With every new month comes a plethora of official national days, each unique in their own way. December, being a particularly festive time of year with longstanding celebrations such as Christmas and Hanukkah, has a number of other days featuring a wide variety of themes. According to the National Days Calendar, the month features over one hundred nationally recognized days. The focus of these days stretches far and wide, from World Trick Shot Day on the first Tuesday of December to National Thank You Note Day on December 26th, following Christmas.

One of the most monumental national days falls on December 10th, Nobel Prize day. Named for Alfred Nobel, the Swedish chemist who invented dynamite, the Prizes are awarded annually to some of the world’s most influential people. Brilliant individuals such as Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, and Mother Teresa have been awarded the prize during its 115 year existence. While this day is often overlooked, Maroons can look towards these Laureates as some of the world’s greatest people.

A recent national holiday was World Trick Shot Day, held this year on December 6th. Created by the world famous Harlem Globetrotters, this day aims to shine a spotlight on one of the most fun things to watch online — trick shots. Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and a number of other social platforms have become popular places to showcase these so-called “trick shots”, where individuals show off their talents by performing basketball tricks that are sometimes hard to even believe are real. Groups such as Dude Perfect have come to legendary status with their shots by breaking world records and pushing the limits for what can be done.

Some national days are based on popular culture of years past. December 23rd is often referred to as Festivus, popularized solely by the TV show, Seinfeld in 1997. In the show, an irate character by the name of Frank Costanza, father of the main character, George, proclaims that Christmas has become too commercialized. The holiday’s centerpiece is a plain, insignificant aluminum pole. Perhaps a way to poke fun at how seriously Christmas is taken, this holiday has become a fun tradition throughout the United States.

The multitude of nationally recognized days makes December an exciting month for anyone, because no matter who you are there is likely a day that you’ll enjoy. Not a fan of any of the above days? You’re in luck, because there are many many others, such as National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day and, following Christmas, National Thank You Note Day. For the full list of national days, visit the National Day Calendar online.