October 2024 Events Celebrations & Special Days
Image Credit: Javier Molina
Events, celebrations, awareness events, saint's days, annual campaigns, major sporting events - UK and global festivities happening in October 2024.
As the days get shorter and the nights draw in, October is the month when we celebrate Halloween and have a break from school for October Half Term, celebrate Black History Month and get creative with the the Big Draw Festival.
Here are the key dates and events happening this October in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as around the world.
Black History Month
1st Oct to 31st Oct 2024
Black History Month is a month-long observance throughout October, devoted to education about the history of Black people and the celebration of their contributions to history.
Coffee Day
1st Oct 2024
This is an internation celebration of coffee, organised by the International Coffee Organisation, the world trade body for coffee producers. So drink a coffee to give you a good start to the month!
The Big Draw Festival
1st Oct to 31st Oct 2024
The Big Draw is a month-long festival of drawing activities for young and old alike. During the month-long event there are a whole host of events organised to encourage people to get drawing.
World Vegetarian Day
1st Oct 2024
World Vegetarian Day is the first day of Vegetarian Awareness Month. It encourages people to give meatless food a try (even for a day) and learn about its many benefits.
Rosh Hashanah
2nd Oct to 4th Oct 2024
Rosh HaShanah is the Jewish New Year festival. It is marked by the blowing of the shofar, a ram's horn, and begins the ten days of penitence culminating in Yom Kippur. It is celebrated by eating festive meals and the lighting of candles.
Rosh Hashanah
2nd Oct to 4th Oct 2024
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year festival. It is marked by the blowing of the shofar, and begins the ten days of penitence culminating in Yom Kippur.
National Poetry Day
3rd Oct 2024
National Poetry Day is day for celebrating poetry's power to bring people together. Celebrated across the UK, it encourages everyone to make, experience and share poetry with family and friends.
World Dyslexia Awareness Day
4th Oct 2024
A day for awareness of the issues faced by those with dyslexia. The day highlights the issues and teachers, employers and the general public, and is part of Dyslexia Week.
World Space Week
4th Oct to 10th Oct 2024
A UN organised week to celebrate each year at the international level the contributions of space science and technology to the betterment of the human condition.
World Smile Day
5th Oct 2024
A day started by Harvey Ball, creater of the smiley, as a day which is dedicated to smiles and kind acts throughout the world.
World Teachers Day
5th Oct 2024
UNESCO day which provides the occasion to celebrate the teaching profession worldwide, to take stock of achievements, and to address some of the issues central for attracting and keeping the brightest minds and young talents in the profession.
– Thank You Teacher! Teacher Appreciation Colouring Picture
Grandparents Day UK
6th Oct 2024
Grandparents Day in October is the UK's celebration of grandmothers, grandfathers and all grandparents. It is a day to appreciate and show your love for your grandparents.
Grandparents Day Crafts, Cards and Activities
– Grandparents Day Colouring Picture
Dyslexia Week
7th Oct to 13th Oct 2024
Organised by the British Dyslexia Association, Dyslexia Week is an annual event to raise awareness of dyslexia. Every year BDA produce resources and share information with teachers, employers and the public to highlight different dyslexia-related themes.
October Half Term (Scotland)
14th Oct to 18th Oct 2024
Schools across Scotland break up for a week's holiday, check with your school for individual date variations.
– Things To Do In October Half Term
Shwmae Su'mae Day
15th Oct 2024
Shwmae Su'mae Day is an annual celebration of the Welsh Language, encouraging people to have a go at speaking Welsh with their friends.
International Archaeology Day
15th Oct 2024
A celebration of archaeology and its contributions to society. Archaeological organizations around the world present archaeological programs and activities for people of all ages and interests.
National Grouch Day
15th Oct 2024
This is a day to celebrate all the grouches we know ? or to embrace the grouch that lives inside all of us. It celebrate Sesame Street's famous grouch, Oscar.
Recycle Week
16th Oct to 22nd Oct 2024
A week organised by Recycle Now, devoted to encouraging all of us to increase the amount of waste which we recycle.
– Recycling Colouring Pictures
National Burn Awareness Day
16th Oct 2024
The Children's Burns Trust works alongside the British Burn Association to raise awareness and grow the momentum of National Burn Awareness Day each year.
Harry Potter Book Day
17th Oct 2024
Harry Potter Book Day (formerly Night) is a chance for fans young and old to celebrate J.K. Rowling's wonderful series - and it's a chance to pass the magic on to new readers who haven't yet discovered these unforgettable books.
World Singing Day
19th Oct 2024
World Singing Day is a global sing-along held annually on the 3rd Saturday in October. As a catalyst for positive human connection, this one day each year serves as an opportunity to celebrate our global family through the international language of music.
International Repair Day
19th Oct 2024
Held on the 3rd Saturday in October, this day promotes environmmental benefits of the repairing items, and is organised by the Open Repair Alliance. It promotes the use of Repair Cafes and Fixit Clinics around the world.
Apple Day
21st Oct 2024
An annual celebration of apples and orchards which was started in 1990 by Common Ground. It is celebrated with apple-themed events demonstrating all the things that you can do with apples. It also encourages diversity of apple varieties grown in the UK.
Trafalgar Day
21st Oct 2024
A celebration of Lord Horatio Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. A ceremony is held on his ship HMS Victory each year and his famous signal ?England expects that every man will do his duty? is hoisted in flags.
World Opera Day
25th Oct 2024
A day for celebrating opera and for encouraging people of all ages to develop a passion for opera.
British Summer Time Ends
27th Oct 2024
Daylight saving ends today, so remember that the clocks go back 1 hour at 2am in the morning.
October Half Term
28th Oct to 1st Nov 2024
Schools across England, Wales and Northern Ireland break up for a week's holiday, check with your school for individual date variations.
– Things To Do In October Half Term
National Cat Day
29th Oct 2024
Cat Day is a US based holiday for cats and cat lovers that encourages adoption of cats from animal shelters and breaks the internet with cuteness!
International Internet Day
29th Oct 2024
A celebration of the invention of the internet, held on the day when the very first message was sent via the internet.
Halloween
31st Oct 2024
The world wide celebration of all things spooky and scary. Halloween is thought to have it's roots in the pagan festival of Samhain which was a type of harvest festival. It is celebrated with trick or treating, dressing up and decorations.
Everything Halloween - Crafts, Party Ideas, Printables, Movies and more!
– 20 Spooky Halloween Costume Ideas
– UK Halloween Events for Kids 2023
The Day of the Dead
31st Oct to 2nd Nov 2024
The Mexican holiday of Dia de Muertos actually takes place over 3 days. The festival is a happy celebration with gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died.
– Day of the Dead Sugar Skulls Colouring Pictures
Here are some more important events that are coming soon.