The Weird and Unusual Days of Autumn

Summer has some pretty good weird and unusual days, but it’s not the season with the most. Is it any surprise autumn is, though? Summer invites us to slow down, relax, and unwind. Fall beckons our souls to stir. We harvest what we sowed in the previous seasons as we prepare for and anticipate the darkness coming in the winter season ahead.

The weird and unusual days of autumn celebrate legends, lore, death, and more while also allowing our imaginations and spirits to soar. And by “spirits” I mean both that internal part of us that’s hard to define and impossible to capture but which also represents the restless souls of the dearly departed.

Below is a highlight reel of some of the weird and unusual days of autumn from the dates listed on the Weird Holidays & Observances page.

As they are on that page, the days highlighted here are also categorized meteorologically rather than astronomically. (Meteorological fall runs from September 1 through the end of November. Astronomical fall doesn’t always have the same start and end dates. They change with equinoxes and solstices.)

Where applicable, I’ve included weird and unusual monthly and weekly observances, too, including one in September that is near and dear to my heart. Fittingly, that’s the one kicking off this post.

Weird and Unusual Days of Autumn: September

Blood Cancer Awareness Month and (World) Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month

September is personally a big month for me. It all started when I was born. (Sept. 14) However, both my dad and husband’s birthdays are also in September, and so is my wedding anniversary. And I guess if I could’ve picked a cancer —instead of one picking me— maybe I would’ve picked one with a September awareness month. Who knows?

However, as it so happens, the one I got was lymphoma, a blood cancer, and September is its awareness month. As I explain in HJ’s origin story, I’m grateful I got cancer. Haunt Jaunts exists because of it. Which just gives me even more reason to celebrate this month!

September 1: Chicken Boy Day

One thing I have an affinity for is dark and unusual arts in a variety of forms. Like the Chicken Boy, who is not a boy at all. He’s a statue. He used to be part of the branding for a California chicken restaurant, but when it closed one of his fans “rescued” him from being tossed out. He now “roosts” on top of Future Studio.

September 8: National Mermaid Day

This is one of those days that’s celebrated more than one time during the year. When I started tracking weird days, there was one Mermaid Day on September 8. Then another one cropped up on March 29, which is sometimes known as just Mermaid Day, or National or International Mermaid Day.

Whichever date you chose (or if you go with both), they both celebrate —or shellabrate, as diehard mermaid fans like to say— the same thing: mermaids! Of all varieties, from the dangerous sultry temptresses who lure sailors to their deaths to the Disney variety Little Mermaid types. (Who also has a day, November 17.)

September 9: Wonderful Weirdos Day

If you’re weird and you know it —and others do too because they say things like, “You’re so weird.”— this day is for you! Celebrate the strangeness that makes you wonderfully different. Because normal is overrated. And, and let’s face it, boring!

September 13: Defy Superstition Day

A lot of people are superstitious when it comes to the number 13. (Especially Friday the 13ths.) So what better number for a day that invites you to confront whatever you’re superstitious about than 13? Good luck!

September 13: Scooby-Doo Day

Many pop-culture observances celebrate the day a movie or TV show was released. That’s the deal with Scooby-Doo Day. The beloved cartoon first aired on September 13, 1969. (Exactly one year and one day before I was born.)

September 19: International Talk Like a Pirate Day

Talk Like a Pirate Day started out as a joke in 1995 between John Baur (Ol’ Chumbucket) and Mark Summers (Cap’n Slappy) when one of them roared, “Arrgh!” after being hurt during their racquetball game. Unlike a lot of weird holidays, this day isn’t recognized on the day the event that sparked it happened though. (Which was June 6, a.k.a. D-Day.) Out of respect, they picked another day.

Which is a crazy story in itself. According to Wikipedia, September 19 is Summers’ ex-wife’s birthday. He felt he’d be able to remember that. Now, the stereotypical joke is that most men can’t remember their wife’s birthday, so it’s impressive he can remember his ex’s. Maybe because she was a real wench?

September 22: Hobbit Day

September 22 is the birthday of two of the characters from J. R. R. Tolkiens’ The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings books: Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. Which gives fans a chance to party too.

September 25: World Dream Day

Greatness starts with a dream. Whatever yours is, whatever goal you strive to achieve, World Dream Day celebrates that hope in your heart and sparkle in your eye. All you have to do to realize your visions is start with one small first step. WorldDreamDay.com offers a lot of advice and encouragement to help you begin. Go get ’em, Tiger! Unleash your greatness on the world!

Last Saturday in September: National Ghost Hunting Day

Fitting in a month where Scooby-Doo is celebrated that there’d also be a day dedicated to a pastime that made him famous. Since 2016, National Ghost Hunting Day has grown every year. More and more teams of paranormal investigators gather at haunted places not just nationally, but worldwide, to hunt ghosts. Don’t have a team? No problem. Just search for a haunted place near you hosting an event or join one virtually as many are live-streamed. To learn more visit nationalghosthuntingday.com.

Weird and Unusual Days of Autumn: October

Bat Appreciation Month

Bats deserve more respect than they get. They’re a crucial component to balancing ecosystems worldwide, and let’s face it. It’s pretty cool one of their superpowers is echolocation.

Halloween Safety Month

Monsters aren’t the only thing to be afraid of on Halloween. Kids darting in front of your car, distracted drivers, and dark nights can be a bad combo. Fatal even. But by observing basic safety protocols you can ensure no one’s night ends in tragedy. Just do common sense things you do every day anyway, such as looking both ways before crossing a street. And make sure you’re as visible as possible in the inky darkness by either carrying a glow stick, flashlight or having reflective tape somewhere on costumes. Even better, do all three.

October 25-31: International Magic Week

What’s most magical about this week is all of the magicians who volunteer to entertain and bring a little awe to the lives of those in nursing homes, senior centers, children’s hospitals, veteran hospitals, etc.

Last Week of the Month: Give Wildlife a Brake! Week

Givewildlifeabrake.com explains the purpose of this conservation effort is to end roadkill and support wildlife corridors. So if you see wildlife crossing signs, maybe ease up on the accelerator a little. You don’t want to kill Bigfoot, do you?

October 1: Willy Wonka Day

In the book, Willy Wonka opens his factory on February 1, but in the movie it’s October 1. Why the change? No one knows, but RoaldDahlFans.com speculates that it could be a couple of things, including shoot timing, movie release, and possible promotion tie-ins. At any rate, this date celebrates the  movie Willy Wonka (the original), whose title character Gene Wilder so brilliantly bought to life.

October 2: Name Your Car Day

What’s your car’s name? Does it have one? If you name your ride, it shows you’re not only a creative soul, but are also more empathetic…and maybe a little bit of a control freak? According to NationalDay.com, “when we name inanimate objects, like our cars, we assign almost human-like attributes that make us feel more in control.” Or maybe it’s just that we’re trying to make the world an even more interesting place.

October 3: Virus Appreciation Day

Um, this one is just so weird how could I not include it in the highlights? Or it is just me? I had a hard time trying to figure out why we’d want to appreciate viruses, but then I thought of that saying, “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”

That’s one way to look at it. But also, viruses bring about scientific discoveries and understandings as well as improvement in healthcare. So, yeah. Even though it might be hard to appreciate them, a lot of good comes about because of them too.

October 6: Mad Hatter Day

This is another weird and unusual October day that celebrates a fictional character. In this case, the Hatter from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. So if you’ve ever wanted to host a nonsensical tea party with outrageous hats and ridiculous riddles inspired by the Mad Hatter, today is a great day to do it!

Or just wear a crazy hat to work or to run errands. That could be fun too!

October 9: Curious Events Day

From whether ghosts, aliens, or the Loch Ness Monster really exist to who really killed JFK, Curious Events Day encourages you to explore all the perplexing unsolved mysteries that baffle you. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find an answer no one else has yet.

2nd Saturday of October: National Costume Swap Day

I love the concept of this, even though it’s not practical for me because my social circle is pretty small. (Also, no one else I know really loves to dress up for Halloween like I do.)

But for those with little ones or for theater groups, a costume swap party could be a great way for costume lovers to get some new-to-them dress-up duds.

2nd Tuesday of October: National Face Your Fears Days

What scares you? Conquer that, and you become unstoppable. That’s the purpose of this day. To encourage you to face what scares you most so you gain confidence and expand your world and its possibilities.

October 12: International Moment of Frustration Scream Day

The creators of International Moment of Frustration Scream Day intended for the world to go outside at noon Greenwich time and collectively scream out their frustrations together. I’m not sure when it started, or how many people even really do it. I do know that some years a good collective scream sounds like a wonderful, tension-releasing idea.

October 13: International Skeptics Day

Skeptics get a bad rap. People often accuse them of not believing as if that’s a bad thing.

Except, as I explained in “A look at the ‘Skeptics vs Believers’ debate for International Skeptics Day” on YouTube, being a skeptic is not the same as being a closed-minded disbeliever. Quite the opposite, in fact. And my favorite quote illustrating that comes from Sarah Ban Breathnach: “Skeptics make the best seekers.”

This day is for all those who seek hoping to find something while expecting to find nothing and are pleasantly surprised either way.

October 19: Michael Myers’ Birthday

Not Michael “Mike” Myers the actor who’s known for pioneering great characters, such as the title character in the SNL skit “Wayne’s World” (that was also adapted into a movie of the same name) and his Austin Powers persona. (My fave Mike Myers movie will always be So I Married an Axe Murderer.)

But I digress. That Mike Myers was born on May 25, 1963. But besides his name, he does share something in common with the Michael Myers who celebrates a birthday —and those who celebrate with him— on this date.

I’m talking about, of course, the seemingly-immortal villain from the Halloween movies. His (thankfully) fictional character was born on October 19, 1957, where he lived with his parents and older sister Judith until he killed her on Halloween night…1963.

But as we know, Judith wasn’t his only sibling. He also had a younger sister, Laurie Strode, and it seems he won’t rest until he kills her too.

Go, Michael, it’s your birthday!

 

October 25: Chucky, The Notorious Killer Doll Day

Why is Chucky Day celebrated on October 25? (I know some may be wondering, “Isn’t the better question why it’s even celebrated at all?” If that’s you, you have a point.) The first “Chucky” movie, Child’s Play, was released on November 9, 1988. So his “day” doesn’t have anything to do with that. Was it picked arbitrarily then?

Maybe it has to do with the date that Charles Lee Ray, the Lakeshore Strangler serial killer who inhabits Chucky’s body, made the switch. I don’t know. National Days Today doesn’t say anything about the date itself but does suggest the day is about Charles Lee Ray so maybe that’s the answer.

October 26: Howl at the Moon Night

I love when weird days have origin stories and this one has a good one. Johnny DePalma, an author and the founding publisher of Umbrelly Books, first created “The Planet Wide Moon Howl Event” that was celebrated on April 26, 2009. From there it morphed into Howl at the Moon Night, which National Today says is now celebrated on October 26 as “a tribute to animals that apparently howl at the moon.”

Awhoooooo!

October 27: National Black Cat Day

This is one of those days that there’s more than one of. Sort of. There’s also a National Black Cat Appreciation Day that’s observed on August 17 every year. But isn’t National Black Cat Day an appreciation of the obsidian-variety felines too?

No clue. There’s no telling who started the day or when, just that now it’s become accepted as one of the weird days people celebrate.

But because black cats are as much an iconic staple of Halloween as pumpkins and scarecrows, it’s a great time to highlight the plight of these much-maligned kitties. Because they’re not harbingers of doom or bad luck. They’re vilified for no good reason than silly superstition. Any black cat owner will tell you they’re lucky to have their paw prints all over their heart.

Last Friday in October: Frankenstein Friday

National Today explains that Ryan MacCloskey founded Frankenstein Friday in 1997 to celebrate the book and characters in Frankenstein, as well as its author, Mary Shelley. He picked the last Friday in October because of its proximity to the spookiest night of the year, a.k.a. Halloween, and Friday overall because of the “fun alliteration it makes with Frankenstein.” That and because it’s always easier to get in a festive mood on Fridays.

Last Sunday in October: Visit a Cemetery Day

There’s no telling who started Visit a Cemetery Day or when, but this weird autumn day is always observed on the last Sunday in October. It’s kind of like Dia de Los Muertos insofar as it honors the dead. However, it’s not necessarily a matter of honoring dearly departed loved ones as much as it is honoring the places we put our dead. Of course, if you want to pay a visit to an ancestor’s grave and spruce it up, it’s a great day to do that too. Or if you just want to wander and enjoy some quiet reflection, or clean up a grave that hasn’t been tended in a while, those are also valid ways to celebrate the day.

October 30: Create a Great Funeral Day

Happy Days 365 explains that Create a Great Funeral Day was created in 1999 by Stephanie West Allen, who watched her husband struggle to plan a funeral for his mom after she passed. Knowing what his mom would’ve wanted likely could’ve helped. This day raises awareness about the importance of planning the kind of funeral you’d like to have and making sure your loved ones know about it.

October 30: Haunted Refrigerator Night

When there’s something strange, in your refrigerator, who ya’ gonna call? Maybe that’s more a job for Slimer than the Ghostbusters, though.

Thomas and Ruth Roy of Wellcat Holidays & Herbs, who also created International Moment of Frustration Scream Day (October 12), started Haunted Refrigerator Night based on their personal tradition of cleaning out “the frightening depths of their refrigerator” the night before Halloween.

Makes more room for trick-or-treat candy and caramel apples, I say.

October 30: National Vampire Awareness Day

Unlike World Dracula Day on May 26, National Vampire Awareness Day doesn’t really have anything to do with the infamous Count or the book that brought him to life. Rather, Green Living Guide explains that it’s a day created by big box store Best Buy to raise awareness about the electronics in our homes “that draw vampire load, or sometimes called phantom load.”

And as you might imagine, garlic or crucifixes isn’t the best way to combat this vampire problem. Rather, unplugging electronics when they’re not in use is, as is making sure to buy “Energy Star” brands.

October 31: Halloween

This may be the most ancient “weird day” on this list…and one of the most well-known and beloved. These days we celebrate Halloween with decorations, costumes, and candy, but why? Where did this bizarre tradition originate from, and who started it?

A lot of us now know it has its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when Celts celebrated their new year on November 1. As History wrote it (pun intended), “Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred.”

They lit bonfires and dressed up in costumes to ward off any ghosts who may try to return and cause trouble. They also believed Druids had an easier time of seeing into the future at this time of year. They relied on their prophecies to make decisions about the future, as well as find comfort in the otherwise unknown.

By 1000 A.D., Christianity had blended with Celtic traditions. All Saints’ Day on November 1 and All Souls’ Day on November 2 is a result of incorporating Samhain into church-sanctioned observances. This gave birth to All-hallows or All-hallowsmas the night of October 31, which eventually became better known as All-Hallows Eve, or Halloween as we now know it.

But then it came to America and has evolved ever since. Including when it wasn’t popularly celebrated in the New England states. Now that region of the U.S. is one of the more popular Halloween travel destinations, especially Salem, Massachusetts.

Even though how we celebrate now looks very different than how our founding ancestors observed the tradition, there are some Halloween similarities that have endured, such as telling ghost stories. It may not be as community-centered as it once was. Many would argue it’s become too commercial. But those who love Halloween and love expressing their fondness for the holiday definitely form their own spirited community that helps make this holiday so much fun.

October 31: Increase Your Psychic Powers Day

This is another of those days with a vague origin. Holiday Insights believes it traces back to 19th century England. Perhaps it was influenced by the Spiritualism movement. Which would be understandable, seeing as how many felt the Celts were on to something believing that the veil is thin on October 31. If true, that’s what makes it a great time to try increasing your psychic powers.

October 31: National Magic Day

In addition to Magic Week, there’s also a day that honors this sometimes mesmerizing, other times thrilling, and the almost always perplexing manner of performance art. And what better day to celebrate than one that honors a magician whose name is practically synonymous with the craft, Harry Houdini? Who, incidentally, died on Oct. 31, 1926

Weird and Unusual Days of Autumn: November

Sunday-Saturday of Thanksgiving Week: National Game and Puzzle Week

Besides Christmas, Thanksgiving presents the perfect opportunity to slow down, relax and enjoy some quality family, or framily, time playing a game. Board games, card games, crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, trivia…there are so many options.

Speaking of games and options, Haunt Jaunts offers a couple, including the Spirited Fun & Games section here on the site or the Not Board to Death Games section in the Skareporium. Here are a few of the games we’ve listed in the latter to give you an idea of what you’ll find there:

November 1: National Hockey Mask Day

I can’t help but think of Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th franchise whenever I see this day, but it actually celebrates when goalie Jacques Plante created a mask to protect his face in practice and games. He first wore it on November 1, 1959. But I also wonder if it helped that it does look a little intimidating too, and that’s also why it looks like it does?

November 2: Look for Circles Day

Crop circles. Every single year that’s what I think of when this weird Autumn day rolls around. I’m not sure who created it or why. A lot of the calendar sites suggest it’s a great excuse to get out with kids and have a circle scavenger hunt. Which can also be fun for adults. Circles…they literally surround us everywhere we turn, don’t they? (Warning, this is like an ear worm for your eyes. Once that suggestion is planted, you’ll find yourself noticing circles everywhere.)

November 2: Plan Your Epitaph Day

This day is actually celebrated twice a year. As CBS News explained in a story that profiled Plan Your Epitaph Day’s creator, Lance Hardie, the dates “coincide with the Day of the Dead and the Ching Ming Festival (the Chinese version of All Saints Day) respectively.”

In 1995, Hardie, a passionate “epitaph artist,” submitted his idea for the day to Chase’s Calendar of Events, the definitive U.S. guide to local and national happenings. (Which, say what? How am I just learning about Chase’s?)

Anyway, Hardie’s goal for the day “is to place responsibility for the epitaph in the hands of the future bearer.” Or as he put it: “It’s your life – it’s your death – it’s your stone. You say something!”

November 6: Stranger Things Day

Why is Stranger Things Day celebrated on November 6 when season 1 of the hit Netflix show premiered on July 15, 2016? This is one I actually have the answer to. The day that celebrates the show is the date that Will Byers disappeared into the Upside Down, November 6, 1983.

November 18: Occult Day

Occult Day is as mysterious as the subject matter it celebrates. No one knows who started it or when. Although, now that I know about Chase’s Calendar of Events, maybe I’ll find some answers there? If I do, I’ll be sure to update this post as well as the one about the day that celebrates the pursuit of the magical, mystical and unknown, including pseudosciences like astrology, mediumship, cryptozoology, parapsychology, etc.

4th Sunday of the Month: Crystal World Skull Day

I don’t know when Crystal World Skull Day started, but I do know who started it. Sort of. There’s a group of people who call themselves “guardians.” On the Crystal World Skull Day “About” page, they explain they started the day “in order bring together people who share the same profound passion for crystal skulls.”

They believe crystal skulls have supernatural and healing powers that can also promote peace, well-being, and harmony in the world. This day celebrates any powers the skulls may have. It also encourages those who believe in the powers of the skulls to individually and collectively tap into their healing energies and positive vibrations to connect with their inner divine power and send it into the world. After all, sharing is caring.

November 29: St. Andrew’s Day

Thanks to a comment from a gent named Gary, I included St. Andrew’s Day on the Weird Holidays & Observances page. He said it was Romania’s Night of the Vampire, which, yes, absolutely would merit its inclusion among the weird day listings. But first, I had to verify it.

That’s how I discovered a blog post from Vatra, a restaurant in Bucharest, Romania. They explained that St. Andrews Day is important to all Christians, but had special importance to Romanians. In 1997, St. Andrew was named “Protector of Romania.”

They believe St. Andrew’s Day marks the start of winter, a time when “dark and maleficent forces unleash upon Earth, represented by werewolves and vampires.”

But maybe also ghosts too? As they explained, it’s also a time when, “in the Romanian traditional culture, spirits of the dead get out of their graves and start fighting themselves on borders, crossroads and other unholy places, using tools stolen from people’s households.”

Which sounds terrifying and which they believe could also have ramifications for crops and the grounds they’re planted in. Luckily, the uprising doesn’t last more than a night. As soon as the sun rises, it “purifies earth and all bad spirits go to where they came from.”

Check-In

What are some of your favorite weird and unusual days of autumn?