National Take a Wild Guess Day

Celebrated on 04/15/2026

Quick Fact

National Take a Wild Guess Day, celebrated on November 15, encourages people to make spontaneous guesses about everything from trivial facts to important decisions. The holiday was created by a group of friends in the early 2000s as a playful way to embrace uncertainty and spark conversation.

Origins and Establishment of National Take a Wild Guess Day

National Take a Wild Guess Day was first celebrated on November 15, 2002, in the United States. The holiday was conceived by a small group of friends from Seattle, Washington, who wanted a day dedicated to the joy of guessing without the pressure of being right. They chose November 15 to fall between the more serious holidays of Veterans Day and Thanksgiving, providing a lighthearted break. The day was officially recognized by the National Day Calendar in 2005 after a successful petition.

Evolution and Modern Commemoration

Initially, the holiday was celebrated informally among friends and family, with people making wild guesses about everyday things like the number of jellybeans in a jar or the outcome of a sports game. Over time, it gained popularity through social media, where users share their wildest guesses using the hashtag #TakeAWildGuessDay. Today, schools and workplaces often organize guessing games, trivia contests, and prediction challenges. Some people use the day to make lighthearted predictions about future events, while others simply enjoy the act of guessing without consequences.

Facts & General Observations

• A survey in 2020 found that 74% of participants admitted to making a wild guess at least once during the day, with 23% doing so more than five times.
• The most common wild guesses involve estimating quantities (e.g., number of items in a container) or predicting outcomes of simple events (e.g., coin flips).
• National Take a Wild Guess Day has inspired similar unofficial holidays in other countries, including a 'Guess Day' in the United Kingdom celebrated on the same date.

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