Find new holidays to celebrate with your family this year with these unique, fun, and silly holidays scattered throughout the year.
How does celebrating Old Rock Day sound? Oh, what’s that? You’ve never heard of Old Rock Day? Join the club! I just discovered it today, but my 10 year old is THRILLED because it’s a day to celebrate and learn more about fossils and old rocks. He’s all about dinosaurs so this weird holiday is right up his alley.
Every single day is some celebration for an obscure thing. Oh sure, we all know about Flag Day, Grandparent’s Day, and even National Pizza Day, but does your family celebrate Something on a Stick Day? It’s on March 28th if you are interested 😉
While I don’t recommend trying all the different holidays out there, it could be fun to pick one or two each month and see what you can come up with! For instance, on Something on a Stick day you could make homemade corn dogs for dinner. Or make cookie pops for a treat.
The goal here is to find fun, weird, unique, or silly holidays you can turn into great memories for your family. I’ve tried to pull out a good mix of food holidays, activity holidays, and a few others I thought sounded fun.
Fun and Silly Holidays to Celebrate with your Family
January
- January 11 – Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day
- Can you and your kids figure out how to spell your name in Morse code? Wikipedia has a helpful chart to learn the letters. You could write your names out first and then practice tapping them.
- January 15 – Strawberry Ice Cream Day
- It might be cold outside but you can still enjoy this great treat anyway! Buy a pint from the store or make your own! I love my KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker that I can use with my KitchenAid Stand Mixer but I’ve also used this Ice Cream Maker with great results at my in laws house! Or here is a no-churn recipe to try.
- January 19 – Popcorn Day
- Popcorn! I could snack on it all day, every day. Pop a bag in the microwave or cook your own on the stove top. You could get fancy and have a whole popcorn bar with all sorts of toppings and mix ins. I personally love extra butter but I also enjoy cheesy popcorn 😀
- January 29 – Puzzle Day
- I grew up in a puzzle loving family and I still enjoy the challenge a big puzzle offers. Put together a big puzzle as a family or use small puzzles and see how many you can complete in a set period of time. Maybe have some puzzle races! So many options for celebrating this day.
February
- February 4 – Thank Your Mailman Day
- Delivering mail is not for the faint of heart. They are out in all sorts of weather, hauling their bags and dealing with grumpy people when items aren’t delivered when expected. Write your carrier a nice note, offer a drink, or just say thanks. I bet it’s not something they hear often!
- February 7 – Send a Card to a Friend Day
- Getting a real card in the mail is a sure way to bring a smile to someone’s face. Everyone can write to someone different or you can all write to the same person. Bless the socks off your friends!
- February 17 – Random Act of Kindness Day
- The possibilities are endless on Random Act of Kindness Day! Tuck a dollar under a candy bar at a store, pay for the person behind you in the drive through, pass out flowers, or help carry groceries. See how many you can do in one day!
- February 24 – Tortilla Chip Day
- Mmmmm, tortilla chips! Nachos for dinner? Make your own? Savory chips for dinner and sweet chips for dessert? So many options!
March
- March 1 – World Compliment Day
- How often do we genuinely compliment someone? Probably not often enough! Use today to let people know what they are doing well or what you appreciate about them. You could do this as a family for each other – imagine how wonderful you will all feel when you take the time to share with each other. I’m all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it.
- March 11 – Oatmeal Nut Waffle Day
- It’s a very specific type of waffle but at least you don’t need to plan your breakfast (or dinner) for today!
- March 20 – World Storytelling Day
- Will you tell your own story or find a favorite book to read? Maybe pass on a story from your childhood or use storytelling dice to create one as a family.
- March 30 – Take a Walk in the Park Day
- Hopefully the weather holds out for Take a Walk in the Park day! Go out as a family and appreciate nature and the beauty of God’s creation.
April
- April 5 – First Contact Day
- On this day in 2063 humans first made contact with the Vulcans… in Star Trek 😉 Celebrate by watching an episode, learning the Vulcan salute, or dress as your favorite Star Trek character.
- April 12 – Grilled Cheese Day
- Will you go traditional with cheddar or mix it up with muenster or gouda? Mix and match a few different types? Add meat? What about condiments? Get creative!
- April 20 – Look Alike Day
- While this day is traditionally a time to celebrate identical twins it can also be a fun time to dress alike. Mother-daughter matching outfits? Make all the kids matching? Or you could dress like someone you’ve been told you look like.
- April 26 – Pretzel Day
- Pretzels are sooo good and incredibly easy to make at home! Make a batch of soft pretzel bites for snack or go for pretzel buns as part of dinner. We also really like making pretzel dogs – they are a huge hit with everyone!
May
- May 8 (2019) – National School Nurse Day
- This holiday is actually celebrated on the Wednesday that falls between May 6th and May 12th each year. What can you and the kids do to thank your school nurse for all she or he does?
- May 14 – Dance Like a Chicken Day
- Turn on the music and see how many ridiculous chicken moves you can come up with for Dance Like a Chicken Day.
- May 18 – No Dirty Dishes Day
- Will you wash every dish as soon as it’s done being used or try to go the entire day without making a single dirty dish? Either way is a big challenge!
- May 24 – Scavenger Hunt Day
- This one might take a little extra prep before the day but your kids will love the challenge of hunting down clues toward a final surprise. Use pictures for little kids or word clues for the older ones.
June
- June 6 – Drive in Movie Day
- Drive in theaters are disappearing but I know there are still some around the country. If you are lucky enough to live by one you could go take in a double feature. No drive in? Get creative at home! Use cardboard boxes or laundry baskets and let the kids create their own cars. Make travel friendly dinners or snacks and line up all of their vehicles in the living room for a family movie night.
- June 11 – Corn on the Cob Day
- No need to plan a side for dinner tonight! I recommend cooking your corn in the Instant Pot but I’m also a big fan of cooking it on the grill as well. How do you eat your corn? I prefer butter, salt, and pepper 😀
- June 18 – International Picnic Day
- Pack up some sandwiches, snacks, and drinks and head to the park or even the backyard for a picnic today. Don’t forget to clean up your garbage 😉
- June 26 – Chocolate Pudding Day
- Will you make it yourself or buy a mix from the store? I’ve never made chocolate pudding from scratch so maybe I’ll try it this year! Eat it plain or get fancy and make dirt cake or a triffle (just leave out the ground beef with onions, peas, and carrots).
July
- July 1 – International Joke Day
- Spend the day making each other laugh with silly jokes. Make up your own or pick up a family friendly joke book.
- July 10 – Teddy Bear Picnic Day
- I already know this day is going to be a big hit in our house! Grab your favorite teddy bears, pack up a picnic, and head out for lunch. Or have a fake food picnic in the living room.
- July 11 – Cheer Up the Lonely Day
- In the hustle of life with kids we can forget sometimes that there are people out there living a lonelier life. Send a card, or even better, pay a visit to someone today and help them remember they aren’t alone.
- July 30 – National Cheesecake Day
- This might just be my favorite non-traditional holiday. Bake a cheesecake from scratch, buy one from a store, or split a single slice. Try a no bake version if the thought of heating up the house is too much.
August
- August 3 – Watermelon Day
- Watermelon is the favorite fruit of several people in our house so I know we will be celebrating this day, intentional or not! Enjoy a few slices or turn it into a full day fest! Make watermelon drinks, watermelon granita, or a watermelon cake. Watermelon seed spitting contest?
- August 9 – Book Lovers Day
- A holiday spent dedicated to reading is my kind of holiday. Visit your library to find new books or see how many of your own you can read through today. Don’t forget to take breaks for food and to stretch on occasion 😉
- August 17 – Thrift Shop Day
- Thrift shops are one of my favorite places to find great deals. With school getting ready to start I could hunt for back to school clothes or see what fun items I can find for myself. Sometimes we just like to go browse for treasures!
- August 31 – Eat Outside Day
- Not necessarily a picnic, but enjoy the outside while you have a snack or a meal. With summer winding down your days for nice weather might be limited so don’t miss this chance.
September
- September 4 – Eat an Extra Dessert Day
- The creator of this holiday is a flat out genius. Cookie and a slice of cake? Brownie and cheesecake? Double ice cream cones? Treat yourself with double dessert, no matter what your preference might be.
- September 11 – Make Your Bed Day
- If you always make your bed then there’s no real task but for those of us that only make it on occasion (cough, cough) then today is absolutely a day to get it done. Get all the bedding washed then teach the kids how to tuck in the corners neatly. Oh how sweet it is to slip into a freshly made bed!
- September 18 – Rice Krispie Treat Day
- With only a few ingredients this is a frugal holiday to celebrate! It’s also perfect for getting the kids involved in the kitchen. You can press them into a pan the traditional way or you can use cookie cutters to make fun shapes!
- September 28 – Good Neighbor Day
- I’ll admit that we don’t know our neighbors well but I do appreciate them. What can you do today to be a good neighbor? Could you bring a bag of extra produce from your garden over? Or invite them over for dessert and coffee? Reach out and start building relationships.
October
- October 4 – Taco Day
- Best day ever! I could eat a different flavor of tacos every day. Oh, who am I kidding, I could eat regular tacos just about every day! Set up a taco bar for dinner (I’ve got homemade taco seasoning for you to try!) or get a little wild and make dessert tacos!
- October 16 – Dictionary Day
- What new words can you find today? Maybe do a scavenger hunt through the dictionary or count the words that begin with the letter “X” – it’s more than you might think! You might need to venture to the library to find a physical dictionary. I know we don’t have one in our house!
- October 17 – Wear Something Gaudy Day
- My kids might believe this is everyday, but in fact it only lands on October 17 😉 What ridiculous, over the top, and mismatched outfit can you come up with today? Get everyone dressed and have a gaudy parade or take funny pictures in your awesome new fashion statements – then have a great laugh!
- October 21 – Count Your Buttons Day
- Can you count every button in your house? Are you going to count buttons on clothing or buttons on electronics? What about loose buttons in the sewing kit? I might get into the upper hundreds if I include those!
November
- November 1 – Author’s Day
- Today is the day to learn a little more about your favorite author or reach out to authors you enjoy and let them know how much you appreciate their work. Do you know an author in real life? Send them a note and encourage them!
- November 10 – Vanilla Cupcake Day
- Simple but so wonderful. Make a full batch to share or make a single mug cake and call it a large cupcake. It totally counts 😉
- November 15 – Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day
- This should definitely be done more than once per year but if you haven’t done it in a while then let this be your motivation! Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. Clean out your fridge so it’s ready for all the food coming it’s way. Plus, it will be good to get back all those food containers you forgot still have leftovers living in them!
- November 21 – World Hello Day
- How often do we pass by people without interacting (or even looking up from our phones!) Take the time today to say hello to people you see. A simple greeting and a smile can make a HUGE difference in someone’s day. How many people can you greet today?
December
- December 3 – Make a Gift Day
- Rather than buying a whole bunch of gifts, take the time to make a few gifts for Christmas this year! There are lots of simple, frugal gift ideas that could be big hits with people on your list. You could make sugar scrub, foaming hand soap, or lip balm with a few basic ingredients. And there is always the option to add essential oils for added benefits.
- December 6 – Microwave Oven Day
- Does your microwave need a little love? Clean it out really well today. Or maybe see how many meals you can cook in your microwave! I used to make at least one of these microwave cookies per week.
- December 14 – Monkey Day
- Will you dress like a monkey? Dance like monkeys? Learn about different types of monkeys? All of the above? Oh I’d love to see a video of your family dressed up and dancing like monkeys will reciting monkey facts. Someone please make that happen!
- December 28 – Card Playing Day
- The majority of Christmas celebrations are over and we are in that weird limbo stage between holidays. Break out a deck of cards and have a family game day. Games like Uno, Skip-Bo, and Phase 10 also totally count!
What unique, fun, or silly holidays do you celebrate with your family?
Sharing is caring <3
Oh, fun! These holidays will definitely make some family memories! Book lovers day, puzzle day, teddy bear picnic day, oh, my kids are going have fun! Pinning so i can find this again!
Yay! Glad you love it, Aryn 😀
This is such a cute idea. I pinned it to our family activities board to share with our Living Our Priorities community.
Thank you, Timberley!
These are SO fun! I just wrote nearly all of them in my calendar! Can’t wait to share! Thanks for the smile today!
You are so welcome Liz 😀
Every Dec I go thru my new planner for the upcoming year and write down all the fun holidays we can celebrate. It’s so fun. 🙂 Great list!
I love that you already look for fun and silly holidays! I’m so excited to do some of these this year.