(Updated August 26, 2017: After talking with fellow U2 fans, I am changing the short hashtag for International Day of U2 2017 to the much simpler #U2Day17 (#U2Day18 for 2018, and so on).  The post below has been edited to reflect this change.)  

(Update: I’ve added a page to my blog called U2 Day Events where I will list any U2 happenings around the world that I hear about that are associated (loosely or on purpose) to the International Day of U2. )

I have this thought brewing in my head…

As some of you may know, yesterday, August 10, was Duran Duran Appreciation Day – fans around the world celebrate DD on this day and the band themselves send out their own appreciation to their fans…

Upon first hearing of this day last week, my immediate thought was why doesn’t U2 have a day.  Next thought – because every day is U2 Appreciation Day…

But having participated in yesterday’s DD universe and having been to the U2 40th celebrations in Dublin and other fan gatherings over the past couple of years, I’m thinking we U2 fans really should have a specific day to celebrate our band together!

So I would like to declare: September 25 shall from this day forward be known as the International Day of U2, or U2 Day for short. This date, as many of you know, is the date that Ivan McCormick had marked in his diary in 1976 as the day he “joined a pop group with friends” – the group that would become U2.  It seems a perfect day to celebrate.

I further propose Two Rules only for this Day:

1. Do at least one thing during this Day to celebrate this amazing band and all they have given to us over the years.
2. Where possible use social media to share that love.  Post pictures and updates on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.  Use the hashtags #internationaldayofu2 and #U2Day17 (for this year; next year use #U2Day18, and so on).

Ideas for Celebrating Throughout the Day:

• Listen to, watch, and/or play U2 music / films throughout the day, all day;
• Post a statement / paragraph / thesis on what this band means to you on social media;
• Share your art / craft work, of or inspired by U2 on social media;
• Host a twitter-viewing party for a U2 film / YouTube playlist, like atU2.com did for the Live at Red Rocks anniversary. (This was seriously so much fun!);
• If you are in a U2 Tribute Band, hold a gig on September 25 in the name of International Day of U2;
• Arrange Fan Meet-ups at your local Irish pub (or wherever), ask them to play some U2;
• Contact your local theatre and see how possible it would be for them to get and play Rattle and Hum and / or U2 3D on the day (or around the day) (Can we do this with non-theatrically-released dvds?);
• Contact your radio stations and ask them to announce the day and play a few songs in a row or feature U2 on whichever relevant program they might have.
• Bake a U2 cake…
• Volunteer at your favourite charity / change the world somehow in the name of U2 (check my post on U2-related organizations for links to donation and take action pages);
• Wear your U2, whatever that might be (t-shirts, jewelry, nail decals, etc etc.)

Whatever you do, wherever you are, whomever you are with, on September 25 tweet your love and appreciation for U2 and share whatever you are doing to celebrate the day and this band on social media so we can all bathe in all the admiration around the world. 

Just think – having an annual International Day of U2 would give our awesome U2 community another fun reason to gather in person and / or online and share our love. Especially once (if) we go back to the days of 4-5 years between tours and albums, it would be nice to have this one day…

What do you think?  Is anyone else up for this?  I’m totally going to do something this year (and every year).  Please join me!  😀

Any other ideas on how to celebrate?  There is a month and a half until September 25… Plenty of time to start planning! Just saying…

And please share this – let’s get the word out and make this Day a Beautiful Day!!