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TueJul 2

I Forgot Day – July 2, 2024

I Forgot Day is celebrated each year on July 2 and is dedicated to forgetfulness. While we may be surrounded by calendars all around, whether physical or digital, we still forget. Are you prone to forget important dates, occasions, or tasks? Fret not, there’s a day you can celebrate that — note it down, so you don’t forget it next time! 

History of I Forgot Day

This unusual holiday was created by Gaye Anderson, from DeMotte, Indiana. She started this holiday because there was a period in her life where she was having a hard time remembering simple things. She was known in her core group and extended family to forget her own daughter’s birthday every year. Not only that, but she often forgot her wedding anniversary as well. However, instead of being bothered with her forgetfulness, she created this day to just relax and well, forget. She also started celebrating her daughter’s birthday and wedding anniversary on July 2 every year.  The irony is that she does not remember when she started celebrating this day! 

Several people can’t remember anyone’s birthdays or special events, and some have a list of things they have been meaning to do for ages, but they simply keep forgetting! However, several factors contribute to this, such as stress, a sedentary lifestyle, an unhealthy diet, illness, anxiety, etc. In fact, one of the most unusual causes for forgetting is walking through a door. Some scientists believe that the brain perceives the world as a series of scenes or frames and passing through a door can make the brain deem the information from the previous room as largely unnecessary. 

I Forgot Day encourages people to apologize and make up for all the events and occasions they might have forgotten. This is the day to put an end to forgetfulness and create an action plan that will help you not forget.

I Forgot Day timeline

2002
Matthew Perry’s Struggle

Matthew Perry reveals in an interview that he doesn’t remember filming three seasons of “Friends.”

2016
Paul Rudd Who?

Courtney Cox forgets who plays the lovable Mike, Phoebe’s husband on “Friends.”

2018
Anna Kendrick’s Twilight Moment

Anna Kendrick tweets that she just remembered she starred in the movie “Twilight” as Jessica.

2019
Jack Black in the Holiday?

Jack Black forgets he starred as Miles in the Christmas classic "The Holiday" in an interview.

I Forgot Day FAQs

What level of forgetfulness is normal?

Experts and studies say that mild forgetfulness is normal as we age and can be caused by various external factors. If you sometimes forget simple things, it does not necessarily mean you’re developing Alzheimer’s disease.

What causes forgetfulness?

Forgetfulness can be caused by a plethora of factors such as stress, anxiety, multiple responsibilities at once, ill-health, etc. 

How do I stop forgetting things?

While some levels of forgetfulness may occur occasionally, you can take some measures to tackle them. Get organized, set reminders, make post-it notes of important tasks, and stick them in your house where you can easily see them. Also, sleep and eat well, and exercise your mind regularly. 

I Forgot Day Activities

  1. Acknowledge your mistake

    I Forgot Day is a perfect opportunity to acknowledge you made a mistake in case you forgot something important. It’s perfectly alright to forget once in a while, what matters is we accept it and take measures to improve the situation.

  2. Take corrective measures

    Have you forgotten something recently that negatively impacted someone and now you need to make up for it? Use I Forgot Day to write them a sincere apology note, cook them a meal, or send them some flowers to make up.

  3. Create reminders

    The advent of technology has made life simple in several ways. Our smartphones now have many reminder apps. If not, there are even quirky reminder journals out there. Whatever you’re comfortable with, get on to it and create reminders for important and upcoming events.

5 Interesting Facts About Memory That You Must Remember

  1. Short-term memories

    According to experts, a person can hold approximately seven items in their short-term memory for only about 20 to 30 seconds.

  2. Guinness World Record for memory

    10-year-old Nischal Narayanam claimed the Guinness World Record for memorizing 225 random objects in a little over 12 minutes.

  3. Facial recognition

    A study states that a person’s ability to identify faces peaks between the ages of 30 to 34, after which it starts decreasing.

  4. Better memory for left-handers

    Left-handers and their relatives have a larger corpus callosum linking the brain's hemispheres and making their memories clearer.

  5. The scent connection

    Scents get processed through the olfactory bulb, which is closely connected to the memory-holding hippocampus, thus bringing associated memories more vividly to the surface.

Why We Love I Forgot Day

  1. It allows natural human tendencies

    Forgetfulness is often a natural tendency, especially if we are caught up in multiple tasks at once. I Forgot Day allows us to accept this natural tendency and helps us understand that it’s okay to forget sometimes and not be overcome with guilt.

  2. It encourages us to become better

    I Forgot Day helps us to become better by encouraging us to accept our mistakes and take necessary measures to improve. While it is okay to forget, what matters is how we navigate through the consequences of forgetting.

  3. It gives us a second chance

    I Forgot Day gives us a second chance to make up for the things that might have had consequences due to us forgetting. It lets you know that while you may have forgotten, it is not too late to make up for it.

I Forgot Day dates

YearDateDay
2024July 2Tuesday
2025July 2Wednesday
2026July 2Thursday
2027July 2Friday
2028July 2Sunday

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