If years of COVID lockdowns taught us anything, it’s the value of celebrating the small things in life. Toilet paper. Grocery Pickup. Sunny days. Face time. Birds singing outside your window.
That’s not a bad way to live, if you ask me. Sure, I’m ready to ditch the masks, plan a trip, and get back to “life as normal” ASAP. But I want to carry the gratitude, the joy for living, and the small-win celebrations with me.
To that end, I plan to publish a list of national holidays and quirky celebration every month this year, with links to related resources and ideas for making every month more memorable. Here’s the list for January.
January holidays and quirky celebrations
January 1
- New Year’s Day – Here are six ways to start your new year off right.
- Commitment Day
- World Day of Peace
- Global Family Day – Make time for plenty of family fun in the New Year!
January 2
- International Stop Spam Day – If I could ever find a way to stop it completely, you better believe I’d be celebrating!
- National Science Fiction Day – Why not mark this day by beginning a Sci-Fi read aloud or watching a Sci-Fi movie?
- National Cream Puff Day
- Swiss Cheese Day – celebrate by fashioning your very own charcuterie board, using Swiss cheese as the centerpiece
- World Introvert Day – Maybe celebrate this one quietly. At home. Alone. 😂
- National Buffet Day
- Run it up the Flagpole and See if Anyone Salutes Day – This day isn’t about saluting an actual flag, but about sharing new ideas and seeing if anyone latches on.
January 3
- Thank God It’s Monday Day (1st Monday in January) – Our Rejoice & Be Glad coloring page will remind you to thank God for Mondays — and every other day of the week.
- Chocolate Covered Cherry Day – my Mema’s favorite treat… at least one grandchild gave her a box every Christmas
- National Drinking Straw Day– Our family’s favorite? Reusable, clear glass smoothie straws.
- J.R.R. Tolkien Day – a great time to start reading (or re-reading) The Lord of the Rings
- National Weigh-In Day – step on the scale and get a baseline for the year
- National Write to Congress Day
- Festival of Sleep Day – This would be a great time to read Don & Audrey Wood’s picture book classic, The Napping House.
January 4
- World Braille Day
- Trivia Day – Try your hand at some of our trivia tests
- National Spaghetti Day – Spaghetti is my husband’s favorite, so he’s always onboard to celebrate this January holiday.
January 5
- National Keto Day
- National Whipped Cream Day
- National Bird Day – Our National bird is, of course, the American Bald Eagle. I don’t have a printable for that (yet), but do have a full collection of State Birds you may download for free.
January 6
- National Bean Day – How about a piping bowl of Taco Soup to celebrate Bean Day? Made with five different kinds of canned beans, it’s super quick and easy to mix up.
- Cuddle Up Day – There’s a lot of leeway on this one: You can snuggle up with a spouse, a child, a pet, a good book, or a cup of hot soup. Which will you choose?
- National Technology Day
- National Take Down the Christmas Tree Day – Time to clear away the last of those Christmas decorations!
- Epiphany Day – Also known as Three Kings Day, this signals the last of the 12 Days of Christmas. How about marking the official end of the Christmas season with a trivia test like our What Child is This quiz?
January 7
- National Old Rock Day – Rock painting would be a fun activity for this wacky holiday. When you’re finished, you can hide them at a local park or playground for somebody else to find.
- Static Electricity Day – This simple science experiment will impress your kids by demonstrating static electricity with common household objects you’re sure to have on hand.
January 8
- National Bubble Bath Day – What better excuse do you need to take a long soak in a hot tub?
- National English Toffee Day – I love toffee, especially when it’s buried under a thick coat of chocolate. (Sounds like just the thing to enjoy while soaking in that bubble bath.)
- World Typing Day – Looking for an economical and effective way to teach your kids keyboarding skills? Try Typing Instructor Gold. My kids love it!
- Argyle Day – If you own any argyle scarves, socks, or sweaters, today’s the day to wear them!
- National Winter Skin Relief Day – Apply liberal amounts of moisturizer.
January 9
- National Apricot Day – A good day for snacking on apricots, fresh, frozen, canned, or dried.
- National Static Electricity Day – Time to blow up balloons, rub them on our heads, and stick them to the walls.
- International Choreographers Day – Watch some dance videos (like these adorable reels my friend and her son posted on Instagram) and try to learn a few new steps yourself.
- L.E.A.D.: National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day – If ever police officers deserve some extra appreciation, it’s now. Show them some love by sending them a thank you note or dropping a big batch of cookies off at your local law enforcement station.
- National Word Nerd Day – The perfect occasion for playing Bananagrams, Scrabble, Boggle, or some other wordy nerdy game 😊
January 10
- National Clean Off Your Desk Day (second Monday in January) – Don’t you love the luxury of a neat, orderly, well-stocked desk? Today’s the day to make it a reality!
- Houseplant Appreciation Day – Talk to your plants. Voice to them yourself how much you appreciate them. The carbon-dioxide in your breath will do them good.
- Bittersweet Chocolate Day
- Peculiar People Day – This is a label we should wear gladly, in light of 1 Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
- National Cut Your Energy Costs Day – Brainstorm new ways your family might conserve energy.
January 11
- National Poetry at Work Day (second Tuesday of January)
- National Milk Day – How about a nice cold glass of milk with some warm chocolate chip cookies?
- Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day
- National Arkansas Day
- Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day – Stomping through puddles and getting people wet doesn’t seem like a very friendly thing to do, unless you’re about three years old. But there’s a special day set aside for just such an activity, nevertheless.
- Secret Pal Day
- World Sketchnote Day
January 12
- National Take the Stairs Day (second Wednesday of January) – A smart way to get in some extra exercise!
- National Pharmacist Day – If you have to visit your pharmacist very often, you might benefit from our “Keeping Track of Medications” chart.
- Stick to Your New Year’s Resolution Day – Keep up the good work, commit yourself anew, or make a few belated resolutions if you haven’t already doen so. Our Goal Setting Worksheets can help you think through changes you’d like to make. And our Free Printable Habit Trackers can help keep you on course.
- Curried Chicken Day – Yum!
- Work Harder Day – Do your chores heartily and cheerfully! This free coloring page celebrates the value of hard work
- National Hot Tea Day – Here’s a fun Tea Time Trivia Test to enjoy while you let your tea cool down a bit. Wouldn’t want to scorch your tongue on this, one of our favorite January holidays!
January 13
- Healthy Weight, Healthy Look Day (second Thursday of January) – Ditch the fad diets in favor of lifestyle changes that will help you reach and maintain these goals.
- Make Your Dream Come True Day – Your best hope for realizing your dreams? Set small, specific goals and work steadily toward making what you hope for a reality.
- Public Radio Broadcasting Day – If you live in East Texas, this would be a great day to visit the Texas Broadcast Museum in Kilgore.
- National Rubber Ducky Day
- National Sticker Day – Did you know we offer lots of free printable stickers on this website? We do!
January 14
- World Logic Day
- Dress Up Your Pet Day – Sadly, this doesn’t work very well for goldfish.
- Take a Missionary to Lunch Day
- International Kite Day – “Let’s go fly a kite up to the highest height. Let’s go fly a kite and send it soaring!”
- Organize Your Home Day – Tackle the area that bugs you most, declutter, clean, tidy it up, and brainstorm ways to make it more functional.
January 15
- National Use Your Gift Card Day (third Saturday of January) – Don’t let the languish in your wallet… spend them, as was intended!
- Humanitarian Day
- National Strawberry Ice Cream Day
- National Hat Day
- National Fresh-Squeezed Juice Day – Just the thing to drink with your bagel (see below).
- National Bagel Day – Our family celebrates this one almost weekly, by meeting friends at Einstein’s every Sunday after church. If you’re a frequent bagel customer, too, be sure to sign up for Einstein’s free Schmear Society. Rewards add up fast.
January 16
- National Sanctity of Human Life Day (third Sunday in January) – President Ronald Reagan set aside this day as a way “to bring awareness to the attacks that are daily waged against human life through the abortion industry.”
- World Snow Day (third Sunday of January) – If you happen to have snow today, try some of our favorite snowy activities to make the most of it.
- Religious Freedom Day
- Book Publisher’s Day
- International Hot & Spicy Food Day
- Appreciate a Dragon Day — This would be a perfect time to watch (or re-watch) How to Train Your Dragon (or read the book)..
- National Nothing Day – I can think of absolutely nothing to do on this bizarre January holiday!
- National Good Teen Day – Contrary to naysayers who treat teenagers as an affliction to be endured, we’ve had wonderful teens that have filled our home with love and laughter. Teens do need lots of prayer, though, and they appreciate it when we treat them like the young adults they are becoming.
January 17
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday of January) – We offer lots of free printable resources for MLK Day. Check them out!
- National Day of Service (third Monday of January)
- Elementary School Teacher Day (third Monday of January) – How about sending these Teacher Appreciation Gifts to school with your children today?
- Ditch New Years Resolutions Day – Forget celebrating this one. You’re not going to give up less than three weeks in to the new year, are you? Instead of ditching your resolutions, double down on them with these 7 Tips for Reaching Your Goals.
- Cable Car Day
- Kid Inventors’ Day
- Benjamin Franklin Day – Here’s a Ben Franklin Quote Coloring Page to help you celebrate Ben’s birthday.
January 18
- Thesaurus Day – As a writer, I find a good thesaurus indispensable, so I’m happy to hear this reference book has its very own holiday.
- Winnie the Pooh Day – This is the birthday of Winnie’s author A.A. Milne. Why not celebrate by reading a couple of his children’s stories about Pooh and his friends?
- Maintence Day
- National Gourmet Coffee Day – I dislike the taste and smell of coffee, but if coffee’s your thing, knock yourself out today!
January 19
- National Popcorn Day – This would be a great time to enjoy a big bowl of hot popcorn (go easy on the butter). Did you know popcorn counts as a whole grain food?
- Good Memory Day
- Gun Appreciation Day
- New Friends Day
- National Tin Can Day – Celebrate this holiday by up-cycling a tin can or two. Here are 7 of the Savviest Repurposing Projects I’ve ever seen.
January 20
- National Buttercrunch Day
- National Cheese Lover Day– Chips and queso, anyone?
- Penguin Awareness Day – Take a few minutes to watch a video of some super cute penguins, like this one:
January 21
- National Hugging Day – I once read people need at least seven hugs a day to stay healthy. And, in case you didn’t get enough cuddling in on the sixth, today’s hugs will help keep you healthy — and warm!.
- National Granola Bar Day
- One Liners Day
- International Playdate Day
- National Hugging Day – I’ve heard it takes seven hugs a day to stay healthy. Are you helping folks around you reach their quota?
- National New England Clam Chowder Day
- Own Your Own Home Day
- Squirrel Appreciation Day – Our family has always loved squirrels, but we learned to appreciate them even more after raising a couple ourselves. Here’s how we did it:
January 22
- National Blonde Brownie Day – I much prefer chocolate brownies, but everyone is entitled to her own opinion, I guess. If you like to leave the cocoa out of your baking, this holiday is for you!
- Celebration of Life Day
- National Polka Dot Day
- National Hot Sauce Day
January 23
- National Sanctity of Human Life Sunday (Sunday nearest to Jan.22) – A somber day mourning the loss of all babies who have lost their life to abortion since the passage of Roe v. Wade in 1973
- Measure Your Feet Day – Whenever my kids had a growth spurt, their feet were the first things to get big. That has always been the tell-tale sign. We offer several styles of free printable growth charts. This holiday makes me wish I’d included a shoe-size column, as well.
- National Pie Day – If you, like I, have sworn to cut down on sugar in the new year, you may want to celebrate this day with a savory pie instead of a sweet one. Chicken Pot Pie is one of our family’s favorite — and is quick and easy to make.
- National Handwriting Day
January 24
- Compliment Day
- Global Belly Laugh Day – Take turns telling jokes today. One great source: Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids
- National “Just Do It” Day – Break the task down into manageable chunks and track your progress this our handy chart.
- National Compliment Day
- Macintosh Computer Day
- National Peanut Butter Day – Serve up some PB&Js for lunch or bake a batch of our 10-Minute Peanut Butter Cookies
January 25
- National Plan for a Vacation Day (last Tuesday of January) – Check out these websites for help in vacation planning.They’ve always been a huge help to me.
- Speak Up and Succeed Day (fourth Tuesday of January)
- Opposite Day
- <Fluoride Day – Take good care of your teeth. Our dental hygiene chart can help.
January 26
- Library Shelfie Day (fourth Wednesday of January)
- National Green Juice Day – Kiwi and kale juice, anyone?
- Australia Day
- International Customs Day
- National Spouse Day – The Bible’s instruction to married couples? “Husband, Love Your Wife” and “Wife, Respect Your Husband.” Today would be a good time to check in and ask how well you’re doing in this endeavor. And maybe even go on a date night.
January 27
- Clashing Clothes Day (fourth Thursday of January)
- World Breast Pumping Day
- National Geographic Day
- Punch the Clock Day
- Chocolate Cake Day – Bake one to celebrate. You’ll find our favorite recipe for celebrating this holiday here: Texas Sheet Cake.
January 28
- National Preschool Health and Fitness Day (last Friday of January) – Check out these ideas for encouraging creativity in active preschoolers.
- National Blueberry Pancake Day
- Daisy Day
- Thank a Plug-In Developer Day
- Data Privacy Day
- National Kazoo Day
- Fun at Work Day
- Global Community Engagement Day – One of the best ways I know of being engaged in your community? Reaching out to the people who live near you. Here are 25 Ways to Be a Good Neighbor.
January 29
- National Puzzle Day
- National Corn Chip Day – Enjoy some corn chips with a big bowl of our homemade guacamole or the world’s best pico de gallo. Yum!
- Seeing Eye Dog Day
- National Carnation Day – Carnations smell so nice and last such a long time!
- National Puzzle Day – For an especial challenge, check out Dr. Livingston’s Anatomy Puzzles or this US History over Time Puzzle.
- National Seed Swap Day
- Thomas Paine Day (also known as Freethinkers Day ) – A great day for coloring this Thomas Paine printable and committing his words to memory.
January 30
- National Inane Answering Message Day
- Yodel for Your Neighbors Day – In case you didn’t get your fill of singing Christmas carols from door to door last month, there’s this January holiday to scratch the serenading your neighbors itch!
- National Escape Day
January 31
- Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day (last Monday in January) – My kids love to pop the bubbles. How about yours?
- National Hot Cocoa Day
- Backward Day
- Inspire Your Heart with Art Day
- Scotch Tape Day
- Eat Brussels Sprouts Day – If you don’t think you like this good-for-you vegetable, try our recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts. Delicious!
Special observances that last the entire month of January
January is the month we observe…
- Bath Safety Month – Rub-a-Dub-Dub… don’t slip in the tub!
- Blood Donor Month – Give the gift of life!
- Brain Teaser Month – I love brain teasers and work a sudoku puzzle almost daily. My favorite are the Brain Game Sudoku books, because the spiral-bound pages lay flat and the large print is easy to read, with plenty of space in each square for making notes.
- Braille Literacy Month
- Mentoring Month – Having trouble finding a good mentor? Here are a few good places to find one.
- National Hobby Month – Maybe pick up a brand new hobby this year?
- National Slow Cooking Month – Want something fast and easy but nutritious to pop into your crockpot? Check out Kelly McNelis’s No-Cook Freezer Meal Cookbook.
- National Oatmeal Month
- National Soup Month – Enjoy a big, hot bowl of our Creamy Potato, Hearty Minestrone, or Garlicky Lentils.
That ends my list of January Holidays. For more posts in this series, please follow this link: Monthly Holidays & Quirky Celebrations And to keep the fun going through every season of life, check out our family fun bundle. It’s packed with practical ways to nurture family relationships and make the most of daily interactions all year long.
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