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National Mascot Day

Fun · June 17

A day for mascots, the costumed characters who cheer on teams, schools and towns, and the people who wear the suits.

National Mascot Day falls on Thursday, June 17, 2027. That is 233 days away.

A mascot is a character that stands for a group. It might be a team's eagle, a school's bulldog, or a cereal box tiger. Some are drawings on a logo. Others walk around in big foam heads and wave at children in the stands.

The costumed kind does a lot without saying a word. Most performers stay silent in the suit, so every feeling has to come through gestures: a slumped shoulder after a missed shot, a wild dance after a goal, a slow pretend sneak up behind a referee. Kids tend to believe in them completely, and plenty of adults quietly do too.

Inside, it is warm work. Costumes can be heavy and hard to see out of, and performers often rely on a handler who walks beside them and keeps them from bumping into things. The character's personality is usually kept consistent, so the same mischievous raccoon behaves the same way at every game, parade and library visit.

People mark the day by showing a little love for their local mascot. That can mean wearing the team colors, posting an old photo with a fuzzy character from a childhood game, or simply learning the name of the creature that has been dancing at the high school for years. Many mascots have names, backstories and even official birthdays, which makes the oversized parrot at the ballpark a better documented character than most of us.

Ways to celebrate

• Share a photo of yourself with a favorite mascot.
• Look up the name and story of your local school mascot.
• Wear your team's colors in honor of its mascot.
• Draw a mascot for your family, street or office.
• Thank a mascot performer at the next game you attend.

Dates

All national days on June 17

Also on June 17

• National Apple Strudel Day
• National Eat Your Vegetables Day
• Bunker Hill Day

Categories: Fun days