International Day for Failure: Celebrating Our Failures

Hold on, Baby Swoop. You’re telling me that there’s an International Day for Failure? Yes, yes, I am. This “holiday” happens every year on October 13.  

The International Day for Failure originated in Finland in 2010 by a group of Finnish Helsinki University students. Today is inspired by the natural fear of inadequacy holding people back from creating the reality they yearn for.  

This day encourages people to celebrate their failures and see them from a new perspective: your failures are a learning experience to help achieve success. It sounds strange, I know, but trust the thought process because it does make sense. Failing is a normal AND healthy aspect of life, contributing to achievements rather than detracting from them.  

By its second year as a day of recognition, notable Finnish folks such as Peter Vesterbacka, the creator of ‘Angry Birds,’ spoke up in support of International Day for Failure. In turn, others spoke out in support and the day kind of just…stuck.  

There are different ways to observe this awesome day. You can share your failures, learn from them, and start creating a new path toward success in whichever way you interpret the definition of success.  

The Culture Trip lists a slew of ideas for other ways to celebrate International Day for Failure. Some of these include:  

•  Share photos/videos on social media of a fail with the hashtag #dayforfailure 
•  Attempt cooking something you’ve never made, and if it turns out terribly, at least you tried 
•  Apply for a job you don't think you have a chance of landing 

Admitting Failure is an organization and website for people to share their stories and read about other people’s failures. The site also provides resources such as articles, books, and videos about failure as simply another aspect of becoming the best you can be at whatever it may be.  

Go out there and try things you wouldn’t! Have fun and learn from your failures, knowing that they don’t have to be failures but rather experiences that change you for the better.