Today is May 29, also known as Put a Pillow on your Fridge day in Europe and The United States. What does this strange holiday involve, and why do people celebrate it?

What is it?

Put a Pillow on your Fridge day is pretty simple. It’s just what the name suggests. You put a pillow on top of your refrigerator, and it supposedly brings good luck. It may seem like a silly, and bizarre thing to do, but people actually observe the holiday. People on twitter use the hashtag #PutAPillowOnYourFridge, and the facebook page to share their experiences with putting a pillow on their fridge.

Where did this holiday come from?

This holiday can be traced back to the early 1900s where families believed that putting a piece of cloth from their bedroom, often torn from a sheet, blanket or nightgown, into their larder would bring prosperity. Apparently, people believed that the cloth from their bedroom could symbolize fertility and plenty.

A larder is what today we call a pantry. It was often used to store meats among other foodstuffs. When the refrigerator was invented, people worried that the holiday would phase out of existence with the larder. Quite contrary to that, however, the holiday evolved into something else completely.

The larder was replaced with the refrigerator, and the bedroom cloth became a pillow. Now we celebrate Put a Pillow on your Fridge day. No one has been able to discern why May 29 was chosen as put a pillow on your fridge day, but there is little debate as to the specific day.

What do students think of it?

Manual students had mixed reactions to  this holiday. “I haven’t heard of [put a pillow on your fridge day],” Scarlett Hawpe (11, YPAS) said.  “I think it’s kind of fun to break up the normality of a normal Wednesday and put a pillow on a fridge.”

Zayne Isom (11, VA), on the other hand didn’t like the sound of the holiday. “I think it’s ridiculous,” she said. “[but] I think I would try it.”

Put a Pillow on your Fridge day is definitely an obscure holiday, but a lot of people find it enjoyable and quirky.  To some, it may seem silly and superstitious, but to others, it seems like it could be a fun way to break up the week. In the end, whether or not people believe in the good luck the pillow supposedly brings, put a pillow on your fridge day is certainly a memorable holiday.

“Pillows” by Krassy Can Do It on Flickr is licensed under CC BY 2.0. No changes were made to the original image. Use of the image does not indicate photographer endorsement of the article. For the full license, click here.