Days the heart remembers.

Today · September

Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

A month to break the silence around suicide, to speak gently, listen closely, and remember those we have lost, while standing with those left behind. September holds space for the conversations that save lives, for the people who carry on after a loss to suicide, and for the quiet hope that no one has to face this alone.

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  February 4World Cancer DayWhile focused on awareness, it is also a quiet day of remembrance for those lost to cancer. Families, caregiving and anticipatory grief sit close on this day.
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  February 17Random Acts of Kindness DaySomeone may need gentleness today. A small kindness can reach a grieving heart when words cannot.
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  March 8International Women's DayHonours mothers, daughters, sisters and women, including those who grieve the women they have lost, and the women who carry grief quietly.
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  March 20International Day of HappinessA reminder to make room for joy alongside grief. Happiness and sorrow can live in the same hands.
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  April 10Siblings DayHonours siblings, here and far away, complicated and remembered. The loss of a sibling is often an overlooked grief.
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  April 28International Mourner's DayA day to honour all who carry grief, to name our losses out loud, to light a candle for the people we miss, and to recognise mourning as an act of love that deserves space, time, and tenderness.
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  First Sunday in MayInternational Bereaved Mothers' DayHonours mothers whose children have died at any age.
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  Second Sunday in May (varies by country)Mother's DayA day to celebrate mothers, while gently acknowledging that it can be a complicated, aching day for many.
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  May 15International Day of FamiliesA reminder that families take many shapes, and that grief is held by all of them in different ways.
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  June 1Global Day of ParentsHonours parents, caregivers and the people who raise us, and the weight they carry when loss enters a family.
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  First Sunday in JuneInternational Bereaved Fathers' DayRecognises fathers grieving the loss of a child, a group too often overlooked.
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  Third Sunday in June (varies by country)Father's DayA day for fathers and father figures, and for remembrance, where the day can hold both gratitude and ache.
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  June 23International Widows' DayRecognises those who have lost a spouse or partner, a grief that reshapes daily life, and is too often left unspoken.
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  Month of JulyInternational Bereaved Parents Awareness MonthA month to recognise and stand alongside parents who have lost children of any age.
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  July 30International Day of FriendshipA day for friendship and chosen family, the people who show up and sit beside us in the hard seasons.
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  August 12International Youth DayA day to listen for young people's voices and experiences, including the young who grieve quietly.
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  August 30International Grief Awareness DayA day to acknowledge grief as a universal human experience and reduce the stigma around mourning. Open conversation, all forms of loss, often marked in purple.
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  SeptemberSuicide Prevention Awareness MonthA month to break the silence around suicide, to speak gently, listen closely, and remember those we have lost, while standing with those left behind. September holds space for the conversations that save lives, for the people who carry on after a loss to suicide, and for the quiet hope that no one has to face this alone.
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  September 10World Suicide Prevention DayA day to break the silence around suicide, to speak gently, listen closely, and remember those we have lost, while standing with those left behind.
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  September 21World Alzheimer's DayHonours those lost to Alzheimer's and acknowledges the anticipatory grief carried by their families.
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  September 21International Day of PeaceA day for inner peace, community and connection, and for the gentle hope that calm can find its way back to a grieving heart.
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  October 1International Day of Older PersonsA day for grandparents, ageing and family stories, and for the people whose long lives have shaped ours.
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  October 10World Mental Health DayA day to speak gently about mental health, grief and asking for help. Carrying loss can weigh on the mind as much as the heart.
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  October 11International Day of the GirlA day for daughters, sisters and young women, including the girls who hold grief too soon.
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  October 15Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance DayHonours babies lost through miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death, ectopic pregnancy, or infant loss. Marked by the Wave of Light, candles lit at 7pm local time.
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  October 15Miscarriage Awareness DayShared with Pregnancy & Infant Loss Day, but specifically acknowledges miscarriage, a grief that is often invisible and under-spoken.
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  November 1–2Día de los MuertosA Mexican tradition celebrating remembrance and the continued bond with the dead, rather than mourning alone.
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  November 2All Souls' DayA day of prayer and remembrance for the faithful departed, observed in Catholic and Christian traditions.
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  November 13World Kindness DayBe gentle. You don't know what someone is carrying. A little kindness can be a quiet lifeline.
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  November 17World Prematurity DayHonours babies born too soon, and the families who hold their breath beside them, including those whose littlest ones did not come home.
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  Third Thursday in NovemberChildren's Grief Awareness DayA day to recognise the children and young people living with grief, and to remind the adults around them that little hearts mourn deeply too, and deserve to be seen, heard, and gently companioned.
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  November 20World Children's DayA day for children, childhood and emotional wellbeing, and a reminder that little hearts grieve too.
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  Third Saturday in NovemberInternational Survivors of Suicide Loss DaySupports those grieving someone lost to suicide, with a focus on compassion, understanding, and removing stigma. Often marked by memorial walks, talks, and candlelight vigils.
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  December 5International Volunteer DayA day for community, service and showing up, and for the quiet hands that hold space for grieving people.
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  Second Sunday in DecemberWorldwide Candle LightingThe Compassionate Friends invite the world to light a candle at 7pm local time, creating a wave of light that circles the globe for those who have died too soon.
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  December 25Christmas DayA day of celebration, absence, tradition and remembrance. The empty chair at the table is allowed to be seen.
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  31 December / 1 JanuaryNew YearThe complicated idea of moving forward, when part of you is still looking back.
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  The dates only you knowAnniversaries, birthdays, angelversariesDeath anniversaries, the birthdays of those who have died, religious remembrance days, candle-lighting nights, memorial walks, charity days, and the quiet dates only you carry.

And then, the days only you know, anniversaries, birthdays, the date of a last phone call, an "angelversary." These belong on this calendar too.