Annual observance

Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day

December 8 Cultural / community observance Updated 2025-12-18

This holiday is featured in the Obscure Holiday Calendar app with emoji-style visuals, reminders, and daily fun facts.

Overview

Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day, celebrated on December 8th, is an imaginative holiday encouraging people of all ages to step into the shoes of a chrononaut. Participants are invited to dress in attire from a different era (past or future), speak in archaic or futuristic slang, and playfully discuss historical events as if they were present, or future developments as if they have already occurred. It's a day for creative storytelling, playful paradoxes, and pondering the mysteries of time.

Observed each year on December 8, Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day invites people to pause, share the story, and bring a little themed joy to their day.

Why it matters: Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day on December 8th celebrates creativity and imagination by inviting participants to explore different eras through playful storytelling and role-playing.

Origin and story

The holiday was first conceived by a group of science fiction enthusiasts in 2007 as a way to celebrate imaginative play and the genre of time travel.

Popular activities include visiting historical sites and 'correcting' tour guides, leaving anachronistic 'notes from the future' for friends, or debating time paradoxes.

Quick facts

  • DateDecember 8
  • TypeCultural / community observance
  • Great forFriends, Families, Classrooms, Teams

Also on this date

Ways to celebrate

  • Add Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day to your Obscure Holiday Calendar app widget so you get a reminder next year.
  • Post a story with #pretend-to-be-a-time-traveler-day and invite others to try a tiny activity.
  • Share the story of Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day on social and tag it with #pretendtobeatimetravelerday so others can join in.
  • Plan a 10-minute activity that fits the cultural / community observance vibe and make it a mini tradition.
  • Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day lands on December 8 — host a quick nod with Friends, Families and snap a photo.

Fun facts

  • The holiday was first conceived by a group of science fiction enthusiasts in 2007 as a way to celebrate imaginative play and the genre of time travel.
  • Popular activities include visiting historical sites and 'correcting' tour guides, leaving anachronistic 'notes from the future' for friends, or debating time paradoxes.
  • Many celebrate by wearing outfits that are intentionally out of place for modern times, ranging from Victorian garb to futuristic silver suits.
  • Some dedicated 'time travelers' spend the day trying to 'warn' people about future events, often with humorous and surprising results.
  • It's a day when questions like 'What year is this?' and 'Have the robots taken over yet?' are perfectly acceptable conversational starters.
  • While entirely fictional, the spirit of the day promotes critical thinking about history, technological advancement, and the human condition across different eras.

Sources and attribution

Source not provided.


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FAQ

When is Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day?
It is observed on December 8 each year.
What is Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day?
Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day, celebrated on December 8th, is an imaginative holiday encouraging people of all ages to step into the shoes of a chrononaut. Participants are invited to dress in attire from a different era (past or future), speak in archaic or futuristic slang, and playfully discuss historical events as if they were present, or future developments as if they have already occurred. It's a day for creative storytelling, playful paradoxes, and pondering the mysteries of time.
How do people celebrate Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day?
Add Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day to your Obscure Holiday Calendar app widget so you get a reminder next year.

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