PRETEND TO BE A TIME TRAVELER DAY
Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day on December 8th encourages us to step from our Tardis or flip open our Omni while wearing clothes from the past. At the same time, we should act appropriately confused by certain technology. #PretendToBeATimeTravelerDay
NATIONAL CROSSWORD SOLVERS DAY
On December 8 we celebrate National Crossword Solvers Day with nearly 50 million people who enjoy solving crossword puzzles. #NationalCrosswordSolversDay
NATIONAL BROWNIE DAY
Each year on December 8th, brownie lovers across the nation enjoy one of their favorite baked goods on National Brownie Day. #NationalBrownieDay
Coming on December 9, 2025
National Days
CHRISTMAS CARD DAY
NATIONAL PASTRY DAY
WEARY WILLIE DAY
LUTEFISK DAY
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Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day:
The Joy of Temporal DisplacementI. Introduction
If you could travel through time, where would you go? Would you visit the roaring 1920s, the age of dinosaurs, or the 25th century? On December 8th, you don't need a TARDIS or a DeLorean; you just need your imagination, because it's Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day! This unofficial, whimsical holiday is dedicated to stepping out of the present moment and embracing the absurd joy of temporal role-play. It's a powerful, tangible reminder that history isn't just dates and names—it's a living story that we can all playfully interact with.
II. The Origin
A. The Founding
Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day is a wonderful example of a grassroots holiday, created not by a corporation but by communities online. It emerged in the mid-2000s, likely originating from forums, gaming groups, and science-fiction fans who were looking for a non-commercial, highly imaginative way to celebrate. The idea was simple: dedicate one day a year to escaping the mundane reality of the present and encouraging others to engage in creative role-playing.
B. History
The concept of time travel itself is surprisingly old. It was popularized by H.G. Wells' 1895 novel, The Time Machine, which coined the term "time machine" and established the genre as we know it. From Wells to Doctor Who to Back to the Future, our fascination with the past and future is a reflection of human curiosity. We want to witness history's greatest moments, fix past mistakes, and peek at the technological wonders to come. This day taps into that deep-seated cultural curiosity.
C. The Journey to "National Day"
This holiday spread rapidly through social media and digital platforms. Unlike formal national days, its growth was entirely driven by engagement: people sharing photographs of their "era-appropriate" outfits, writing notes in "ancient" language, and adopting an amusingly bewildered persona about modern technology (like mistaking a cell phone for a mystical communication device). Its popularity solidified because it offers a fun, low-cost way to celebrate history, literature, and imagination all at once.
III. Significance and Impact
A. Relevance
The simple act of pretending encourages two major things: creativity and historical empathy. To pretend to be from 1890, you have to think about what life was actually like, how people spoke, and what their societal norms were. This makes history come alive. It also offers a necessary escape; by adopting the persona of a visitor from another era, the pressures and concerns of the current day melt away, at least for a few hours.
B. Geographical and Demographic
Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day is truly a global, digital celebration. Enthusiasts range from costumed re-enactors adopting the full jargon of the Elizabethan era to casual participants who simply tell their barista they "must return to the future before their temporal drive sputters out." For classrooms, this is an excellent prompt for history or English papers, encouraging students to research a historical period and describe their experience as a bewildered visitor.
C. Personal Connection
The most enjoyable part of this day is the committed performance. The stories that go viral often feature "time travelers" struggling hilariously with mundane modern objects—a credit card machine being mistaken for a sacred artifact, or a television being treated as a magic window to the world. It's a day where everyone gets to be a little weird, a little dramatic, and completely out of time.
IV. Conclusion and Call to Action
Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day reminds us how powerful a simple, shared flight of fancy can be. It's a wonderful opportunity to channel your inner historian, futuristic inventor, or maybe just a confused adventurer.
Go out and celebrate Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day! Choose an era, adopt your persona, and commit to the role. Try using some archaic language (thou, perchance, verily) or make a baffled comment about a modern convenience. Share your temporal adventures with us using #CelebrateEveryDay and #TimeTravelerDay!
Share this with family and friends! Download the PDF here.
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Notable Birthdays for December 8
Eli Whitney (1765-1825) - Inventor of the cotton gin.
Luther Prentice Bradley (1822-1910) - Brigadier General for the Union Army.
Robert Bullock (1828-1905) - Brigadier General for the Confederate Army.
William C. Durant (1861-1947) - Founder of General Motors and Chevrolet.
Charles Lincoln Edwards (1863-1937) - Zoologist who studied and discovered five species of copepods (small crustaceans).
E. C. Segar (1894-1938) - Cartoonist who created Popeye.
Adele Simpson 91903-1995) - Fashion designer.
Floyd Tillman (1914-2003) - Country music artist who helped create the Western swing and honky tonk genre.
Jean Ritchie (1922-2015) - Appalachian singer-songwriter who is referred to as the Mother of Folk.
Sammy Davis Jr. (1925-1990) - Actor, singer, and dancer.
Bob Arum (1931-Still Living) - Boxing promoter and founder of Top Rank.
Flip Wilson (1933-1998) - Comedian and host of The Flip Wilson Show.
David Carradine (1936-2009) - Actor who played who played Kwai Chang Caine in the series Kung Fu.
Larry Martin (1943-2013) - Paleontologist who was known for his studies on dinosaur fossils, including Longisquama, Caudipteryx and Dakotaraptor.
Jim Morrison (1943-1971) - Lead singer of the Doors.
Gregg Allman (1947-2017) - Co-founder of the Allman Brothers Band.
Margaret Geller (1947-Still Living) - Astrophysicist who is known as a pioneer of mapping the universe.
Kim Basinger (1953-Still Living) - Multi-award winning actress.
Norman Finkelstein (1953-Still Living) - Author and activist of the Holocaust.
Bob Greene (1958-Still Living) - Creator of the diet and fitness program, Best Life.
Aaron Allston (1960-2014) - Author of the Star Wars novels.
Ann Coulter (1961-Still Living) - Political commentator.
Teri Hatcher (1964-Still Living) - Actress best known for her role as Lois Lane on the t.v. series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.
Corey Taylor (1973-Still Living) - Lead singer of the hard rock band Slipknot.
Ryan Newman (1977-Still Living) - Stock car driver.
Cara Mund (1993-Still Living) - Miss America 2018 who was born in North Dakota.
Memorable Events for December 8
1792 - Henry Laurens becomes the first person to be cremated in the U.S.
1863 - Abraham Lincoln issues his plan for Reconstruction of the South (Amnesty Proclamation).
1886 - The American Federation of Labor is formed.
1936 - The NAACP files a lawsuit that allowed black teacher to make as much money as white teachers.
1941 - President Roosevelt declares December 7 to be "a date which will live in infamy", after declaring war on Japan.
1953 - President Eisenhower delivers his "Atoms for Peace" speech, leading to a program that would supply equipment and information on nuclear power to the world.
1961 - The Space Needle in Seattle is finished after only 8 months after beginning work.
1966 - The U.S. and Russia sign a treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons space.
2013 - Metallica becomes the first band to perform on all seven continents.
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