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- Cultural
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- FashionHistoricalWomen
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- International
- Date change rule:
- Every January 7
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Distaff Day, also known as Roc Day, celebrates the historical significance of women’s textile work every January 7. This day commemorates the essential labor of women who spun wool and flax, using the distaff, a tool that kept fibers untangled for easier spinning. Join us in recognizing this ancient craft and its enduring legacy by exploring textile history, trying a hand at spinning, or supporting artisan crafts.
Want to sponsor Distaff Day? Learn how
Expected Distaff Day Deals
While Distaff Day isn’t typically marked by large commercial sales, it’s an excellent opportunity to support local artisans and small businesses specializing in fiber arts and historical crafts. Look for independent yarn shops and craft supply stores like Joann and Michaels to offer discounts on spinning wheels, drop spindles, wool, and flax. Online marketplaces such as Etsy often feature unique handmade textiles and spinning tools from independent creators. Historical societies and living history museums may host special demonstrations or offer workshops on traditional textile arts. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as January 7 approaches.
Platform Guide for Distaff Day
Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #DistaffDay. Share photos or videos of historical textiles, spinning projects, or modern interpretations of fiber arts.
X/Twitter
Mention @NatlToday and use #DistaffDay. Share historical facts about textile production, women’s labor, or discuss the cultural impact of spinning.
Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #DistaffDay. Engage with community groups on historical reenactment, fiber arts, or women’s history.
Distaff Day Hero
Elizabeth Keckley
History of Distaff Day
We all love the soft and soothing feel of cotton and woolen clothes on our bodies, especially during the winter season when the cold seeps into our bodies and we wear clothes for warmth. But really, the history of making clothes as we know it today is rich, and at the forefront of its evolution is a simple but important tool called the distaff. A distaff is a tool used for holding unspun fibers, and women would freely wrap the fibers around it.
Distaff Day takes root in the old tradition where women returned to their regular household chores 12 days after Christmas. Distaff Day is also about commemorating and celebrating women’s work in the home. Spinning was very important in European traditions and throughout history. Today, spinning has become more of a hobby than a house chore. The different types of distaff include the basic distaff, which is simply a smooth stick, Russian-style distaffs, which are more decorative and board-like in shape.
Before the spinning wheel was invented in 1533, women used the distaff and the spindle to spin wool fibers or flax. A common method of handling a distaff was holding it under the arm when spinning or attaching it to a designated spinning wheel. The use of a distaff and spinning wheel slowly became acknowledged as exclusive to women and a symbol of the maternal side of the family. Writers like Chaucer and Shakespeare also lavishly used the word ‘distaff’ in their works, popularizing the symbolism.
Distaff Day timeline
The first clothes are made with animal skins and fur, leaves, and grass.
The word ‘distaff’ originates from Low German and means “a bunch of flax connected with a staff.”
Robert Herrick composes a poem about the antics of Distaff Day in his collection of poems titled “Hesperides.”
Gottfried Schadow makes a sculpture depicting three women spinning with a distaff.
How Businesses Can Celebrate Distaff Day
Local craft stores and fiber art studios can host workshops on spinning, weaving, or natural dyeing, offering discounts on supplies for Distaff Day. Historical reenactment groups and local museums can stage demonstrations of traditional textile production, inviting the community to learn about medieval crafts. Women-owned businesses, particularly those in fashion or handmade goods, can use the day to share the stories of their female artisans and the craftsmanship behind their products, perhaps offering special promotions on handcrafted items.
Distaff Day FAQs
When is Distaff Day?
In 2027, Distaff Day is observed on Thursday, January 7. This annual celebration marks the return to work after the Christmas holidays, particularly for those involved in spinning.
What is a distaff?
Essentially a stick or staff, the distaff has been used for millennia across various cultures. Its design allows spinners to manage their fiber supply easily, preventing knots and ensuring a consistent thread as they work with a spindle or spinning wheel.
How is Distaff Day observed today?
Today, Distaff Day serves as a reminder of the foundational role women played in pre-industrial economies through their textile work. Enthusiasts might engage in personal spinning projects, visit textile museums, or participate in online discussions about historical crafts and women’s contributions.
Why is it also called Roc Day?
The term ‘roc’ in this context refers directly to the distaff, the implement used to hold the fibers for spinning. The name ‘Roc Day’ therefore highlights the central role of this simple yet essential tool in the historical practice of textile creation.
Distaff Day Activities
Try out spinning
Using a distaff and spinning system may seem ancient, but we are celebrating, aren’t we? Spinning the flax or wool to make yarn with a distaff is certainly a fun thing to do.
Read about the distaff
Just like you’re doing right now, which is so awesome, read up about the distaff and its uniqueness — knowledge about random topics like this sets you apart.
Teach someone
As a way of celebrating Distaff Day, we encourage you to teach someone how to use the distaff. It is also an opportunity to flaunt your skills and showcase what you have done using the tool.
5 Facts About Distaff Day
Distaff also means female
The word ‘distaff’ refers to the female side of the family, as in “the distaff part of the family.”
Symbolizes the female domain
At one time, spinning flax and wool was the main work of women, and they got back to it after the 12-day Christmas celebrations ending on Epiphany or January 6.
Some call it Saint Distaff Day
Distaff Day is sometimes referred to as St. Distaff Day, regarded as a medieval joke.
Predominantly used by women
The distaff is associated more with women as they often used it as a pastime when they met each other.
Shakespeare popularized it
In the sixteenth century, William Shakespeare’s books popularized ‘distaff’ as a word to refer to women.
Why We Love Distaff Day
It helps us appreciate clothing
The distaff is one of the fundamental pieces of equipment women used in clothing and textile making for most of the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries. As such, it serves as an irrefutable tool in clothes-making history. This day helps us appreciate the beauty of fashion and the effort that goes into making it.
It lends credence to women’s efforts
Distaff Day reminds us of women’s huge contribution to society and the business of clothing and fashion.
It promotes skillfulness and innovation
To use the distaff, you need consistent practice, as portrayed in the skill with which women spun beautiful threads and yarn from wool and flax. Distaff Day promotes that skillfulness and the ability to open oneself to innovative things and versatility.
Social Media Tips for Distaff Day
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