National Kite Flying Day Date in the current year: February 8, 2024

A kite is a tethered craft that is able to fly due to lift and drag forces created by wing surfaces that react against the air. Kites can be heavier or lighter than air; they consist of wings, tethers and anchors.

Kites have been around for millennia. Although their exact origin is unknown, they are believed to have been invented in Asia, where materials for making lightweight and reliable kites were readily available: silk for the wings and flying line, and bamboo for the framework. Following the invention of paper, the Chinese began to use it as a kite material as well.

From China, kites spread to India and other parts of Asia, as well as throughout Polynesia. In the 13th century, Marco Polo brought stories of kites to Europe, but he didn’t bring any kites with him. The first kites arrived in Europe from Japan in the 16th century.

Outside of Asia, kites were initially seen as a mere curiosity but they eventually came to be used in scientific research. One of the first scientific experiments involving a kite was Benjamin Franklin’s kite experiment that proved that lightning and electricity were the result of the same phenomenon. Kites were also instrumental in the development of the first successful heavier-than-air aircraft.

Over the course of their history, kites have had many practical uses. They have been used for military purposes (signaling, reconnaissance, delivery of supplies), for scientific and meteorological purposes, to carry radio antennas, and even to generate power.

Today, however, kite flying is mostly associated with recreation. Small kites are flown for fun, individually and at kite festivals, dozens of which are held around the globe every year, ranging from small local events to big gatherings that attract hundreds of kite flyers and thousands of spectators from all over the world. Large kites that are able to pull people, also known as power kites, are used in kite sports and recreational activities such as kite surfing, kite boating and snow kiting.

The origins of National Kite Flying Day are unclear, but don’t let it stop you from observing the holiday and having fun in the open air. The best way to celebrate is, of course, to go to the nearest park or beach and fly a kite (just make sure to stay away from power lines and other obstacles), but it is not the only way to celebrate kites and kite flying.

You can learn more about the history of kites, plan a trip to a kite festival, get supplies from a hobby store and make your own kite (you can even throw a kite-making party for your family and friends), learn the song “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” from the 1964 film Mary Poppins with your kids, read the 2005 novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Khosseini, and spread the word about the holiday on social media with the hashtags #NationalKiteFlyingDay and #KiteFlyingDay.