Summary

  • October 3rd is celebrated as "Mean Girls Day" due to a line in the movie where the protagonist Cady tells her crush Aaron, "It's October 3rd."
  • The popularity of Mean Girls has led to fans celebrating the film by posting memes, wearing pink, and watching the movie on October 3rd.
  • In addition to Mean Girls, October 3rd is also a significant day for fans of the anime Fullmetal Alchemist and TikTok s who celebrate "National Boyfriend Day" on this date.

Some movies and TV shows like Mean Girls’ colorful characters and cliques, including the “Plastics”, a group of popular girls who run the school. First attempting to take down the “Plastics” from the inside, Cady soon feels compelled to claw her way to the top of the high school hierarchy.

Years after its release, Mean Girls still holds up and fans of the comedy continue to quote and enjoy the film. When a piece of pop culture finds a loyal enough fanbase, holidays can even be made for it. Miss Congeniality Day on April 25th, Parks and Recreation’s Galentine’s Day on February 13th, “May the Fourth Be With You”, and many more are all real-life examples of fandoms showing their love for their favorite media by celebrating together on the same day. Mean Girls also has a day dedicated to the film, though the reason for October 3rd, and the date of other movie holidays, is not always immediately clear.

Related: Who Is Glen Coco In Mean Girls?

October 3rd Is Mean Girls Day

The Plastics posing provocatively in Mean Girls promo poster

October 3rd is celebrated as “Mean Girls Day” because of a throwaway line in the movie. Cady has a huge crush on Aaron Samuels (Jonathan Bennett), so it's a significant moment when she asks her the date, and she responds, "It’s October 3rd." Mean Girls accurately depicts teenage life, which is a big reason it became so iconic, and fans of the movie proudly declared October 3rd as their own.

Almost two decades after the film's release, fans still celebrated the day by posting Mean Girls memes, wearing pink, and of course, watching the film. In fact, October 3rd, 2017 was the first day of ticket sales for the Mean Girls Broadway musical, and Fey (who wrote the book for the musical) even got in on the celebrating, handing out free cheese fries to people waiting in line to buy tickets (via CBS News).

3.Oct.11 Also Has Significance In Fullmetal Alchemist

The pocket watch from Fullmetal Alchemist with Don't Forget 3.Oct.11 inscribed.-1

Mean Girls isn’t the only pop culture fandom that celebrates October 3rd. 3.Oct.11 (October 3, 1911) is a fan holiday for Fullmetal Alchemist, and it has important relevance to the anime's plot. October 3, 1911 is the date that the Elric brothers burned down their childhood home as a symbolic gesture of their commitment to finding the Philosopher’s Stone. Fans of the show will often post online the phrase "Don’t Forget 3.Oct.11". It’s the same phrase inscribed in Edward’s State Alchemist pocket watch, a reminder so he never forgets his deceased mother, and the reason why the brothers need the Stone.

TikTok s Celebrate National Boyfriend Day On October 3rd

Cady talking to Aaron about October 3rd in Mean Girls.

Recently, October 3rd has been co-opted by TikTok s who have also made the day "National Boyfriend Day". On the day, people take to social media with hashtags like #NationalBoyfriendDay to celebrate their significant others. National Girlfriend Day, another TikTok-centric holiday occurs on August 1st, and October 3rd is a chance to reciprocate the love. TikTok, Instagram, and other social media sites are now filled with Mean Girls and Fullmetal Alchemist references and loving testimonials to boyfriends on October 3rd.