National Umbrella Day Date in the current year: February 10, 2024

An umbrella is a device designed to protect a person from rain, sunlight, and sometimes snow. It is a canopy supported by ribs that is usually mounted on a support pole. The ribs can be made of metal or wood, whereas the pole can be metal, plastic, or wooden. 

Umbrellas designed for individual use are hand-held; they can be non-collapsible, in which only the canopy can be folded, and fully collapsible, with a retractable support pole. Fully collapsible umbrellas, also known as foldable or pocket umbrellas, are more compact and can easily fit into a handbag, whereas non-collapsible umbrellas are considered more reliable due to having fewer moving parts. Some umbrellas have to be folded manually, while others are automatic: they have a spring that makes them open at the press of a button on the handle.

Umbrellas have been around for millennia; they were known in ancient China, Egypt, India, Greece and Rome, as well as in the Aztec Empire. The use of umbrellas in Europe became common around the 16th or 17th century. Modern pocket umbrellas were invented in the early 20th century.

The origins of National Umbrella Day are unclear, but it has been observed since at least 2004. Be that as it may, there is no doubt that umbrellas deserve to be celebrated. You can observe this amazing holiday in many ways:

• Buy a new umbrella (if you’ve always wanted to own a rainbow or transparent umbrella, this is your chance to make this dream come true).
• Go for a walk with an umbrella, rain or shine.
• Learn interesting facts about umbrellas and share them with anything who is willing to listen. For example, did you know that the French have different words for different types of umbrellas? Parasol is a large umbrella that can shield several people from the sun, ombrelle is a small hand-held umbrella that shields from the sun and, unlike parasol, is designed for individual use, parapluie is an umbrella that protects from rain, paraneige is an umbrella designed to protect from snow, and en-tout-cas (“in any case”) is a multi-purpose umbrella.
• Watch a movie or a television show that features umbrellas or has the word “umbrella” in the name; Singing in the Rain and Mary Poppins are a classic choice, but if you’re in the mood for something more recent, check out The Umbrella Academy.
• Listen to Rihanna’s hit song “Umbrella” on repeat.
• Go out to your favorite bar and order a cocktail with a paper umbrella in it or throw a cocktail party for your family and friends. 
• Have a photoshoot with an umbrella; you can book a professional photographer for a fancy photoshoot or simply ask a friend to snap a few photos of you posing with your favorite umbrella.

And don’t forget to spread the word about the holiday on social media using the hashtags #NationalUmbrellaDay and #UmbrellaDay.