Towel Day
May 25 · Level 4 · #1466 of 2238
Towel Day honours Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Fans turn an everyday bathroom essential into a signal of affection for his books, cosmic absurdity and reassuringly unflappable approach to interstellar trouble.
How it is celebrated: readers carry a towel throughout the day, share photographs, meet other fans and organise readings. Spotting one on an otherwise ordinary commute can be enough to recognise a fellow traveller.
The first Towel Day took place in 2001, just two weeks after Adams died. Fans chose an object that his fictional galactic guide treats as an especially valuable travelling companion.