Offbeat Holidays Worth Putting on Your Calendar This March

1. Napping Day (March 9)

Napping Day lands strategically the Monday after Daylight Saving Time, when the whole country is running on fumes. A 20-minute nap can boost alertness, mood and performance better than a cup of coffee (challenge accepted!). Celebrate by blocking your calendar, closing your office door and doing the most rebellious thing a working adult can do: absolutely nothing.

2. Mario Day (March 10)

Every year on March 10, the internet collectively realizes that MAR10 looks like “Mario” so Nintendo fans worldwide fire up their consoles, settle into their gaming or beanbag chairs and speedrun through the Mushroom Kingdom. Celebrate by hosting a Mario Kart tournament and if anyone throws a blue shell in the final lap, escort them out immediately.

3. Everything You Think Is Wrong Day (March 15)

Born from a spirit of epistemic humility (a fancy way of saying "you might just be wrong"), this day encourages people to flip their life assumptions entirely. Maybe you've actually been loading the dishwasher wrong this whole time, pineapple does belong on pizza or your family's secret recipe is actually the one from the back of the box. Sit with that.

4. Everything You Do Is Right Day (March 16)

Because the universe loves to keep us on our toes, the very next day is Everything You Do Is Right Day. There are no wrong moves. Trust your gut and eat cake for breakfast, reply to that email with just one word or text your ex back (just kidding, even the universe has limits).

5. Awkward Moments Day (March 18)

Awkward Moments Day was invented for anyone who has ever waved back at someone who wasn't waving at them. The holiday celebrates all those cringe-worthy moments that make us universally human. Celebrate by sharing your most painfully awkward story with a friend, because nothing bonds people faster than realizing someone else has also accidentally called their teacher "mom."

6. Let's Laugh Day (March 19)

Laughter has been scientifically shown to reduce stress hormones and boost immune function, which means this holiday is basically free healthcare. Queue up your favorite stand-up special, send a meme you think is absolutely hilarious to someone who needs it or just start laughing for no reason and watch how fast people around you join in (or slowly back away).

7. International Goof Off Day (March 22)

Mother and daughter playing with crafts under a blanket fort

Inviting people to ditch productivity and just play; since the days of disco and bell-bottoms, International Goof Off Day is a full-on permission slip to be completely unproductive with zero guilt. Spend a completely unreasonable amount of time perfecting your bracket for a sport you don't actually follow or lose two hours to a YouTube rabbit hole that somehow brought you from homemade pizza dough to Marvel easter eggs.

8. Near Miss Day (March 23)

Near Miss Day commemorates the 1989 asteroid that nearly collided with Earth. The holiday is a slightly terrifying nudge to appreciate the fact that we are all, cosmically speaking, extremely lucky to be here. Celebrate by finally forgiving whoever wronged you at that dinner party in 2019, because is holding a petty grudge really worth it when a space rock could show up unannounced at any moment?

9. Make Up Your Own Holiday Day (March 26)

This is the meta holiday that validates all the others. Make Up Your Own Holiday Day invites anyone to declare something worth celebrating and run with it. Pitch National Inbox Zero Eve, I'll Remember It Without Writing It Down Day (I Did Not Remember It) or I Was Going to Clean but I Sat Down Day.

10. Smoke and Mirrors Day (March 29)

Smoke and Mirrors Day is a nod to the old stage magician tricks of the 1800s, where mirrors and smoke created the illusion of floating bodies and disappearing acts that made audiences lose their minds. Celebrate by watching the Godfather of theatrical illusion himself, David Copperfield, or attempting a "Is this your card?" trick on a coworker for the fourth time.

Offbeat March Holidays Worth Celebrating