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Sep1 Fun Holiday – No Rhyme or Reason Day

September 1 is No Rhyme or Reason Day. The unofficial holiday is dedicated to the English language idiom, no rhyme or reason, which means something that occurs without any purpose or explanation.

Slices of oranges.

Orange is one of the few words in the English language that does not perfectly rhyme with any other word.

©iStockphoto.com/MeXaHuK

The idiom is thought to have first found its way in the English language through the 1460 book The Boke of Nurture by John Russell, though it is most famous for its appearance in the 1590 Shakespearean play Comedy of Errors. It once again showed up in Shakespeare's 1600 play, As You Like It.

The holiday is also known in the United States as National No Rhyme or Reason Day or National No Rhyme (Nor Reason) Day.

How to Celebrate?

Do you need a rhyme or a reason to celebrate this fun holiday? Here are some ways you can honor this expression:

  • What about celebrating this holiday by tapping into your creative side? Spend the day writing free verse - poetry without any rhyme.
  • Have a no rhyming contest with a friend or a co-worker. Find words that do not rhyme with anything else. Whoever finds the most words wins a copy of a thesaurus or a dictionary!
  • Do something nice for someone for no rhyme or reason. Sometimes the most generous gestures are the ones that are undertaken without any cause or purpose.

Did You Know...

...that in literature and poetry, words that are spelled similarly but pronounced differently are called eye rhymes?

No Rhyme or Reason Day Observances

Fun Holiday: No Rhyme or Reason Day Observances
YearWeekdayDateName
2024Sun1 SepNo Rhyme or Reason Day
2025Mon1 SepNo Rhyme or Reason Day
2026Tue1 SepNo Rhyme or Reason Day
2027Wed1 SepNo Rhyme or Reason Day
2028Fri1 SepNo Rhyme or Reason Day
2029Sat1 SepNo Rhyme or Reason Day
2030Sun1 SepNo Rhyme or Reason Day
2031Mon1 SepNo Rhyme or Reason Day
2032Wed1 SepNo Rhyme or Reason Day
2033Thu1 SepNo Rhyme or Reason Day

See all Fun Holidays

Other Fun Holidays around 1 September

30 Aug

Frankenstein Day

Honor English author Mary Shelley on her birth anniversary and her fearsome creation, Frankenstein.

31 Aug

Eat Outside Day

Commune with nature by enjoying a meal in the outdoors.

1 Sep

Emma Nutt Day

Celebrate the world’s first female telephone operator and countless other women trailblazers who have paved the path for future generations.

2 Sep

Bison Ten Yell Day

Celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of any imaginary or real person or event of their choosing.