National Punctuation Day

Why does punctuation matter? Some people find inspiration in cooking their families and their dogs. Others find inspiration in cooking, their families, and their dogs.

Let’s face it, punctuation saves lives. It may sound a little strange to say that, but when you think of the effect that just the humble comma can have on the meaning of a sentence, it becomes readily apparent that there are some really strong arguments for learning to use them properly.

For instance, you really don’t want to say “Let’s eat Grandma!” when you mean “Let’s eat, Grandma!” The first means you’re suggesting you eat your sweet old granny, the second invites her to come dine with you, see the difference? National Punctuation Day shares this wisdom with the world, as well as the wisdom of all the other forms of punctuation.

History of National Punctuation Day

Punctuation can be tricky for some people, those who struggle to know when it’s appropriate to use a colon, or a set of brackets, or even an ellipsis. You thought we were going to talk about the period, the comma, and the semi-colon?

Of course we are, but these are commonly known-about forms of punctuation, and not everyone knows that the world of grammatical structure spreads beyond these commonly used (though commonly misunderstood) forms.

National Punctuation Day was established in 2004 by economist and author Jeff Rubin to help reinforce these lessons we learned in elementary school, and to reinforce their use and to show just how important they can be to ensure that what you write is properly interpreted as what you mean. That doesn’t mean that the world of punctuation is all peaceful and orderly though!

Sometimes you run into rogue sectors that argue whether or not things like the Oxford Comma are valid. Believe us, it is; anyone who says otherwise is a heathen.

How to celebrate National Punctuation Day

National Punctuation Day is celebrated in a lot of different ways, including through celebrations in schools with video and programs to help learn to use it properly in fun and interactive ways. However, the National Punctuation Day website has their own list of ways to celebrate this auspicious holiday.

It starts with sleeping in late and enjoying a long hot shower or bath, picking up a bagel, and starting your day off by circling all the punctuation errors you find in the newspaper. The rest of the day is spent finding all the places that grammar isn’t used properly, and making a polite note on how to correct them.

National Punctuation Day gives you the excuse you need to stop gritting your teeth and start spreading a little education!