Cultural Calendar Dates for January 2024

January 2024 is not just another page on the calendar; it's a blank canvas of opportunities, celebrations, and learning. Here's the PepTalk selection of the month's occasions, observations and cultural highlights to make the most of it:

Key dates for January 2024

📅 World Introvert Day | 2 January 2024

👉 The holidays are over, now it’s time for peace. In 2011, introversion was broken into four main types based on psychological research. The four types of introverts are the social introvert, the thinking introvert, the anxious introvert, and the restrained introvert.

📅 World Braille Day | 4 January 2024

The UN observes World Braille Day, on inventor Louis Braille's birthday, to raise awareness of the importance of Braille as a means of communication in the full realisation of the human rights for blind and partially sighted people.

📅 Korean American Day (US) | 13 January 2024

👉 Honour people of Korean descent who have made contributions to America. This day was first established in 2005 by President George W. Bush.

📅 Blue Monday | 15 January 2024

👉 Originally dreamed up by a travel company, Blue Monday has taken on a life of its own as people mark the third Monday in January as the bleakest day of the year. Why do we keep hearing about it each year? Perhaps because it’s so relatable — it’s estimated that seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, affects around 2 million people in the UK, causing symptoms similar to depression, including low mood, lethargy and loss of interest in hobbies.

📅 Martin Luther King Jr. Day (US) | 16 January 2024

👉 Celebrate the civil rights activist’s birthday by watching his speeches, learning about others who helped expand voting rights, like Ida B. Wells, or taking a virtual National Civil Rights Museum tour.

📅 Bodhi Day | 18 January 2024

👉 For Mahayana Buddhists, this holiday celebrates the attainment of the truth of existence by Buddha. This allows him to find happiness and to be free from suffering.

📅 International Day of Education | 24 January 2024

👉 This UN day celebrates the role of education in peace and development. The UN calls for free and compulsory elementary education and stipulates that countries shall make higher education accessible to all.

📅 Burns Night | 24 January 2024

👉 Neeps and tatties at the ready! Burns night marks the anniversary of Robert Burns's birth on 25 January 1759, and the traditional Burns supper is an evening event that celebrates his life and work.

📅 International Day of Commemoration in Memory of Victims of the Holocaust | 27 January 2024

👉 This international memorial day commemorates Holocaust victims. On this day in 1945, the Auschwitz concentration camp was liberated by the Red Army.

📅 National Storytelling Week (UK) | 27 January - 4 February 2024

👉 Embrace the age-old art of storytelling, a fundamental human experience and a source of creativity. Whether to convince, describe or inspire, storytelling connects us all.

📅 International LEGO Day | 28 January 2024
👉Just for fun, a celebration of the day when Danish inventor Godtfred Kirk Christiansen patented the original 2x4 LEGO brick. Did you know LEGO has an entire program to facilitate creativity in adults, Serious Play?

Of course, this is just a selection of dates! If we've missed any days or events that are key for your HR, Culture or People team, be sure to let us know on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Explore The Rest of 2024

Key cultural calendar dates, weeks and observances for the rest of 2024:

💡 Would you like to mark any of these events with an expert speaker? Let us know, and we’ll find the perfect PepTalk expert for your organisation. Email us at hello@getapeptalk.com or send us a message via the chat. You can also call us on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US). Remember, it’s always a good time to get a PepTalk!

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