I’m not sure exactly when the first awareness day was marked (online searches kept coughing up different information) though suffice to say that from whenever that day was, the awareness day movement has surely evolved into something far larger since it started. If we were to add all the observance dates around the world to our personal calendars, I’m pretty sure that most if not all of the days would be filled with at least one particular awareness topic.
August Awareness dates
In August alone there’s an International World Breastfeeding Awareness Week (1st – 7th), National Road Victim Month (1st – 31st), National Playday (4th), Cycle to Work Day (5th), National Allotments Week (9th – 15th). These are some of the many awareness dates being observed locally and internationally this month. There’s even a National Mustard Day (7th, USA), Afternoon Tea Week (9th – 15th, UK), and and International Prosecco Day on the 13th!
What are Awareness dates?
National and international “awareness days, weeks or months” are varied throughout each year, and are held to promote a cause whether health related, humanitarian, ethical, environmental, religious, or anything else which the originators want to bring attention to and commemorate as important.
Awareness groups have been formed to try to solve the problems people care about. They can be started by just one person with a problem, and if there’s enough exposure and interest then as the awareness grows, what was once perhaps only a local awareness, can turn into a nationwide or even international awareness.
Funding
Awareness day organisers need funds to help their causes which, in turn, need funding! As well as the general exposure an awareness group wants to achieve, fundraising is a hugely important part of the equation.
National and international awareness days, weeks and months are often promoted through various social media channels, with posts and hashtags. Awareness ribbons are usually sold in a variety of places, also wristbands, stickers or posters for people to show support for their awareness day (there is rumour that the awareness ribbon originates from the “Deaf Awareness ribbon”, which was was given out at schools for deaf students to wear on their clothes in the 1970’s to raise awareness about sign language – not 100% verified).
Sometimes government or lottery grants will help, though often the organisation needs further assistance through supporters engaging in fundraising activities. Activities can vary from as local as a coffee morning, or plant or book sale, to planned and sponsored walks, runs, swims, or even skydives, right through to nationwide events such as Comic Relief, Children in Need, and worldwide sporting events such as marathon runs where many participants enter through having raised a certain amount in sponsorship for their chosen charity.
Which awareness dates do you observe and support?
Are you aware of all the awareness dates?
Awareness Days is a helpful website to search for nationwide and international observance dates, as well as National Awareness Days. Want to launch your own Awareness Day? National Awareness Days offer you that option if you have a great idea for an awareness day though don’t know how or where to start.
