Sometimes the month of September can be a bit of a back-to-school bummer, especially after a fun summer. Instead, celebrate all of the wacky, weird, and wonderful holidays that September has to offer. From National Double Cheeseburger Day to National Beer Lover's Day and Love Note Day, there's something for everyone.
Here are 30 reasons to celebrate during the month of September.
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Sept. 1: National Cherry Popover Day
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Roughly 50 percent flaky pastry, 50 percent gooey, and 100 percent delicious, a cherry popover makes an easy, pop-able treat, especially when using fresh, end-of-summer cherries. You can even prep a big batch of cherry popovers to freeze for tasty breakfasts you can quickly heat up.
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Sept. 2: World Coconut Day
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There are plenty of uses for coconut, including baking with this fruit, stirring some into cocktails, whipping up skin moisturizers, and making household cleaning products with its oil. For World Coconut Day, start by learning how to crack open a coconut. Then, enjoy its contents however you like.
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Sept. 3: Skyscraper Day
Skyscraper Day is a holiday dedicated to the architecture of tall city skylines. If you live in a city, spend this day visiting a skyscraper landmark. If you live in the suburbs or country, look up photos of city skylines and try to identify which city they're from.
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Sept. 4: Eat an Extra Dessert Day
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Splurging on dessert isn't always the healthiest choice to make. But today, go ahead and indulge in that second serving of your favorite dessert. After all, it's good to treat yourself every now and then.
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Sept. 5: National Cheese Pizza Day
It's widely believed that the humble cheese pizza is the perfect food. It's the ideal balance of carbs, protein, and fat. It reheats wonderfully. And it's delicious for any meal, but especially on National Cheese Pizza Day. So clean off your pizza stone for some sizzling pizza.
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Sept. 6: National Coffee Ice Cream Day
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There's still time to celebrate ice cream before cooler weather arrives for many of us. For National Coffee Ice Cream Day, pile on a few scoops with chocolate syrup. Or blend your favorite coffee ice cream into a milkshake for a decadent treat with a slight caffeine kick.
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Sept. 7: National Beer Lover's Day
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Beer isn't just the standard light lager bartenders sling across every American bar counter. The craft beer movement has produced some incredibly creative and tasty brews that blend different styles, flavors, and inspirations. It's the perfect day to check out your local brewery for some new-to-you beers, grab a keg for your kegerator, or try brewing beer at home.
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Sept. 8: International Literacy Day
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International Literacy Day is meant to raise awareness for literacy problems both locally and globally. It urges communities to work together to raise educational standards. To help out on this day, consider cleaning some books and donating them to a school or library. It’s also the perfect day to work with neighbors to start a small “take a book, leave a book” library.
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09 of 30
Sept. 9: National Teddy Bear Day
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Dust off your childhood teddy bear and give it a squeeze because today is National Teddy Bear Day. If there are kids in your life, consider buying (or making) them a new stuffed animal. You also can donate stuffed animals to children in hospitals and other care facilities.
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Sept. 10: National Swap Ideas Day
They say two heads are better than one. So for National Swap Ideas Day, make a point to listen to other people's ideas and opinions before jumping in with your own. You never know where a good brainstorming session will take you.
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Sept. 11: Make Your Bed Day
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Many successful people have shared this advice: If you want to set up your day for success, make your bed every morning. That way, you'll accomplish something right off the bat. Not only will it help you establish a morning routine, but a tidy bed can make your life feel a little less cluttered.
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Sept. 12: National Chocolate Milkshake Day
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Indulge in a rich, cool treat on National Chocolate Milkshake Day. Chocolate shakes are incredibly easy to make at home. You only need a few ingredients—usually milk, chocolate ice cream, and chocolate syrup—and a good blender.
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Sept. 13: National Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day
Let your kids do the cooking on National Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day. This day is all about teaching young people some cooking skills and letting them be creative with food. So pick a recipe that's suitable for your child's age, and allow them to take the lead on the food prep.
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Sept. 14: Eat a Hoagie Day
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You might call it a hoagie, grinder, submarine, hero, or po' boy. Regardless, today's the perfect excuse to dig into one of these massive sandwiches. Pile it with toppings, and make sure it's between two long slices of fresh French or Italian bread.
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Sept. 15: National Double Cheeseburger Day
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Today's the day to stack your cheeseburger high. It doesn't matter if it's topped with bacon, avocado, a fried egg, or even bleu cheese. You can't properly celebrate National Double Cheeseburger Day without those two patties.
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Sept. 16: National Guacamole Day
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Learn to make your own guac for National Guacamole Day. All you need are a few mashed avocados, diced red onion, diced tomato, cilantro, and lime. If you want to jazz up this classic Mexican dish, try adding a few diced jalapeños, chopped mango, mashed peas, or pomegranate seeds. There are many recipe variations to suit every taste.
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Sept. 17: National Monte Cristo Day
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A Monte Cristo isn't just the name of a character in a classic French novel. It's a totally decadent pressed sandwich, too. Combining ham and cheese and fried in egg batter, a Monte Cristo is an American spin on the classic French croque monsieur sandwich.
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Sept. 18: Rice Krispies Treats Day
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It's time to whip up this sweet and sticky snack for Rice Krispies Treats Day. Combine melted butter and marshmallows. Then add crisped rice puffs, such as Rice Krispies cereal, then stir, press the mixture into a baking dish, and let cool. Or try adding different kinds of cereal, sprinkles, or even chocolate chips for a twist on this otherwise traditional treat.
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Sept. 19: International Talk Like a Pirate Day
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Shiver me timbers: It's International Talk Like a Pirate Day! If you're not sure exactly how to talk like a pirate, try adding a few "argggghs" and "walk the planks" into your everyday conversation. Whether you carry a parrot on your shoulder or wear an eye patch is totally up to you.
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Sept. 20: National Pepperoni Pizza Day
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If cheese pizza is the perfect food, then a pepperoni pizza is the perfect food and then some. Topped with classic pepperoni or spicy soppressata, this pizza can be an ideal take-out dinner, late-night snack, or even breakfast.
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Sept. 21: International Day of Peace
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International Day of Peace is a worldwide holiday dedicated to strengthening peace among all people. There are calls for a global ceasefire and no violence in active combat zones, while simultaneous discussions occur on how to promote peaceful solutions. This is a great day to learn about people who have won the Nobel Peace Prize, which is awarded to those whose work promotes friendship among nations.
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Sept. 22: World Car-Free Day
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If you're able, do your part to protect Mother Earth and ditch your car on World Car-Free Day. Try biking to work or on your errands by taking public transit or carpooling. It might seem like a small action, but small changes can add up to have a major impact on the world.
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Sept. 23: National Great American Pot Pie Day
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What better way to celebrate the arrival of fall than a classic piping hot pot pie? It's easy to make your own crust (or you can opt for store-bought), and you can toss whatever meats and veggies you have on hand into the filling. It's also simple to make a vegan recipe.
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Sept. 24: National Punctuation Day
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For National Punctuation Day, brush up on your use of apostrophes, commas, colons, and more. Why not get into a debate about the use of the Oxford comma? And be a little adventurous by throwing a semicolon into an email or a text.
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Sept. 25: National Cooking Day
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For some, cooking means boiling pasta and heating up jarred marinara. For others, it means preparing sous vide steak, blanching and creaming spinach, and hand-whipping potatoes. No matter your definition of cooking, today's the day to don your apron, get into the kitchen, and try preparing something new.
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Sept. 26: National Pancake Day
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Blueberries. Bananas. Buttermilk. When it comes to pancakes, the combinations are pretty much limitless. In honor of National Pancake Day, simply stir the fixings of your choice into homemade or packaged pancake batter. Then fry them, stack them, and enjoy them.
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Sept. 26: Love Note Day
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Everyone loves receiving a sweet love note. So for Love Note Day, skip the mushy store-bought card and get a little more creative. If it's more convenient, some people celebrate this on the fourth Friday of every September. For example, add a cute note to your kid's lunch, use old lipstick to write a message on your partner's side of the bathroom mirror, or surprise your best friend with a note filled with compliments.
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Sept. 28: National Good Neighbor Day
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Make today a beautiful day in your neighborhood. Spread some kindness by bringing your neighbors homemade baked goods, inviting them over for a potluck, or offering to help them with home or yard projects.
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Sept. 29: National Coffee Day
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Today, raise your coffee mug and toast to the roasted beans that keep us going. Looking for a few special ways to appreciate coffee? Try adding it to your favorite cocktail, coating coffee beans in chocolate, or blending a few beans into your favorite vanilla ice cream for a homemade coffee shake.
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Sept. 30: National Hot Mulled Cider Day
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National Hot Mulled Cider Day ushers in the cooler fall season. Whether you brew some kid-friendly cider or add a splash of your favorite liquor for an adults-only drink, there's nothing better than curling up in front of a fire with a cup of hot mulled cider.