National Sock Day
For most people, socks are something they wear to keep their feet from coming into contact with their shoes, or maybe as something to dance in while listening to “Old Time Rock & Roll” by Bob Seger—as Tom Cruise did in the movie Risky Business. But for people celebrating National Sock Day, a holiday that falls on December 4th, this holiday takes on a whole new significance. It’s a holiday that’s designed to celebrate the humble sock and maybe to mourn those socks that may have become lost in the wash over the years.
The History of National Sock Day
National Sock Day was a holiday that was created in 2016 by an apparel company known as Pair Of Thieves. It’s a day in which the humble sock is elevated in stature so that it’s equal to other articles of clothing that tend to get more recognition throughout the year. It’s also a day in which people can buy and show off some of their favorite socks.
Interesting Facts About Socks
Since we’re doing a deep dive into socks, it’s worth noting that socks aren’t as boring as they initially appear. There are some fascinating things about these socks that we’d like to share with all of our readers. We’ve listed the most interesting pieces of information about socks below.
Socks Were Invented By The Greeks
The first people to wear socks were the Ancient Greeks and one of the first types of socks made had split toes so they could easily be worn with sandals. These early socks were known as Sykchos—a name that became Soccus in Latin to the Romans. Some of these early socks were excavated from Oxyrhynchus on the Nile in Egypt dating from 300-500 A.D.
Early Socks Were Made Using Animal Hair
Speaking of the earliest socks, some of the first socks manufactured were made from matted animal hair. Although that doesn’t sound very comfortable to use, we’re sure that these early socks were probably nice and toasty warm.
The Average Household Loses 60 Socks A Year
Socks can keep a person’s toes nice and warm, but maintaining a collection of them can become quite costly over the course of a year. What do we mean? Well, it’s been estimated that the average household loses a total of 60 socks per year—which if true, is quite a bit of money that a person has to spend each year to restore their sock collection.
Celebrating National Sock Day
National Sock Day is one of the easiest holidays to celebrate. All a person has to do is to buy, wear, and display their favorite socks. If they want to broadcast all of the cool socks in their collection, they can also take a photo of them and post them to social media using the hashtag #NationalSockDay.