2021 Global Holiday and Retail Event Calendar – Important Dates

To aid in your planning for a successful promotional strategy, here is a list of key dates by month for 2021 including global holidays and retail events.

Note: some dates haven’t been announced yet may be flexible to change due to the pandemic.

January

• 1: New Year’s Day
• 1-31: Veganuary
• 14: Korea Grand Sale begins (South Korea)
• 16: Back to School (Australia)
• 18: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• 26: Australia Day (Australia)

February

• 1: Black History Month begins (USA)
• 2: Groundhog Day (USA)
• 7: Super Bowl Sunday
• 12: Chinese New Year begins
• 14: Valentine’s Day
• 15: President’s Day (USA)
• 20: Love Your Pet Day
• 22: Chinese New Year ends
• 28: Korea Grand Sale ends (South Korea)
• 28: Black History Month ends (USA)

March

• 8: International Women’s Day
• 8: Labour Day (Australia)
• 14: White Day (Japan and East Asia)
• 17: St. Patrick’s Day
• 20: First Day of Spring (Northern Hemisphere)
• 24: Cash Mob Day (Australia & Other Countries)
• 28: Semana Santa begins (Easter Week, Latin America)
• 28-29 Holi Festival (India, APAC)

April

• 1: April Fool’s Day
• 2: Good Friday
• 3: Semana Santa ends (Easter Week, Latin America)
• 4: Easter Sunday
• 5: Easter Monday
• 9-18: Coachella Festival
• 11: National Pets Day (Australia)
• 13: Ramadan Start (Muslim holiday)
• 20: Click Frenzy (Australia)
• 20: Click Frenzy Travel (Australia)
• 22: Earth Day
• 25: ANZAC Day (Australia)
• 30: Children’s Day (Mexico)

May

• 2: Greek Easter (Australia)
• 4: Star Wars Day (May the 4th be with you!)
• 5: Cinco de Mayo
• 9: Mother’s Day
• 9: Europe Day
• 31: Memorial Day (USA)
• Variable: Graduation season

June

• 1: Gay Pride Month begins
• 1: Children’s Day (China)
• 12: Dia Dos Namorados (Lover’s Day, LATAM)
• 14: Queens Birthday (Australia)
• 18: 618 Shopping Festival (China)
• 19: Juneteenth
• 20: Father’s Day
• 21: First Day of Summer (Northern Hemisphere) / First Day of Winter (Southern Hemisphere)
• 21-22: Amazon Prime (Amazon’s Annual Sales Event)
• 23-27: Glastonbury Festival (UK)
• 29: Gay Pride Month ends
• Variable: Graduation season

July

• 1: Canada Day
• 4: Independence Day (USA)
• 14: Bastille Day (France)
• ~12: Back to School Season begins
• 23: Summer Olympics begin
• Variable: Amazon Prime Day (was on Oct 13-14 in 2020 due to the pandemic)

August

• 8: Father’s Day (Brazil)
• 8: Summer Olympics end
• 30: Summer Bank Holiday (UK)
• Back to School Season continues

September

• 5: Father’s Day (Australia)
• 6: Labor Day (USA)
• 15: Latinx Heritage Month begins
• 16: Yom Kippur (Jewish Holiday)
• 18: Oktoberfest begins
• 22: First day of Fall (Northern Hemisphere)
• ~27: Back to School Season Ends
• ~ AFL Grand Final (Australia – date yet to be announced due to Covid-19)

October

• 1: Black History Month begins (UK)
• 1: World Vegetarian Day
• 4: World Animal Day
• 1-7: Chinese National Day (Golden Week, China)
• 3: Oktoberfest ends
• 11: Thanksgiving (Canada)
• 11: Indigenous People’s Day
• 12: Children’s Day (Brazil)
• 15: Latinx Heritage Month ends
• 16: Flipkart Big Billion Days (India)
• 30: Black History Month ends (UK)
• 31: Halloween

November

• Variable: Korea Sale FESTA (South Korea)
• 2: Melbourne Cup Day (Australia)
• 4: Diwali (India, US, Canada)
• 11: Singles’ Day (China)
• 11: Veteran’s Day (USA)
• 11: Remembrance Day (Australia, Canada, UK)
• 13-19: Transgender Awareness Week
• 19: International Men’s Day
• 19-22: El Buen Fin (Mexico)
• 20: Children’s Day (UK)
• 25: Thanksgiving (US)
• 26: Black Friday
• 27: Small Business Saturday
• 28: Hanukkah begins
• 29: Cyber Monday
• 30: Giving Tuesday

December

• 3: International Day of Persons with Disabilities
• 6: Hanukkah ends
• 12: Double 12 Day (China)
• 13: Green Monday
• 14: Free Shipping Day (USA)
• 15: Free Shipping Day (Australia)
• 24: Christmas Eve
• 25: Christmas Day
• 26: Boxing Day
• 26: Cyber Boxing Day (Australia)
• 26 – Jan 1: Kwanzaa (USA)
• 31: New Year’s Eve

ARTICLE SOURCES:

• Commission Junction
• TimeAndDate.com
• Calendar-Australia.com
• Consulterce.com

Have we missed any important dates? – Please let us know by commenting below.