What Holiday Is On September 3

So, you’ve woken up on September 3rd, bleary-eyed, and thought, “What in the world am I supposed to be celebrating today?” You’re not alone. It’s a Monday. It’s not Halloween. It’s not even National Pizza Day (that’s in February, tragically). But here’s the scoop: September 3rd is a glorious, underrated weirdo of a holiday. Brace yourself, because you’re about to learn that today is National Skyscraper Day.

Yes, you heard that right. A whole day dedicated to buildings that scrape the sky. It’s not a federal holiday—no banks close, no mail delivery stops. But it is a day to look up, tilt your head back, and think, “How the heck did they get that thing to stand up without falling over?” It’s the architectural equivalent of a standing ovation for humanity’s obsession with height.

Now, you might be thinking, “That’s random. Who decided this?” Well, the date itself is a nerdy little wink to history. September 3rd, 1882, is the birthday of Louis Sullivan—often called the “father of skyscrapers.” He was an architect who basically said, “Forget squat buildings. Let’s go up.” And the world never looked down again. So, in his honor, we celebrate the pointy, glassy, steel-toothed giants that define our cities.

But wait—there’s a second, even weirder holiday hiding in September 3rd. For those of you who prefer your celebrations with a side of savory, it’s also National Welsh Rarebit Day. Yes, “rarebit” as in “rabbit,” but with no actual rabbit involved. It’s basically melted cheese on toast, which is arguably the best food ever invented by a drunk Welsh person in a hurry. So, you’ve got two options: stare at a tall building, or eat a glorified cheese sandwich. Why not both?

The Empire State of Mind (and Confusion)

Let’s talk about skyscrapers for a moment, because they’re insane. The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is so tall that when you’re at the top, you can actually see the curvature of the Earth. That’s not a joke—it’s 2,717 feet of “please don’t sneeze near the edge.” Meanwhile, the Empire State Building gets lightning strikes about 100 times a year. It’s basically a giant metal straw for God’s static electricity. And yet, people still pay $50 to go to the observation deck and take selfies like it’s no big deal.

Here’s a surprising fact that will make you the life of any party: The tallest building ever built by humans that’s now abandoned? It’s not a skyscraper. It’s the Ryugyong Hotel in North Korea. It’s a 1,080-foot pyramid of concrete that looks like a UFO crash-landed in Pyongyang. They started building it in 1987 and then stopped for decades. It’s been called the “Hotel of Doom.” So, celebrate today by being grateful you don’t live in a half-finished death pyramid.

And don’t forget: skyscrapers have personalities. The Chrysler Building has art deco eagle heads. The Seattle Space Needle looks like a flying saucer on a toothpick. The Taipei 101 has a giant golden bamboo vibe. But the real star? The tapering design. Without it, they’d all just be giant shoe boxes that tip over in a strong breeze. It’s the physics of “stick it to the wind,” and it’s beautiful.

The Cheese Toast Alternative

But maybe architecture isn’t your jam. Maybe you’re a carb-conscious hedonist. Then National Welsh Rarebit Day is your calling. This dish is dangerously simple: melted cheddar or Gloucester cheese, beer (yes, beer), mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and a dash of cayenne. You slather it on toast, broil it until it’s bubbling like lava, and then eat it while burning your tongue. Tradition.

The best part of Welsh Rarebit is the name. It’s a pun gone wild. In the 1700s, the Welsh were known for being poor and eating cheese as a substitute for meat. The English joked that they were “rabbit hunting” when they were actually just having cheese on toast. But the Welsh leaned into it. They called it “rarebit” as a joke, and now it’s a legit holiday. Talk about owning the narrative.

So, how do you celebrate September 3rd like a pro? You go outside, find the tallest building you can see, and point at it dramatically. Then you go home, make a plate of Rarebit, and eat it while watching a documentary about the Burj Khalifa. You’ll feel like a genius. And if someone asks you, “What’s the big deal?” you can reply, “It’s National Skyscraper and Welsh Rarebit Day, obviously.” They’ll either be impressed or confused. Both are acceptable.

One last surprising fact to drop on your friends: The first skyscraper was the Home Insurance Building in Chicago, built in 1885. It was only ten stories tall. Now, we have structures that can hold entire cities inside them. And the oldest known recipe for Welsh Rarebit? It dates back to 1390. That’s before the printing press. So, today you’re celebrating both ancient cheese technology and modern vertical ambition. You’re a Renaissance human.

So, go forth! Look up. Eat cheese. Bend your neck backward until it cracks. And if anyone tells you September 3rd is a boring day, just laugh and say, “You clearly don’t appreciate the majesty of a building that makes God laugh.” Happy Skyscraper and Rarebit Day, you glorious, confused soul.