15 Engaging and Funny Holidays in January to Inspire Your Next Promotion

New Years is a big promotional holiday for many companies, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t more fun to be had after midnight! There are all sorts of unique and funny January holidays ranging from food celebrations to family appreciation to bust-out-the-fireworks fun. If you’re looking for something unique to help you stand out from the crowd with your December marketing, check out these national and international treasures! 

How to Promote Your Business with Weird Holiday Marketing

Funny national holidays like Bathtub Party Day may seem like just something to fill a calendar, but these holidays are a great opportunity to engage with your customers and get them excited about your brand. Here are just a few ways businesses are using weird, silly, inspirational, and international holidays to create fun and tasteful marketing content. 

• Inspired Sales: Find the weird national holidays that connect to your industry and use them to inspire exciting deals for your customers. For example, restaurants can win over customers with a complementary treat on Chocolate Cake Day.

• Contests: Just like many businesses offer prizes for costume contests on Halloween, you can offer promotional merch as prizes for contests like solving a complex word puzzle on National Puzzle Day.
• Social Media Content: Get customers engaged with your social media pages by asking how they’ll celebrate your favorite January social media holidays, and share images of how you’re celebrating, too!
• Create Local Traditions: Found a holiday that jives perfectly with your brand? Do something big to celebrate every year and get people coming to your door! Decorate, host an event, offer free samples, or even create your own branded giveaways to commemorate what you will make into a new local tradition.
• Coordinate With Another Business: Is a holiday not particularly relevant to your industry? Find another small business who can help you create an engaging promotion that both of you benefit from!

Pro tip: While January has quite a few religious and cultural holidays like the Chinese New Year, you don’t want to use these holidays purely for promotional reasons. It’s good to acknowledge the holidays of major religions and cultures, but using them to promote your business when you have no inherent connection is in poor taste and will offend more customers than it excites. Be tasteful and respectful whenever you address cultural or religious celebrations. 

15 Inspiring, Funny, and Wacky Holidays in January 2023

1. World Introvert Day

January 2 

Alt text: World introvert day 
Finally, a day all about NOT socializing! Or at least socializing on your own terms. On World Introvert Day, do your local introvert a favor and cancel some plans, send texts instead of calls, and embrace a new hobby that you can info dump about next time you and your friends are ready to escape the comforts of your couch together. Businesses can celebrate by promoting their chat-based online support, contactless delivery, and online shopping options. 

2. Festival of Sleep

January 3 

Saving up your time off for a real “me” day? Well, now’s your chance to cash in with a day that’s all about sleep! Learn all about the different types of nap (there are four) and when to take them, try out a tasty melatonin gummy, find the fluffiest blanket you can find, and turn off your phone for a chance to FINALLY catch up on all of that sleep debt. Businesses can show off their amazing sleep merch, and even host a company sleep over so employees can try it out for themselves! 

3. Bean Day

January 6 

Coffee beans, green beans, jelly beans, spilling your beans, it’s all fair game on this bean-tastic holiday. Companies can market their best bean recipes and customers can enjoy discounts on exciting new bean types. Not sure how to participate? Turn it into a January social media holiday by sharing recipes and bean types on your social media! 

4. Houseplant Appreciation Day

January 10 

Some people have children, some people have fur babies, but you haven’t truly lived until you’ve had (and accidentally killed) a houseplant or two. Offices can take the opportunity to boost morale with gifts of desk plants, and plant shops can educate customers on the hardiest and most beautiful indoor and outdoor plants. Shops should also remember to educate customers about which plants are safe for households with pets. 

5. Blame Someone Else Day

First Friday the 13^th of the year 

When everything is going wrong, it can be so much more convenient to blame somebody else. On the first Friday the 13^th of the year, everyone can join in on social media by posting their misfortunes and who they’re going to be blame for it. Celebrate this wacky holiday in January 2023 by blaming pets, ghosts, the weather, or if you’re a really tight-knit team, a specially appointed office scapegoat. 

6. Dress Up Your Pet Day

January 14 

Your pets have no excuse for running around naked on this holiday! Plus, nothing will get you followers like letting your business’s furry friends strut their stuff on your social media page. Encourage customers to engage with your social media by exchanging discounts for their most adorable pet dress up pictures, and encourage employees to share their own as well! Pet shops can cash in with discounts on grooming, photo shoots, and branded pet accessories. 

7. National Hat Day

January 15 

Top hats, berets, beanies, and more are going to be parading your business on National Hat Day! Give in-store discounts for hat-wearing customers, and host a social media giveaway for whoever designs the most amazing hat. Employees can join the fun with an in-office crazy hat contest, and clothing stores can set up a special pop up for hats of all styles and seasons made by their favorite brands. 

8. Ditch New Year’s Resolution Day

January 17 

Phew, I think seventeen days is long enough to keep up those New Year’s resolutions, don’t you? Get back to your favorite vices together with your customers by encouraging them to share their New Year’s resolutions (and how they’re going to celebrate quitting them) on your social media! While this holiday probably isn’t going to be a popular hit for gyms, everyone else can encourage the quitting life with discounts on carb-heavy treats, online apps, and other indulgent savings.  

9. National Popcorn Day

January 19 

Now if only this were National Movie Day as well, right? Popcorn is a fun treat that can be offered fast and buttery or with fancy flavors. This means that restaurants can show off their gourmet talents with exciting popcorn ball creations, or you can boost foot traffic in your main street shop with a free popcorn stand at your door. Share recipes online and in the office, and get creative as you find new ways to promote with popcorn. 

10. Penguin Awareness Day

January 20 

Everyone loves penguins, so spread the love on Penguin Awareness Day! While this adorable holiday is sure to be filled with cute waddles and feathery fun, this is also a great day for companies to spread awareness for at-risk penguin populations. Show how your brand is working to make the world better by donating to conservation efforts, promoting eco-friendly practices, and embracing innovative solutions to help the planet and the penguins. 

11. National Handwriting Day

January 23 

When was the last time you wrote something by hand instead of typing it? Well, if it’s been a while, now’s the perfect time to compare your sloppy style with employees and customers to see who has the best and the worst handwriting! We especially recommend this for doctors, surgeons, and nurses, who no doubt are excited to show off their chicken scratch signatures that have not gotten the least bit better with time. 

12. Opposite Day

January 25 

Ever wondered what day is actually opposite day? Wonder no more, it’s January 25^th! Now’s your chance to wear your clothes inside-out, post your silliest promotional ads, and sharing posts on how your customers are celebrating a day full of opposites. However, because this holiday isn’t as well publicized as others, we do NOT recommend telling everyone that your products are free and your store is closed, they probably won’t get the joke. 

13. Fun at Work Day

January 28  

Talking about opposites… Fun? At work? It’s actually possible! This day is all about boosting team spirit and company morale with fun activities and food at the office. In fact, there’s so many ways to have fun at the office, that we made an entire blog post about it! Check it out here. 

14. Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day

Last Monday of the month 

Phew, it’s the last Monday of the month, which means everybody is going to be needing a little stress relief to get them to the finish. While it may not make sense to celebrate by buying rolls and rolls of plastic bubble wrap, you can still give your customers and employees that sweet popping joy with their own custom branded bubble fidgets!  

15. Backward Day

January 31 

Not to be confused with Opposite Day, Backwards Day is when you do things, well, backwards! Print flyers with words written backwards, offer sales with flipped prices, wear your shirts and hats backwards, and encourage your customers to do the same in exchange for in-store discounts, branded prizes, and more.  

Didn’t find a holiday that suits you? These are just a few of the many fun holidays in January that can inspire your next promotion. Next time you’re feeling at a loss for social media content or promotional themes, check out the silly holidays of the month to help get your customers engaged with your brand and social media.