National Punctuation Day®

The debut of Punctuation Playtime® in the fall of 2006 coincided with the annual celebration of National Punctuation Day® on September 24, a holiday listed in Chase’s Calendar of Events and The Teacher’s Calendar as a celebration of the lowly comma, correctly used quotes, and other proper uses of periods, semicolons, and the ever-mysterious ellipsis.

It was born from my frustration with the lack of proper punctuation, spelling, and grammar in newspapers, magazines, and books.

I founded National Punctuation Day® to draw attention to the importance of proper punctuation. It’s a day for educators, parents, and librarians — people who are interested in teaching and promoting good writing skills to their students and their children. It’s also a day to remind business people that they are often judged by how they present themselves.

I believe that successful people have good communication skills, and that includes knowing how to write properly. Punctuation counts. A misplaced comma can alter the meaning of a message.

On the National Punctuation Day® website you’ll find punctuation information, resource links, and educational resources for use in the classroom. We also have photos that have been sent to us from people all over the world, and some of the correspondence I’ve had with people in many countries, all of them decrying the improper usage of punctuation and the degradation of language skills.

You can also listen to two versions of The Punctuation Rap, a song written specifically for Punctuation Playtime®. One is a rap version, and the other is a blues version. We like both of them.

And, if the spirit moves you, we have National Punctuation Day® items for purchase — whimsical T-shirts, greeting cards, latte mugs, and posters (for teachers and parents).

— Jeff Rubin, Founder
National Punctuation Day®
Punctuation Playtime®