National Sons Day Date in the current year: March 4, 2026

The unofficial National Sons Day was actually the first to emerge. In 1992, the nonprofit organization Ms. Foundation for Women launched Take Our Daughters to Work Day to show young girls what the working world is like and teach them about the importance of education. The first celebration occurred on March 26, 1993. However, the date was later changed to the fourth Thursday in April.

A few years later, a group of middle school students at Columbia Middle School in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, founded an organization (not a holiday!) named National Sons Day. This organization aimed to create and promote Take Our Sons to Work Day, providing boys with the opportunity to explore various professions at their parents’ workplaces. The new holiday was celebrated on the first Thursday in May.

In 2003, the two observances merged to create Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. However, some people confused the organization National Sons Day with an actual holiday. One theory claims that September 28 is the organization’s founding anniversary, and that’s why came to be celebrated as National Sons Day. Others think the date became known as National Sons Day because it is close to National Daughters Day on September 25.

In 2018, Jill Nico established a new National Sons Day, celebrated on March 4, to end confusion. Although she did not give a specific reason for choosing March 4, Nico explained that spring felt like an ideal season and that the date sounds energetic when spoken aloud, resembling the command “March forth!” Additionally, many boys participate in spring sports, and the season provides an excellent opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.

National Sons Day celebrates sons and the people who raise them. It also highlights the importance of raising sons in a positive way and being good role models for them. Although it is often emphasized that boys need a father figure, female role models are equally important. They foster empathy and emotional intelligence while breaking down limiting gender stereotypes. Boys who grow up in families based on equal partnership tend to develop stronger senses of mutual respect and shared responsibility in their own relationships.

There are many ways for parents to celebrate National Sons Day. The best way is to spend quality time with their sons, both one-on-one and as a family. You can spend the day doing their favorite activities, visiting a place you’ve been meaning to visit, teaching your son a new skill, or sharing a meal if it’s a workday and you’re both too busy to celebrate otherwise.

Although March 4 is promoted as the more official National Sons Day, neither it nor the September 28 celebration is officially recognized by the U.S. government. People are free to celebrate whichever day they like best, or both. After all, sons deserve to be celebrated every day, not just once or twice a year.