National Gorilla Suit Day

Feeling a little apish and silly these days? Then this day will probably be particularly appealing because it’s time to celebrate National Gorilla Suit Day!

How to Celebrate National Gorilla Suit Day

Take note of some of these ideas when making plans to pay some respect to National Gorilla Suit Day:

Have Fun Wearing a Gorilla Suit

Certainly, the most obvious (but not to be overlooked) way to celebrate this day would be to conjure up a gorilla suit and wear it. Those who have flexible workplace dress codes might consider donning one for work, while others might need to wait until they get home to scare a spouse or the kids. Those who are planning to rent a gorilla suit from a costume shop might want to reserve it in advance because there are sure to be plenty of people wanting them in celebration of National Gorilla Suit Day!

Read Some Mad Magazines

Launching all the way back in 1952, Mad Magazine has more than 50 years worth of silliness to offer to the world. A humor magazine featuring satire on the cutting edge of culture and politics, the publication had a tendency to make fun of just about anything – gorilla suits included! Celebrate National Gorilla Suit Day by heading back to the source and taking a look. Since the magazine is no longer published, the best way to find a copy might be to look at the local library, at some vintage or antique stores, comic book stores, or on an auction site online.

Those who are specifically interested in reading the classic comic strip that started National Gorilla Suit Day can find it directly in a vintage paperback book published by the original author, titled Mad’s Maddest Artist Don Martin Bounces Back.

Watch a Movie Featuring a Gorilla Suit

A little search online will reveal access to some of these films that include the strange and delightful presence of a gorilla suit, so check some of them out in honor of National Gorilla Suit Day:

• Trading Places (1983). Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd star as two people who find their lives in upheaval as they are traded, with a ridiculous but day-appropriate scene where one man is placed in a gorilla suit and put in a cage with a real gorilla.
• Blonde Venus (1932). Marlene Dietrich stars in this classic film that is more than 90 years old, where her character works as a performer to make extra money, with one inspired scene showing her wearing a gorilla suit.
• Griffin & Phoenix (2006). Get the tissues ready because this heartfelt movie includes a bit with a gorilla suit, but also deals with the difficult topic of cancer.

History of National Gorilla Suit Day

While perhaps this day seems a bit fake and recently made up, it actually isn’t! In fact, this day has a history that dates back at least 60 years! That’s right, the whole thing started in that crazy period of the 1960s when Mad Magazine artist Don Martin created the idea of National Gorilla Suit Day for a 1963 comic strip.

The premise of the comic strip was that a character mocks this day and is then assaulted by gorillas and people in gorilla suits. Since that time, the day has been celebrated and enjoyed every year by fans of Mad Magazine and Don Martin, as well as others who simply think it’s fun to get dressed up in a gorilla suit!