You woke up, checked your phone, and saw a random notification about a "holiday" you’ve never heard of. It happens every single morning now. Honestly, the modern calendar is a mess of serious federal observances, weird food celebrations, and social media hashtags masquerading as actual traditions.
Today is Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
If you’re looking for a reason to skip work or find the post office closed, I have some bad news. It isn't a federal holiday in the United States. No mail delays. No bank closures. But that doesn’t mean the day is empty. Far from it. Depending on where you live or what niche communities you follow, today actually carries some significant weight.
The "Holiday" Today That Actually Matters: Coming of Age Day (Seijin no Hi)
While Americans are just grinding through the second week of January, Japan is wrapping up one of its most visually stunning and culturally significant celebrations. It’s called Coming of Age Day, or Seijin no Hi.
Traditionally, this falls on the second Monday of January. Since 2026 started on a Thursday, the second Monday just passed, but the festivities often bleed into the following Tuesday for those traveling back from their hometowns. This is the day when everyone who turned 20 in the past year officially becomes an adult.
It’s a massive deal.
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You’ll see young women wearing furisode—these incredibly expensive, long-sleeved kimonos—and men in either traditional hakama or sharp western suits. They head to local city halls for ceremonies, then hit up shrines like Meiji Jingu in Tokyo. It isn't just about drinking rights (though that’s part of it). It’s a formal "welcome to society" moment. If you’re in a major city with a Japanese diaspora, like Los Angeles or Dusseldorf, you might even see local celebrations reflecting this today.
Why Everyone Thinks Today Is a Holiday (The Social Media Effect)
Search for "what is holiday today" and you’ll get hit with a barrage of "National Days."
Let’s be real: most of these are fake. Or, at least, "unofficial." They were started by marketing firms or people who just really liked a specific snack. Today, January 13, is technically National Peach Melba Day and National Sticker Day.
Does that mean you get the day off? No.
Does it mean your local bakery is giving away free dessert? Probably not.
National Sticker Day actually has a bit of history, though. It was created to honor the birthday of R. Stanton Avery, the guy who founded Avery Dennison and basically invented the modern self-adhesive label in 1935. Before him, you had to lick stamps or use messy glue for everything. It’s a niche bit of industrial history that has somehow morphed into a "holiday" where people post photos of their laptop decals.
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The Stephen Foster Connection
In the United States, January 13 is also Stephen Foster Memorial Day.
Foster is often called the "father of American music." He wrote "Oh! Susanna" and "My Old Kentucky Home." Back in 1951, Congress actually authorized the President to issue a proclamation for this day. It’s a "legal" observance, but it’s not a "public" holiday. You won't find a parade, but you might find a dedicated segment on a classical music radio station or a small ceremony at a university music department. It’s one of those quiet, dusty bits of American legislation that stays on the books forever.
The Mid-January Slump and "Blue Monday" Myths
We are currently in that weird "dead zone" of the year.
The high of New Year’s Eve is gone. The credit card bills from December are starting to arrive in the mail. The weather in the northern hemisphere is usually gray and depressing. This is why people are constantly searching for a holiday today—we are looking for a reason to celebrate something, anything, to break up the winter monotony.
You might hear people talking about "Blue Monday" around this time.
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It’s important to clarify that Blue Monday is pseudo-science. It was originally calculated by a tutor named Cliff Arnall using a formula that accounted for weather, debt, and the time elapsed since New Year’s resolutions failed. It’s usually cited as the third Monday in January. Even though today is Tuesday the 13th, the "vibe" of Blue Monday starts settling in right about now.
Don't let the lack of a formal day off get to you.
Look Ahead: The Big One Is Coming
If you’re frustrated that today isn't a "real" holiday, just hang on for a few more days.
In the U.S., the next major federal holiday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which falls on Monday, January 19, 2026. That is the one where the banks close, the mail stops, and schools take a break. We are less than a week away.
In the meantime, the "holiday" today is whatever you make of it. If you want to celebrate the fact that someone invented stickers so you don't have to lick glue, go for it. If you want to honor Stephen Foster by humming a 19th-century folk song, that works too.
Actionable Steps for January 13
Since today is a standard working day for most of the world, use it to your advantage rather than wishing for a day off that isn't coming.
- Check your local government calendar: If you live in a country like India or parts of Southeast Asia, regional festivals often happen mid-January (like Lohri or Magh Bihu). These are often state-specific.
- Audit your subscriptions: National Sticker Day is a great reminder that "labels" matter. Go through your digital "labels"—your recurring monthly subscriptions—and cancel the ones you aren't using.
- Plan for the 19th: Since MLK Day is a long weekend for many, today is the day to finalize travel plans or grocery lists before the Friday rush.
- Acknowledge the "Coming of Age": If you have a young adult in your life who recently hit a milestone, take a cue from Japan. Send a quick text. It doesn't need to be a furisode-level event, but a little recognition goes a long way during the January gloom.
The reality is that today is a "bridge" day. It’s the Tuesday that connects the post-holiday recovery to the rest of the year. It’s quiet, it’s functional, and honestly, that’s probably exactly what most of us need right now.