It seems like every day there is another holiday to show off and celebrate those in our lives, whether it’s sharing a picture in an Instagram story chain or grabbing a special deal at a local restaurant.
And we’re not complaining at all — it’s only a problem when the clock nears the end of the day and you realize you’re the only one in the family who hasn’t posted a message honoring your loved one. While you don’t need a certain day to shower your family or friends in appreciation, it’s nice to give them a little extra when their holiday rolls around.
Don’t want to get in trouble with your loved one the next time one of these oddly specific yet special holidays rolls around? Here’s when each dedicated day is for each family member.
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Mark your calendars for these holidays:
- National Spouses Day – Jan. 26
- National Sons Day – March 4
- National Pet Day – April 11
- Mother’s Day – May 12
- National Brothers Day – May 24
- National Best Friends Day – June 8
- Father’s Day – June 16
- National Parents Day – July 23
- National Cousins Day – July 24
- National Aunts and Uncles Day – July 26
- National Girlfriends Day – Aug. 1
- National Twins Day – Aug. 5
- National Sisters Day – Aug. 6
- National Couples Day – Aug. 18
- International Dog Day – Aug. 26
- Grandparents Day – Sept. 10
- National Daughters Day – Sept. 25
- National Boyfriends Day – Oct. 1
- National Cat Day – Oct. 29
Who determines some of these random national holidays?
While some of these are officially recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau, others are recognized by the masses in other ways. There are more than 1,500 of these national holidays, according to Marlo Anderson, founder of the National Day Calendar.
Anderson told The Record in New Jersey in 2018 that his website has a form that users can fill out to create certain holidays and has seen it blossom into an institution equally valuable to journalists, who are looking for an excuse to write about things, and lobbyists, who are looking for an excuse to have things written about.
He does point out, the majority of the holidays on his site are long-established, either by cultural tradition — Easter — or by congressional or presidential proclamation.
But there are also lots of holidays on the calendar that exist because special interests — commercial or otherwise — were willing to pay a few dollars (for, say, a small non-profit) or a substantially larger sum (for a big multi-national industry) to get their gala day on the radar.
He said the National Day Calendar gets 20,000 petitions a year, of which only a handful are selected annually by the group’s four-member board.
Some examples: National Calzone Day (Nov. 1), National Missing Persons Day (Feb. 3), Jeep 4×4 Day (April 4), National Ampersand Day (Sept. 8), National Hangover Day (Jan. 1), and National Nail Polish Day (June 1).
Contributing reporting: Jim Beckerman, NorthJersey of the USA-Today NETWORK
