If you listen to HSMSE’s morning announcements or watch national news, you’ve probably heard an announcer or reporter declare that today is National Grilled Cheese Day, or National Tortellini Day, or National Flannel Day, or any number of other ridiculous “days.” You, as a critical observer, have likely thought, “There’s no way all of these holidays are real.” I, too, have wondered about where these wacky holidays came from. The answer, as it turns out, is the result of one man’s love for popcorn and celebration.

The man in question, Marlo Anderson, started his website, nationaldaycalendar.com, on January 19, 2013—also known as National Popcorn Day. In fact, Anderson launched the website after he failed to find an origin story for National Popcorn Day, his favorite holiday. To this day, the National Popcorn Day history page is woefully lacking, but the same can’t be said about thousands of other holidays that now populate the website. It is the self-proclaimed “first calendar of its kind to curate the days all in one place.” These holidays, of course, aren’t government-recognized, but that doesn’t stop over 20,000 media outlets from referring to the National Day Calendar for information on when exactly National Fluffernutter Day is.

National days come from cultural traditions, town-wide celebrations, local business events, and more. Sometimes, even the most obscure holidays date back over half a century. The website also catalogs famous birthdays and actual, government-recognized holidays from every country in the world. Thanks to the National Day Calendar, these holidays can now be celebrated by people all around the globe. There’s even an option to submit new holidays, acknowledge a tradition, or highlight a business. Many big companies hoping to get recognition have proposed new holidays in their honor via the website, and a precious few have been approved and made into real (“real”) holidays.  

According to a TED Talk by Anderson, he lives by one simple philosophy: “Celebrate every day.” With this philosophy, one can truly enjoy life, and living no longer “feels like a task.” He calls us to use his website as an opportunity to find joy in the ups and downs of life (and as an opportunity to find joy in the wonders of the UK’s root vegetables on National British Carrots Day). The website does indeed make one feel inspired to celebrate. And perhaps that really is the secret to happiness: observing National Mason Jar Day when it comes around, finding joy in the random, the mundane. We could all use some more celebration in our lives.

Anderson created the National Day Calendar out of a passion for these silly little celebrations. It’s a site that encourages people to have fun without needing justification. Because really, we shouldn’t need a reason to celebrate the little joys of life. So maybe next time you hear it’s National Dueling Dinosaurs day, use it as an excuse to watch Jurassic Park with your friends or play with dinosaur Legos. You might just find you’re a little more excited to wake up in the morning and celebrate what life has to offer.