30 Offbeat Holidays to Celebrate in September

Even after Labor Day has come and gone, there is still plenty to celebrate in September, as the list of holidays below proves. And if nothing in here catches your fancy, just remember that September is also Happy Cat Month.

1. September 2: Bring Your Manners To Work Day

Whatever it is you do, do it politely. (Even if it’s via Zoom.)

2. September 3: National Skyscraper Day

Celebrate the architectural triumphs that make the skyline of your city unique by paying tribute to oversized buildings. This day coincides with the birthday of Louis Sullivan, the influential architect who helped develop and advance the skyscraper movement in the late 19th century.

3. September 4: Eat an Extra Dessert Day

You may have observed this holiday a little early on Labor Day, but go ahead and indulge those residual gluttonous impulses because this holiday gives you the green light. That leftover pie isn’t going to eat itself, so really, it’s the least you can do.

4. September 4: National Newspaper Carrier Day

This day honors Barney Flaherty, who was hired as the first paperboy for the New York Sun way back in 1833. (International Newspaper Carrier Day, meanwhile, is happening on October 8, 2022.)

5. September 5: Cheese Pizza Day

No frills, just pizza-y deliciousness.

6. September 5: Be Late For Something Day

While a lot of people don't need an excuse to be late, here’s a day for all you punctual types out there to cut loose and be tardy for once. Just don't be so late that you miss the holiday entirely.

7. September 6: National Fight Procrastination Day

One of these years we're going to get around to celebrating—though it does seem awfully cruel to place this holiday the day after Be Late for Something Day.

8. September 7: Neither Rain Nor Snow Day

September 7 is the anniversary of the opening of the New York Post Office in 1914, and the name of the holiday comes from the inscription on the building: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." While the line is a familiar one, it's neither the post office's motto nor its policy.

9. September 10: TV Dinner Day

The TV dinner was first introduced to consumers in the United States by C.A. Swanson & Sons in the early 1950s. This pre-packaged, frozen meal would not only provide you a whole dinner with the slight flick of an oven—it was also designed for ease of consumption while parked in front of a television screen.

10. September 10: Swap Ideas Day

This is less of a celebration and more of a reminder to not hoard good ideas: They're much more useful when you put them out into the open.

11. September 11: Grandparents Day

Mom and dad get one, so why not the older generation? Grandparents Day has been celebrated annually on the first Sunday after Labor Day since 1978. Many other countries have their own versions of this day at some point during the year and, unlike the U.S., they often give grandmothers and grandfathers their own separate days. Just something to think about.

12. September 11: National Hug Your Hound Day

If you don't have a hound of your own to hug, looking at photos of other people hugging their hounds is a perfectly acceptable substitute.

13. September 13: Kids Take Over The Kitchen Day

Just maybe don't be so quick to eat what they make (or keep a close eye on how they’re preparing it).

14. September 16: World Play-Doh Day

Today's the perfect day to do something with your favorite childhood clay! It's OK with us if you mostly just smell it.

15. September 16: Mayflower Day

This is the anniversary of the day in 1620 when 102 men, women, and children set sail from Plymouth, England, aboard the Mayflower.

16. September 16: Anne Bradstreet Day

September 16 was officially proclaimed a holiday by the governor of Massachusetts to honor Anne Bradstreet, an under-appreciated figure in the history of American literature. Bradstreet, who emigrated to the colonies along with her family in 1630, is considered to be America's first poet for her 1650 work, The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America, published, supposedly, without her knowledge.

17. September 17: Constitution Day

On September 17, 1787, the Constitution of the United States of America was officially signed—although it wasn't voted into effect until two years later. Since 1952, Citizenship Day has also been celebrated on September 17.

18. September 19: International Talk Like a Pirate Day

International Talk Like a Pirate Day just might be the most widely-known offbeat holiday, because who doesn't relish the chance to call everyone matey?

19. September 21: World Gratitude Day

In 1977, those hippies at the United Nations Meditation Group established World Gratitude Day to appreciate existence. Even the least existential among us can recognize a thing or two in our lives for which we feel grateful. For example, we here at Mental Floss are grateful that you’re still reading this article.

20. September 22: Elephant Appreciation Day

This ode to oversized pachyderms was created by Mission Media Inc. founder Wayne Hepburn in 1996. Years before, his daughter had given him an elephant paperweight that led to an ongoing obsession with the animals, which eventually culminated in the creation of this holiday.

21. September 22: American Business Women's Day

First recognized by Congressional resolution in 1983, this honoring of the female half of the workforce is celebrated annually on the anniversary of the 1949 founding date of the American Business Women's Association.

22. September 22: Hobbit Day

On the birthday of both Frodo and Bilbo Baggins, J.R.R. Tolkien fans celebrate all things The Lord of the Rings. It is also the day that determines the larger celebration of Tolkien Week.

23. September 22: Dear Diary Day

Get reacquainted with your diary … and penmanship … and maybe some feelings.

24. September 22: National Centenarian’s Day

Time to celebrate the 100-year-old in your life—or think about all that you could accomplish in a full century of life.

25. September 24: National Punctuation Day

Let the Oxford comma debates begin!

26. September 25: National One-Hit Wonder Day

Get your playlist started now. (Here are some of our favorites to get you started.)

27. September 26: Johnny Appleseed Day

There is some debate about whether this American folklore hero should be celebrated on the anniversary of his birth on September 26, or on the anniversary of his death in March. But this is a celebration, after all, so let's stick with his birthday.

28. September 28th: Drink Beer Day

Finally, an excuse to throw back a cold one—and fascinate your friends by telling them how many beers are in a keg.

29. September 29: National Coffee Day

We won't talk to you before you've celebrated this magical beverage.

30. September 29: Biscotti Day

Surely it's no coincidence that this falls on the same day as National Coffee Day, and that's why we love the offbeat holiday gods.

A version of this story ran in 2020; it has been updated to reflect new dates for 2022.