The Rise of Unique National Days
From National French Fry Day to National Bed Bug Awareness Week, every day is a reason to celebrate.
However, what puts these unusual national days, like International Mother Language Day or National Prime Day, on the calendar?
Whether it be to spread awareness, a marketing strategy, or just a national day to have fun, these unique National Days ignite a reason to revel in a fun way.
Celebrated on February 21, International Mother Language Day was proclaimed an international holiday by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in November 1999.
First initiated by Bangladesh, International Mother Language Day encourages the preservation of language, multilingualism, culture and ensures equal access to education.
To honor this international day, people are encouraged to speak in their native language, exchange greetings with those of another culture in their native tongue and support the preservation of endangered languages such as Ainu (Japan), Michif (Canada) and Cornish (UK).
While national days like International Mother Language Day are recognized for their ability to raise awareness of dying languages, many are created by brands contributing to the 1,500 unofficial National Days listed on National Day Calendar.
The worldwide anticipated National Prime Day is a prime example of brands utilizing other brands, such as National Day Calendar, to market their company and generate billions of dollars in sales, with 2024 being their highest-grossing year with a total revenue of $14.2 billion.
Amazon Prime Day began July 15, 2015, and immediately became recognized as a national day in the retail industry. However, that was not initially the company's intention.
“Prime Day came to life on July 15, 2015, as a way to celebrate Prime members on Amazon’s 20th birthday,” the Amazon staff writes in AmazonNews.
While National Prime Day was one day, it has now become more like National Prime Days, with Amazon running deals for two or more days.
Because Prime Day is considered to be one of the most anticipated retail events, rivaling Black Friday, its competitors like Target and Walmart started offering sales for consumers to drive their revenue as well.
For all the shopaholics, celebrating National Prime Day is a walk in the park. Prime Day is anticipated to begin either late June or mid-July.
Prime members can expect discounts on electronics, Amazon devices such as the Kindle, home appliances and clothing.
With national days to spread awareness and to encourage corporate greed out of the way, what about the random national days that are seemingly put on the calendar just for the heck of it, or so one would think before realizing the compelling history behind a seemingly silly day?
June 6 is National Donut Day and is not just a national day that encourages a sweet treat.
Beginning in Chicago in 1938, National Donut Day is a way to pay respect to The Salvation Army Donut Lassies, who were on the front lines, giving aid to the soldiers during World War I.
Rewinding a bit, in 1917, The Salvation Army made it its mission to boost morale for the U.S. soldiers fighting in the war.
“These women were sent to France to establish field bases near the front lines. In makeshift huts, thousands of soldiers would come to stock up on essential goods and grab a sweet treat baked by the Lassies,” The Salvation Army writes on their website.
Given that the huts' conditions weren’t in the best condition, volunteers Ensign Margaret Sheldon and Adjutant Helen Purviance used soldiers' helmets to fry donuts, earning the name of Donut Lassies.
These women are attributed to the popularization of donuts in the United States when the soldiers who went by the nickname Doughboys returned home.
To honor the Donut Lassies who helped lift spirits in times of war, companies such as Krispy Kreme and Duck Donuts give out free donuts. People are also encouraged to visit local bakeries, make their own donuts, and donate to The Salvation Army.
While there are many reasons why seemingly unusual holidays end up as a national date, know that every day can be a reason to celebrate, whether it be through language, shopping or a donut on your plate.