- Categories:
- Special Interest
- Tags:
- Appreciation
- Where:
- United States
- Date change rule:
- Week starting with the 3rd Monday of March
- Holiday emoji:
- 🪡
National Button Week brightens the calendar each year, running from the third Monday in March through the following Sunday. This week-long observance honors the humble button’s rich history, diverse artistry, and everyday utility. Explore button collections, engage in crafting, and appreciate the intricate designs that have adorned clothing and served practical purposes for centuries.
Want to sponsor National Button Week? Learn how
History of National Button Week
Throughout our history, buttons have captured the art, politics, culture, and fashion of a period in small emblems. Collecting buttons is a noted hobby that thousands of people take pride in, and to preserve and honor the buttons as an expression of art, the National Button Society was formed in 1938. The society brings button enthusiasts together from far and wide, to celebrate the joy they share through buttons.
In 1989, the National Button Society dedicated an entire week to the celebration of buttons. Since then, the love for buttons is reignited every year, in the form of exhibits, presentations, and sharing. Historians, enthusiasts, and culture pioneers are invited on panels to share the significance of buttons to each period in history. Buttons are art in miniature as they encapsulate many meaningful things in their tiny templates because they have been a part of our wardrobe for thousands of years. Archaeologists have found buttons adorned on people of great significance.
From appreciation to discomfort, people have a lot of opinions about buttons. Did you know that Steve Job’s innate phobia of buttons led him to invent touch screen phones? It is also the only reason why he chose to wear turtlenecks every day, as he couldn’t bear to button his shirts. Today, buttons are largely viewed as items of utility and not a piece of art that signifies something larger than themselves. Their diminishing significance is viewed as a threat to its 5000-year-old history, and so, many fashion houses incorporate buttons into their high-end pieces.
National Button Week FAQs
When is National Button Week?
In 2027, National Button Week will be observed from Monday, March 15 through Monday, March 22. This annual observance highlights the historical significance and artistic value of buttons.
How many types of buttons exist?
Estimating the exact number of button types is challenging due to continuous innovation and historical variations. However, collectors often categorize buttons into thousands of distinct styles and materials, from ancient bone buttons to modern 3D-printed designs, showcasing incredible diversity.
How many people collect buttons?
Button collecting, or ‘philatelic’ for buttons, is a niche but passionate hobby. It’s estimated that several thousand individuals in the U.S. actively participate in button clubs and societies, with many more casual collectors appreciating buttons for their aesthetic or sentimental value.
What is the National Button Society?
An esteemed organization, the National Button Society (NBS) provides a community for button enthusiasts and scholars. Through its publications and annual gatherings, the NBS fosters education and research into the diverse world of buttons, from their origins as fasteners to their evolution as fashion statements and collectible art.
National Button Week Activities
Showcase your personal hobby
If you are a custodian of vintage items such as buttons, stamps, and other valuables, the third week of March is an opportunity for you to showcase your treasures to the world. This is because National Button Week celebrates obscure items and interests as a whole.
Read about the history
Buttons have been a staple in many cultures, right from the Indus Valley Civilization, to the very first American presidential inauguration. The enduring charm of these beautiful articles should be cherished forever.
Go thrift shopping
Since we are talking about vintage buttons and celebrating times past, it’s the perfect opportunity to hit your local thrift stores and discover dresses or tops with vintage buttons. Go crazy for the day, but don’t forget to stick with the theme of buttons.
5 Quirky Ways To Put Your Button Collection To Use
Make a Bracelet
Button bracelets are easy to make and fun to play with or gift to a friend.
Do up your night lamp
Escape the mundanity of regular lamps by giving them a makeover with buttons and hot glue.
Hang them up
String a couple hundred of your favorite buttons together for a nice wall hanging.
Moving calendar
Decorate the frame of your calendar or use your buttons as a cursor for each day.
The perfect fridge magnets
Stick a tiny magnet on one side of your button to adorn the fridge with quirky and colorful decor.
Why We Love National Button Week
It represents the lavishes of the past
Buttons once represented class and status. A classy button completed the outfit and was exclusive to select people. Today, we have a chance to ditch the elitism and rock as many buttons as we please.
There’s a kind for every taste
Buttons come in all shapes, designs, materials, and colors. The diversity of buttons allows everyone to find a favorite.
It promotes the hobby
Button collection is a wonderful hobby that can be passed down to your children. The National Button Society was formed to recognize this, and National Button Week is a chance for us to showcase it.
National Button Week dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | March 16–23 | Monday–Monday |
| 2027 | March 15–22 | Monday–Monday |
| 2028 | March 13–20 | Monday–Monday |
| 2029 | March 12–19 | Monday–Monday |
| 2030 | March 11–18 | Monday–Monday |
