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29 October: what is celebrated today
29 October is a day that speaks to us of body and soul, care and awareness, health and solidarity. On this date, celebrations coincide that invite us to look inward — at wellbeing, balance and affection — and outward — at others, the planet and the society we build together. From the quiet love of caregivers to a cat's purr, from the fight against diseases to the call for a more humane economy, the day unfolds like a mosaic of gestures that sustain life.
International Day of Care and Support
Proclaimed by the UN in 2023, this day pays tribute to millions of people — mostly women — who devote time, energy and affection to those who need help. Their almost invisible work sustains the world's wellbeing: they care for children, older people or those who are ill without asking for recognition.
The pandemic revealed their essential role, reminding us that caring is not a duty, but an act of love that keeps the wheel of humanity turning. Valuing and redistributing this work means building a fairer society, where care is understood as a right, not as a sacrifice.
World Stroke Day
The brain, that universe which governs our gestures and thoughts, also needs care. Every 29 October, the World Health Organization promotes this day to raise awareness of an illness that remains one of the leading causes of death and disability in the world.
Recognising symptoms in time can save lives. But it is also about prevention, about caring for the heart and mind through healthy habits. Stroke Day reminds us that health is a permanent dialogue with oneself.
International Cat Day
Cats celebrate their day several times a year, but 29 October — a date originating in the United States — has a special charm. It is a day to pay tribute to those enigmatic companions that inhabit our homes and our screens too.
Their elegance, independence and calm have made them symbols of balance and mystery. Adopting, protecting and understanding cats is a simple way of practising respect for all living beings. With their sideways gaze, they teach us to observe the world without haste.
World Degrowth Day
In memory of the crash of 29, this day invites reflection on the current economic model. Degrowth does not propose going backwards, but moving forward in another way: living better with less, measuring progress not in figures but in wellbeing.
Faced with an exhausted planet, degrowth is a call for creative sobriety, for a prosperity that does not depend on excess. It is a manifesto in favour of time, community and consumption that respects the limits of the world we inhabit.
World Psoriasis Day
The skin — that boundary between the self and the world — also has its day. Since 2004, the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations has devoted 29 October to making visible an illness that affects more than 125 million people.
Behind every flare-up there is physical and emotional pain, but also stories of resilience. The 2024 theme, “Psoriatic disease and the family”, reminds us that close support can be as therapeutic as any treatment. Talking about psoriasis means breaking stigma and affirming that beauty does not depend on perfection.
Disarmament Week
At the same time, Disarmament Week (24–30 October) continues, a UN call to disarm not only arsenals, but hearts as well. At a time when violence seems omnipresent, this period of reflection proposes a courageous gesture: replace fear with trust, conflict with words.
Every weapon destroyed is a victory of life over the logic of power.
Global Media and Information Literacy Week
From 24 to 31 October, UNESCO promotes a global campaign to teach people to think before believing. The 2024 theme — “The new digital frontiers of information” — focuses on the ethical and cognitive challenges of the digital era.
Learning to distinguish truth from manipulation is now as vital as learning to read or write. In times of noise, media literacy restores the silence we need to understand.
29 October is a day of tenderness and awareness. It brings together science and affection, reflection and empathy. It celebrates those who care, those who struggle, those who teach, those who are simply present. Between skin and soul, body and word, there beats the certainty that only care — for others, the planet and oneself — can sustain the future.