Welcome to the Celebration Day writing competition for schools! 

Which amazing person from history are you celebrating? 

Please note, this competition is now closed.

The Day is supporting Celebration Day with a writing competition again, and we want your stories of amazing people from the past! Our optional theme this year is sporting heroes in history.

There are prizes for all ages (and even a teacher category!), so why not tell us your story for a chance to win an iPad and have your entry made into a special film? 

Celebration Day writing competition

The third annual UK-wide Celebration Day schools competition encourages 5-18-year-olds (and their teachers!) to connect with their elders, do research and retell stories of amazing people or sporting legends in history.

Entrants will either use their own research, or interview older family or friends, to find out about inspiring people from the past. They will retell their story via a written article (or audio piece), sharing what our generation can learn from their remarkable story.

The competition is free to enter and open to learners of all ages in the UK.

One winner will be chosen from each of the five age group categories and there will also be a separate category specifically for teachers:

• Age 5-7
• Age 8-10
• Age 11-13
• Age 14-16
• Age 17-18
• Teachers

How to enter

1. Interview the eldest person you know, or do your own research, about someone amazing from the past, or a trailblazer in sport (anything from football to horse-riding, surfing to skiing – you choose your sport!). The story you tell does not have to be about a famous person, but it must be someone who is no longer with us. 
2. Submit a piece of writing up to 250 words for primary pupils and up to 500 words for secondary students/teachers (or a piece of audio of a maximum of 120 seconds), retelling their story and why we should all be inspired by it today. Do not submit any work that is not your own, or has already been published, or was entered into the competition last year.  
3. Teachers can submit named entries (for themselves and their students in Word, audio file or PDF format) via the ‘Submit’ button on this page. For student entries please include the consent forms if you have them in time (this will be useful if they win for media opportunities).
4. Please leave a mobile number so we can contact you quickly if you have won – there may be media opportunities for the winners!

Click here to read our T&Cs

One winner will be chosen from each category. Winners will be selected and notified by Thursday 16th May 2024.

Please check your emails (and spam folder!), in case you have won. If you don’t respond by 17th May we may have to offer the prize to someone else! 

For any questions, please email celebrationday@theday.co.uk

What can you win?

• Your writing published on The Day’s website
• Your story read out on film – be inspired by previous winning entries
• iPad
• Printed certificate

What is Celebration Day? 

Celebration Day is a day of remembrance, that encourages us to pause, remember and celebrate the lives of people who are no longer with us. 

How you celebrate is up to you – you might decide to go on a walk somewhere that reminds you of your loved one, call a family member or friend, bake their favourite cake or listen to a record that reminds you of that person.

Celebration Day is the perfect way to connect young people with the older generation, which is especially needed after the coronavirus lockdowns. The Day’s Celebration Day competition is a great way to get students from 5 to 18 involved in this day of celebration, as well as their teachers. 

The idea was curated by a group of friends who founded the day of Celebration, aiming to keep the connections to their loved ones who have died. 

When is Celebration Day 2024?

The third annual Celebration Day will be held on Bank Holiday Monday 27th May 2024. It is a day to remember the generations of people who created our society and celebrate how they overcame hardship and showed courage, inspiring us.

The deadline for our Celebration Day writing competition will be before Celebration Day, so students and teachers can use this writing project as a great way to kick off their Celebration Day and to get children talking with their families, friends and loved ones about the people who have shaped their lives that they would like to remember. 

How can I participate? 

People are invited to mark Celebration Day how they please, so whether it’s a private celebration or something you do with family and friends, people can take part in Celebration Day however best reflects a celebration of the person they want to remember on this day. 

Celebration Day Winners