The Best "Holidays" for Creative Engagement Opportunities in 2023

As anyone on social media may have noticed, there’s been a rise in “holidays” in recent years. Not the official, sanctioned by the government kind of holiday. These are more fun, lighthearted, and awareness-driven kinds of holidays. From Equal Pay Day — the day each year that represents how long women have to work to get the same annual salary as men — to National Donut Day, there is a long list of informal holidays that can supercharge your engagement efforts. Whether you’re looking to better engage your employees or to boost your social media profile, there are a number of directions you can go with any of these given holidays.

Fun "holidays" for creative engagement opportunities in 2023

Rankvise has a much longer list available of nearly all the informal (and formal) holidays out there. But here are some of the best that offer unique opportunities for engagement, whatever that means for your company.

January

National Trivia Day: January 4 This is ripe for employee engagement. Do a company happy hour at a local bar with trivia. Or make your own internal version that’s all about your company and the people who comprise it. National Bagel Day: January 15 Bagels are a widely beloved food. Consider catering a bagel-based breakfast for your team. Luckily, lots of places and bakeries offer gluten-free versions so that the holiday can be more widely accessible for all. National Compliment Day: January 24 Who doesn’t enjoy a good compliment? Simply mentioning that this is a holiday can go a long way. It can be a fun social media campaign, or it can be an internal effort. You can set up a compliment board or even a compliment box where people can deposit kind words for their coworkers.

Who doesn’t enjoy a good compliment? Simply mentioning that this is a holiday can go a long way.

Opposite Day: January 25 It’s easy to imagine all of the fun, both in the office and on social media, that you can have with this day.

February

National Send a Card to a Friend Day: February 7 Make it easy for your company to participate by bringing blank cards into the office. Or create a digital version to be shared online. National Pizza Day: February 9 It’s one of the most popular foods around the globe. Random Acts of Kindness Day: February 17 Who doesn’t enjoy a little unexpected kindness? The best part is that both the recipient and the giver can reap the benefits.

March

National Cereal Day: March 7 This is another beloved food that’s unifying and easy (and not to mention cost-effective) to celebrate. Was a certain cereal invented in your town or state? It’s an easy way to boost online engagement. National Pack Your Lunch Day: March 10 Encourage your employees to bring their own lunch to work. Then create fun opportunities to do more with it. Have each person share a bit about what they brought for lunch and why. Or make it potluck style so everyone can try a bit of everything. Pi Day: March 14 A fun, nerdy holiday that gets a lot of traction online. Equal Pay Day: Varies, usually in March This day, which is different each year, represents the longer time that women have to work in order to match the annual salary of men for the previous year. Of course, Equal Pay Day is based on averages and the date is different (read: farther out) for women of color. National Take a Walk in the Park Day: March 30 Why not encourage your employees to get outside? Especially if seasonal affective disorder has hit your company hard this year, a little time outside can help do a world of good.

April

National Siblings Day: April 10 A highly relatable subject. Roughly 80% of Americans have a sibling. National Pet Day: April 11 From fish to Fido, this lovable holiday is a great excuse for us to spoil the furry friends we love. This is a great opportunity to show off company pets online. You can also have special in-person celebrations if you’re a pet-friendly office. National High-Five Day: April 21 Easy, fun, and ripe with opportunities for creative social media engagement. Denim Day: April 27 Last Wednesday in April.

May

Star Wars Day: May 4 May the 4th be with you! World Password Day: May 5 One of the most work-related holidays around. A good reminder for people to change up their passwords for extra security or finally sign up for that app that takes care of remembering them for you. National Bike to Work Day: May 20 Celebrated on the 3rd Friday of May, this is an awesome opportunity to encourage greener communities.

June

National Donut Day: June 3 Another beloved food holiday that gets tons of traction online. Also a great opportunity to support local bakeries. Best Friends Day: June 8 A heartwarming holiday to say the least. A work-related spin can be Best (Office) Friends Day. Celebrate those meaningful relationships that make even the hardest workdays bearable if not full-on enjoyable. World Blood Donor Day: June 14 This is a great opportunity for service. World Blood Donor Day is an excellent one to advertise if you offer VTO.

July

World Chocolate Day: July 7 A unique way to segue back into the workweek after the 4th of July holiday. Talk in an Elevator Day: July 29 If your office is in a tall building with elevators, this is an obvious choice for fun and easy employee engagement.

August

International Cat Day: August 8 These weird and wacky pets that sometimes love us and sometimes hate us have their own day to be celebrated. Again, featuring company cats is an easy way to drum up social media engagement. World Photo Day: August 19 A great day for an office photo! You can also create team-building events around sharing people’s favorite photos and the stories behind them.

September

International Day of Charity: September 5 Another great holiday for companies that offer volunteer time off or are looking to meet corporate social responsibility goals. Miniature Golf Day: September 21 If you’ve been looking for a team-building activity, try pairing people up on teams for a mini golf outing. Offer a prize to the top 3 finishers, too, if you’d like.

October

International Coffee Day: October 1 An office staple. Share your company’s take on in-office coffee on social media. World Mental Health Day: October 10 As more and more employers boost their mental health offerings in the wake of COVID, this is an opportunity to advertise what you’ve been up to. It’s also a great opportunity to encourage your employees to take advantage of those offerings.

November

National Stress Awareness Day: November 2 This flows in a similar vein. Stress has major impacts on everything from employee happiness and well-being to productivity. Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day: November 15 Has the office refrigerator gotten particularly grimy? This is a great annual opportunity to clean it out and set up better practices for the coming year.

December

National Cookie Day: December 4 Who can complain? Crossword Puzzle Day: December 21 Why not take advantage of this unique holiday and create a personalized office crossword puzzle? The questions and answers can be about the company and the people and teams in it. No Interruptions Day: December 27 Many people might be off for the holiday, but it’s a great social media engagement opportunity. Remind everyone that it’s OK to take some time for themselves during the madness of the holidays. These aren’t all of the “holidays” out there, but they should be enough to get you started. Hopefully your creative juices are already flowing.