What do handbags, cheese curds, and feral cats have in common? They are each celebrated by a holiday in the month of October, of course! In fact, there are quite a lot of little-known, and certainly unofficial, holidays this month. Check out this list of 10 of our favorites, along with some suggestions for your TBR list in honor of these unusual, but book-worthy, national days.
1. National Handbag Day, Oct. 10
Started in 2012 by PurseBlog.com, National Handbag Day is a chance to revel in handbags of all descriptions. Some famous literary bags you might want to revisit in honor of the day include Hermione’s beaded handbag from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling and Mary Poppins’ carpet bag from Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers. Another fun read is Handbags and Homicide by Dorothy Howell.
Source: Amazon
2. National Cheese Curd Day, Oct. 15
Get into the spirit of National Cheese Curd Day, created by Culver’s restaurant chain, by grabbing some tasty cheese snacks and cuddling up with an appropriately cheesy book. We suggest The Telling Room: A Tale of Love Betrayal, Revenge, and the World’s Greatest Piece of Cheese by Michael Paterniti, Blessed Are the Cheesemakers by Sarah-Kate Lynch, or The Long Quiche Goodbye by Avery Aames.
Source: Amazon
3. National Feral Cat Day, Oct. 16
National Feral Cat Day was started by Alley Cat Allies in 2001 to bring awareness to feral cats. Spend the day with good cat book in memory of feral cats everywhere. Some options are the Warriors series by Erin Hunter, Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin, and the Cat Who series by Lilian Jackson Braun.
Source: Amazon
4. National Mulligan Day, Oct. 17
In golf, a mulligan is a do-over. National Mulligan Day is a day to give yourself a second chance, not just on the course, though in any area of your life where you might need one. Some books about second chances include Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, Every Day by David Leviathan, and The Legend of Bagger Vance by Steven Pressfield.
Source: Amazon
5. National No Beard Day, Oct. 18
While beards might be fashionable these days, October 18th has been designated as National No Beard Day. You can find some literary guys with smooth chins in Young and Beardless by John Luke Robertson and The Beardless Warriors by Richard Matheson. Or check out Of Beards and Men: The Revealing History of Facial Hair by Christopher Oldstone-Moore.
6. National Make a Difference Day, Oct. 22
National Make a Difference Day was started in 1992 and is celebrated on the fourth Saturday in October to encourage people to get out and help others. You can find some characters who made a difference in books like Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde, The Giver by Lois Lowry, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
Source: Amazon
7. National Mother-in-Law Day, Oct. 23
The fourth Sunday in October is the perfect day to celebrate your mother-in-law. Commemorate the day by reading one of these books: The Mother-in-Law Diaries by Carol Dawson, The Daughter-in-law Syndrome by Stevie Turner, and Trouble in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law #1) by Jana DeLeon.
Source: Amazon
8. National Bologna Day, Oct. 24
Slap together a sandwich and get ready to observe National Bologna Day! While you’re eating, enjoy a good bologna-themed read like The Curse of the Bologna Sandwich by Greg Trine, Chocolate-Covered Baloney by KD McCrite, or Farming, Friends & Fried Bologna Sandwiches by Renea Winchester.
Source: Amazon
9. National Chocolate Day, Oct. 28
Chocolate lovers of the world unite on October 28th to celebrate National Chocolate Day. Pick out your favorite chocolate treat and enjoy it along with a deliciously good book like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, Chocolat by Joanne Harris, or Dying for Chocolate by Diane Mott Davidson.
Source: Amazon
10. National Hermit Day, Oct 29
Finally, October 29th is National Hermit Day, which commemorates the death of St. Colman in 632 A.D. What better way to celebrate hermits past and present then by tuning out the world with a good book? Some good choices are The Wall by Marlen Haushofer, Solitude: a Return to the Self by Anthony Storr, and of course, Walden by Henry David Thoreau.
Source: Amazon
Which national days will you celebrate this month?
YouTube Channel: FGCU
Featured image via Pixabay
