National Lost Sock Memorial Day

We've all had the great misfortune of realizing that a favorite pair of socks is *gasp* missing one!  Was it eaten by our beloved Fido?  Did it fall into a black hole behind the dryer?  Perhaps it had aspirations of becoming a catalog model and decided to leave on its own? Whatever the case, we all hold onto that one remaining sock in hopes that its match will return to us someday.... but it never does. 

Though no one knows when it was first created, or by whom, May 9th is National Lost Sock Memorial Day.  It is a day to remember all the socks that are no longer with us. 

So, how can we best honor our vanished soldiers, and how can we serve to uplift those singletons left behind? 

First, spend a little (as little as possible) bit of time searching around for those lost socks. Check under the couch cushions, take a peak inside the laundry room, inquire about Fido's choice in chew toys as of late... Just a general search around the house to make sure you didn't miss anything.

Once we've confirmed the socks are indeed lost, it's time to honor them.  Let us have a moment of silence for those socks we have lost, those woven wonders, those small smelly soldiers who went for miles without a single hole, our dearest close-knit friends. 

- Consider writing a poem, an ode to the missing, and read it aloud in front of your washing machine. 

- You could light a candle and say a small prayer (fun fact: the Catholic patron saint of lost things is Saint Anthony of Padua).

- Practice your art skills by creating a portrait of your missing socks and hanging it up to honor their memory.

- You could also do something as simple as sitting and taking a minute to reflect on how warm and comforting those missing socks were on your toes.  Once you're done, take a deep breath and let it (and the missing socks) go.

Now what should we do with the unmatched remainders? What is to happen to those unpaired remnants? Well, there are a few things you could do with them.

You could decide that matching socks are for squares and vow to never wear matching socks again!  How else will you annouce to the world your glorious nonconformity without gaudy mismatched socks!  Maybe you'll even start a new fad.

If trendsetting is a bit too much for you, then there are some crafty ways of reusing those unmatched socks. 

Using a pair of sharp scissors (and a grown-up's help), trim the sock from open end to closed end, so it opens up into a single piece of cloth.  Now you have basic rags to use when cleaning around the house.  These are great for cleaning up dark spills or gross messes that could stain nicer towels.  They also make great re-usable tissues -- just toss them into the wash when they get grimy, and they'll be ready to catch new cooties in no time.

With some buttons and bits of fluff (and perhaps the help of a grownup), you could turn them into sock puppets.  Use glue to affix the buttons and fluffy bits to the foot-end of the sock; use anything you think would look good, these are your creations to experiment with however you like.  Once dry, you've got some new friends to play with!  Be sure to check our collection of books that offer ideas for making sock puppets, or visit our CreativeBug eSource for even more ideas!

Another option is to tie the socks into knots and give them to dear old Fido (or toss some catnip inside before knotting them for a feline-approved toy).  Socks make for great tug-o-war toys with puppies, since you can hold onto one end while Fido pulls on the other.  Once the sock gets torn up or is just too stinky to tolerate, simply toss it in the trash (or maybe cut it up into smaller cleaning rags -- try to resuse as much as you can!).

At the very, very least.... you could throw the unpaired socks into the trash.  It seems so unceremonious to do so, but you can still make it special.  Treat these socks just as kindly as you did the missing ones -- say a prayer, read a poem, or just spend some time appreciating what these socks did for your stinky little toesies.  Then, once you've said a sweet goodbye, let them gently fall into the bin, their final resting place.

Now that we have given a proper farewell to the socks we had lost, and helped to move the left-over single socks on to the other side of the hamper, it's time to honor their memory by enjoying some fun books about socks!  Here are some of my favorites:

One Red Sock by Jennifer Sattler

When a little purple hippo cannot find the mate for her red sock, she tries everything in her sock drawer in order to be fashionable--or at least to match.

 

 

 

 

 

Sock on the Loose by Conor McGlauflin

After its twin doesn't come back from the wash, Blue Sock decides it wants to explore the great big world outside its drawer. Just like you, there are so many things a sock can do when given the chance to try something new!

 

 

 

Sock Story by CK Smouha

A simple, heartwarming story told in comic-book form about a sock that loses his pair.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No matter what happened or where they are now, National Lost Sock Memorial Day gives us a reason to set time aside and honor those socks that are no longer with us.  Today, we remember the fun times and the hole-some moments we had with our socks.  Today, we honor their sock-rifice.  Today, we give new meaning to their sole-mates.  Regardless of how you choose to celebrate, I wish you a wonderful Lost Sock Memorial Day, and I hope that next year's memorial finds you with fewer unmatched socks!