Celebrate Take Your Teddy Bear to Work Day Every October 11
Do you have a favorite teddy bear? If you do, October 11 is the day to bring him with you to work: Take Your Teddy Bear to Work Day.
It’s a silly day, sure. But sometimes you need silly!
And sometimes even adults still need their teddy bears (yes, they do!).
We have no idea who started this day. Probably someone who recognized the value of being a kid at heart. And sometimes letting others see that side of you.
There’s also some disagreement about when to celebrate it. October 11 seems to be the most common day we found. But the 2nd Wednesday in October is also pretty popular. And some people want to celebrate it on the 14th.
Now it has occurred to us that always having it on a Wednesday would ensure it was always on a work day. But would it really? The 5-day workweek isn’t really “traditional”. It’s only around 100 years old in most industries.
And today being “on” 24/7 is pretty standard. Many people work weekends or other non-standard hours. They may even have Wednesdays off! And there was a time when lots of offices (like doctors and banks) were closed on Wednesdays.
So, since we don’t know who to ask, we’re just going to stick with October 11. At least until we get reliable information on the correct date.
You can join us on October 11, or you can see if one of the other days works better for you. …
And if you have any more information about how this day started or what day it’s supposed to be on, let us know!
A Brief History of the Teddy Bear
We feel like most people know the history of the teddy bear. But maybe not.
If you do, go ahead and skip this section.
If you don’t, then read on.
The teddy bear was created by a New York shopkeeper, Morris Michtom, and his wife Rose. The very first one was actually just a display piece for their store, and they called it Teddy’s bear.
The name was in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt (called Teddy, even though he hated the nickname). They did this after the President refused to shoot a bear on a hunting trip in 1902. Not that he was against shooting a bear. What he didn’t like was that the bear was tied to a tree and defenseless. He felt shooting it would be unsportsmanlike.
Good for him!
When customers were interested in their bear, the Michtoms got the president’s permission to sell stuffed bears using his name. Then they started a company to make it and other toys.
A German company started making stuffed bears around the same time. They were originally called Steiff bears but soon also became known as teddy bears. Before long the world fell in love with teddy bears and other toy companies began making them too.
Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this unofficially cuddly holiday.
Ideas For How to Celebrate Take Your Teddy Bear to Work Day
Well now the name of the day pretty much tells you how to celebrate. Bring your teddy bear to work.
If you want:
- Dress him up.
- Bring him to lunch (even if it’s at a restaurant).
- Bring him to your meetings.
It might be a good idea to get your boss’ ok before bringing him to meetings or lunches with clients, though …
In fact, maybe celebrate another day if you’re meeting with clients on this day. It’s one thing to show a silly side with co-workers, but clients may be less understanding. Unless you know they’re silly too!
If you don’t have a teddy bear, why not? There are lots to choose from, so get yourself a teddy bear today!
Don’t share stories about your kids, dogs, or cats. Instead, share stories about your teddy bear. C’mon, you know you’ve got some.
And what if Take Your Teddy Bear to Work Day falls on a weekend? Spend the day with him anyway! Watch TV with him. Curl up and read with him. Just enjoy being a bit of a kid for the day.
So … Do you have a teddy bear? Will you be bringing him to work for this day?
[…] Take Your Teddy Bear to Work Day: If you’re working on this Sunday, bring your teddy bear to keep you company. Yes, even if you’re still working from home! […]