In early childhood education, celebrations like Australia Day, Lunar New Year, Diwali, Harmony Day, etc., often appear on the calendar. While these days can provide rich opportunities for learning, they can also risk becoming tokenistic if acknowledged only through surface-level activities or “because everyone else is doing it.”
The EYLF reminds us that culture is dynamic, evolving, and deeply connected to identity. Authentic celebrations should reflect the lived experiences of children, families, and communities, rather than being limited to one-off events. This explainer supports educators to move beyond tokenism and embed cultural and awareness days into meaningful, ongoing practice.
This template is to be used as a planner for cultural celebrations and events in 2026.
The following lists cultural and special events that are taking place from January to December 2026. This should help you plan and organise upcoming events and celebrations in 2026.
This template can be displayed in the service for the month of July 2025.
This template can be displayed in the service for the month of June 2025.
When celebrations are well thought out—integrating community input, respecting complexity, and linking meaningfully with the curriculum—they transform into powerful learning experiences. But when they become obligatory, surface-level gestures, they risk doing more harm than good by trivializing cultural significance. Here are some reflective questions you can ask to guide your decision on which significant cultural event to celebrate in an early childhood setting.
It's not necessary—or even always advisable—to celebrate every significant cultural event on the calendar each month. Instead, think of your seasonal or monthly celebrations as a curated tapestry, where each thread is carefully chosen for its relevance, impact, and ability to resonate with the children and their communities. The following article provides Key Considerations when selecting monthly celebrations, When Does It Become Tokenistic, Questions To Ask To Decide Which Significant Monthly Cultural Event To Celebrate and more.
This template can be displayed in the service for the month of May 2025.
The 2023 Calendar Of Events Posters lists cultural and special events that are taking place from January - December 2023. These can be used as a display each month as a reminder of the special celebrations and events that are taking place. This should help you to plan and organise upcoming events and celebrations for 2023.
The following lists cultural and special events that are taking place from January - December 2025. This should help you plan and organise upcoming events and celebrations in 2025.
