Happy New Year! Anticipating the possibilities that the new year holds is always a thrill. January is a special time for fresh beginnings, new resolutions, and quality family moments. As you cozy up to the new year with your family, we hope you'll enjoy some quality time as well. We're delighted to share upcoming holidays, special days, and meaningful events that provide perfect opportunities for family celebrations and togetherness.
In this January, we've curated a list of noteworthy occasions that offer chances for your family to create lasting memories. From joyous celebrations that induce laughter to reflective moments that inspire meaningful discussions, these notable days encompass a range of experiences. As you revel in extra family time, consider engaging in thoughtful conversations about making a positive impact on the world in the coming year.
Discover how these January happenings can be a source of fun, inspiration, and learning for your family. Let's embark on a journey of celebration, connection, and making a difference together!
For more family-fun, here are some ways to celebrate January with your kids!
- 🥳 Benjamin Franklin's Birthday Celebration - Carson on January 20, 2024
- 10+ Fun Food Holidays to Celebrate this January 2023 with Your Family
- 12 Fun and Inspiring Ways to Celebrate January with Your Kids
Visit the Macaroni KID Conejo Valley - Malibu - Calabasas event calendar for things to with your kids January, 2023
 Oliver Rault from Getty Images via Canva |
New Year's Day
January 1
Let's ring in the new year with feelings of gratitude, along with hopes and dreams for a brighter year ahead. Does your family's New Year's Day tradition include watching the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade or Rose Bowl?
Did you know that many cultures around the globe eat special food believed to bring good fortune?
 Everett collection via Canva |
Ellis Island Day
January 1
Ellis Island opened January 1, 1892. This major immigration station located in New York harbor would eventually welcome over 12 million people as they arrived in America until it closed in 1954. Today visitors to New York can visit The Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration along with the Statue of Liberty. Many of us have ancestors that came to the United States from another country, although not everyone coming into the U.S. came through Ellis Island, many did.
Did any of your ancestors / family arrive through Ellis Island?
Use this free Ellis Island Passenger Search database to find out, it has 65 million records of passengers arriving to the Port of New York from 1820 - 1957.
Learn more:
- Ellis Island, National Park Service
- The Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration
- Ellis Island history and overview
- Ellis Island Timeline
- Library of Congress - January 1
 Marilyn Nieves via Canva |
World Braille Day
January 4
This is a day to remind us how import accessibility and independence is for those who are blind or visually impaired. Did you know that Braille was created by a 13 year old boy? After going blind due to an accident Louis Braille began working on a system of raised dots leading to what we know today as braille. Braille enables people with visual impairments to read without seeing. Not all blind people read braille, but many do.
Encourage your kids look for braille. Once you start looking you will be surprised at how many places you will find it - start with public signs and elevators.
Books that encourage kids to learn more:
- 15 Excellent Children’s Books With Blind Children as Characters
- 25+ Children’s Books Featuring Visually Impaired Characters
Learn more / find resources:
- What Is Braille?
- National Federation of the Blind
- Famous People with Visual Impairments
- Braille Works
- 5 facts about blindness and the blind
- Top 10 Misconceptions about Blind People
 Canva |
National Vision Board Day
January 13
This year National Vision Board Day falls on January 13, 2024. The date changes from year to year, always landing on the second Saturday in January. If you're not familiar, a vision board is a way to help you visualize your goals, it's a perfect family activity looking towards the incoming year. Create a family vision board together or have everyone do their own, then display where it can offer daily inspiration for the year.
Ready to get started?
 Unseen Histories from Unslplash |
Martin Luther King Jr. Day - MLK
January 15
Martin Luther King Jr. a leader of the Civil Rights movement, born on January 15, 1929. The official holiday is celebrated on the third Monday in January, in 2024 they both fall on the same date. Celebrate and honor his legacy by taking meaningful actions to promote positive change in our community.
Inspire your kids to learn more about MLK:
- 5 Interesting Facts To Share With Kids About Martin Luther King Jr.
- Learn More about Martin Luther King Jr.
- The story of Stevie Wonder's 'Happy Birthday' MLK tribute
- Learn more about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
MLK Events and activities:
January 15, 2024
Check back for events
Tu BiShvat
January 24 - 25
Tu Bishvat - also spelled Tu B'Shvat or Tu B'Shevat, pronounced "Too Bish-VAHT" is New Year for Trees and marks the start of spring in Israel, when trees begin to bloom after a long, cold winter. This festive Jewish holiday begins on the eve of January 24, 2024 and ends at sundown January 25, 2024. Following the Jewish calendar the dates change each year, falling in January or February.
While Tu B'Shvat is a minor Jewish holiday, it can be a festive occasion to appreciate and celebrate our natural world. It's a great day to engage in earth-friendly activities with your family. Some traditional ways to celebrate include planting trees and enjoying a special meal or Seder that includes fruits, nuts, and wine or grape juice. Think of it as a a Jewish Earth Day or Arbor Day.
Celebrate the Jewish Holiday of Tu Bishvat a New Year for the Trees
Visit the Macaroni KID Conejo Valley - Malibu - Calabasas calendar for local Tu B'Shvat events
Resources to learn more and Celebrate:
- Colorful Tree Craft
- Tu B'Shevat Crafts & Activities
- Free Coloring Pages
- Kid friendly recipes
- Learn more about Tu B'Shevat - for kids
- PJ Library - Tu B'Shevat
- 15 Shevat Recipes - Tu Bishvat Foods
- Picture Books About Trees
- Plant a tree in Israel
 SandraMatic from Getty Images Pro via Canva |
International Holocaust Remembrance Day
January 27
On January 27, countries worldwide come together to commemorate the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945, a pivotal moment marking the end of one of the most notorious concentration and extermination camps. This day is dedicated to honoring and remembering the lives lost or greatly affected during the Holocaust, a dark period in history. It serves as an opportunity for education to ensure that the world "never forgets." The term "Shoah" is the Hebrew word for “catastrophe,” while English-speaking countries commonly use the word Holocaust, which is Greek for “sacrifice by fire.”
The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the systematic, state-sponsored persecution of the Jewish people. Six million Jewish people, alongside over five million non-Jewish individuals, including political dissidents, ethnic Poles, Romani people, Serb civilians, and those with physical / intellectual disabilities, were murdered by the Nazi regime, its allies, and collaborators during World War II. Use this day as an opportunity to engage your family in an age-appropriate discussion about antisemitism and treating all people, regardless of their ethnicity, ability, or religion, with kindness. Let's embrace our differences and learn more about each other. Explore online resources with your children and consider visiting local museums listed below featuring exhibits on this topic. Don't forget to visit your local library for book on the topic.
Publisher's Note: In light of the atrocities committed in Israel on October 7, 2023 and the increase in antisemitism and Jew Hate happening worldwide and across our country, honoring this day is more important than ever. Let us learn from these horrific events, make it a point to educate our children and community, strive to bring more light into the world, and ensure such atrocities never happen again.
Local Museums and online resources:
- Limited time - Regan Museum, Simi Valley: Auschwitz - Not long ago. Not far away | Now - January 28, 2024
- Museum of Tolerance, Los Angeles
- Holocaust Museum LA, Los Angeles
Online resources to explore:
- The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- USC Shoah Foundation - Holocaust Collection: The largest audiovisual collection in the world, composed of WWII era testimonies of Jewish survivors, political prisoners, Sinti and Roma survivors, Jehovah's Witness survivors, survivors of eugenics policies, and LGBTQ survivors, as well as rescuers and aid providers, liberators, and participants in war crimes trials.
- Anne Frank House
- History: The Holocaust
 Pilin_Petunyia from Getty Images via Canva |
World Breast Pumping Day
January 27
Let's get pumped for World Breast Pumping Day! Some moms nurse, some pump and many do both, there are many different reason why moms pump. For some it's a choice for others it's a necessity, the reason doesn't matter, it can be a lot of work and a big commitment, however long they do it. Celebrate mamas who pump by telling them their commitment is amazing! Give them a hug while you're at it, as a former pumping mom - twice, I know firsthand how challenging it can be. To all the pumping mamas out there congrats!
Breast Pumping Resources:
- La Leche League: Pumping Milk
- La Leche League: Breastfeeding Info Bottles and Other Tools
- Ashley’s Story: Pumping Past One Year
- Breastfeeding State Laws
- Dept. of Labor Fact Sheet #73: FLSA Protections for Employees to Pump Breast Milk at Work
- Working and Breastfeeding
Local Breastfeeding Resources:
- Butterfly Care Center in Thousand Oaks: Classes, free online breastfeeding support Mondays 1-2 pm, Childbirth preparation, breastfeeding and newborn parenting classes and support
- Breastfeeding Coalition of Ventura County
- Breastfeed LA
- La Leche League of Southern California / Nevada: Local meetings and virtual / phone support
- Ventura Coast Milk Bank: Donate / receive breast milk
- Mother's Milk Bank
We hope these upcoming holidays add a few memorable moments to your family's January calendar. Here's to a fantastic start to 2024! 🎉
 Jeff Baily Designs from Pixa |
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