So, you're looking at the calendar and wondering what the deal is with tomorrow. It’s Saturday, January 17, 2026. On the surface, it feels like just another winter weekend where you're trying to stay warm and maybe finally tackle that laundry pile. But honestly, tomorrow is actually packed with a weirdly specific mix of historical weight, "National Day" silliness, and a massive moment for space nerds.
If you were hoping for a federal holiday to get out of work—sorry to be the bearer of bad news—tomorrow isn't it. That comes Monday with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. However, tomorrow is technically Benjamin Franklin Day, and if you’re into the quirkier side of the internet, it’s also Ditch New Year's Resolutions Day.
Yeah, that’s a real thing.
Benjamin Franklin Day: The OG Influencer
Tomorrow is the 320th birthday of Benjamin Franklin. We all know him as the guy on the hundred-dollar bill or the dude who flew a kite in a thunderstorm, which, for the record, you should never do. But Franklin was basically the original American life-hacker.
He was obsessed with self-improvement. He famously tracked thirteen virtues—things like temperance, silence, and order—on a little chart he carried around. He failed at them constantly, which makes him pretty relatable.
💡 You might also like: Why Every Mom and Daughter Photo You Take Actually Matters
Why his birthday still matters in 2026
Aside from being a founding father, Franklin’s fingerprints are on everything from your bifocals to the local library. Tomorrow is a big day in Philadelphia, naturally. You’ll find people gathering at his grave at Christ Church Burial Ground to toss pennies (a tradition meant to honor his "a penny saved is a penny earned" mantra).
If you’re feeling productive tomorrow, maybe think of it as a nod to Ben. He once said, "Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that’s the stuff life is made of."
The Great Artemis II Rollout
If history isn't your vibe, maybe the Moon is. Tomorrow, January 17, 2026, is a massive milestone for NASA.
Starting around 7:00 am ET, NASA is scheduled to begin the rollout of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center. This is for the Artemis II mission. This isn't just another satellite launch; this is the first time since the Apollo era that humans are going back toward the Moon.
📖 Related: Sport watch water resist explained: why 50 meters doesn't mean you can dive
They won't be landing yet—that's Artemis III—but four astronauts (Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen) are getting ready to loop around the lunar surface. Watching that massive rocket crawl toward the pad at a blistering 1 mph is a strangely meditative experience. NASA is livestreaming the whole thing, including a media event with the crew at 9:00 am ET.
Ditch New Year's Resolutions Day
Okay, let’s be real. It’s mid-January. How’s that 5:00 am gym habit going?
Statistically, most people drop their resolutions by the second or third week of the year. Tomorrow is the "official" day to stop feeling guilty about it. It’s called Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day.
It sounds cynical, but there’s a logic to it. Rigid resolutions usually fail because they’re too intense. Tomorrow is basically a hall pass to quit the things that aren't working and pivot to something more sustainable. Want to swap the "no carbs" rule for "maybe just one salad a day"? Tomorrow is the day to make that shift without the shame.
👉 See also: Pink White Nail Studio Secrets and Why Your Manicure Isn't Lasting
The "National Day" Rabbit Hole
If you look at those "National Day" calendars, tomorrow is absolute chaos. You've got:
- National Use Your Gift Card Day: Seriously, check your junk drawer. There’s probably a $20 Starbucks card in there from three Christmases ago. Retailers love tomorrow because it gets people into stores during the January slump.
- National Hot Buttered Rum Day: A very necessary holiday given the current temperature in most of the Northern Hemisphere.
- Kid Inventors’ Day: A callback to Ben Franklin, who invented swim fins when he was only 12 years old.
- National Bootlegger’s Day: A nod to the birthday of Al Capone (born Jan 17, 1899) and the anniversary of the start of Prohibition in 1920.
Is anything closed tomorrow?
Since it’s a Saturday, most things follow their usual weekend hours. Banks are generally open for their limited Saturday shifts. The post office will deliver mail as usual.
The "real" holiday closure happens on Monday, January 19, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. That’s when you’ll see banks, post offices, and government buildings shuttered. If you have errands that require a government office, you’ve got tomorrow and maybe part of today to get them done before the long weekend freeze.
Making the most of your January 17
If you want to actually "celebrate" tomorrow instead of just scrolling through TikTok, here’s a quick roadmap:
- Check for Artemis: Pull up the NASA YouTube channel in the morning. Even if you aren't a space geek, seeing a 322-foot rocket move is objectively cool.
- Spend the plastic: Find those gift cards. Use them. Before you lose them or the store goes out of business.
- Audit the resolutions: If your 2026 goals are making you miserable, tomorrow is your legal exit strategy. Reset and pick something that actually fits your life.
- Prep for Monday: Since Monday is a day of service, tomorrow is a great time to look up local volunteer opportunities. Many organizations use the MLK weekend for community cleanups or food drives.
Tomorrow isn't a day for a parade or a massive family dinner, but it’s a solid bridge into the first long weekend of the year. Whether you're watching a rocket move or just finally drinking that hot buttered rum, it's a day with more going on than meets the eye.