Children’s Day Around the World

In 1954 the United Nations General Assembly recommended that all countries around the world should set aside a day to celebrate children. The aim was that Children’s Day would be seen as a symbol of worldwide fraternity and understanding, and also be an opportunity to promote the welfare of children.

The Assembly suggested that Children’s Day be observed on the date which each country considers appropriate.

The 20^th of November — International Children’s Day — marks the day in which the Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989.

(...)

Children’s Day around the world

Country	Date	Themes	Organisational	Characteristics
	celebrated		Structures
Samoa	Second Sunday	White Sunday	Church-based	Parents give
	of October			special honour to
				their children.
				Children dress in
				white and parents
				serve them
				National holiday
				on the following
				Monday
Tokelau	Second Sunday	White Sunday	Church-based	Children dress in
Islands	of October			white and parents
				serve them
Niue	Second Sunday	White Sunday	Church-based	Children dress in
	of October			white and parents
				serve them
Tonga	First Sunday in	White Sunday	Church-based
	May	(Fakame)
		follows Mother’s
		and Father’s Days,
		which are also held
		in May
Cook	June	White Sunday
Islands
Australia	Children’s	Focus national	National Secretariat	State committee
	Week, last	attention on the	local State	support local
	week of	chosen theme, e.g.	committees	organisations to
	October	‘A Caring World	community groups	run activities to
		Shares’. National	like schools,	benefit children
		Council sets	libraries, relevant
		common goals	Government
			Departments etc
Aboriginal,	4 August	Different themes	Challenges
Torres		each year to draw	organisations and
Strait		attention to the	individuals to think
Island		needs of and issues	about the example
		facing these	they set children
		children e.g. child
		poverty, access to
		education
Canada	20 November,	Respect Children	National Child Day is	National Child Day
	matching UN		a mechanism to help	Act
	Convention on		communities and
	the rights of		families pay tribute
	the Child		to children
United	First or	Celebrate children	Proclamation from	Also celebrates
States	second Sunday	as the hope of the	president calls for	Family Week
	of June	nation	appropriate
			ceremonies and
			activities for
			children
Ireland	First Sunday in	Draws attention to	National recognition	Children of Ireland
	October	children deprived	Community	Awards
		of a happy life
			organisations
		Theme: ‘children	celebrate Children's
		are doing it for	Day
		themselves’
Norway	17 May	Links Norway’s	National Structure

http://www.childrensday.org.nz/activity-ideas/