When we first heard about National Cheesy Socks Day, we were a bit confused about the name. At first, we thought it was a day during which people commemorated their cheese having a “cheesy smell,” which frankly, would have been gross.

Instead, we found out that this holiday was a day for people to celebrate the “cheesy” sock designs they love. In this sense, “cheesy” means shabby chic, cheap, and/or different from the normal style.

These are socks with cat or mouse designs, socks with wild and crazy designs, or sometimes, a design that features wheels of cheese. If that sounds like fun, then everyone is encouraged to celebrate this holiday on January 21st.

The History of National Cheesy Socks Day

Socks have been around since ancient times. They started out simply as animal skins that were gathered together and then tied to a person’s ankles. Then people began to weave socks, but at this time, only the rich could afford them.

That’s because the pre-industrial manufacturing of socks was time-consuming, putting them beyond the reach of the average person. People of the lower classes instead wore footwraps around their feet for a long time.

Socks were used during the Middle Ages, but they didn’t have an elastic band, so people had to wear garters over the top of them to prevent them from falling down. For much of this time, socks were a symbol of wealth among the nobility and rich merchants.

It would remain this way until the end of the 16th century when knitting machines allowed socks to be created six times faster than they could have previously been made. This lowered the price and opened up the number of people who could wear them.

During the 1930s, the introduction of nylon and the blending of this material with other materials lowered sock prices even further. Now, just about everyone can afford a pair of socks to wear.

Unfortunately, while we’ve chronicled the history of the sock quite thoroughly, we’ve been unable to do the same with the history of this holiday. We tried to do extensive research to unearth the origins of National Cheesy Socks Day but were unable to find any useful information on it. We simply don’t know who created it or when it was created.

Observing National Cheesy Socks Day

The best way to celebrate National Cheesy Socks Day is to find a pair of cheesy socks that you like and wear them while you’re out and about. Let everyone see those funky socks and let everyone understand your particular sense of style. And don’t forget to share those cheesy socks with your internet friends using the hashtag #NationalCheesySocksDay online.