Looking to celebrate? There's a national day for that

Adam Ramsey, a UNC sophomore, recalls visiting his grandmother in an assisted living community. 

His grandmother and several other residents were listening to 1970s rock, and when Ramsey sang along with them, they were shocked. “You know this music?” they said.

Celebrating music like this is what National Jukebox Day is about. This holiday falls on the day before Thanksgiving each year and is one of the many random holidays of which people have grown fond.

“There’s a national holiday for almost anything,” said UNC sophomore Jade Klein. “It gives every day a purpose and makes it fun.”

TouchTunes is an interactive platform used in restaurants throughout the country. Last year, the company and National Day Calendar, an organization that declares holidays, officially declared National Jukebox Day. The holiday falls on Nov. 22 this year.

Juan Nunez, a spokesperson for TouchTunes, said the holiday was created to recognize the significant role of the jukebox throughout history.

“From 1889 to present day, the jukebox has evolved to become a premier entertainment platform for social venues and a mainstay that connects people through the power of music,” he said.

The day before Thanksgiving was chosen because at this time of year, people are typically spending time with friends and family. Restaurants and other social venues are busier, and the demand for music in these settings increases. As friends and family socialize, they are able to use the jukebox and other devices to play music and reconnect.

“We are overjoyed to celebrate the ability for music fans to set the vibe for their night by playing music on a jukebox,” Nunez said.

Although it seems there is a different holiday being celebrated every day, there are only 10 national holidays recognized by the United States federal government. Holly McGuire, a senior editor at Chase’s Calendar of Events, said it is more accurate to refer to these celebrations as national days.

In 1958, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce gave Chase's the authority to register national holidays. Chase's is an almanac for information like holidays, special events and historical anniversaries, and anyone can submit a suggestion for a national day.

McGuire said there are not strict criteria in order to establish a national day with Chase’s, but there are several aspects the company looks for.

It is important that the person suggesting the holiday has a plan, has demonstrated commitment and has a reason for establishing the day, she said. For example, if it is a medical day, Chase's prefers that the appropriate nonprofit organization sponsor or be in support of it.

Another important aspect is hosting an actual celebration of the holiday, preferably before submitting it.

“Something small was argyle day, which was started by a small group from an office who decided to all wear something with argyle one day,” McGuire said. “They did and submitted it to us, and we accepted it.”

The last criterion: the holiday can’t already exist.

“Chase’s always gets flack because we didn’t, for example, accept a national chocolate day,” McGuire said. “Well, there are already three national chocolate days.”

Another way to get a recognized national day is to have it proclaimed by a local or state politician. This is slightly more difficult than other methods because it requires getting the attention of a congressperson, who would have to re-proclaim the holiday every year, she said.

“Every once in a while, there will be a holiday that people will keep proclaiming, like Breast Cancer Month,” McGuire said.

She said Chase’s normally receives around 100 suggestions for national days each year.

“We used to get a lot more,” McGuire said, “But now on our website, we have information about our criteria and a pretty long submission form.”

About half of the suggestions become recognized as national days.

An international registry for celebrations does not exist. The closest thing to an international day is when the United Nations proclaims special days, McGuire said.

She said there are several main reasons for why people submit national days. A big reason is that they think it is fun.

“There are people who are addicted to celebration,” she said. “They just want to come up with as many holidays as they can.”

Another major reason is advocacy. Creating a national holiday is one way to attract attention to a cause.

Upon learning about National Jukebox Day, Ramsey understood why people would want to celebrate it.

“It’s all about nostalgia,” he said. “It’s just fun to hear a song and remember it. It adds an extra happiness to it.”

Some UNC students even want to start their own holidays.

“There should be a National Hummus Day because it’s the best food,” Klein said.

There is not a National Hummus Day, but there is an International Hummus Day observed on May 13.

If you want to submit your own request to create a national day, you can visit Chase’s website and fill out the suggestion form.

@ampogarcic

state@dailytarheel.com

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