A "woke" calendar for British diplomats includes 110 awareness days, weeks, and months for 2026, covering a wide range of social and identity-focused topics, but notably omits Remembrance Sunday.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) list, obtained by the Daily Mail, highlights observances such as six days related to transgender and intersex people, numerous mental health days, and events like "International Pronouns Day" and the anniversary of George Floyd's death. It also includes commemorations for flexible working.
While Remembrance Day on November 11 is noted, the calendar fails to mention Remembrance Sunday, the main national day of commemoration for armed forces members, which is observed on the Sunday closest to November 11. Major events like D-Day and VE Day are also absent from the list.
In contrast to the FCDO's 110 awareness days, the Cabinet Office recognized 21 such days in 2025, the Department for Education marked 25, and the Home Office listed 12. The Wales Office did not mark any.
Charlie Dewhirst, Shadow Cabinet Office minister, criticized the calendar, stating, "It's a calendar of niche awareness days with pronoun days and identity politics. No one knows what half this stuff means, but the lanyard class has made sure it fills officials' calendars."
A spokesperson for the FCDO commented, "The FCDO has supported national remembrance commemorations for several decades."