National Hangover Day Date in the current year: January 1, 2024

A hangover is a combination of unpleasant physical and psychological effects associated with drinking too much alcohol that can last from a few to 24 hours. These effects may include dry mouth, headache, dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue, nausea or vomiting, loss of appetite, sweating, sensitivity to light, irritability, etc. They usually occur the morning after a night of heaving drinking, just as you begin to sober up.

The exact causes of a hangover are unknown, but it is believed to be caused by a combination of factors. First and foremost, alcohol is a toxin, and its by-product acetaldehyde is 10-30 times more toxic than ethanol. Other factors that are involved in hangover include dehydration, loss of essential vitamins and electrolytes, low blood sugar, and sleep deprivation.

Since healthcare professionals don’t fully understand hangovers from a medical point of view, there is debate about whether there are reliable hangover remedies. Some treatments, such as rehydration and ibuprofen, help alleviate some of the symptoms that are associated with hangover. Unproven but popular hangover remedies include “hair of the dog” (short for “hair of the dog that bit you”; it means consuming a small amount of alcohol to relieve hangover symptoms) and hearty foods (egg dishes, greasy foods, soups).

While the origins of many “national” holidays are unclear, the history of National Hangover Day isn’t a mystery at all. The holiday was born in 2015 at the Oven and Tap restaurant in Brentonville, Texas. One day in October, patrons were discussing national days, and at some point, Marlo Anderson and Keegan Calligar exclaimed simultaneously that January 1 should be National Hangover Day. They submitted it to National Day Calendar, and the rest is history.

How can you celebrate National Hangover Day? Well, if you do have a hangover, try some hangover remedies. We suggest that you start with the more reliable cures, such as taking some pain relievers, drinking lots of water or a sports drink to get your electrolytes up, and having breakfast with a cup of coffee, before trying unusual ones. And remember that pain relievers (or any medicines, really) and “hair of the dog” remedies don’t mix well.

If you don’t have a hangover (lucky you!), celebrate National Hangover Day by helping someone who does. Check in on the friends you’ve partied with on New Year’s Eve and see if they need you to swing by a drugstore and get them some ibuprofen, make them a Bloody Mary (by the way, January 1 also is National Bloody Mary Day), or take them out for hangover brunch.

National Hangover Day is also a great excuse to spend the whole day in bed binge watching the Hangover movies. And don’t forget to spread the word about the holiday on social media with the hashtag #NationalHangoverDay to let people around the world know that they’re not the only ones who’re suffering from hangovers on the first day of the year after partying hard the night before.