health Week, 3–7 April 2023 ^[12]
• Perinatal Mental Health Awareness Week, from 1 May ^[13]
• Rotuman Language Week, 7–13 May ^[14]
• New Zealand Sign Language Week, from 2 May
• National Organic Week - 1-7 May
• Youth Week, 21–29 May
• Samoan Language Week, 30 May–5 June ^[14]
• Coeliac Awareness Week, 18–24 June
• NZ Volunteering Week 19–25 June 2016 ^[15]
• Kiribati Language Week, 9–15 July ^[14]
• Cook Islands Language Week, 30 July–5 August ^[14]
• Rail Safety Week, August
• New Zealand Islam Awareness, from 2 August
• New Zealand Fashion Week 29 August – 2 September ^[16]
• Tongan language Week, 3–9 September ^[14]
• Child Safeguarding Week, September
• Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week), in the week which includes 14 September.
• New Zealand Conservation Week, 10–18 September ^[17]
• National Clean Up Week 17–24 September ^[18]
• Mental Health Awareness Week, late September ^[19]
• New Zealand Chinese Language Week, typically the third or fourth week of September
• Tuvalu Language Week, 1–7 October ^[14]
• Fijian Language Week, 8–14 October ^[14]
• Niue Language Week, 15–21 October ^[14]
• Tokelau Language Week, 22–28 October ^[14]
• Grandparents Week from 27 October–1 November ^[20]
• Get Outdoors Week 16–24 November
• Fraud Awareness Week, third week of November ^[21]
• Sleep Awareness Week ^[22]
• Cloth Nappy Week April ^{[23] [24]}
• Rail Safety Week
• NZ Flowers Week

Months

• Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month 1–28 February ^[25]
• New Zealand Bike to Work month – February
• Pride Month – February (Auckland), March (Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin) ^[26]
• Endometriosis Awareness Month – March
• NZ Music Month – May
• Sexual Assault Awareness Month - May
• Migraine Awareness Month – June
• NZ Book Month September from 2006 to 2008, October in 2009, March from 2011 to 2013 and August in 2014; ^[27] not held in 2015 ^[28]
• Sorted Money Month – August
• Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month 1–30 September ^[29]
• Movember Month – November

References

1. "Loud Shirt Day – Home". Loudshirtday.co.nz. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
2. Transport, Auckland. "Walking to Work". Auckland Transport. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
3. "World Sleep Day 2019". Archived from the original on 18 April 2019.
4. "Sleep Disorders Australia :: Sleep Apnea Awareness Day". www.sleepoz.org.au. Archived from the original on 13 August 2018.
5. "Eid Mubarak! Nelson Muslim community celebrates end of Ramadan". Stuff.co.nz. 26 June 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
6. "Random Acts of Kindness Day – Scoop News". Scoop.co.nz. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
7. "Information New Zealand Father's Day". Archived from the original on 25 May 2010. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
8. "eDay – Cleaning up New Zealand's eWaste!". Eday.org.nz. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
9. McConnell, Glenn (2 December 2016). "How New Zealand's national Crate Day came to be". Stuff. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
10. "Seaweek, New Zealand's annual national week about the sea". Seaweek.org.nz. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
11. "Multiples Awareness Week". Multiples NZ. 25 February 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
12. "Global Public Health Week | WFPHA".
13. "Perinatal Mental Health Awareness Week 2023". Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Aotearoa. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
14. "Pacific Language Weeks 2023". Ministry for Pacific Peoples. 20 September 2023.
15. "National Volunteer Week 2017 – Volunteering New Zealand". Volunteeringnz.org.nz. 30 October 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
16. "Home". New Zealand Fashion Week. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
17. (DOC), corporatename = New Zealand Department of Conservation. "Conservation Week 14–22 October 2017". Conservationweek.org.nz. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
18. "Home » Clean up Week 2010". Archived from the original on 20 September 2010. Retrieved 18 September 2010.
19. "The Mental Health Foundation organises New Zealand's annual Mental Health Awareness Week under contract from the Ministry of Health". mentalhealth.org. nz. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
20. "National Grandparents Week Enters Second Year". Scoop. 1 October 2003. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
21. "Fraud Awareness Week". Serious Fraud Office. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
22. "Sleep Awareness Week". Archived from the original on 18 April 2019.
23. "Cloth Nappy Week 2023 – Cloth Nappy Week – New Zealand". Clothnappyweek.nz. 30 April 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
24. "Cloth Nappy week 2021". 10 February 2021.
25. "Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month Help Stop Women Dying Too Young" . Retrieved 27 November 2021.
26. "'People are proud throughout the year': When is New Zealand's real Pride month?". Stuff . 23 March 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
27. "New Zealand Book Month". NZHistory . Retrieved 18 March 2016.
28. "NZ Book Month Announcement". Booksellers New Zealand. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
29. "New Zealand Gynaecological Cancer Month". 30 August 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2021.