March 1st is the perfect day for people who are of retirement age but don’t feel the need to retire. That’s because this holiday is known as Refired, Not Retired Day. This day is when people decide that they can continue to have a productive, fun, and active life well into their golden years.

Just because society says that a person should retire at a particular age doesn’t mean they have to, or that if they do retire from their career, they can’t start something new. After all, people don’t have expiration dates, so we can continue living our best lives as long as we want. This holiday is a reminder of that fact.

The History of Refired, Not Retired Day

Phyllis May created this holiday a few years ago. She spent 34 years as an educator and had to retire at the age of 55.

Unfortunately, this coincided with the time her daughter headed off to college and her husband left her. She found herself alone and decided to remake her life. On March 1st, 1998, she moved to Key West, Florida, and started anew.

She worked a number of different jobs and eventually found a job hosting a television program for a year. She also published her first book, which just goes to show that retirement isn’t always an end, but it can be a beginning again.

Some Interesting Facts About Retirement

Below are some interesting facts about retirement that we feel everyone will appreciate. We don’t think anyone can observe Refired Not Retired Day without first knowing some tried and true facts about retirement. So let’s take a few moments and check out the following facts.

• The average age for retirement in the United States is 62 years.
• About 1 in 3 Americans believe their lifestyle will improve during retirement.
• About 1 in 4 Americans are seriously concerned about cuts to Social Security.
• Over 60% of Americans believe they will continue working after retirement.
• Most Americans lack a serious retirement plan.

Observing Refired, Not Retired Day

There is no right or wrong way for people to observe this holiday. That’s the whole point. They can decide what makes their life meaningful and what makes them feel vital.

For some, taking a trip is a good way to observe this holiday, and for others, changing professions is the way to go. No matter why a person celebrates this holiday, they should take the time to encourage other older adults to do the same by using the hashtag #RefiredNotRetiredDay on social media.