Awkward moments happen all the time – and to some folks more than others! For anyone who has ever wished that the ground would open up and swallow them, National Awkward Moments Day is a celebration of all of those ridiculous moments that are filled with bumbling, bungling and tons of embarrassment.
From walking out of a public toilet with toilet paper stuck to a shoe, to realizing you’ve been speaking to someone every day for a year and don’t actually know their name, life is full of these painful and loathsome experiences. Or for those who get easily tongue tied and say the wrong thing, National Awkward Moments Day is perfect for not only embracing this debacle, but celebrating it!
Although no one has taken credit for the founding of National Awkward Moments Day (perhaps that would be too awkward!), many people have commented on how interesting it is that National Awkward Moments Day is celebrated right on the heels of St Patrick’s day. Is it possible that some awkward moments might occur during a walk of shame the next morning while dressed as a leprechaun?
National Awkward Moments Day does boast a mascot though: the awkward turtle. The phenomenon of the awkward turtle was first documented around 2005. This two-handed gesture that silently indicates extreme embarrassment without having to actually say any words.
The awkward turtle gesture seems to have originated from sign language and grew in use throughout pop culture in the late 2000s. And who knows? Maybe there’s a possibility that the awkward turtle was an impetus for the creation of National Awkward Moments Day.
Awkward moments can certainly be responsible for turning the cheeks red or causing the desire to disappear into thin air. But, on National Awkward Moments Day, it’s the time to embrace and show appreciation for all of that awkwardness.
After all, to be human is to also sometimes be awkward. Even the most put-together of people have their moments where they fall up the stairs (like Jennifer Lawrence on the red carpet) or have a “wardrobe malfunction” in front of millions of fans (à la J Lo at the Super Bowl).
So, if anything awkward happens on National Awkward Moments Day, be sure to see the humor of the situation, and have a good laugh about it, before moving on to the next one!
