National Sons Day: When It Is & How To Celebrate (2024)

As National Sons Day approaches, you might be planning out ways to celebrate the extraordinary journey of raising your son (or sons). Or, perhaps you’ve never heard of the holiday and are simply curious to learn what it’s all about. This special day is dedicated to celebrating your son’s growth and his special place in your family, honoring the laughs, the questions, and the love and affection he brings.

In this blog post, we’ll explain when National Sons Day is celebrated. We’ll also give a bit of background on the holiday, and then guide you through the process of celebrating this special day.

When is National Sons Day?

Interestingly, the question of which day is officially National Sons Day in the United States seems to be a bit controversial. While some sources claim the official date of the holiday is March 4th, others state that it’s September 28th. And maybe this is a good thing, since it means there are two annual opportunities to celebrate your son, instead of just one!

How to celebrate National Sons Day

This is a walkthrough of the best ways to honor National Sons Day. Feel free to pick and choose some of the steps below:

Spend quality time together

Quality time is a key cornerstone of any strong, healthy relationship, and celebrating National Sons Day is a perfect opportunity to do just that with your son. Whether you’re going out to dinner at both of your favorite restaurant, engaging in your favorite sport or another hobby together, or just hanging out on the porch having a heartfelt conversation and enjoying each other’s company, dedicating uninterrupted time to your son is always a worthwhile way to spend a day. 

Depending on his age, we recommend beginning to discuss your hope to spend quality time with your son at least a few weeks in advance, so you can get his input on what activities he’d like to do. After all, he’ll feel that much more appreciated when you make an effort to take his perspective and preferences into account, and that’s what this holiday is all about!

Are you a mom looking for any excuse to take pics with your kid(s)? Then you need to see these timeless mother and sons photoshoot ideas!

Give your son thoughtful gifts

Gift-giving is one of the most tangible ways to show your love and appreciation for your son, and if you choose the right gift, it’ll make for a truly memorable holiday. 

Make sure to put some thought into your gift choice, considering his interests and hobbies to select a gift that’ll truly resonate with him.

A couple of tips to keep in mind:

• Your gift doesn’t need to be showy or extravagant to be meaningful. Even a small token of affection can make a major impact when it’s truly thoughtful (especially when it’s clear you’ve put energy into it).
• Remember the adage “quality over quantity” as you consider what gifts to offer. Receiving a single high quality gift tends to be more impactful and enjoyable than getting several lower quality gifts. 
• If your son is a teenager or young adult, don’t assume that a gift he would have enjoyed a few years ago is still something he’d be interested in now. Young people tend to grow and change quite rapidly, and that goes for their interests and preferences as well as their personalities.

Feeling intimidated by the array of gift options out there? Although having this many choices can be overwhelming, try not to fret! Instead, do your research, asking your son what he likes and what he’s currently interested in to gather ideas for a suitable gift. 

Plan a celebratory event with family (and friends?)

Most likely, your son isn’t just your son. He’s also an important relation for your other family members. For instance, he may be your brother’s nephew, your parents’ grandson, your other kids’ brother, or your grandchild’s father!

To include them in the celebration, invite all his most beloved family members to a festive event in honor of National Sons Day. (If you’d like, consider inviting some of his friends to the party, too, but don’t be afraid to make this a family-only event if that’s your preference. This isn’t his birthday, after all—it’s National Sons Day.)

Book the perfect National Sons Day party venue through Peerspace

As you plan this event, consider where you intend to host it. Choosing the right location is one of the most important parts of planning a party, after all. You may want to have it in your own home, but if you’d prefer to host it at a real venue or other space that’s not your own, your options are extensive. 

Search for incredible party venues near you on Peerspace! It’s the largest online marketplace for event venue rentals (and other short-term, hourly space rentals). Peerspace can connect you with more than 17,000 party spaces available for rental in the United States alone, and thousands more based in hundreds of cities across Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and beyond.

Although the site’s selection is mind-bogglingly massive, it’s also super easy to find exactly what you’re looking for using Peerspace’s intuitive search filters.

These cover:

• Hourly rental price
• Number of attendees
• When? (both date and time of your event)
• Keywords included in the listing description
• Outdoor spaces (such as backyards, gardens, beaches, lawns, etc.)
• Interior spaces (e.g., bathrooms, bedrooms, dining areas, garages, etc.)
• Style (e.g., bohemian, industrial, coastal, etc.)
• Space type (such as an apartment, a bar, a classroom, and so forth)
• Whether or not the space is available for instant booking
• Amenities (including decks, exposed brick, elevators, fireplaces, and more)

After you’ve narrowed down your search with any (or all!) of these criteria, your next step is simply to browse your updated list of options. As you scroll through the list of search results, look for the photos and the star rating from reviewers, if there is one.

Every listing has high-resolution photos of the space in question as well as detailed written descriptions from the host, and many listings also have honest reviews from past renters that provide further insight into the rental experience.

Finally, once you’re ready to actually reserve your chosen Peerspace, it’s as easy as selecting your date and time and clicking the purple button that says “Book Now” (for spaces that offer instant booking) or “Start Booking” (for those that don’t). 

Prepare festive treats, especially your son’s favorite foods

Food often has strong emotional and cultural associations, which is a big part of why it helps bring people together. Preparing festive treats for National Sons Day is a way to add an extra layer of enjoyment to the celebration! Ideally, prepare a few of your son’s favorite dishes to show your love and affection. You might not be the biggest fan of mac and cheese, but if it’s his favorite food, today’s the day to put aside your distaste and prioritize your son’s preferences!

If he enjoys cooking himself, you might want to prepare some old classics together or try out some new recipes that both of you have been interested in. The act of cooking and/or sharing a meal together is a great way to create happy memories and strengthen your bond—it’s a great example of the kind of quality time we mentioned earlier in this post.

Check out these sweet father and son photoshoot ideas to capture your bond forever.

Volunteering and charity work

National Sons Day is an opportunity to celebrate your son, but it’s also a chance to instill values like compassion and generosity in your son by giving back to your community together. 

If this aspect of the holiday resonates with you, you may want to celebrate by volunteering together at a local charity that the two of you care about, or by organizing a donation drive for a cause that matters to your family. Plus, asking your son for his input on which cause he’d like to volunteer for is another way to demonstrate that you value his perspective.

Find time to reflect on parenthood

National Sons Day is a great excuse to make time to reflect on parenthood and what it means to you. Taking a moment to pause and reflect on the challenges and triumphs of raising a child can be a valuable practice. Consider journaling about your experiences as a parent, using it to process the proud moments as well as the ones where you wish you had handled things differently. 

You might also want to speak with other parents as part of your reflection process. Reach out to friends who also have kids and find a time to meet for coffee, or go the more formal route by attending a parenting support group meeting if you think that’d be valuable for you. 

Most importantly, take time to appreciate the unique individual that your son is/is becoming, as well as the essential role you play in shaping his identity and his future. This is such a worthwhile practice that we’d recommend that you find time to reflect on parenthood not only on National Sons Day but regularly throughout the year. 

Find unique event venues for National Sons Day on Peerspace