Universal Children’s Day:

Observed globally on different dates

Children are no doubt the wealth of every nation and so they should be the focal point of every Government , not just on one special designated day, but everyday. However, the reality of it is a far cry from what it should be. Today the voice of the world’s children are lost in the wilderness . Their rights and needs are totally neglected in some regions of the world and a majority of children live miserable lives. Taking into consideration the pathetic plight of some of the world’s children, the United Nations’ General Assembly recommended on December 14, 1954 that all the countries in the world establish an appropriate date known as Universal Children’s Day from 1956 to not only promote mutual exchange and understanding among the children but also to promote their welfare.

And this gave birth to the Universal Children’s Day which is celebrated globally in more than 100 countries today but on different days. There is a reason for this. Even though the UN General Assembly recommended November 20 as the designated day because it is also the anniversary of the day when the UN adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1956 and it was also the day when the Convention on the Rights of the Child was signed in 1989, ( ratified by 191 states), the world leaders had the option to designate their own day for this special event.

Many of the countries respected this recommendation and the Universal Children’s Day also called the World Children’s Day has since been annually observed on November 20 by some countries while others do so on different days. Sri Lanka along with a few other countries like Singapore, El Salvador and Guatamala observe World Children’s Day on October 1. Today, a Universal Children’s Day, a World Children’s Day or an International Children’s Day is celebrated in more than 100 countries virtually throughout the year (except in February).Most of the nations in the western world, the Middle East, Africa and the southern hemisphere have their own particular “Children’s Day”, which they celebrate during different times of the year organising different activities to celebrate childhood and also focus attention on their welfare. (See global observances )

As the UN designated Children’s Day is just a couple of days away, you can make use of the day to celebrate childhood and maybe even raise your voice against the abuse children are subjected to by the very adults they depend on to love, guide and protect them .The incidents of violence against children and abuse have been on the rise lately in the country and the Government has initiated several measures to arrest the problem. However, the State or the Child Protection Authority cannot fight the battle alone. You too must be alert to the prevailing situation and take measures to safeguard your rights as well as those of other children who may be exposed to danger and abuse.

World celebrations...

January - In Uruguay it is officially on January 6 but informally that date is known by Uruguayans as Epiphany, and one Sunday in August is commercially Children’s Day.

Thailand too celebrates a National Children’s Day on the second Saturday in January. Known as “Wan Dek” the day is celebrated to give children the opportunity to have fun and to create awareness about their significant role towards the development of the country.

February - No country has designated this month as a Children’s Day so far..

 March - In Bangladesh, Children’s Day is celebrated on March 17. It is the birthday of the father of the nation, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. This day is a national holiday. Children’s Day in Tunisia is celebrated on March 21 every year.

It is a day in which Tunisians observe the rights of children and remind themselves that children are the future builders and developers of the country and the world. In New Zealand, Children’s Day is on the first Sunday in March. In Ireland, it is on March 25.

April - In Bolivia, Children’s Day (Día del Nino) is celebrated on April 12.In Colombia too Children’s Day is celebrated in the second to last weekend of April .In Hong Kong SAR ChinaChildren’s Day , is celebrated on April 4, before having been established in 1931 at the same time as the Republic of China.The Republic of China designated April fourth as Children’s Day in Taiwan. In Palestine it is on April 5. Turkey has been celebrating this day on April 23, since 1927.

 May - Hungary celebrates it on the last Sunday in May since 1950 . In Nigeria it is on May 27 . In Maldives, it is celebrated on May 10. Japan celebrates on May 5. It has been a National Holiday since 1948.

June - Albania, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan,Bulgaria, the People’s Republic of China, the Czech Republic, Equador, Germany, Kosovo, Laos, Myanmar , Mongolia, Mosambique, Nicaragua, all former and current communist countries, Poland, Portugal and former colonies, Romania, the Russian Federation, Slovakia,Ukrain and Vietnam all celebrate this day on June 1. In the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Children’s Day is celebrated twice a year, on June 1 and November 15.

(In Germany, during the Cold War, Children’s Day (Kindertag) was observed differently in West Germany and East Germany. While East Germany (GDR) celebrated International Children’s Day (Internationaler Kindertag) on June 1, West Germany (FRG) celebrated Universal Children’s Day (Weltkindertag) on September 20. After the reunification of East and West Germany occurred in 1990, Universal Children’s Day has become official for whole Germany.

This, however, was not accepted by large parts of the East German population. Most parents still celebrate Children’s Day on the former date of June 1, and public events pertaining to Children’s Day take place on September 20.North Korean Children’s Day is celebrated on June 2 as the International Children’s Day

July - In Cuba, Children’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of July. In Indonesia, it is on July 23. and in Panama, it is on the third Sunday of July.

August- In Argentina, Children’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in August, in Peru every third Sunday of August. And Paraguay,on August 16.

 September - In Costa Rica, Children’s Day is celebrated on September 9 and in Honduras on September 10.

October- In Australia, Universal Children’s Day is always on the fourth Wednesday of October. However,Children’s Day Australia is celebrated the second Sunday in July. Children’s Day Australia is a registered trademark. In Brazil, Children’s Day is celebrated on October 12, in Chile, it is officially recognised, and assigned to the first Wednesday of October. However, it’s observed on the first Sunday of August.In El Salvador, Children’s Day is celebrated on October 1. In Sweden, Children’s Day is celebrated on October 1.

In Malaysia, on the last Saturday of October .In Iran, the day is observed on October 8.

 November - Canada’s “National Child Day” is held on November 20 each year. National Child Day has been celebrated across Canada since 1993.

In Egypt, Children’s Day is celebrated on November 20 with festivals and games for children. In Croatia, it is celebrated on November 11.In Finland, Children’s Day is known as Day of Children’s Rights and is celebrated on November 20 .

Trinidad and Tobago celebrate Universal Children’s Day on 20 November .

In South Africa, it is celebrated on the first Saturday of November.In India, the Children’s Day is celebrated on 14 November, the birthday of the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who was fondly called Chacha Nehru (Uncle Nehru) by the children.

He emphasised the importance of giving love and affection to children, who he saw as the bright future of India.In Israel, it is celebrated on November 20.

 December - In Congo, Congo DR, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Chad, Central African Republic, Children’s Day is celebrated on December 25. In Haiti, on April 8, in Suriname, on December 5 and in Sudan, on December 23, (the birthday of North Sudan’s “greatest child” according to tribal mythology.In South Sudan, too it is celebrated on December 23.

* The United Kingdom and the United States of America have no special dates designated for this purposes. However, a Children’s Day was proclaimed by President Bill Clinton to be held on October 11, 1998, in response to a letter written by a six year old boy inquiring if he would make a Children’s Day for him.

“National Child’s Day” was proclaimed by President George W. Bush as June 3, 2001 and in subsequent years on the first Sunday in June.

Read more info as to when and how the countries not mentioned here observe this special day.

Fact file

* International Day for Protection of Children, observed in many countries as Children’s Day on June 1 since 1950, is said to have been established by the Women’s International Democratic Federation on its November 1949 congress in Paris.

* Children’s Day was first celebrated globally in October 1953, sponsored by the International Union for Child Welfare in Geneva.

Universal or World Children’s Day is currently observed every year on the November 20.

* International Children’s Day (ICD) celebrated in most countries today on June 1 is not to be confused with the November 20th celebration as the ICD is believed to have originated in Turkey on April 23, 1920 and later in Geneva, Switzerland in 1925. Two very important events took place on June 1, 1925. The first was the World Conference for the Well-being of Children in Geneva and at the same time the Chinese consul-general in San Francisco gathered a number of Chinese orphans to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. Since both these incidents had the idea of child welfare at their core, June 1, began to be celebrated as International Children’s Day especially in communist countries.The theme for ICD 2012 was “Every Child in School”.