National Unicorn Day

National Unicorn Day is a holiday that’s observed annually on April 9th and is dedicated to the legendary creature that has been described by people since the dawn of time. It’s basically a horse with a large pointed and/or spiraling horn that projects right out of the middle of its forehead.

According to ancient lore, these animals were created by the gods and were often used to guard diving gardens and rivers. The unicorn’s horn is also supposed to have magical properties that evil men have desired to use for their own purposes. The unicorn is evidently a creature that has captured the popular imagination of the people of the world, which is why we’re now celebrating them with their own holiday.

The History Of National Unicorn Day

Unicorns have been written in stories and myths all around the world. The ancient Greeks and Romans wrote about these legendary animals, as did people living in China and India. The Greek physician Ctesias wrote in his book that he believed India produced a one-horned horse. However, later scholars would come along and say that he wasn’t describing a unicorn but was instead describing the Indian Rhinoceros.

So, it seems like we know quite a lot about the unicorn, but the one thing that we don’t know is who invented this holiday. Sure, we know that National Unicorn Day was invented in 2015, but we don’t know who invented it or why they decided to invent it. It appears to be as mysterious as the animal it celebrates.

Some Quick Facts About Unicorns

Okay, since we’ve delved into the history of unicorns a little bit, we decided that we wanted to expand on the subject by listing some of the facts that we’ve learned about these animals. Facts that we feel all of our readers can really appreciate. So without further ado, we’ve put down some quick unicorn facts below. So let’s take a moment and look at them before we run off and observe National Unicorn Day.

  • Unicorns have been written about for over 6,000 years.
  • Unicorns are the national animal of Scotland and it was first used as a symbol for that country since the 12th century.
  • During the Middle Ages, pharmacies would sell powdered unicorn horns. Most likely, this was walrus or rhino horn.
  • It’s been said that most unicorns have blue eyes, but we’re not exactly sure about that.
  • A drawing of a unicorn adorns the walls of Lascaux Caves in southwestern France. It dates all the way back to 15,000 BCE.
  • Unicorns were used in Medieval Art for hundreds of years.
  • Unicorns are even mentioned in the King James Bible.

Observing National Unicorn Day

This is a great day for people to celebrate this mythical horse. They can do that by dressing up as a unicorn, eating unicorn toast, or reading stories that star the humble unicorn. People can also spread their love for this animal and this holiday by using the hashtag #NationalUnicornDay on social media.

When is it?
This year (2023)
April 9 Sunday
Next year (2024)
April 9 Tuesday
Last year (2022)
April 9 Saturday
Topic
Fun & Joy, Weird & Obscure