Draven Jackson
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We all know about Christmas and Thanksgiving, Halloween and Easter, Cinco de Mayo and New Years – but what about the more absurd holidays that aren’t included in our calendars? What about Eat an Extra Dessert Day and International Joke Day? Pi Day and Monkey Day? When was the last time you celebrated Grilled Cheese Day? Well, it’s time to find your pens and mark your calendars, here are some of our favorite absurd holidays found on Time and Date’s “Fun Holidays” calendar.

Jan 20 – Penguin Awareness Day

Did you know that there was a Penguin Awareness Day? Cause I didn’t. But as I was looking online for some fun, absurd holidays that the whole family could enjoy, January 20th popped out at me. While a lot of the holidays on this list are just fun, quirky ideas for adding a little spontaneity (and extra desserts) into your year, Penguin Awareness is actually a day meant to raise awareness about these beautiful flightless birds and their dwindling numbers.

However, Penguin Awareness Day can also be a great way to provide a fun, educational holiday experience for the family. Plan a trip to your local aquarium and take the time to learn all about the experiences and importance of our penguin friends.

Feb 6 – Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day

I don’t think this holiday needs much explaining, but “Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast” Day is one of our favorite absurd holidays. Why? Because you eat get to eat ice cream for breakfast! Obviously, this isn’t a common treat for the kids (or you) so taking a break from your regular schedule and treating yourselves to dessert for breakfast would be a fun way to celebrate your family and do something a little crazy.

You never need a reason to do something spontaneous and wild, but it sure is nice to have a holiday to encourage absurd fun.

March 14 – Pi Day

Every math teacher ever takes March 14th to celebrate one of the nerdiest of absurd holidays – Pi Day. For teachers, it’s a great time to talk about 3.14 (etc.) and math and all those topics students need to know for class. But for students, it’s the day you get to eat pie in class. And there’s nothing more beautiful than that.

However, Pi Day doesn’t just have to stay in the classroom – it’s another great opportunity for family fun and sly educational lessons. So just slide in the Pi talk alongside the Pie (like you would sneak veggies into your pickiest eater’s meal) and teach your kids about how fun math can be!

April 12 – Grilled Cheese Day

Another one of my favorite absurd holidays, Grilled Cheese Day will be a celebration your whole family can enjoy. Grilled cheese is one of our favorite comfort meals – it tastes like ooey gooey goodness and smells like grandma’s house. It’s been around for a hundred years now, and for good reason.

So how do you celebrate Grilled Cheese Day? With a grilled cheese buffet! While you may want to stick with the traditional white bread and American cheese, don’t be afraid to incorporate some fun grilled cheese options, like apple slices and brie cheese or tomato with mozzarella and pesto. There are no limits to where your grilled cheese can go during this fun holiday celebration.

May 4 – Star Wars Day

“May the 4th be with you” might be the dorkiest way to introduce one of the nerdiest absurd holidays out there, but it’s the only one that seems appropriate. Every dad is well aware of Star Wars Day, and if your fathers and husbands are anything like my dad, not watching all of the films on May 4th is basically impossible.

Star Wars is a great film series for the whole family because of its cool action scenes, science fiction themes, and romantic subplots, so everyone will find something to love. Star Wars Day is just a great opportunity to appreciate a classic film franchise and introduce your kids to the wonders found fighting alongside Luke Skywalker or traveling the galaxies with your family.

June 18 – International Picnic Day

International Picnic Day doesn’t seem like it should be included on a list of absurd holidays because it doesn’t seem that weird. But personally, I just love the idea that someone made up a holiday just to enjoy a picnic with their loved ones. If it’s a beautiful day outside, take the time to pack up a nice lunch and take the family out to your local park, soaking in the sunshine and flying kites or playing ball.

If it’s a gross day weatherwise, a picnic inside is just as good! Roll out the picnic blanket on your living room floor and have the whole family sit around to munch on good food and laugh together.

July 1 – International Joke Day

What would belong on a list of absurd holidays more than International Joke Day? It’s the perfect day to bring out your worst dad jokes, puns, and terrible one-liners your kids can recite from memory from their favorite joke books. Make it a competition and try to outdo one another for who can get the most laughs throughout the day. You don’t have to be a comedian – even your worst jokes can get big laughs.

My personal contribution to International Joke Day: “The past, present, and future walked into a bar. It was tense.”

August 26 – Dog Appreciation Day

Your pupper pal is your family’s best friend, and there are no better absurd holidays out there for appreciating this furry family member than Dog Appreciation Day. If your family is anything like mine, then your dog comes with you everywhere – to the beach, to the park, and even sometimes on family vacations. So it’s time to bring the whole family together to celebrate your canine buddy.

Throw a party for your pup and let your kids help with the snacks and decorations! Not only will the love being a part of the process, but it will also teach them the value of showing appreciation even for the smallest friends in your life.

September 4 – Eat an Extra Dessert Day

As far as absurd holidays go, this one seems like one of the easiest to accomplish. Whether you go with cookies or cake, chocolate or ice cream, all you need to do to celebrate Eat an Extra Dessert Day is – well, eat an extra dessert! Easy peasy.

October 6 – Mad Hatter Day

This was another new one for me when I was looking into absurd holidays, but my love for “Alice in Wonderland” definitely had me hooked on Mad Hatter Day pretty quickly. According to Time and Date, the unofficial holiday was actually started in 1986 by a group of computer technicians in Boulder, Colorado. They were inspired by the eccentric Hatter and his whimsical personality.

How to celebrate Mad Hatter Day? Go crazy with your style and wear your most inspired, eccentric outfit. Watch the movies and maybe enjoy some “Alice in Wonderland” inspired treats. While this may seem like just another weird, absurd holiday, it can also be a great way to teach your kids that it’s okay to be their weirdest, quirkiest selves and what’s most important in life is being true to who you are.

November 26 – Cake Day

Another dessert-themed day to help you celebrate a 12 months’ worth of absurd holidays, Cake Day is the day to celebrate one of our favorite sweet treats. No one really knows how, why, or when Cake Day became Cake Day, but the dessert has been around since ancient times and started out as bread sweetened with honey.

With so many cake choices and ideas to choose from, it might be difficult to find the perfect way to appreciate cake day. Maybe talk to the family and vote on a cake you can all make together, or draw a cake choice randomly from a hat and have fun cooking something new with your children. Whatever you decide to do, we hope your day is sweet and fun.

December 14 – Monkey Day

While there are many, many more absurd holidays to choose from (you can find entire lists online that have a different unofficial holiday every day), we’ve decided to end our list with December 14th’s Monkey Day. Monkey Day is all about celebrating our primate and monkey pals, learning more about the different species of primates out there, their habitats and habits, and their importance to the environment.

Since we went to the aquarium on Penguin Awareness Day, where better to go for Monkey Day than the zoo? Help encourage your kids to learn more about these funny furry friends so that they can better appreciate and understand the important roles each person, plant, and animal plays in the world.

Know of more fun, crazy, and absurd holidays to celebrate with the family? Tell us in the comments!

About Draven Jackson

Draven is an avid writer and reader who enjoys sharing her opinions on movies, books, and music with the rest of the world. She will soon be working as a teacher in Japan and hopes to use her experience to connect with other teachers and students around the globe. Draven spends most of her time at home with her family, her dogs, and her ferret.

To see more, view all posts by Draven Jackson here.