Resources › Key Dates 2023 Content Calendar NZ

64 Social Media Holidays for Your 2023 Internal Comms Content Calendar [New Zealand]

There are so many days of observance worldwide (and in New Zealand) that internal communicators can leverage to share content to their workforce, get more involvement from teams, or simply to build awareness. We've built this list to help you actively plan and prepare for fun days to celebrate in the office. These social media "holidays" and days of observances are fun ways to connect with your workforce.

Why do you need a content calendar?

A content calendar keeps everyone on the internal communications team on the same page and on schedule. There are other benefits of using a content calendar, such as:

Developing consistent high-value top-down messages
Foresight into what campaigns and events are coming in the future
Streamline workflow by preparing deadlines in advance, engaging with collaborators early, and not leaving approvals to the last minute
Creating one point of reference among your team, the leadership team, and other departments you work with

How to include social media holidays in your internal comms content calendar

Assuming you have already set up an internal comms content calendar, you can now refer the social media holiday list above to see which of your campaigns can tie into the dates (and times). For example, if you have a men's health and wellbeing campaigned planned, that could coincide with Men's Health Week starting on 12 June.

How long will it take to add social media holidays to your internal communications?

It depends! If your content management system can allow you to efficiently whip up content, it won't take too long. Vibe makes it so much easier to add social media holidays to internal communication channel plan with a pre-built Celebrations slide. It's an easy set-and-forget solution for busy internal communicators. All celebrations are pre-programmed and will appear around the actual date. It can include content like a social media mashup for Matariki, a list of events for ANZAC Day, funny jokes on St Patrick's Day or heartfelt quotes for Mothers Day; and if there's nothing scheduled, the slide will auto-hide.

New Zealand Social Media Holiday Calendar 2023

Our list is by no means exhaustive but it is a great starting point for internal communication specialists and employee engagement teams who want to know what important dates lie ahead so they can plan their campaign in a way that will be fun and engaging for the workforce.

January 2023 Social Media Holidays

1 January: New Year’s Day
4 January: World Braille Day
22 January: Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year is a major celebration in many parts of Asia. Though it isn’t a public holiday in New Zealand, it’s still celebrated by the growing Chinese and Asian population.
28 January: World Lego Day

February 2023 Social Media Holidays

Heart Health Awareness Month
Heart disease remains New Zealand’s single biggest killer. The Heart Foundation aims to bring awareness and education, as well as a fundraiser on 24-25 Feb 2023.
Aotearoa Bike Challenge Month
This month-long biking challenge encourages individuals, groups and workplaces compete nationally to earn the most points by riding and encouraging others to do the same.
2 February: World Wetlands Day
4 February: World Cancer Day
6 February: Waitangi Day (Rā o Waitangi)
Waitangi Day is recognised as New Zealand’s national day. Every year on this date, people of all communities and backgrounds gather at Waitangi to commemorate the first signing of New Zealand’s founding document: Te Tiriti o Waitangi, The Treaty of Waitangi, on 6 February 1840.
11 February: International Day of Women and Girls in Science
14 February: Valentine’s Day
20 February: World Day of Social Justice
22 February: Te Matatini - Kapa Haka Aotearoa Festival
Te Matatini is a nation-wide Māori performing arts festival and competition for kapa haka performers from all of New Zealand. Te Matatini is seen as playing a very important role within Maoridom in promoting the tikanga of the Māori culture and Kapa Haka. It provides a valuable experience for the people of New Zealand and others from all around the world, with the festival attracting up to 30,000 participants and spectators.
24 February: Loud Shirt Day

March 2023 Social Media Holidays

4 March: New Zealand Seaweek
Seaweek is about discovering the many ways New Zealanders' lives are connected to the sea. Throughout the week, there are community beach clean-ups, kayaking and snorkelling experiences, and more educational activities.
8 March: International Women’s Day
17 March: World Sleep Day and St Patrick's day
20 March: World Oral Health Day
22 March: World Water Day

April 2023 Social Media Holidays

2 April: Daylight Savings ends
7 April: Good Friday
9 April: Easter Sunday
10 April: Easter Monday
22 April: Earth Day
25 April: ANZAC Day
28 April: World Day of Health and Safety at work

May 2023 Social Media Holidays

2 May: World Asthma Day
4 May: World Password Day
8 May: New Zealand Sign Language week
12 May: International Nurses day
14 May: Mother’s Day
19 May: Pink Shirt Day
30 May: Samoan Language Week

June 2023 Social Media Holidays

5 June: King’s Birthday
12 June: Men’s Health Week
14 June: World Blood Donor Day
19 June: National Volunteer Week (Te Wiki Tūao ā-Motu)
30 June: World Social Media Day

July 2023 Social Media Holidays

1 July: International Joke Day
7 July: World Chocolate Day
14 July: Matariki
Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. It rises in midwinter and for many Māori, it heralds the start of a new year.

August 2023 Social Media Holidays

8 August: International Cat Day
25 August: Daffodil Day
Daffodil Day is an annual campaign by Cancer Council in order to help raise money for cancer research and more. During this event, people organise fundraisers, donate money, and wear a yellow daffodil.

September 2023 Social Media Holidays

3 September: Father's Day
10 September: World Suicide Prevention Day
11 September: Te Wiki O Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week)
Te Wiki o te Reo Māori is a government-sponsored initiative intended to encourage New Zealanders to promote the use of the Māori language, one of the official languages of New Zealand.
18 September: Mental Health Awareness Week
21 September: International Day of Peace
24 September: Daylight Saving starts
25 September: New Zealand Chinese Language Week

October 2023 Social Media Holidays

1 October: International Coffee Day
10 October: World Mental Health Day
15 October: World Hand Washing Day
23 October: Labour Day
27 October: New Zealand ShakeOut
On this day, New Zealand businesses and individuals practice what to do in the event of an earthquake and tsunami. This is a great opportunity to share evacuation routes and emergency plans with your workforce, and test your emergency alerts on your workplace digital signage screens and workplace apps.

screenshot of Vibe Linkedin post for world mental health day
Here's an example of how we've aligned our social media post to World Mental Health Day in 2022.

November 2023 Social Media Holidays

3 November: Gumboot Friday
Gumboot Friday is an initiative by the Key to Life Charitable Trust. This day shows supports young people who are struggling with their mental health by encouraging people to put gumboots on, donate a gold coin, or host a fundraiser.
5 November: Guy Fawkes Day
12 November: Diwali
Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights, and is usually celebrated with a big festival in Auckland.
14 November: World Diabetes Day

December 2023 Social Media Holidays

2 December: National Jandal Day
National Jandal Day is an annual fundraising event held by Surf Life Saving New Zealand
24 December: Christmas Eve
25 December: Christmas
26 December: Boxing Day
31 December: New Year's Eve