Days of Significance 2020-21

Updated: Sept. 25, 2020

*The cycle of Haudenosaunee Longhouse Ceremonies are days of significance for the Aboriginal population in Grant Erie District School Board.

September 2020

• Lifelong Learning Month
• Kshamavani: Tuesday, September 1
• Delhi Fall Festival: Saturday, September 11 – Sunday, September 12
• Grandparents’ Day: Sunday, September 13
• Rosh Hashanah: Friday, September 18 – Sunday, October 20
• International Day of Peace: Monday, September 21
• Mabon: Monday, September 21 – Tuesday, September 29
• Autumn Equinox: Tuesday, September 22
• Yom Kippur: Sunday, September 27 – Monday, September 28
• GAINASO: A*
• Green Corn*

October 2020

• Women’s History Month
• National Senior’s Day: Thursday, October 1
• Sukkot: Friday, October 2 – Friday, October 9
• World Communion: Sunday, October 4
• Fire Prevention Week: Sunday, October 4 – Saturday, October 10
• Mental Illness Awareness Week: Sunday, October 4 – Saturday, October 10
• Walk to School Day: Wednesday, October 7
• Day of Red: TBD
• Shemini Atzeret: Friday, October 9 – Sunday, October 11
• World Mental Health Day: Saturday, October 10
• Simchat Torah: Saturday, October 10 – Sunday, October 11
• International Day of the Girl: Sunday, October 11
• United Way Campaign: TBD
• International Day for the Eradication of Poverty: Saturday, October 17
• Birthday of the Bab: Saturday, October 17 – Sunday, October 18
• National School Safety Week: Saturday, October 17 – Friday, October 23
• Navaratri: Saturday, October 17 – Sunday, October 25
• Persons Day: Sunday, October 18
• Birth of Bahá’u’lláh: Sunday, October 18 – Monday, October 19
• Waste Reduction Week: Monday, October 19 – Sunday, October 25
• Installation of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji: Tuesday, October 20
• Local Government Week: TBD
• National School Library Day: Thursday, October 22
• Dasara: Sunday, October 25
• Jain New Year: TBD
• ESL Week: TBD
• Milad un Nabi (Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad): Wednesday, October 28 – Thursday, October 29
• Samhain: Saturday, October 31 – Sunday, November 1
• Harvest Dance*
• Medicine Mask (HADOUI)*
• Feast of the Dead (OGIWE)*

November 2020

• All Saints Day: Sunday, November 1
• Holocaust Education Week: Sunday, November 1 – Sunday, November 8
• National Inuit Day: Saturday, November 7
• Indigenous Veterans’ Day: Sunday, November 8
• Bandi Chhor Divas: Saturday, November 14
• Diwali: Saturday, November 14
• World Diabetes Day: Saturday, November 14
• Rock Your Mocs: Sunday, November 15
• Louis Riel Day: Monday, November 16
• Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week: TBD
• Holodomor Memorial Day: TBD
• Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji: Tuesday, November 24
• Christmas Fast: Saturday, November 28 – Wednesday, January 6
• Advent: Sunday, November 29 – Thursday, December 24
• Birthday of Guru Nanak: Monday, November 30
• Code of Handsome Lake (GAI HWIO)*
• End of Season & Hadowi (Fall Fest)*

December 2020

• Simcoe Christmas Panorama: TBD
• International Day of Persons with Disabilities: Thursday, December 3
• National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women: Sunday, December 6
• Human Rights Day: Thursday, December 10
• Hanukkah: Thursday, December 10 – Friday, December 18
• Winter Solstice: Monday, December 21
• Yule: Monday, December 21 – Friday, January 1
• Christmas Day: Friday, December 25
• Death of Prophet Zarathustra: Saturday, December 26
• Kwanzaa: Saturday, December 26 – Friday, January 1
• New Year’s Eve: Thursday, December 31
• Sun, Moon & Stars*

January 2021

• New Year’s Day: Friday, January 1
• No:ia (New Years): TBD
• Twelfth Night: Tuesday, January 5
• Epiphany: Wednesday, January 6
• Theophany: Wednesday, January 6
• Feast of the Nativity: Thursday, January 7
• Orthodox Christianity Christmas: Thursday, January 7
• Chinese New Year: Friday, February 12
• Makar Sankranti: Thursday, January 14
• World Religion Day: Sunday, January 17
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 18
• Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: Monday, January 18 – Monday, January 25
• Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sabib: Wednesday, January 20
• Bodhi Day: Wednesday, January 20
• Tu B’Shevat: Wednesday, January 22 – Thursday, January 28
• Family Literacy Day: Wednesday, January 27
• International Holocaust Remembrance Day: Wednesday, January 27
• Mahayana New Year: Thursday, January 28
• Mid Winter Ceremonies*
• GAINASO: A*

February 2021

• Psychology Month
• Imbolc: Monday, February 1 – Tuesday, February 2
• World Faith Harmony Week: Monday, February 1 – Sunday, February 7
• Setsunbun-sai: Wednesday, February 3
• Carnaval de Québec: Friday, February 5 – Sunday, February 14
• Have a Heart Day: Sunday, February 14
• Valentine’s Day: Sunday, February 14
• National Flag of Canada Day: Monday, February 15
• Nirvana Day: Monday, February 15
• Ash Wednesday: Wednesday, February 17
• Random Acts of Kindness Week: TBD
• International Mother Language Day: Sunday, February 21
• Magha Puja Day: Friday, February 26
• Purim (Jewish): Friday, February 26 – Saturday, February 27
• Maple and All Tree Ceremony*
• Hadowi/Ohkiwe*

March 2021

• Childhood Arthritis Month
• ‘Ala’ 19-Day Fast: Monday, March 1 – Friday, March 19
• World Day of Prayer: Friday, March 5
• International Women’s Day: Monday, March 8
• Maha Shivratri: Thursday, March 11
• Clean Monday/Great Fast: Monday, March 15
• Naw-Ruz: Saturday, March 20
• Now Ruz (New Year): Saturday, March 20
• Ostara: Saturday, March 20
• Spring Equinox: Saturday, March 20
• International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination: Sunday, March 21
• World Down Syndrome Day: Sunday, March 21
• Passover: Saturday, March 27– Sunday, April 4
• Holi: Sunday, March 28 – Monday, March 29
• Hola Mohalla: Monday, March 29 – Wednesday, March 31
• Great Big Crunch: TBD
• Maple Syrup Harvest*

April 2021

• Sikh Heritage Month
• Maundy Thursday: Thursday, April 1
• World Autism Awareness Day: Friday, April 2
• Easter: Sunday, April 4
• Buddha Day (Wesak) – Buddhist: Thursday, April 8
• Yom Hashoah: Thursday, April 8 – Friday, April 9
• Ramadan Begins: Monday, April 12
• Ugadi: Tuesday, April 13
• Baisakhi: Wednesday, April 14
• Easter Tuesday: Tuesday, April 16
• Ridvan: Friday, April 16– Sunday, May 2
• National Volunteer Week: Sunday, April 18 – Saturday, April 24
• Bite of Brant: TBD
• Ram Navami: Wednesday, April 21
• Mahavira Jayanti: Sunday, April 25
• Theravada New Year: Tuesday, April 27
• National Day of Mourning: Wednesday, April 28
• Orthodox Holy Friday: Friday, April 30
• Thunder Ceremony*
• Medicine Mask (Hadoui)*
• Feast of the Dead (Ogiwe)*

May 2021

• Asian/Pacific Heritage Month
• Speech and Hearing Month
• Beltane: Saturday, May 1
• Youth Week: Saturday, May 1 – Friday, May 7
• Bike to School Day: Wednesday, May 5
• Laylat Al Qadr: Sunday, May 9
• Mother’s Day: Sunday, May 9
• Yom Yerushalayim: Sunday, May 9 – Monday, May 10
• Bear Witness Day: Monday, May 10
• Ramadan Ends: Tuesday, May 11
• Ascension (Western): Thursday, May 13
• Eid-Ul-Fitr: Thursday, May 13
• Shavuot: Sunday, May 16 – Tuesday, May 18
• International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia: Monday, May 17
• Global Accessibility Awareness Day: Thursday, May 20
• Declaration of the Bab: Sunday, May 23
• Pentecost (Western): Sunday, May 23
• Whit Monday (Western): Monday, May 24
• Bread and Cheese: TBD
• Ascension of Baha’u’llah: Friday, May 28
• National Access Awareness Week: TBD
• Drying of the Sap of the Great Maple*
• Sun and Moon Dance*
• New Medicine/Seed Blessing Ceremony*
• Planting Conclusion Ceremony*

May/June 2021

• Plant a Heart Garden

June 2021

• National Indigenous History Month
• Toronto Pride Month
• Brantford Pride Flag Raising at City Hall: TBD
• Tom Longboat Day: Friday, June 4
• Ascension (Eastern): Thursday, June 10
• Martyrdom of Guru Arjam Dev Sahib: Wednesday, June 16
• New Church Day: Saturday, June 19
• Father’s Day: Sunday, June 20
• Pentecost (Eastern): Sunday, June 20
• Summer Solstice: Sunday, June 20
• World Refugee Day: Sunday, June 20
• Whit Monday (Eastern): Monday, June 21
• Litha: Thursday, June 24
• Planting/Strawberry Dance*
• Planting/Raspberry Dance*

July 2021

• Martyrdom of the Bab: Friday, July 9
• Tisha B’Av: Saturday, July 17 – Sunday, July 18
• Hajj: Saturday, July 17 – Thursday, July 22
• Eid-Ul-Adha: Monday, July 19 – Friday, July 23
• Dharma Day (Asala): Saturday, July 24

August 2021

• Lúghnasadh/Lammas: Sunday, August 1
• Dunnville Fair: Saturday, August 7 – Sunday, August 8
• International Day of World’s Indigenous Peoples: Monday, August 9
• Al-Hijra (Islamic New Year): Monday, August 9 – Tuesday, August 10
• First of Muharram/New Year: Tuesday, August 10
• Ashura: Wednesday, August 18 – Thursday, August 19
• Raksha Bandhan (Rahkri): Saturday, August 21
• Janmashtami: Monday, August 30
• Big Green Corn Dance*
• Green Bean Corn Dance*
• Paryushana-Parva: Friday, September 3

Please accept our apologies for omissions of any group or important dates. We make all possible efforts to publish Grand Erie District School Board’s Days of Significance according to a variety of sources. If there are any comments regarding the Days of Significance, please inform Kimberly Newhouse, via email: kimberly.newhouse@granderie.ca