National Sticker Day 2026
funWednesday, January 13, 2027
120 days from today · next occurrence
About National Sticker Day
National Sticker Day, celebrated every year on January 13, honors one of the smallest and most versatile forms of expression: the sticker. From price tags and postage stamps to laptop lids, skateboards, water bottles, and protest signs, stickers carry messages, jokes, logos, and art across surfaces around the world.
The date nods to Sir Rowland Hill, born in 1793, the British reformer behind the Penny Black, the world's first adhesive postage stamp, issued in 1840. That tiny gummed rectangle proved so convenient that the idea soon spread to every corner of commerce and culture.
Today stickers have evolved into a language of their own. Messaging apps trade millions of emoji stickers daily, vinyl decals decorate cars, and independent artists build businesses selling die-cut designs. Collectors trade vintage sticker albums the way others trade trading cards. Whether your style is holographic, scratch-and-sniff, or a simple name label, January 13 is the day to peel, stick, and show off.
When is National Sticker Day?
| Year | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | January 13, 2026 | Tuesday |
| 2027 | January 13, 2027 | Wednesday |
| 2028 | January 13, 2028 | Thursday |
| 2029 | January 13, 2029 | Saturday |
| 2030 | January 13, 2030 | Sunday |
History of National Sticker Day
Adhesive labeling began long before stickers were fun. In the 1880s, European traders sold gummed paper labels advertising fruit crates and medicines, and bakers stamped price stickers onto loaves. R. Stanton Avery changed everything in 1935, when he invented the self-adhesive label with a detachable backing in Los Angeles, founding what became Avery Dennison. Suddenly stickers could be applied anywhere without paste or moisture. The 1960s and 1970s turned stickers into culture: bumper stickers carried political slogans, ski resorts traded collectible badges, and punk bands screened their own logos. Cabbage Patch Kids made sticker albums a schoolyard craze in the 1980s, and digital stickers later colonized chat apps. National Sticker Day was popularized by collectors and sticker companies, fixing January 13 in honor of Rowland Hill's birth and the adhesive postage idea that started it all.
How to Celebrate National Sticker Day
- Decorate your laptop, water bottle, or notebook with stickers that show your interests.
- Buy a pack from an independent sticker artist and support small creators.
- Start a sticker album or trade duplicates with friends.
- Mail a surprise sticker pack to a friend or leave a few kind stickers on a community board.
- Design your own sticker using free software and order a custom die-cut sheet.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When is National Sticker Day?
- National Sticker Day is celebrated every year on January 13, chosen in honor of Sir Rowland Hill, who was born on that day in 1793.
- Is National Sticker Day a public holiday?
- No. It is a playful observance, not a public holiday. Businesses and schools stay open, and the festivities amount to collecting, trading, and displaying stickers.
- How do people celebrate National Sticker Day?
- People celebrate by decorating their gear with stickers, supporting independent sticker artists, trading collectibles, and designing custom decals.
- Who invented stickers?
- R. Stanton Avery created the modern self-adhesive sticker with removable backing in 1935, building on earlier gummed labels and Rowland Hill's adhesive postage stamp.