National and International Important Days In January 2024

January is the first month of the year, and its first day is called New Year’s Day. The month is named after Janus, which in Roman mythology means god of beginnings and transitions. Say goodbye to the chaos and revelry of the holidays and close up the books on another year full of accomplishments and disappointments.

As the calendar flips over, it’s time to get back on track with the healthy routines that help us manage our lives and our bodies better. Here is the list of important days (National and International) observed in the month of January.

1 January – Global family day

Global Family Day is celebrated every January 1 as a global day of peace and sharing. It is a day where individuals and families share food with friends (especially the needy), make personal pledges of nonviolence, and spread a message of peace and sharing by ringing bells or beating a drum in hopes of making society and the world a safer place to live.

1 January – New Year Day

New Year Day is welcoming the year ahead and celebrating the first day of the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar. The day is to remember last year’s achievements and failures and look forward to the promise of a new year, of a new beginning. People celebrate New Year with fireworks, parties, making New Year’s resolutions, and calling one’s friends and family.

6 January – World War Orphans Day

World War Orphans Day was established by the United Nations after World War II raised hopes of a new era of peace. This day enables the International Community to get to know the plight of a vulnerable group and let us give a helping hand to the orphan’s children up for a better future. Every War orphan child is precious and they all deserve a future to fulfill their dreams.

9 January – Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (NRI Day)

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on 9th January in India every year to mark the contribution of the Overseas Indian community to the development of the country. It was on this day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest expatriate, returned to India from South Africa, led India’s freedom struggle, and changed the lives of Indians forever.

10 January – World Hindi Day

World Hindi Day is celebrated every year on January 10 to promote the Hindi language all around the world. It was first celebrated in 2006 to commemorate the anniversary of the first World Hindi Conference which was held in Nagpur on January 10, 1975. The day is celebrated in Indian embassies in various parts of the world. World Hindi Day is different from Hindi Diwas which is celebrated on September 14 every year.

11 January – Death anniversary of Lal Bahadur Shastri

Lal Bahadur Shastri was India’s second Prime Minister who gave the slogan of ‘Jai Kisan, Jai Jawan’ to honor the contribution of soldiers and peasants to the unity, integrity, and security of the nation, even in times of war and agrarian crisis. On 11th January Lal Bahadur Shastri died after signing the Tashkent Agreement with Pakistan. His post-mortem was not conducted at that time, that is why it has not been clear to date as to what caused Shastriji’s death.

12 January – National Youth Day (birthday of Swami Vivekananda)

National Youth Day (NYD) is celebrated in India on January 12 to mark the birth anniversary of the social reformer, philosopher, and thinker Swami Vivekananda. He was considered a major force in the revival of Hinduism in India and brought it to the status of major world religion in the late 19th century. He was the chief disciple of the 19th-century Indian mystic Ramakrishna and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission.

15 January – Indian Army Day

Indian Army Day is celebrated every year on January 15, to commemorate the jawans and the Indian Army. The chief of Army staff inspects a parade by units of the country’s armed forces. Army Day is celebrated to mark Lt Gen K. M. Carriappa taking over as commander-in-chief of the Indian Army in 1949 from General Francis Butcher, the last British commander-in-chief of India.

21 January – World Hug Day

January 21st is considered as the International hug day, promoting the values and benefits directly related to love and kindness through the power of consensual hugging. Healing and change can occur when we come together in love and acceptance as one human family. On January 21st, 1986 National Hugging Day was founded in the U.S.A. It has spread all over the world and is called by many names – Hug Day, World Hug Day, Send a Hug Day, International Hug Day, and even Hug a Bear Day!

23 January – Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s birthday (Parakram Diwas)

“Give me your blood, and I shall give you freedom”—the quote by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose inspired thousands of Indian youths to join the struggle for independence from British colonial rule. A pivotal figure in India’s freedom movement, Netaji is considered by many as one of the greatest leaders ever born. To commemorate his contribution to India’s struggle for independence, every year on 23rd January, Subhas Chandra Bose’s birthday is celebrated across various parts of the country. His birth anniversary is marked as Parakram Diwas (Bravery Day).

24 January – National Girl Child Day

National Girl Child Day is celebrated in India every year on January 24. The Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Government of India in 2008 started it with the purpose to spread awareness among people about all the inequalities girls face in Indian society. India is facing a lot of issues related to girls and the aim of this celebration is to create awareness in the society about the rights of daughters and to provide new opportunities to the daughters for their social and financial development.

25 January – India Tourism Day

National Tourism Day is observed on 25th January to cultivate awareness among the global community on the importance of tourism and its political, cultural, social, and financial worth of India. India is a diverse country with various cultures and a rich history and is admired by tourists from all over the world.

With the current pandemic that we are going through the idea of travel for relaxation would seem like an impossible dream as everything is going virtual, just like World Tourism Day was celebrated as virtual the National Tourism Day also hopes to go virtual. During this pandemic, Ministry has been organizing a series of webinars under the overall theme of Dekho Apna Desh (DAD), showcasing the diverse culture, heritage, destinations, and tourism products of the country.

25 January – National Voters Day

India celebrates 25th January as National Voter’s Day every year with the purpose of spreading awareness of voting rights since 2011. The day is chosen as it was the foundation day of the Election Commission in India. It is important for people to know their voting rights and how they can contribute fundamentally to developing the nation.

26 January – Republic Day

India celebrated its Republic Day on 26th January the day when the Constitution of India became official. Republic Day is an occasion to embrace the essence of patriotism within you. The main highlight of the celebration is the Republic Day parade near Red Fort, Delhi. Where you can witness Indian culture and diversity through the amazing mix of tableaux from all Indian states along with the military forces of the nation, including the Indian army, its various regiments, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, and others. The parade commences after the President, unfurls the National Flag, the National Anthem begins, which is supported with a 21-gun salute.

27 January – International Holocaust Day

International Holocaust Remembrance Day is an international memorial day observed on 27th January to remember the innocent six million Jews and millions of other people who fell victims to Nazi persecution. It was proclaimed, in November 2005, International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust by the United Nations General Assembly.

The day marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945. The UN resolution urged the member nations to “develop educational programs that will inculcate future generations with the lessons of the Holocaust in order to help to prevent future acts of genocide.

28 January Birth anniversary of Lala Lajpat Rai

The Great legend Lala Lajpat Rai, birth anniversary is celebrated in India on January 28th. He is one of the most celebrated freedom fighters in the country. His patriotism earned him titles such as “Punjab Kesari” and “Lion of Punjab”. He played a pivotal role in India’s Independence movement. He was one of the triumvirates of the Lal Bal Pal. It includes Lala Lajpat Rai of Punjab, Bal Gangadhar Tilak of Maharashtra, and Bipin Chandra Pal of Bengal. The three leaders changed the political discoursed of the Indian Movement.

30 January Martyrs’ Day (Also death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi)

Shaheed Diwas or Martyrs’ Day is observed on January 30th and March 23 to pay homage to freedom fighters who laid their lives for the freedom of our country. On January 30, 1948, Mahatma Gandhi was shot dead by Nathuram Vinayak Godse at Gandhi Smriti in the Birla House. Mahatma Gandhi is regarded as India’s greatest freedom fighter and a great patriot among millions of martyrs. He was known as Father of the Nation by his followers and is also known as Bapu Ji. He was a simple man who sacrificed his life for the independence, welfare, and development of our country.

Jan (last Sunday) World Leprosy Eradication Day

Every year, on the last Sunday of January, people around the world gather together to observe World Leprosy Eradication Day. Leprosy still has an impact on many lives, to raise awareness of this preventable disease, to lobby for the human rights of the people it affects, and to counter ignorance and discriminatory attitudes.