What days should you keep in mind for your government social media content calendar? Here’s a helpful roundup of some of the observed days happening in December 2024 you might want to consider building content for — or be mindful of — for your government social media accounts.

Looking for our 2025 downloadable observance calendar roundup? Please subscribe to our newsletter and we’ll let you know when it’s ready to download in the new year.

Please keep in mind that this is not meant to be a full list of observances and we encourage you to check with your state/county for any area-specific days or with your peers in our GSM Facebook Community Group or free GSM network. Other helpful resources for additional observances include List of National Days, National Today, Ready.Gov’s Preparedness Calendar, NWS Awareness and Preparedness Calendar, or the United Nations List of International Days and Weeks.

Observed in the month of December

• National Cat Lovers’ Month
• National Impaired Driving Prevention Month
• Operation Santa Paws
• Safe Toys and Gifts Month
• Seasonal Affective Disorder Awareness Month
• Universal Human Rights Month
• Worldwide Food Service Safety Month

Weeks observed in December

• 1-7: National Handwashing Awareness Week
• 2-6: National Influenza Vaccination Week
• 2-6: Older Driver Safety Awareness Week
• 16-24: Las Posadas
• 25-Jan. 2: Hanukkah
• 26-Jan. 1: Kwanzaa

Days observed in December

• 1: Advent Begins
• 1: National Christmas Lights Day
• 1: Rosa Parks Day
• 1: World AIDS Day
• 2: Cyber Monday
• 2: International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
• 2: National Mutt Day
• 2: Special Education Day
• 2: World Pollution Prevention Day
• 3: Giving Tuesday
• 3: International Day of Persons with Disabilities
• 4: National Package Protection Day
• 4: World Wildlife Conservation Day
• 5: International Volunteer Day
• 5: World Soil Day
• 6: National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (Canada)
• 6: National Miners Day
• 7: National Pearl Harbor Day of Remembrance
• 10: Human Rights Day
• 10: International Animal Rights Day
• 11: International Mountain Day
• 12: Universal Health Coverage Day
• 13: U.S. National Guard Birthday
• 14: National Wreaths Across America Day
• 17: Wright Brothers Day
• 18: Answer the Telephone Like Buddy the Elf Day
• 18: International Migrants Day
• 20: National Ugly Sweater Day
• 21: National Homeless Persons’ Remembrance Day
• 21: Winter Solstice
• 23: Festivus
• 24: Christmas Eve
• 25: Christmas
• 26: Boxing Day
• 27: International Day of Epidemic Preparedness
• 31: New Year’s Eve

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