Every year, as the days grow longer and the warmth of spring begins to settle across Aotearoa, a bright yellow bloom appears in windows, lapels, and doorways from Kaitāia to Invercargill. The daffodil — cheerful, golden, and impossibly hopeful — has become one of New Zealand's most powerful symbols of solidarity in the fight against cancer.
What Is Daffodil Day?
Daffodil Day is the Cancer Society of New Zealand's largest annual fundraising event, held each year in late August. It's a day when communities come together to remember those we've lost, support those living with cancer right now, and fund the vital research and services that make a real difference to Kiwi families.
Since its humble beginnings, Daffodil Day has grown into a nationwide movement — one small yellow flower carrying an enormous amount of love, courage, and hope.
Why the Daffodil?
The daffodil was chosen as the symbol of the Cancer Society because it is one of the first flowers to bloom at the end of winter, a reminder that after darkness, light and new life return. It represents hope, renewal, and the belief that brighter days are ahead for every person touched by cancer.
In New Zealand, cancer affects nearly 1 in 3 people at some point in their lifetime. That means almost every whānau in the country has a connection to this cause, a parent, sibling, friend, neighbour, or colleague who has faced this journey. The daffodil is a way of saying: you are not alone.
The Importance of Supporting Daffodil Day
Every dollar raised through Daffodil Day goes directly toward:
- Cancer research: funding New Zealand scientists working on better treatments and outcomes
- Patient support services: including free counselling, transport to treatment, and accommodation for those travelling from rural regions
- Community education: helping Kiwis understand cancer risks, early detection, and prevention
- Advocacy: ensuring the voices of people living with cancer are heard at a national level
Without community fundraising like Daffodil Day, many of these services simply wouldn't exist. The Cancer Society receives no direct government funding for most of its programmes — it relies entirely on the generosity of New Zealanders.
How to Support Daffodil Day in Aotearoa
There are so many wonderful ways to get involved and show your support:
- Donate online — visit the Cancer Society website and make a direct donation in honour of someone special
- Buy a daffodil — look out for volunteer collectors in your local town or city on Daffodil Day and grab a real bloom or a daffodil pin
- Host a morning tea — bring your workplace or neighbourhood together with a Daffodil Day bake sale or yellow-themed gathering
- Wear yellow — put on your brightest outfit and share a photo to spread the word on social media with #DaffodilDayNZ
- Create something meaningful — a handmade daffodil to display in your home is a beautiful, lasting tribute
A Little Handmade Daffodil Goes a Long Way
Here at Escape to Creativity, we believe in the power of making things by hand and there's something especially meaningful about crafting a daffodil to display in your home as a symbol of hope and remembrance. Just as our felt ANZAC poppies have become a cherished way to honour our veterans, a handmade felt daffodil can be a heartfelt, lasting way to show your support for everyone affected by cancer.
Whether you make one for yourself, gift it to a loved one who is going through treatment, or create one together with your tamariki as a way to talk about courage and kindness, a handmade daffodil carries meaning that a store-bought pin simply can't match.
This Daffodil Day, we encourage you to slow down, create something with love, and let that little yellow flower remind you of the strength of community, the importance of hope, and the difference each of us can make.
💛 Shop our Handmade Daffodil Day NZ Felt Brooch — a beautiful, lasting keepsake made right here in Aotearoa.
Every purchase made from 28 August until 31 August 2026, I will donate 20% to the Cancer Society.
Kia kaha — stay strong, Aotearoa.
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