September - Special Days

September is the start of the academic year in many countries in the Northern Hemisphere.

September is also Self-Improvement Month
It’s never late to improve your life for better! Find out some tips and ideas for Self-Improvement here

• September 1 – The Day of Knowledge. The Day of Knowledge often simply called 1st of September, is the day when the school year traditionally starts in Ukraine and many other former Soviet republics. This day also marks the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. It has special significance for the incoming class of first graders who come to school for the first time and often participate in a celebratory assembly on this date. The day also involves the First Bell where a first grade girl is lifted on the shoulders of a 11th grade male pupil, and paraded around, ringing the first bell of the school year. After a funfilled hot summer students are going back to the “Land of Knowledge”. Read more

• September 6 - Read a Book Day.
• Take time out of your busy life and relax with a good book on this day. Reading has many benefits. Not only will reading improve your vocabulary, memory and concentration, reading is an essential skill that also helps reduce stress. Reading is also a great way to “visit” other places, learn about other cultures and travel back in time. And reading is an affordable means of entertainment too. Find some reasons for reading and add your own ones here

Do you want to know how to read a novel in one day? -This page can help you to find the answer!

• September 8 - International Literacy Day. September 8 was proclaimed International Literacy Day by UNESCO on November 17, 1965. It was first celebrated in 1966. Its aim is to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies. On International Literacy Day each year, UNESCO reminds the international community of the status of literacy and adult learning globally. Celebrations take place around the world. The theme of International Literacy Day 2012 is Literacy and Peace. This theme was adopted by the United Nations Literacy Decade (UNLD) to demonstrate the multiple uses and value that literacy brings to people. Literacy contributes to peace as it brings people closer to attaining individual freedoms and better understanding the world. Red more

• September 11 – 9/11 Commemoration Day.
• Discussions of September 11 will naturally raise complex questions, and it may also trigger strong and even unfamiliar feelings. While demonstrating the worst of human nature and the capacity for hateful ideologies to lead to extreme acts of violence and inhumanity, September 11 also revealed the profound human capacity to care for one another and to recognize our common humanity in acts of spontaneous generosity and response, transcending differences of race, nationality, religion, economic strata, and political affiliation.
• Visit the 9/11 Memorial site,a national tribute of remembrance and honor to the men, women, and children killed in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993, to learn more how to talk to children about such a difficult topic.
• The National September 11 Memorial & Museum has partnered with the New York City Department of Education and the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education to develop a robust set of 9/11 lessons for school classrooms. The Memorial Museum will provide a safe place to raise questions and begin conversations about difficult topics prompted by an encounter with the story of September 11.

• September 15 - International Day of Democracy.
• On 15 September, the IPU and parliaments around the world celebrate the International Day of Democracy, declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007. The International Day of Democracy is meant both to celebrate democracy and to serve as a reminder that the need to promote and protect democracy is as urgent now as ever.
• The choice of 15 September for the International Day of Democracy corresponds to the adoption in September 1997 by the IPU of a Universal Declaration on Democracy. That Declaration affirms the principles of democracy, the elements and exercise of democratic government, and the global scope of democracy.
• 2013 Theme: Strengthening Voices for Democracy here

• September 16 - International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.
• The United Nations' (UN) International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is celebrated on September 16 every year. This event commemorates the date of the signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in 1987. The UN's International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is a global observance and not a public holiday. The earth's ozone layer plays an important role in protecting human health and the environment. On this day primary and secondary school educators throughout the world organize classroom activities that focus on topics related to the ozone layer, climate change and ozone depletion. Some teachers use educational packages from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) that have been specifically tailored to address topics about the earth's ozone layer.

• September 18 – (Third Sunday of September) Father’s Day (Ukraine). Father's Day Ukrainians have celebrated since 2009 honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Read more 

• September 21 - World Peace Day. The International Day of Peace, also known as the World Peace Day, occurs annually on 21 September. It is dedicated to peace, and specifically the absence of war, such as might be occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone for humanitarian aid access. It is observed by many nations, political groups, military groups, and peoples. The first year this holiday was celebrated was 1981 when The United Nations General Assembly declared, in a resolution sponsored by the United Kingdom and Costa Rica,the third Tuesday of September/the opening day of regular sessions of the General Assembly as the International Day of Peace devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace. Find more information about this day here

• September 23, 2012 - Native American Day. Native American Day is a state holiday in California, established in 1968 to honor Native American cultures and contributions to the state and the United States. Also called American Indian Day, it is observed annually on the fourth Friday in September. Read more

• September 27- World Tourism Day. Since 1980, the United Nations World Tourism Organization has celebrated World Tourism Day on September 27. This date was chosen as on that day in 1970, the Statutes of the UNWTO were adopted. The adoption of these Statutes is considered a milestone in global tourism. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness on the role of tourism within the international community and to demonstrate how it affects social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide.

• The 2012 official World Tourism Day (WTD) celebrations will be held in Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, Spain (27 September 2012). Under the theme “Tourism and Sustainable Energy: Powering Sustainable Development” 
• Find out more about the history and celebration of this holiday here

• September 30 – National Libraries Day in Ukraine and International Translation Day.  
• Celebrate this day by visiting your local or favorite library! Read more