Every Date You Need to Include When Printing a Custom Calendar in Canada

Summary:

• Printed calendars provide your customers a valuable planning tool, but it’s also a great marketing tool for your business.
• When printing your custom calendar, there are many important dates to include: national and provincial holidays, cultural and religious dates, seasonal events/festivals, business-related dates and school or community events.

Creating a custom printed calendar is more than just selecting a design and layout—it’s also providing your customers a valuable planning tool. Including relevant dates, like national and provincial holidays, seasonal events and more, enhances the calendar’s usefulness and appeal. Plus, it’s a great marketing tool for your business, ensuring your company is always top of mind with your customers throughout the year.

See also: Using Canva to Design Your Own Calendar

To make things easier, our team has come up with a comprehensive list of every date you should include when printing your custom calendar and why it’s important to include them.

Check out these additional print marketing essentials for your business:

• Greeting Cards
• Booklets

National Holidays

The first group of important dates that should be included in your custom calendar are national holidays. These dates are recognized and celebrated nationwide in Canada, meaning consistent days off work and school. Including these dates in your calendar ensures that users have easy access to dates that affect the majority of Canadians. Here’s a full list of must-include federal holidays in Canada:

• New Year: January 1
• Good Friday: Varies each year on the Friday before Easter (celebrated nationwide except Quebec)
• Victoria Day: Varies each year on the Monday preceding May 25 (celebrated nationwide except New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland & Labrador)
• Canada Day: July 1
• Labour Day: Varies each year on the first Monday in September
• National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: September 30 
• Thanksgiving Day: Varies each year on the second Monday in October (celebrated nationwide except New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland & Labrador)
• Remembrance Day: November 11 (celebrated nationwide except Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland & Labrador)
• Christmas Day: December 25
• Boxing Day: December 26

Provincial Holidays

Besides national holidays, you’ll also want to include provincial holidays that may not be federally recognized. These holidays are more specific to each Canadian province and territory. To ensure your calendar is relevant for specific regions, you can check provincial government websites to see each province’s statutory holidays.

Here’s a breakdown of a few well-known holidays and which province observes them.

Cultural and Religious Dates

Other important dates to include would be any cultural or religious dates that your customers would celebrate. By including these dates, you’re acknowledging and celebrating the diversity of cultures and religions within Canadian society.

Examples of cultural and religious dates to include:

• Lunar New Year: A celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year. It is the most important holiday in China, and it is also widely celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam and other countries with a significant overseas Chinese population. Varies each year in January or February.
• Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan): A Muslim celebration marking the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan. Although it is not a holiday per se in Canada, many Muslims take at least one day off to celebrate. Varies each year in March or April.
• Diwali (Festival of Lights): The Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions. Varies each year between mid-October to mid-November.
• Hanukkah (Jewish Festival of Lights): In Canada, Hanukkah (also Chanukah) has been celebrated since 1760 when the first Jews were allowed to immigrate. Friends and families gather to socialize, eat and exchange gifts for eight days and nights. Varies each year between late November and December.
• National Indigenous Peoples Day: A day that recognizes and celebrates the cultures and contributions of the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Indigenous peoples of Canada. Celebrated each year on June 21st.

Seasonal Events & Festivals

Adding seasonal events and festivals can give your calendar a more local feel and make it more engaging for your customers. There are a number of popular seasonal events and festivals you could add, and even more depending on which province or territory you want to focus on.

Spring

Spring is synonymous with two things—nicer weather and the outdoors. Canadians have three festivals to look forward to in the spring. For tree lovers, the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival runs from the end of March to April and the Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival is celebrated in Nova Scotia during the last weekend in May. Also in May, flower enthusiasts won’t want to miss the Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa.

Summer

Some of the hottest festivals in Canada happen during the summer. From the rodeo to various music festivals, there’s a little something for everyone.

Montreal hosts three well-known festivals in June and July, the annual Montreal International Jazz Festival, Montreal Fireworks Festival (also known as L’International des Feux Loto-Québec), and the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival. Each festival offers amazing shows for Candians of all ages to enjoy.

The Quebec City Summer Festival is one of the longest-running music festivals in Canada and typically runs in July. The Calgary Stampede also runs in July—an annual rodeo, exhibition and festival. Rounding out summer is the Caribana Toronto (Peeks Toronto Caribbean Carnival) in August. It’s known as the largest street festival in North America with over 1.3 million visitors each year.

Fall/Autumn

One of the most prestigious and largest-attended film festivals in the world happens each September at the Toronto International Film Festival. For a unique celebration option, Nova Scotia hosts the 9-day Celtic Colours International Festival in October, honoring Cape Breton Island’s living traditional culture.

Winter

The winter months are very popular for Canadian festivals. The Quebec Winter Carnival is a pre-Lenten festival in Quebec City in February. The festival has been held intermittently since 1894—a long-standing tradition. Another popular festival is Winterlude in Ottawa. The three-week-long winter festival starts in the first week of February each year.

Business-Related Dates

If you want to tailor your calendar to a more professional audience, consider adding industry-specific dates like trade shows and conferences. For example, an agriculture-themed calendar might include Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show or the Agri-Trade Equipment Expo.

You could also highlight important dates for your company, like anniversaries, sales events or promotion periods—turning your calendar into an easy marketing tool for your business.

School and Community Dates

The last key dates you should include on your custom calendar are any major school holidays and local community events. This includes marking the start of the school year, winter break, spring break and the last day of school, plus any school closings. These dates vary by province, so check the school’s or district’s website for a full calendar.

Other community events like parades, fairs and municipal celebrations can be included. You can search on municipal websites, community boards or the local newspaper to find these events.

Print Your Custom Calendars With Little Rock

Having the right dates on your printed calendar is not only useful and appealing to your customers, it’s also a great marketing tool for your business. By including a mix of national and provincial holidays, cultural and religious observances and local events, your calendar is relevant, inclusive and engaging. Plus, your business will always be top of mind throughout the year.

At Little Rock Printing, we’re ready to bring all your printing essentials, like printed calendars, to life. We offer custom order sizes with no minimums and a free proof before you submit your full order. When you’re ready to get started, contact the Little Rock Printing experts here.