Mario Day

Mario Day is March 10th

Lets a-go! That’s right ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it’s March 10, Mario Day, the day dedicated to the world’s most renowned and beloved plumber. Even if you’ve never played a video game in your life, you're likely to recognize that red hat and mustached face. So gather around and pay your respects to the little guy who proved you don’t need to be a knight in shining armor to be a hero.

History of Mario Day

The original intention behind Mario Day was to be a holiday for people named Mario, but it appears video game fans have taken control and instead chosen to spotlight the iconic Super Mario. If you take the first three letters of March (MAR) and the number 10, you spell out MAR10, or Mario! The creator of Mario Day is unknown, but Nintendo, the video game company that created Mario, put out a video in 2016 promoting and embracing the holiday. Mario Day is now mostly recognized as Mario’s day, the day when we pay tribute to the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom by playing Mario games, dressing up like him, or throwing a Mario-themed party.

More About Mario

• Made his first appearance in 1981’s Donkey Kong 
• Originally referred to as Jumpman in Donkey Kong, and he was a carpenter, not a plumber!
• Created by Nintendo product developer and artist Shigeru Miyamoto
• Mario’s name came from the landlord of the Seattle-based warehouse Nintendo rented in the U.S., Mario Segale. After a heated confrontation about overdue rent, the developers jokingly began referring to Jumpman as Mario.
• Miyamoto drew inspiration for Donkey Kong from the American cartoon, Popeye
• Mario hasn’t always been a hero! On the heels of the success of Donkey Kong, Nintendo put out a sequel, Donkey Kong Jr., in which Mario holds Donkey Kong hostage! You think you know someone.
• Mario is given his first leading role in 1983’s Mario Bros. This game also marks the debut of his brother Luigi and bills them as plumbers from New York.
• September 1986 saw the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System (or NES) in America, allowing users to bring Mario into their living rooms for the first time ever with the new Super Mario Bros. game
• The Mario Bros. series has sold more than 240 million copies

How to Celebrate Mario Day

Get your Mario freak on! Dress up like him or other Mario-based characters. Even something as simple as a Mario t-shirt is enough to show your love. If you’re a Mario fan, you’re likely a gamer. Host a Mario party! Get your pals and smash out a Mario game session. You can play Mario Party at your Mario party! The sync-up here is too good to pass up! Also, if you know someone named Mario, give them a solid high-five. They’re heroes in their own right.

“I think that inside every adult is the heart of a child. We just gradually convince ourselves that we have to act more like adults.”
-Shigeru Miyamoto