Who’s excited for October? We all know that Halloween is the highlight of the month, but you don’t have to wait until the last day of the month to find something to celebrate. Check out these fun October holidays to get you through!
Reasons to Celebrate
My kids are already excited for Halloween. We have our costumes picked out, the kids are anticipating the candy, and mom is dreading the sugar high that comes with it. But because Halloween doesn’t happen until the very last day of October, my kids have a long time to wait. This amount of time waiting doesn’t usually work for my kids. And it probably doesn’t work for your kids either.
To help get the kids to Halloween with minimal meltdowns, I’m ramping up the fun all month long. How? I’m embracing fun October holidays that celebrate something ridiculous. Do they need to be celebrated? Of course not, but it’s fun to celebrate them! Celebrating these fun little holidays gives you and your kids something to get excited about so you don’t have to wait until the end of the month for the big event.
I see you getting scared. I’m not suggesting that you add a whole bunch of extra responsibilities to your already overflowing plate. You don’t need to go overboard to celebrate these fun October holidays. You can celebrate them in a low-key, manageable way. And please don’t try to celebrate all of them. My goal is to pick one each week.
Are you on board to try to jazz up your October? Read on to get inspired to celebrate fun October holidays all month long!
Fun October Holidays
Week 1: October 1-7
There are some great fun October holidays to start off the month – don’t miss celebrating at least one of these!
October 1 – International Coffee Day
This fun October holiday is non-negotiable. Especially if you’re a parent. Go ahead and treat yourself to a fancy coffee on the 1st – you’re celebrating after all.
October 3 – World Smile Day
I can’t think of a better thing to celebrate than smiling. It truly is infectious. Do your part to spread the happy and cheese your way through life on the 3rd!
October 4 – National Taco Day
Boy, do I love fun October holidays based around food. That’s especially true when the food is tacos! I make tacos a lot in my house because they’re delicious and do-it-yourself, which is a great way not to hate dinnertime with kids.
You can get fancy to celebrate National Taco Day, of course, and make something new (like these delicious blackened fish tacos), but you don’t have to. Keep the celebration easy and kid-friendly by tossing a mild taco seasoning packet in some browned ground beef, stuffing it in either hard or soft shells, and adding shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, and taco sauce. You can’t get much easier!
October 5 – World Teacher’s Day
I am so in awe of teachers. My mother was a teacher for her career, and now that I’m watching my kids interact with their teachers, I’m convinced they’re all angels on earth. If you feel the same way (which you should), take this opportunity to celebrate the teachers in your life. It doesn’t have to be outlandish or expensive. A simple note saying just how much you appreciate them is more than enough.
Week 2: October 8-14
The second full week of the month has some really fun October holidays too. Keep your momentum going! You got this!
October 10 – World Egg Day
Unless you’re my nephew, you probably love an excuse to celebrate the humble egg. And don’t feel like you have to relegate your celebration to breakfast time. If you don’t want to make bacon and eggs for breakfast, try this white pizza frittata for dinner. My kids crave it!
October 11 – International Day of the Girl Child
My 3-year-old daughter will be so excited to celebrate International Day of the Girl Child on the 11th. Why? Because to celebrate this very important day, I’m going to let her plan the day. She can choose what we eat for breakfast, what fruit we have at dinner, etc. And big brother is just going to have to go along with it for a day!
October 13 – National No Bra Day
Women of the world, rejoice! I don’t really think I need to say any more about this fun October holiday.
October 14 – National Dessert Day
Look, you don’t have to twist my arm to celebrate National Dessert Day. The hardest part about celebrating this fun October holiday is deciding what to make for the celebration. Apple crumble pie? Nutella brownies? Pumpkin cake? One of each?
Week 3: October 15-21
If you’ve made it to week 3 celebrating fun October holidays, you’re in a groove now.
October 16 – National Sports Day
I have a sports-obsessed 5-year-old son, so every day is sports day in my house. But I can’t think of much that would make my son happier than to tell him that a day exists to celebrate his beloved sports. He’s going to be stoked! How will we celebrate? We can play mini golf, go to the batting cages, kick a soccer ball, or shoot some hoops. This is definitely an easy one to celebrate, but one not to miss if you have a sports lover in your house.
October 17 – National Pasta Day
A whole day dedicated to pasta!? Yes, please! I will gladly make pasta for dinner on National Pasta Day. There are so many options. Should I make pesto pie or sundried tomato chicken pasta or a tortellini skillet? There isn’t a wrong choice where pasta is concerned.
October 18 – National Chocolate Cupcake Day
Want to make your kids squeal with delight? Celebrate National Chocolate Cupcake Day with chocolate cupcakes for dessert! Whether you pick up some chocolate cupcakes at the grocery store or make some from scratch, everyone will be happy!
October 21 – National Apple Day
Although I’m all about the decadent food items like pasta and chocolate cupcakes, I’m also a huge fan of fruit. And apples are no exception, especially in the Fall. Whether your celebration of National Apple Day includes a simple snack of apple slices and peanut butter, if you lean into the savory side of apples for dinner, or if you make an apple dessert, it’s all good!
Week 4+: October 22-31
You’ve made it to the home stretch, and Halloween is in sight! Get yourself all the way there with these fun October holidays toward the end of the month.
October 25 – World Pasta Day
Is October the best month of the year? It has two days dedicated to pasta, so it’s definitely in contention. If you need more pasta ideas, here are a few more delicious options: cheesy baked pumpkin pasta, vodka sauce pasta, and brown butter tomato and ricotta pasta (slow cooker recipe!).
October 26 – National Pumpkin Day
You could go a lot of ways celebrating National Pumpkin Day. You could visit a pumpkin patch, carve your pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns, or make a delicious pumpkin food item. If you want to bake, I highly recommend a pumpkin pie. It’s not just for Thanksgiving!
October 28 – National Chocolate Day
You’re so close to Halloween, folks! You probably have the candy ready to pass out to trick-or-treaters, so why not dig in and indulge in some a few days early for National Chocolate Day? If tiny chocolate candy bars aren’t your jam, a few of my favorite chocolate treats include chocolate crinkle cookies, brownies, and flourless chocolate cake.
October 29 – National Oatmeal Day
We love oatmeal in my house, so we will most definitely celebrate National Oatmeal Day, probably with some sort of baked oatmeal. Baked oatmeal makes a wonderful school day breakfast, so you’re getting a celebration and an easy breakfast in one dish. Hooray!
October 31 – Halloween
You made it to the grand finale of fun October holidays! Enjoy a fun dinner, dressing up (or watching your kids dress up), eating candy, and having all the spooky fun. Maybe consider a kid-friendly Halloween movie to end your night?
Other blog posts
Looking for more October-centric content? You might enjoy these posts:
I hope you’ll celebrate some of these fun October holidays. Keep us posted on which ones you choose to celebrate over on Instagram – tag me @sarainseason!