Whether a person considers themselves to be short or not largely depends on their perception. If they’re of average height and they’re around people who are taller than that average, then yes, they can feel short. Of course, science does tell us the height range that most people fall into, so people below that average are going to be considered short.

In the U.S., the average height for men is 5’9” and the average height for women is 5’4”, so people below those numbers are shorter than the average person and may want to observe December 22nd as National Short Person Day—a day that reminds everyone that good things often come in small packages.

The History of National Short Person Day

After searching the internet up and down, we’re pretty confident in saying that probably no one knows who invented National Short Person Day. We do know that this holiday was created sometime after 2018, but we’re not sure of the exact date.

Some Facts About Height

Okay, we’re pretty sure that we’re not going to end an article about National Short Person Day without taking the time to talk about height and the perception of height. After all, we do love to do deep dives into the subjects of the holidays that we write about, so why should this holiday be any different? With that in mind, we would like to introduce the following eye-opening facts to everyone interested in this holiday.

• According to the latest research, people tend to see taller people as wealthier and more attractive.
• Taller people tend to have shorter lifespans than shorter people.
• The human heart has to work harder to pump blood through the body of a taller person.
• Over a 24-hour period, a person’s height will fluctuate as their spinal discs compress and decompress throughout the day.
• Caffeine doesn’t cause a person’s height to be stunted. That is just a myth.
• After the age of 40, people begin to shrink.
• A reduction in height of people over 40 happens due to loss of spinal fluid and osteoporosis.
• Girls grow faster than boys during the ages of 11 and 12.
• The concentration of human growth hormone in a person’s blood determines how tall they’re going to be.

Observing National Short Person Day

National Short Person Day can be observed by people simply by taking the time to love themselves no matter how tall or short they are. This is also a day when people should spread the word about this holiday using the hashtag #ShortPersonDay on social media.