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Alascattalo Day

Fun · November 21

A day for the alascattalo, a modern Alaskan tall-tale joke about an imaginary cross between a moose and a walrus, and for the humor behind it.

Alascattalo Day falls on Saturday, November 21, 2026. That is 25 days away.

The alascattalo is an imaginary animal, a moose crossed with a walrus. It belongs to modern Alaskan humor, a tall-tale joke that people tell with a straight face and let the listener sort out. Nobody has seen one, which is the point.

Picture it if you can. Antlers on top, tusks below, and a body that has to decide between swimming and wading through brush. The joke works because both real animals are already a little hard to believe. A moose is a towering deer with a nose built for browsing. A walrus hauls a heavy body onto sea ice using its tusks. Putting them together only nudges the truth a bit further.

The day is linked to a short parade in Anchorage, the kind of event that seems to enjoy its own smallness. Elsewhere it is mostly kept by telling the story, drawing the creature, or inventing details about its habits. What does it eat? Kelp, willow twigs, or whatever is closest. Where does it sleep? Wherever it lands.

Tall tales like this one are a way of talking about a big, cold, remarkable place. They take the real scale of the land and the real oddness of its wildlife and stretch them until everyone grins. A good alascattalo story keeps a calm voice and adds one more impossible detail than the listener expects.

If you tell one, end it by describing the tracks: a hoof print on one side, a long drag mark on the other.

Ways to celebrate

• Draw your own alascattalo with antlers, tusks and flippers.
• Tell a tall tale with a completely straight face.
• Read about real moose and walruses and compare them.
• Invent a field guide entry for an imaginary animal.
• Share a photo of a short local parade or make a tiny one at home.

Dates

All national days on November 21

Also on November 21

• National Stuffing Day
• National Gingerbread Cookie Day
• False Confession Day

Categories: Fun days