Large hordes on the internet may have just spent the past few weeks dragging men with “Boy Math” jokes, but today is as good a day as any to celebrate the boyfriends in your life.
Although it’s been an internet meme since roughly 2014, National Boyfriend Day did not become official until 2020. According to National Today, each year, on Oct. 3, the day has been set aside to celebrate romantic or platonic boyfriends.
National Boyfriend Day comes just two months after National Girlfriend Day, commemorated each year on Aug. 1, and a week after National Daughters Day, which falls on Sept. 25 each year. The day came about after the popularity of Girlfriend Day and has no real known origin.
This relatively new holiday is a time to show some love to the men who hold special significance in our lives, whether for the love or friendship they give. It’s also a day for men to celebrate their friendships and close bonds with other men. Male companionship is nuanced, valuable and worth celebrating. Gentlemen are rarely praised for the “gentle” parts of who they are.
Since the day is still relatively new, many may be wondering how to celebrate. Unlike Valentine’s Day, it isn’t necessarily a romantic holiday, though it could be for some. For anyone stumped on how to make the day special or looking for new ideas, we have gathered six ideas below.
Talk to him nice!
First and foremost, spend the day being kind and speaking kindly to him. If his fitness is fire, tell him. If he makes a great joke over text, tell him with more than a “haha” reaction. If he’s early or on time to meet up, tell him how much you value his respect for other people’s time. Remind him why he’s so special at every chance you get. Plus, studies show men enjoy compliments more than women.
Prepare a home-cooked meal for him or treat him to dinner
According to a National Today survey, 21% of those planning to celebrate National Boyfriend Day plan to make their man a home-cooked meal. This is a simple and thoughtful way to show anyone appreciation. You could covertly ask him what his favorite meal is or something he’s been craving and surprise him with the dish for dinner. For those less inclined to whip up something themselves, a weekday dinner date at his favorite restaurant or a place he’s been wanting to check out would more than suffice.
Netflix and chill, and let him pick!
A lot of modern couples hold the same routine of firing up the Netflix queue together at the end of the day. Why break tradition? To make this evening’s binge session more special, let him pick the show or movie, or finally give that show he’s been raving about a try. If you do, you’d be joining 14% of those surveyed by National Today who said they would be celebrating with a Netflix-and-chill session.
Join him for a favorite activity
Does the guy you have in mind enjoy hitting the gym? Is he a master of escape rooms? Frequent the sports bar for happy hour? Whatever it is he’s into, you could offer to tag along or participate for a change. You will get to spend some quality time with the man you love while he gets to indulge in something he loves.
Give him a token of your appreciation
While some people have “giving gifts” as their love language, some arguably have receiving gifts as theirs. No matter where he lies on the gifting scale, giving him a small (or not so small) token of your appreciation could be a great way to show him how much he means to you.
Toast him
One of the easiest ways to celebrate someone in the era of social media is to toast them via a post. Find your favorite picture or a series, and declare your appreciation and gratitude for them for the whole world — or however many followers you have — to see.
If you’re not a social media person or if the guy in question isn’t into public declarations, you can always toast them the old-fashioned way: Pour out a nice glass or shot of something, and raise one up for the good men in your life.
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