Z Day

People whose first or last name start with the letter Z must have it pretty rough. Most processes, systems and organizations use alphabetical sorting as standard, meaning they are always last no matter the place or occasion.

Could get a bit annoying after a while, don’t you think? Z Day was created to give those whose names begin with Z’s a bit of a break. People with the letter Z can go first in line, get picked earlier, and stand in front instead of the back for a change!

How to Celebrate Z Day

So how are you going to celebrate this holiday? Check out a few of these ideas to get started:

Alphabetize Backwards

Today, if you have any opportunities to put things in alphabetical order then go ahead and pop the Z’s up front. This would be a simple task if you were a school teacher. Be a rebel and go for reverse alphabetical order if you want!

Celebrate Z Day with Kids

Kids love opposite days like this. But maybe you don’t really have a chance to put things in alphabetical order so you could draw some pictures of random Z-named things. Get really abstract and creative with your Z art and put it somewhere for the world to see. Or maybe you work with someone with a Z name and could treat them extra special today. Take your Z buddy out to lunch or help them out with their work today.

Make Some Z Purchases

Maybe you could even buy something that starts with a Z like a Zenith watch or a Zune. There are plenty of different products out there that start with a Z! You could even go to a zoo if it’s open and check out the zebras. Now if only they’d let you ride one… Or you could catch your favorite zombie flick and try not to get the hunger for brains yourself. Heck, dress up as a zombie and give hugs to people with Z names!

Get a Z Tattoo

Or if you’re really crazy you could tattoo a Z on your body and celebrate for the rest of your life! That would be the ultimate way to show your appreciation for this wonderful letter. It’s all up to you really. Be creative! Show your appreciation to people and things that may not feel as loved because they have an uncommon letter in their name.

Throw a Z Day Party

If you really feel like making the most of this day, why not throw a party? After all, it is also the start of a new year, and so there is plenty to celebrate. To make sure that you are observing Z Day, you could encourage everyone to come in a fancy dress outfit that begins with the letter Z.

It’s not the easiest letter in the world for fancy dress, but there are plenty of great options. We’re sure a lot of people will turn up dressed as zebras, but don’t let your imagination be limited to just this zoo animal.

How about dressing up as Zoro? Or, what about Zack Morris from Saved By The Bell? A zombie is another option! Or, how about a zulu warrior? As you can see, there are lots of great ideas, and this is a fun way to celebrate Z Day!

Learn about Z Day

Z Day is a celebration that was founded by a man named Tom Zager (no surprise his name starts with a Z!). The event takes place at the start of the year to honor those folks at the end of the alphabet who always come last.

So, if your name is Zara or Zack, or Ms. Zimmerman, you’re probably used to your name being called out last on the register or whenever anything is being called for in alphabetical order. Well, not today my friend! Today, you come first!

On Z Day, turn the list upside down and make sure you allow the people whose name begins with Z to go first in line.

A lot of people use this day as an opportunity to do lots of things in a different order to what they usually would. After all, if you are going to turn the alphabet on its head, what’s wrong with flipping a few other things around as well?

For example, if you have a to-do list set-up for the day or week, on Z Day, you can flip this list over and start working on the “least important” task that you probably would not have got around to at any time soon. You may think that this is counter-productive but it could be just the thing you need to take a step back and ease off for the day.

History Behind The Letter Z

The Semitic Symbol was the seventh letter, named Zayin, which meant “weapon” or “sword”. It represented either the sound /z/ as in English and French, or possibly more like /dz/ as in Italian zeta, zero. The Greek form of Z was a close copy of the Phoenician Zayin and the Greek inscriptional form remained in this shape throughout history, as the Greeks called the letter Zeta.

Latin, the origin of our current alphabet, had the letter Z in the earliest form of the alphabet before it was replaced by the letter G. The letter was replaced due to the “z” sound in Latin changing to “r” by rhotacism in the fifth century B.C.

You will find that the letter “Z” is used less commonly in British English when compared with American English. For example, in British English, they use “analysing” rather than “analyzing” to “optimisation” rather than “optimization.” One use of the letter “Z” that we are all familiar with, though, is using it to depict sleep. How many of you have typed out Zzz when you’re feeling tired?