Eighth in my monthly series on celebration-worthy moments, below you’ll find a lengthy listing of August Holidays and Quirky Celebrations. I hope these posts will help you make every month more memorable all year long.
You’ll notice that some items on this list are linked to other pages. Click through for ideas and resources to help your family get the most out of each occasion.
Rather than relying on memory or needing to reference this post multiple times throughout the month, I suggest making note on your calendar TODAY of any holidays that interest you and printing any related resources in advance.
August Holidays and Quirky Celebrations
August 1
National Mustard Day (first Saturday in August) – What’s your favorite thing to slather in mustard? A corny dog? A sandwich? Or maybe just mix it into our All-American Potato Salad?
National Disk Golf Day (first Saturday in August)
Taxpayer Appreciation Day (first Saturday in August)
Planner Day – If you need a good day planner, here’s what I use.
Play Ball Day
Spiderman Day – What better time to rewatch one of the Marvel Spiderman movies? Which Spidey did you like best? Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, or Tom Holland?
National Raspberry Cream Pie Day
Homemade Pie Day
Woman Astronomers Day – A great day to screen Hidden Figures — especially if you’ve never seen it before — and color Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God.”
Respect for Parents Day – “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:1-2).
August 2
American Family Day (first Sunday in August) – The Bible says, “God sets the lonely in families”(Psalm 68:6). And aren’t you glad he does? Whether you were born, adopted (officially or unofficially), or married into your family, today’s the day to celebrate.
International Forgiveness Day (first Sunday in August) – Any day is a good day to practice forgiveness — the sooner, the better!
Sisters Day (first Sunday in August)
National Ice Cream Sandwich Day – Buy a box of pre-made ice cream sandwiches, or bake some big peanut butter cookies and make your own.
Dinosaurs Day
National CAD Day – No, this August Holiday doesn’t celebrate dishonorable rogues and scoundrels, but celebrates the wonders of computer aided design.
National Coloring Book Day – Did you know I have a full line of beautifully detailed, Biblically-based coloring books? I do!
August 3
Clean Your Floors Day – Mmmm! Don’t you love the way freshly swept, mopped, and vacuumed floors feel under your feet?
Grab Some Nuts Day
Esther Day
National Watermelon Day – So sweet and juicy! Have a contest to see who can finish eating a slice the fastest… with both hands held behind their back!
August 4
National Night Out (first Tuesday in August) – If it’s been awhile since you’ve had a date with your spouse, here’s the perfect excuse for a night out together.
Hooray for Kids Day – “Children are a blessing from the LORD,” as this coloring page reminds us.
National Chocolate Chip COOKIE Day – May 15 is National Chocolate Chip Day, but if you want to honor more than just the ingredient, today’s the day to celebrate. So bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies today and enjoy them warm from the oven with a cold glass of milk. Yum!
Single Working Women’s Day
US Coast Guard Day – A good time to learn the Coast Guard Military Anthem.
August 5
National Underwear Day – Check your kids drawers to see if they need to be replaced before the start of a new school year.
Green Peppers Day – How about stuffed jalapeños or green bell peppers with hummus on the dinner menu tonight?
National Lighthouse Day – This August holiday would be the perfect time to read aloud The Light at Tern Rock. It’s short enough you could probably finish it in a single sitting.
Beach Party Day
National Sea Serpent Day
Purple Heart Day – Anniversary of the day George Washington first instituted the purple heart in 1782.
August 8
National Bowling Day (second Saturday in August) – Did you know kids can bowl free all summer? Check this list for lanes near you.
National Garage Sale Day (second Saturday in August) – For tips on getting the most out a garage sale, whether you are selling or shopping, read this post.
National Dollar Day – Time to take a trip to the Dollar Store!
Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day – If you live near me, you’re welcome to leave some on my porch. We love zucchini cooked every way imaginable — but especially sliced into Mama’s Marvelous Minestrone Soup.
August 9
Melon Day (second Sunday in August) – How about a melon salad? Combine diced cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon and serve chilled.
Spirit of ’45 Day (second Sunday in August)
National Hand Holding Day
International Coworkers Day
Veep Day – I’ve published a prayer for our President, but since the Vice President is but a heartbeat away from that job, we should be praying for the Veep, too.
Left Hander’s Day – Try to do everything only using your non-dominant hand today. Supposedly, left-handed toothbrushing helps stave off Alzheimer’s.
National Filet Minon Day – A good excuse to put these bacon-wrapped bundles of deliciousness on the menu tonight.
August 14
Social Security Day
National Creamsicle Day
National Financial Awareness Day – Our bill payment checklist will help you stay on top of financial responsibilities — and will provide important information for the surviving spouse should anything happen to the one who normally takes care of such matters.
August 15
Break the Monotony Day (third Saturday in August) – What can you do to shake things up a bit today
International Geocaching Day (third Saturday in August)
Homeless Animals Day (third Saturday in August)
Relaxation Day
National Failures Day – Nobody likes to lose, but past failures can teach us valuable lessons. Let’s celebrate that fact today!
True Love Forever Day – How do you know it’s true love? This printable is full of tell-tale clues!
National Tell a Joke Day
National Bratwurst Day
Roller Coaster Day – Anniversary of the day first patent was awarded for a loop-the-loop roller coaster. If you can’t ride a coaster today, you can at least read about one.
August 17
Stay Home with Your Kids Day (third Monday in August) – If you are blessed to be able to stay home with your children, be grateful for the privilege you’ve been given and use it wisely.
Cupcake Day (third Monday in August)
National Nonprofit Day
National Thriftshop Day – Time to raid your local secondhand shops!
Baby Boomers Recognition Day
National #2 Pencil Day
National I Love My Feet Day – How about treating them right with a pedicure today?
August 18
Bad Poetry Day – Good, bad, or indifferent, try your hand at writing a poem today.
National Fajita Day – Main course for dinner tonight!
National Ice Cream Pie Day – And for dessert, once you’ve polished off the fajitas?
Never Give Up Day – Take a firm stand on the truth, then never, never, never, never, never give up!
Mail Order Catalogue Day
Messy Art Day – Painting? Sculpting? Paper mache? What’s a craft your kids love but you resist because of the mess? Today’s the day to say yes and encourage their creativity.
August 19
Aviation Day
World Photo Day – Grab your camera and start snapping pics of the world around you — maybe even go on a photo safari!
National Hot and Spicy Food Day
National Sandcastle and Sculpture Day
World Humanitarian Day
National Potato Day – How about hashbrowns for breakfast, potato soup for lunch, and/or a baked potato bar for dinner?
August 20
National Radio Day
National Bacon Lover’s Day – All the excuse my husband needs to indulge in this, his favorite breakfast meat.
World Mosquito Day
National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day
National Lemonade Day – How about making a nice refreshing pitcher of ice cold lemonade to enjoy while coloring our citrus coloring page?
August 21
Senior Citizen’s Day
National Spumoni Day
Poet’s Day
World Honey Bee Day – How about surprising your loved ones with these sweet treats in honor of this August holiday?
August 22
Be an Angel Day
National Tooth Fairy Day – This August holiday is not exclusive, but is also celebrated on February 28. I guess kids who lose teeth on the other 363 days of the year are out of luck. ? (To make sure they don’t lose anything but baby teeth, print a free copy of our dental health chart for each child.)
World Plant Milk Day
National Eat a Peach Day – They should be ripe and juicy this time of year! If possible, enjoy them fresh off the tree at a local pick-your-own farm.
August 23
National Ride the Wind Day
Buttered Corn Day
Cuban Sandwich Day
Black Ribbon Day – European remembrance day for victims of Stalinism and Nazism
Daffodil Day – Not time for daffodils to bloom or bulbs to be planted, but a day to raise awareness for cancer.
Motorist Consideration Monday (last Monday in August)
National Waffle Day
Vesuvius Day
National Peach Pie Day – If you picked your own peaches two days ago, you can use what’s leftover to bake a pie today!
National Knife Day
Shooting Star Day
Pluto Demotion Day
William Wilberforce Day – This August holiday, which honors the famous British abolitionist, makes the perfect time to watch Amazing Grace, a film about his life’s work.
August 25
Touch-a-Heart Tuesday (last Tuesday in August)
National Park Service Founders Day – If you live close enough to any National Park, this would be a good day to mark one off our bucket list of 50 National Parks everybody should visit
Kiss and Make Up Day
National Secondhand Wardrobe Day
National Banana Split Day – You know what to do!
August 26
Willing-to-Lend-a-Hand Wednesday (last Wednesday in August) – Investigate opportunities to volunteer in your community, then pitch in and help. Try one of these 50 small but impactful volunteer opportunities to get started.
National Dog Day
Cherry Popsicle Day
National Toilet Paper Day – Remember back in 2020 when there was a national shortage of TP? Can we pause a moment today and thank God for simple luxuries? And when we’re finished with the rolls, how about using the empty tubes for one of these cool projects?
August 27
Thoughtful Thursday (last Thursday in August) – How can you be extra-considerate of the people around you?
Just Because Day
National Banana Lover’s Day
Tarzan Day – If your family is not already movied out this month, maybe you could watch Tarzan together tonight. Do you prefer the animated version or the live action film?
World Rock Paper Scissors Day – Play a few rounds. My kids use this method for making decisions all the time: Who’ll go first in a game or refill drinks at the dinner table or get the last chocolate chip cookie! One of our sons and his wife even use rock, paper, scissors to decide which one will change the baby’s diaper. Ha!
August 28
Forgive-Your-Foe Friday (last Friday in August) – And that’s just the first step. Jesus commands us to “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:27-28)
National Bow Tie Day
National Cherry Turnover Day
Dream Day Quest and Jubilee – anniversary of the day Martin Luther King, Jr. first delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech
August 29
Speak Kind Words Saturday (last Saturday in August) – Use our Kindness Punchcards to encourage your kids to make speaking kind words a habit.
Pony Express Day (last Saturday in August)
Unbirthday Day
Individual Rights Day
Chop Suey Day
More Herbs, Less Salt Day
Lemon Juice Day – I love this quote on a plaque in my schoolteaching friend’s house: “If life gives you melons, you may have dyslexia.”
August 30
Sacrifice Our Wants for Other’s Needs Sunday (last Sunday in August) – A very Christ-like thing to do.
Frankenstein Day
International Whale Shark Day
Starry Night Day – Not sure if this is a sendup to Van Gogh’s famous painting or an invitation to go star gazing once the sun goes down…
Toasted Marshmallow Day
Slinky Day
National Beach Day
National Grief Awareness Day
August 31
National Trail Mix Day
National Bacon Day
Love Litigating Lawyers Day
National Matchmaker Day
National Diatomaceous Earth Day
We Love Memoirs Day – If this sounds like a day you’re excited to celebrate, then check out my memoirs, written in the format of annual family Christmas letters.
Week-long Celebrations in the Month of August
First Week of August
National Exercise with Your Child Week (first full week in August) – For a fun way to incorporate your kids in a regular exercise program, try our Stop, Drop, and Roll printables.
National Simplify your Life Week
World Breastfeeding Week (for 7 days following August 1) – There is so much to love about breastfeeding, but here are a few of my favorites.
Second Week of August
National Smile Week
Afternoon Tea Week (for 7 days following second Monday in August) – Enjoy a nice big cup of hot tea while taking our Tea Time Trivia Test.
Third Week of August
Friendship Week – Celebrate the ones you already have or use the time to find new friends.
Fourth Week of August
Be Kind to Humankind Week – The Bible tells us to “Clothe yourselves in kindness and compassion…” Isn’t that a great word picture?
Special observances that last the entire month of August
Admit You’re Happy Month
National Catfish Month
National Eye Exam Month
Peach Month
National Golf Month
National Breastfeeding Month
American Artist Appreciation Month
National Parks Month – Do you have a fourth grader? If so, your entire family can get into any National Park for free all year long. Follow this link for details.
National Eat Dessert First Month
Home Business Month
National Napping Month
National Publish Your e-Book Month
Romance Awareness Month
Water Quality Month
National Picnic Month
Family Fun Month – Need more ideas for family fun? I’ve written a whole book on the topic! Get yours here:
