Children are such an important part of our world. It is fitting, therefore, that there is a holiday set aside to honor and celebrate the little ones in our lives. But here is where it gets confusing. There is not just one Children’s Day annually, but actually there are a number that are observed throughout the globe. Here we look at the different Children’s Days starting with the most common, which is Universal Children’s Day, celebrated on November 20th.
Universal Children’s Day was created by the UN General Assembly in 1954. They recommended that all countries choose a day to remember children. It is not clear if each country chose different dates in different months, but the day that became known as Universal Children’s Day was November 20th because that was the date that the recommendation was made from the UN.
International Children’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in December. This day was created by the joint initiative of UNICEF and the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. On this day broadcasters gear television programming in such a way that the focus is placed on children.
World Children’s Day (WCD) is another children’s holiday that found its home on November 20th. The fast food chain McDonald’s uses this day as a children’s fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House Charities. The very first World Children’s Day was held on November 20, 2002 and was celebrated not just in the United States but throughout the whole world in a selection of countries. Sometimes McDonald’s holds other fundraisers for children, but this is the biggest one.
Japan observes Children’s Day at a different time of the year than does the United States. In Japan Children’s Day is a national holiday that is held every year on May 5th. The purpose of the day is to celebrate the life of the child (or children) in one’s life. A festival is held in Japan on this date. Years ago they had a separate one for the boys and the girls. The boys had the Boy’s Festival while the girls celebrated at the Doll Festival. On this special day in Japan hanging streamers and kites are distributed to the children.
The customs observed on the various Children’s Day holidays throughout the world are different, but they all seek to honor and show love to children of individual countries.
