Rubber Ducky Day

Rubber Ducky Day is January 13th

When I hear the word Rubber Ducky I start to sing the “Rubber Duckie” song from Sesame Street. The word on the street is National Rubber Ducky Day, January 13th, is the same day as Rubber Duckie’s birthday, Ernie’s friend from Sesame Street.

History

The first rubber ducky was made in 1880 entirely out of complete rubber, later patented by Landon Smart Lawerence in 1928. By 1940, rubber was in high demand because of World War I and II and the first vinyl and plastic rubber ducky was produced. The rubber ducky has an iconic shade of yellow and is commonly found in a bathtub.

Fun Fact: 29,000 rubber duckies landed in the ocean in January 1992, after falling off a cargo ship in the Pacific Ocean. They’ve been spotted traveling as far as Australia, Indonesia, South America, the Bering Strait, the Arctic, and even as far as the Atlantic Ocean.

How To Celebrate National Rubber Ducky Day

• Start your own rubber ducky collection: they come in different colors or clothing, different characters like the devil or lady liberty, and different sizes
• Give a rubber duck to everyone you know: your friends, your family, your coworkers
• Instead of an easter egg hunt, have a duck hunt with all your friends - hide them in silly places like the freezer, in someone’s yard, or in a swimming pool
• Write a comic strip or song about your rubber duckies
• Race your rubber ducks like you race cars, but in a homemade water slide
• Take selfies with all your rubber ducks and post to social media using #nationalrubberduckyday

This lighthearted holiday has an unknown birth story, but the rubber ducky has always had this peculiar sensation about it. It is an all knowing childhood favorite that is extremely simple in structure, but also brings so much happiness to anyone’s face, just like it did to Ernie from Sesame Street.