National Sisters Day Date in the current year: August 4, 2024

There is a saying that goes, “If you have a sister, you have a friend for life.” While real life is more complicated than that and siblings aren’t always the best of friends, there is no denying that more often than not, female siblings have a unique bond based on unconditional love and mutual understanding and respect.

The unique bond between sisters is the reason why the word “sister” is often used to indicate kinship in its social and cultural context, i.e. a feeling of being similar or close to someone. It can be used to describe a girl or woman who treats you like family, a woman who shares an interest with you, or a woman who you regard as a comrade. Black women often call each other “sister” to emphasize their shared background, and female social organizations at North American colleges and universities are called sororities because their members are supposed to be as close as sisters.

The origins of National Sisters Day are unclear, but if we have Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Siblings Day, why not have a holiday dedicated to sisters? The best way to celebrate it is, of course, to spend some quality time with your sister(s). Go out for coffee, have a lunch or dinner together, take a road trip, splurge on a spa weekend, or hang out at your childhood home going through old photo albums. And don’t forget to take a family photo and post it on social media with the hashtags #NationalSistersDay and #SistersDay.

If your sister doesn’t live close by, reach out to congratulate her. You can give her a call, or send her a card, present or care package to remind your sis that you love her and that you’ll always be there for her. But what if you don’t have the best relationship with your sister? Well, maybe National Sisters Day is your opportunity to break the ice, extend an olive branch, and work things out.

You can celebrate National Sisters Day even if you don’t have sisters. Have a girls’ night out with your closest friend who might as well be your sister, watch a movie or read a book featuring sisters (Practical Magic, Little Women, Frozen, The Parent Trap, Hocus Pocus, 27 Dresses, and I Capture the Castle are some of our favorites), and learn interesting facts about famous sets of sisters.

There are a lot of examples of famous sisters who support each other and celebrate each other’s achievements and successes. Venus and Serena Williams, Beyoncé and Solange Knowles, the Kardashian and Jenner sisters, Zooey and Emily Deschanel, Gigi and Bella Hadid, Chloe and Halle Bailey, Mary-Kate, Ashley and Elizabeth Olsen, Jessica and Ashlee Simpson, Paris and Nicky Hilton, Tegan and Sara, Dakota and Elle Fanning, the Gummer sisters, Kate and Rooney Mara, Noah and Miley Cyrus, Kylie and Dannii Minogue… the list can go on and on. Their friendship is a source of inspiration for many women who have female siblings themselves.