“National Create Your Own Holiday Day” is celebrated annually March 26.
There’s a holiday coming up next week that all grievers should know about. “National Create Your Own Holiday Day” is celebrated each year on March 26, inviting people to step outside the traditional calendar and invent a day that reflects their own interests, values, or joys. The idea began in the early 2000s when the online platform Wellcat Holidays, founded by Ruth and Thomas Roy, encouraged people to embrace creativity by designing their own celebrations. Unlike traditional holidays rooted in history or religion, this day is intentionally open-ended, reminding us that meaning can be made, not just inherited. It celebrates imagination, individuality, and the simple human desire to mark time with purpose and joy.
For those who are grieving, “Create Your Own Holiday Day” offers a gentle and meaningful invitation. Loss often leaves an empty space where shared traditions once lived, and creating a personal holiday for a loved one who has passed can help fill that space with intention and love. By setting aside a day to honor a loved one, through their favorite foods, music, places, or acts of kindness, we transform remembrance into something active and life-giving. Celebrating amidst grief does not diminish the loss; rather, it acknowledges that love continues. A personal holiday allows grief and joy to coexist, offering comfort, connection, and a continuing bond with the person who has died. In this way, creating a holiday becomes not just an act of remembrance, but an act of healing. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Create Your Own Personal Holiday: A Guide for Remembering a Loved One
A day to remember. A day to celebrate. A day just for them.
Purpose: To create a special day to remember, celebrate, and honor the life of your loved one in a way that feels comforting, personal, and hopeful.
Choose a Date
Could be their birthday, the anniversary of their passing, or another meaningful day, or it could be a day with no inherent meaning, just a spontaneous day with no relevance to your loved one, giving them a brand-new day of significance. Pick a day that feels right for joyful remembrance rather than just sorrow.
Name Your Holiday: Naming your holiday gives it identity and invites participation from others. Examples: “John’s Kindness Day” “Mom’s Garden Day” “Celebrating Mary’s Light”
· Light a candle in their memory
· Play their favorite music or song
· Share a prayer, toast, or moment of silence
· Visit a place they loved
· Prepare their favorite meal or dessert
· Watch a movie or show they loved
· Wear a color or clothing item they adored
· Include pets or activities they enjoyed
· Gather family, friends, or community to share stories
· Keep a journal of memories or reflections
· Create a “memory jar” for notes or photos each year
· Volunteer or help someone in their honor
· Do something they loved to do, visit a place they enjoyed
· Donate to a cause meaningful to them
· Perform a random act of kindness that reflects their values
· Plant a tree, flower, or small garden in their memory
· Make art, crafts, or a scrapbook each year
· Release balloons, lanterns, or light sparklers safely as a symbolic gesture
Flexibility & Personalization: Your holiday can be quiet or festive, whatever feels right. There is no “wrong” way; it evolves as your grief, love, and memories grow.
Thoughtful Thursdays
