33 Non-Halloween October Holidays You Should Celebrate!
When it comes to October, Halloween gets all the love! This haunted harbinger of fall begins creeping onto store shelves as quickly as the discounted school supplies are cleared out and sometimes sprawls past its official holi-date well into November.
While we officially applaud the spooky season for trying to hold back the annual winter holiday music that seems to start earlier every year, we also think there are lots of other October holidays that are getting overlooked. Read on for 33 of our favorites, guaranteed to be better than candy corn and more fun than going out on a weekday Halloween night!
October 1st
World Vegetarian Day
If you’ve tried meatless Mondays and enjoyed the variety, or if you’re curious about a plant-based lifestyle, celebrate by trying a new recipe or snack!
National Homemade Cookies Day
There’s really nothing like homemade cookies! Try a simple, from-scratch recipe, try something complicated and French to test your skills, or put some store-bought cookie dough in the air fryer (we won’t judge).
October 2nd
National Name Your Car Day
If you haven’t named your car yet, today’s your day!
October 3rd
Mean Girls Day
It’s not like a regular holiday, it’s a cool holiday. (And yes, you can sit with us.)
October 4th
National Taco Day
We didn’t even realize there was a National Taco Day, but we usually celebrate it a few times a month! Soft shell or hard shell, from shrimp to carnitas, tacos are a perfect food!
October 5th
National Do Something Nice Day
Take a few minutes out of your day to do something nice for someone else. Pay for the order behind you at the coffee drive-thru, or genuinely compliment a stranger.
Random Acts of Poetry Day
When was the last time you made a poem? We say “made” and not “wrote” because the spirit of poetry can be written, spoken, or performed—take a chance and add some poetry to your life.
October 6th
National Noodle Day
Whether you celebrate with instant ramen or traditional Italian pasta night, there’s no way to go wrong with noodles.
October 7th
National Frappe Day
If you need an excuse to go get yourself a fancy, blended adult milkshake, this is probably the best one you’re going to find!
October 8th
World Octopus Day
This is one of the rare non-food holidays on our list—unless you choose to celebrate by eating octopus, which is admittedly delicious. Either way, take some time out to learn more about this amazing mollusk!
October 9th
Leif Erikson Day
Hey, everybody, it’s Leif Erikson Day! Remember to celebrate with a buddy (or a bubble buddy).
October 10th
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Take time to learn more about the indigenous peoples who lived in your area before your ancestors arrived. It’s illuminating to educate yourself about histories that have been overlooked for so long.
October 12th
National Savings Day
Any reminder to contribute to your savings is a good reminder! If you’re new to saving, the important parts are to plan for the long term and then stick to the plan.
October 14th
National Dessert Day
Should you celebrate with ice cream or cookies or pie or cake? Yes! Coordinate a holiday dessert party with family, friends, or coworkers and you really can have it all.
October 15th
National Fetch Day
Your dog is sincerely asking you to make fetch happen, and on this special day, we’ll allow it.
October 16th
National Train Your Brain Day
Have you been curious about brain training but never really got into it? So were we, and now’s the perfect time to get started!
Global Cat Day
If you have a cat or have spent any amount of time with a cat, you’re especially not surprised to learn that they have a holiday. It just seems like something cats would do.
October 17th
National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day
Take a look at your desktop. Are there any apps or files on there you literally never use? Go ahead and delete those, it’ll free up memory and make room for the stuff you do use. Wow, this is way easier than cleaning a physical desktop. The future is wild.
October 18th
Alaska Day
Alaska has unique geography and tons of local history anywhere you go. If you can’t make it in person, try Google Maps to wander the wilderness.
October 19th
National New Friends Day
It can be hard to make friends as an adult. Maybe this holiday can be a conversation starter to help with that?
October 20th
International Sloth Day
Whether we’re talking about deadly sins or animals in the superorder Xenarthra, our preference is sloth every single time.
October 21st
National Apple Day
While apples, in some form, are common around the globe, the significance the United States puts on apples is unique. From growing, to picking, to baking, there’s a thriving aesthetic to be cultivated around the art of the apple.
Back to the Future Day
Here’s your excuse to watch this classic 80s time travel movie set in the 1950s—and if you’re gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?
October 22nd
National Make a Difference Day
How will you make a difference today?
October 23rd
National Boston Cream Pie Day
If you’re not up to making (or buying and committing to eating) an entire Boston Cream Pie, get a Boston Cream Donut and have a smaller celebration.
October 24th
National Bologna Day
Have a bologna sandwich, or mortadella if you’re feeling fancy.
October 25th
National Art Day
Learn something new about your favorite artist or learn about a whole new type of art! Make your own spontaneous art! Collaborate on a drawing with your family!
October 27th
National American Beer Day
Celebrate by choosing an old favorite or something new. If you want to go all-out, put together a beer flight to sample all the flavors American beer can give (bonus points if you support a local brewery!).
October 28th
National Chocolate Day
It’s not like anyone really needs the excuse, but it’s right here if anyone wants one.
October 29th
Internet Day
Can you even imagine life without the internet? If you were born after the 1980s, probably not. And if you were born before that, you’re probably shuddering at the memories of an analog world.
October 30th
National Checklist Day
If you need help getting organized or want to track the things you’re getting done, try a simple checklist.
National Text Your Ex Day
We don’t condone this.
October 31st
National Caramel Apple Day
This is it, the reason for spooky season and the holiday we’ve been eagerly anticipating ever since the air turned chill! Grab a gourmet caramel apple from one of the seasonal pop-up caramel apple shops, put on your caramel apple costume and get ready to go door to door singing “Caramel apple! / Caramel apple! / Gimme gimme caramel apple!”
(There’s probably another big holiday in October, but we can’t think of it. Happy all the October holidays!)
If you’re looking for a good way to celebrate any of these non-Halloween October holidays, we’d like to recommend you do it by getting yourself something special: a custom Cornhole board! That’s right, you can get a Cornhole board custom made to show off anything you can think of—simply fill out our custom design request form, and our digital artist will get to work on your special gift from you to you!
