National No One Eats Alone Day is a holiday that falls on the third Friday of February each year, and it’s a day that encourages students to make sure they take the time to resolve their social, economic, and cultural differences to ensure that no student has to eat alone.

Far too often, students will divide themselves into cliques that share a common identity. While there’s nothing wrong with students grouping with other students of like interests, this invariably leads to some students having to sit alone to eat lunch. This holiday aims to change that and ensure that students come together in friendship and camaraderie.

The History of National No One Eats Alone Day

This holiday was started as a campaign between a handful of North Carolina schools in 2012. They wanted to address the issue of some children being left alone by their peers during lunch. It was a way to make those students who were left out feel seen and to include them in social activities.

Eventually, word of this holiday spread far beyond North Carolina. By 2019, over a million students in more than 2,300 U.S. schools participated in this holiday. Each year, this holiday continues to grow by leaps and bounds.

Observing National No One Eats Alone Day

This is a holiday that’s mainly observed in middle and high schools across the U.S. However, that doesn’t mean that people can’t support the cause behind this holiday. One way people can make a difference is by finding out what they can do by visiting Beyond Differences, which manages this holiday every year.

People can also spread the word about this holiday using the hashtag #NationalNoOneEatsAloneDay online. If we all come together and are more inclusive, then the world can truly become the place that we want it to be.