Consultation closed
We currently recognise a number of cultural, social, environmental and educational significant dates.
Dates of significance are recognised in a number of ways including a community event or program, promotion on social media, flag raising ceremony or support provided to a non-Council event (such as to the RSL on ANZAC Day).
The criteria for recognising a date of significance includes:
- alignment with the Council and Wellbeing Plan
- a public holiday or national/international observance
- alignment with a Council service or policy.
To ensure we recognise dates in a planned, coordinated and transparent and timely manner, we sought feedback to find out if there were any dates of significance you thought we should include. Any date suggested must align with the above criteria.
The United Nations defines specific days, weeks, years and decades as occasions to mark particular events or topics in order to educate the general public on issues of concern, to mobilise political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity.
We have a diverse community that celebrates a large range of cultural and religious dates. The proposed cultural and religious dates have been informed by demographic data on the City of Melton's largest faith groups and through consultation with the Melton Interfaith Network.
Proposed dates of significance
| Date | Date of Significance | Description |
| 7 January | Orthodox Christmas | Orthodox Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, focusing on religious customs, liturgies, and traditional rituals. |
| 26 January | Australia Day | The official national day of Australia. |
| 6 February | Safer Internet Day | To make the internet a safer and better place for all, especially for children and young people. |
| 10 February | Chinese New Year | Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. |
| 14 February | Library Lovers' Day | To celebrate the valuable roles libraries play in our lives and to re-engage with our libraries and 'show the love'. |
| 21 February | International Mother Language Day | In recognition that languages and multilingualism can advance inclusion. |
| 3 March | Clean Up Australia Day | To inspire and empower communities to clean up, fix up and conserve our environment. |
| 8 March | International Women's Day | To celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. |
| 16 March | National Close the Gap Day | To pledge support for achieving Indigenous health equality by 2030. |
| 18-24 March | Neurodiversity Celebration Week | Neurodiversity refers to a world where neurological differences are recognised and respected as all other human variations. |
| 18-24 March | Harmony Week | To celebrate Australia's cultural diversity. It's about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. |
| 26 March | Epilepsy Awareness Day | Purple Day is a global initiative dedicated to raising epilepsy awareness, dispelling myths, and increasing support for people living with epilepsy. |
| 29 March | Good Friday | Good Friday is a religious and national holiday in Australia, and is held on the Friday before Easter Sunday. |
| 31 March | Easter Sunday | Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ following his death by crucifixion. It is the most significant event in the Christian calendar. |
| 31 March | Transgender Day of Visibility | An international celebration of trans pride and awareness, recognising trans and gender diverse experience and achievements. |
| March | National Playgroup Week | To celebrate and appreciate the many benefits of playgroups. |
| 10 April | Eid al Fitr | The Islamic month of fasting, Ramadan, ends with the festival of Eid al Fitr. A celebratory meal breaks the fast, and good deeds have special significance during this time. Eid is also a time of forgiveness and making amends. |
| 25 April | ANZAC Day | A national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations and the contribution and suffering of all those who have served. |
| April | Youth Week | To highlight the contributions and achievements of young people (aged 12-25). |
| 6-11 May | National Family Day Care Week | To recognise and promote the important role family day care educators and services play in the development and wellbeing of children. |
| 12 May | International Nurses Day | To mark the contributions that nurses make to society. |
| 13-19 May | Education Week | An annual celebration of education in Victoria. |
| 17 May | IDAHOBIT | International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia & Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) celebrates LGBTIQA+ people globally, and raises awareness for the work still needed to combat discrimination. |
| 23 May | Buddha Day | Vesak or Buddha Day is an important day of celebration for Buddhists. The holiday is traditionally celebrated to commemorate Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death. |
| 23 May | National Simultaneous Storytime | To promote the value of reading and literacy, every year an Australian picture book is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. |
| 26 May | National Sorry Day | To remember and acknowledge the mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their families and communities, which we now know as 'The Stolen Generations'. |
| 27 May - 3 June | National Reconciliation Week | A time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. |
| May | Neighbourhood House Week | Neighbourhood House Week is an annual national celebration, recognising the important contribution of neighbourhood houses in local communities across Australia. |
| May | National Families Week | To celebrate the vital role that families play in Australian society. |
| May | Road Safety Week | To highlight the impact of road trauma and ways to reduce it. |
| May | National Volunteer Week | To celebrate and recognise the vital work of volunteers and to say thank you. |
| 5 June | World Environment Day | To inspire positive environmental change. |
| 15 June | World Elder Abuse Day | To raise awareness regarding the abuse and suffering inflicted on older people. |
| 16-22 June | Refugee Week | To inform the public about refugees and celebrate positive contributions made by refugees to Australian society. |
| June | Men's Health Week | To highlight the importance of men's health and to promote and support the health and wellbeing of men and boys in our communities. |
| June | Pride Month | To celebrate the LQBTIQA+ community and reflect on how far civil rights have progresses in half a century and an opportunity to protest discrimination and violence. |
| 31 July | National Tree Day | Australia's largest tree planting and nature care event. |
| July | NAIDOC Week | To celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living creatures on earth. |
| July | National Library and Information Week | To celebrate the work that library and information workers do all around Australia. |
| 1-7 August | World Breastfeeding Week | To protect, promote and support breastfeeding. |
| 4 August | National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day | A time for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities, and all Australians, to celebrate the strength and culture of their children. |
| 18 August | Vietnam Veteran's Day | To commemorate the Battle of Long Tan in 1966. |
| 30 August | Wear it Purple Day | An annual expression of support and acceptance to rainbow young people from the LGBTIQA+ community. |
| August | National Homelessness Week | To raise awareness of the impact of homelessness on Australia via national and local community events, including providing information on the importance of housing as a solution and educating communities on how they can make a difference. |
| August | Children's Book Week | To highlight the importance of reading books and shines a spotlight on Australian children's authors and illustrators. |
| 2-8 September | National Child Protection Week | A national campaign to promote the message of a safe and healthy life for every child, now and into the future. |
| 4 September | National Early Childhood Educators Day | To recognise and celebrate the work of Australia's educators in early learning services for their wonderful contribution to the wellbeing and healthy development of the young children in their care. |
| 12 September | RU OK? Day | To encourage people to stay connected and have conversations that can help others through difficult times in their lives. |
| 17 September | Australian Citizenship Day | To reflect on the meaning and importance of Australian citizenship, and the responsibilities and privileges we have as citizens. |
| 30 September | Anniversary of the
findings of the Disability Royal Commission | A
day to remember and
raise awareness of people
with disability who have experienced violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation
and what actions Council is taking in response to the Disability Royal
Commission. |
| September | Adult Learners Week | To promote the benefits of learning. |
| 1 October | International Day of Older Persons | To raise awareness about issues affecting older people. Council's recognition aligns with the Victorian Seniors Festival. |
| 23-29 October | Children's Week | A national celebration that recognises the talents, skills, achievements and rights of children. |
| October | Community Safety Month | To remind us that we all have a role in making our communities safer. |
| October | Mental Health Week | To address and highlight the important connection between the social determinants of health and mental health; and promote effective prevention strategies to keep people mentally healthy. |
| October | Carers Week | To raise community awareness among all Australians about the diversity of carers and their caring roles. |
| October | Diwali | Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights. It symbolises the inner light that protects from spiritual darkness. |
| October | National Water Week | To build awareness around the value of water. |
| 11 November | Remembrance Day | To acknowledge those who died while serving in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations. |
| 15 November | Birth of Guru Nanak | This day commemorates Guru Nanak Sahib, the founder of Sikhism and the first Sikh Guru. This day may also be called Guru Nanak Gurpurab, Guru Nanak's Prakash Utsav or Guru Nanak Dev. |
| 19 November | International Men's Day | International Men's Day celebrates worldwide the positive value men bring to the world, their families and communities. Highlights positive role models and raise awareness of men's wellbeing. |
| 20 November | Transgender Day of Remembrance | To honour the memory of the transgender people who lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. |
| 25 November - 10 December | 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence | To call for the elimination of gender-based violence. |
| November | National Recycling Week | To educate and empower people to do the right thing when they're at the bin. |
| 3 December | International Day of People with a Disability | To increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability. |
| 10 December | Human Rights Day | To proclaim the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being - regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. |
| 18 December | International Migrants Day | To raise awareness about the challenges and difficulties of international migration. |
| 25 December | Christmas Day | An annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed by Christians as a religious and cultural celebration. |
