Children's Day
Children's Day is a commemorative date celebrated annually in honour of children, whose date of observance varies by country.
In 1925, International Children's Day was first proclaimed in Geneva during the World Conference on Child Welfare. Since 1950, it is celebrated on 1 June in many countries that were part of the Eastern Bloc and Non-Aligned Movement, which follow the suggestion from Women's International Democratic Federation. World Children's Day is celebrated on 20 November to commemorate the issuance of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child by the UN General Assembly on 20 November 1959, along with the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child on that date in 1989. In some countries, it is Children's Week and not Children's Day.
History
Origins
Children's Day began on the second Sunday of June in 1857 by Reverend Dr. Charles Leonard, pastor of the Universalist Church of the Redeemer in Chelsea, Massachusetts: Leonard held a special service dedicated to, and for the children. Leonard named the day Rose Day, though it was later named Flower Sunday, and then named Children's Day.Children's Day is first officially declared a national holiday by the Republic of Turkey in 1920 with the set date of 23 April. Children's Day has been celebrated nationally since 1920 with the government and the newspapers of the time declaring it a day for the children. However, it was decided that an official confirmation was needed to clarify and justify this celebration and the official declaration was made nationally in 1929 by the founder and the President of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
International Children's Day
International Children's Day was first proclaimed in Geneva during the World Conference on Child Welfare in 1925. On 4 November 1949, 1 June was established as the International Day for Protection of Children by the Women's International Democratic Federation in Moscow. Since 1950, 1 June is celebrated as Children's Day in many Communist and post-Communist countries.Children's Day is celebrated annually on June 1, established in November 1949 in Paris by the decision of the Congress of the International Democratic Federation of Women, first celebrated in 1950.
World Children's Day
On 14 December 1954, a joint resolution by India and Uruguay was passed in the UN General Assembly to encourage all countries to institute a Universal Children's Day, firstly to promote mutual exchange and understanding among children, and secondly to promote the ideals of the UN Charter and the welfare of the world's children. It is now known as World Children's Day, and is celebrated every year on 20 November. That date commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in a unanimous vote by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 November 1959. It also marks the date in 1989 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is a legally binding document.Modern initiatives
In 2000, the Millennium Development Goals outlined by world leaders to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015. Albeit this applies to all people, the primary objective concerns children. UNICEF is dedicated to meeting the six of eight goals that apply to the needs of children so that they are all entitled to fundamental rights written in the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child. UNICEF delivers vaccines, works with policymakers for good health care and education and works exclusively to help children and protect their rights.In September 2012, the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of the United Nations led the initiative for the education of children. He firstly wants every child to be able to attend school, a goal by 2015. Secondly, to improve the skill set acquired in these schools. Finally, implementing policies regarding education to promote peace, respect, and environmental concern.
Universal Children's Day is not just a day to celebrate children for who they are, but to bring awareness to children around the globe that have experienced violence in forms of abuse, exploitation, and discrimination. Children are used as laborers in some countries, immersed in armed conflict, living on the streets, suffering by differences be it religion, minority issues, or disabilities. Children feeling the effects of war can be displaced because of the armed conflict and may suffer physical and psychological trauma. The following violations are described in the term "children and armed conflict": recruitment and child soldiers, killing/maiming of children, abduction of children, attacks on schools/hospitals and not allowing humanitarian access to children. Currently, there are about 153 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 who are forced into child labor. The International Labour Organization in 1999 adopted the Prohibition and Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour including slavery, child prostitution, and child pornography.
A summary of the rights under the convention on the Rights of the Child can be found on the UNICEF website.
Canada co-chaired the World Summit for children in 1990, and in 2002 the United Nations reaffirmed the commitment to complete the agenda of the 1990 World Summit. This added to the UN Secretary-General's report We the Children: End-of Decade review of the follow-up to the World Summit for Children.
The United Nations children's agency released a study referencing the population increase of children will make up 90 percent of the next billion people.
Dates around the world
The officially recognized date of Children's Day varies from country to country.Children's Day is celebrated on 1 June in former Soviet Union states as well as other former or current communist states. This includes 24 countries which regained independence from the USSR, seceded from Yugoslavia Federation, as well as Czechoslovakia and Ethiopia after their respective splits. Ukraine moved its Children's Day celebration from 1 June to 20 November in 2025.
World Children's Day is celebrated on 20 November to commemorate the Declaration of the Rights of the Child by the UN General Assembly on 20 November 1959.
This section lists some significant examples, in order of date of observance.
List by country and region
Africa
Cameroon
In Cameroon, Children's Day was established as a holiday in 1990.Central Africa
In Congo, Congo DR, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Chad, Central African Republic, Children's Day is celebrated on 25 December to honor all the children there.Egypt
In Egypt, Children's Day is celebrated every 20 November with festivals and games for children, but not in every city like Cairo, Alexandria, etc.Eritrea
In Eritrea, Children's Day is celebrated on 8 December.Liberia
In Liberia, Children's Day was established as a holiday in 1990.Mauritius
In Mauritius, Children's Day was established in 1991 as the International Day of the African Child.Mozambique
In Mozambique, the International Children's Day is also celebrated on 1 June.Nigeria
Children's Day is celebrated on 27 May in Nigeria. It was established as a holiday in 1964. It is a public holiday for Primary and Secondary school children. Due to the large size of the country, only a few groups of children are selected to march past in a parade. The children are usually given treats such as an outing or doing jobs that adults would normally do. In some situations, primary and secondary school children compete in military parades format for a prize which will be given at the end of the competition.Religious groups in Nigeria also celebrate children's day in grand style. Many private and public organizations usually put together children's party for privileged and less privileged children in a bid to give them a sense of belonging. It is also a day media organizations analyze the plight of children in the society and efforts government and non-government agencies make to better a lot of children.