#Collaborative post
Image Credit: Jill Wellington from Pixabay.
Non-traditional holidays have grown in popularity in the past decade or so. These are celebrations that many people engage in but aren’t typically associated with a religion. As such, they’re holidays in the funniest sense of the world.
Most people have heard of some of them, such as Star Wars Day, which takes place on May 4 every year. If these are the only ones that you’re familiar with, then you might think that these focus primarily on movies or pop culture.
While many do, many more don’t. Instead, there are non-traditional holidays that celebrate almost everything. That should make it easy to find one that celebrates something you love. You’d be surprised at what some of the more common non-traditional holidays around the world are.
Non-Traditional Holidays You Didn’t Know About
World Chocolate Day
Taking place on July 7 every year, World Chocolate Day celebrates everything to do with chocolate. Also known as either ‘Chocolate Day’ or ‘International Chocolate Day,’ the annual celebration dates back to at least 2009.
The typical date of July 7 is assumed to have been picked as it’s when chocolate is believed to have been introduced to Europe in 1550. There are several other dates associated with International Chocolate Day, including October 28, when the United States celebrates it.
That could mean that there’s nothing stopping you from celebrating the occasion a few times a year. What’s not to love about an excuse to eat more chocolate?
World Kindness Day
World Kindness Day has become increasingly popular in the past few years. Happening on November 30, the day focuses on making peoples’ days nicer. The day itself might need more effort than some other holidays, however, as it involves doing something nice for someone.
That could be as simple as buying them a present or bringing them out for dinner. If you can think of a way to be nice to someone or to brighten up their day, then it’s worth doing. That can be true year-round, but it’s especially apt on November 30.
Doing something small could be more than enough. It doesn’t have to be just friends or families; making a strangers’ day brighter could be just as nice.
Have A Bad Day Day
Everyone has a bad day every once in a while. Why not try to plan when that day will be? That’s the logic of Have A Bad Day Day, which takes place on November 19. You could already be familiar with what this day is like; you get to work late, can’t find your keys, and spill some coffee on yourself.
These days are unavoidable, so why not take the time to share in a common process? Since everyone has those days, there’s no reason not to have a laugh about it.
Friendsgiving
In the United States, Thanksgiving is a day best spent with family. That doesn’t mean that you can’t have a similar day dedicated to your friends. Friendsgiving, as it’s commonly called, could be an easy way of doing so.
Essentially, this is another version of Thanksgiving, but with your friends, as the name suggests. There isn’t a set date for this event, however. Instead, any time around Thanksgiving would be a recommended time to celebrate it.
While the traditional holiday is mainly celebrated in the United States, people abroad could enjoy the alternative.
Stay Home Because You’re Really Well Day
Everyone assumes that they can only use their paid time off for sick days and other emergencies. That isn’t always the case. You should be able to use them whenever you want, and you have paid time off available. That’s the thinking behind Stay Home Because You’re Really Well Day.
Taking place on November 30 every year, the holiday is surprisingly common, not that many people would admit it. If you have time off available, why not take it? You could have an extra hour or so in bed, watch Netflix all day, and not have to get out of your pajamas.
And you’ll get paid for it. What’s not to like about it?
Non-Traditional Holiday Habits You Should Try
If you don’t want to try out any of the above, then you don’t need to worry. There are countless other non-traditional holidays that you can choose from. With them, you can rest assured that you’ll find a day to celebrate something you love.
With a bit of luck, you could find a few days to celebrate. If you want to stick to the more traditional holidays, though, you still might want to spice them up. As easy as that is to say, it could be a lot harder in practice.
Are there any non-traditional holiday habits that you can do? Thankfully, there are multiple ones to choose from. Some of them are much more common than you might have thought.
Winter BBQ
Having a barbeque tends to be a summer-only activity. It doesn’t have to be, though, as long as you have the equipment you need. While the BBQ itself is obvious, picking up a few outdoor heaters and lights can make a winter BBQ perfect.
Inviting your family and friends over can make it a special occasion. If you want to keep it a bit more private, however, this could be a great way to switch up your Christmas dinner. Depending on where you live, you mightn’t even need the heaters.
Many people have BBQ cravings year-round, so why not have one? There are almost no negatives to it, other than a possible chill.
Try Out A Foreign Tradition
A lot of people want to add some more culture into their lives. They often don’t know how to do so. Trying out a foreign tradition around the holidays could be the best way to do so. These don’t have to be too large, and there are multiple examples to choose from.
People in Greece, for example, decorate their boats with lights. Children in the Netherlands leave their shoes outside on December 5, St. Nicholas’ Day, for Santa Claus. The number of possibilities are endless, so you could start looking up any holiday-related traditions in other countries.
What’s not to love?
Skip The Shopping
The holiday season is normally filled with giving and receiving presents. While some people recommended ditching the gifts all together, you could go another route. Try a DIY approach and encourage people to make the presents that they’re giving.
That cuts down on the expenses while also making things more personal. There are several other things that you can do with the money that’s saved. You could book a short holiday for the family, for example, or plan a family night out.
Spending more family time together could be the best present of all, especially if you have teenagers. This approach also cuts down on the stress of what presents to buy, alongside the stress of shopping around the holidays in general.
Wrapping Up
As nice as traditional holidays can be, some people want to spice things up a little. Try having some fun and celebrating each of the above non-traditional holidays. While you might need to wait a little while, that should be worth it.
Adding an alternative twist to the traditional holidays could also be a great way to spice things up. If you’ve found yourself getting bored at the typical celebrations, then you shouldn’t have a problem with any of the above.
There are countless other ways you can switch things up, with your imagination being the limit. If you can think it and your family might enjoy it, then it’s worth trying.