National Boyfriend Day

Observed every October 3rd, National Boyfriend Day is a holiday on which people can spend time with their significant others. Although this holiday wasn’t created as an official holiday—meaning that nothing closes on this day—it is a holiday that has been gaining popularity over the past few years.

It was originally created as a response to National Girlfriend’s Day, a holiday that is celebrated on August 1st every year, but it has since taken on a life of its own. It’s the perfect day for people to take their boyfriends out for a night on the town, for a nice dinner, or to curl up with them and watch a movie.

It’s also the perfect day for people to show their boyfriends a little bit of love and affection, so think of it as a holiday that’s the sequel to Valentine’s Day.

The History of National Boyfriend Day

It’s currently unknown when National Boyfriend Day was invented or who invented it. Some people think that it might have started as a joke holiday on various websites and just took on a life of its own.

Others speculate that it was created as a response to National Girlfriend’s Day—a way to balance out that holiday. Regardless of who invented it, this holiday does seem to be growing in popularity every year. And that alone is a good reason for people to at least consider observing it.

Interesting Facts About Relationships

Whenever we come across a holiday, we do a ton of research for it. We try to uncover its origins, who created it, and how it’s observed. While we’re doing this important research, we’ll usually come across other pieces of information that relate to the said holiday but don’t fit neatly into the categories of history, origins, or traditions associated with it.

So we usually take those pieces of information or factoids and roll them up into their own section. And this section just so happens to be the one that contains interesting factoids—in this case, factoids about relationships. Let’s take a quick look at them before moving on to the traditions of this holiday.

Humans Aren’t the Only Animals to Have Monogamous Relationships

People think of themselves as a monogamous species for the most part, but what they might not realize is that they aren’t the only animals who practice monogamy. The animal kingdom is full of animals that form monogamous relationships, and these include swans, wolves, black vultures, gibbons, and albatrosses.

Monogamy exists in the insect world as well. For example, termites have been known to form monogamous relationships. Maybe we’re not as special as we like to think we are.

Science Indicates a Person Can Size Up a Mate in Under 4 Minutes

Although people like to think of themselves as thoughtful, when it comes to relationships, we really don’t need to be all that thoughtful. In fact, several studies indicate a person can decide whether or not they like someone enough for them to be a potential mate in 4 minutes or less.

Lovers Can Synchronize Their Heartbeats

Another interesting piece of trivia that we’ve come across is that when two lovers stare into each other’s eyes for 3 minutes, then their heartbeats begin to synchronize. Of course, the two lovers have to have been more than in a physical relationship. For this trick to work, the couple also has to be bonded in love.

Love Is a Drug in Many Different Ways

As scientists research love more and more, they begin to find out just how much love is like a real drug. What do we mean? Well, let us give you two examples. The first example that we’d like to cite is that when couples cuddle, they release the hormone oxytocin.

Oxytocin reduces headaches significantly and has a calming effect on the body. It also activates the pleasure centers of the brain—much in the same way as morphine does. And it all activates with a simple hug, and that’s why some scientists have called oxytocin the “cuddling hormone.”

Another example that love is like a drug is that falling in love has neurological effects that are quite similar to those of cocaine. Both falling in love and cocaine trigger a sense of euphoria and stimulate the brain in the same areas in much the same way.

Couples Who Are Too Much Alike Aren’t Likely to Stay Married

There’s an old saying that says opposites attract, and when it comes to love, that just might be the case. Several scientific studies have found that couples who are too much alike are more likely to divorce than couples who have several things that they don’t have in common.

However, the couples mustn’t be too different because those same studies show that couples who are too different from one another also have a high divorce rate. So ideally, a couple will want to make sure that they have some of their own interests but aren’t so different from one another that they share nothing in common.

Committed Love Follows Romantic Love

Romantic love feels great and is usually marked by an intense euphoria while in the presence of your partner and butterflies in the stomach. However, that type of love only lasts for a year.

When that year ends, “committed love” begins, and the couples become linked in a much deeper sense. This has been evidenced by elevated neurotrophin protein levels in couples that have entered the committed love stage of their relationship.

Customs, Traditions & Observations for National Boyfriend Day

Since little is known about this holiday or its origin, it’s really hard to pin down some of the ways people might practice it. We imagine the best way to celebrate it would be for people to take care of their boyfriends for the day and show them the love and adoration they deserve.

Some ideas include making them dinner, giving them a gift, or doing something nice for them. I think that’s probably the best way to celebrate this unofficial holiday.

When is it?
This year (2024)
October 3 Thursday
Next year (2025)
October 3 Friday
Last year (2023)
October 3 Tuesday
Topic
Relationships & Family