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This Sunday, January 18, is National Thesaurus Day.

It is a colossal, immense, monumental day to celebrate the power of words.

(See what we did there?)

We celebrate it on the birthday of Peter Mark Roget, the man who decided that "good" just wasn't good enough. He gave us a book that helps us find the perfect word when our brains are stuck on the boring ones.

Whether you are a writer, a student, or just a parent trying to get your kid to say something other than "fine" when you ask how their day was, this holiday is for you.

Here is how to make vocabulary fun this Sunday.

The Book: For the Little Word Collector

If you have a child, you need this book in your library.

• The Pick: The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds.

• The Story: It’s about a boy named Jerome who doesn't collect stamps or coins—he collects words. Short words, sweet words, and multi-syllable words that sound like songs.

• The Lesson: It teaches kids that words have power and that sharing them is the best part. It is visually stunning and incredibly inspiring.
  Shop The Word Collector on Amazon 

The Game: Faster Than Scrabble

Scrabble is great, but it takes three hours and usually ends in an argument.

For a Sunday afternoon, you want Bananagrams.

• Why it wins: It’s fast. Everyone plays at the same time (no waiting for turns). You race to build your own crossword grid.

• The Thesaurus Twist: Play a round where you get double points for any word with more than 6 letters. Watch how fast your family starts digging for "synonyms" to lengthen their words.
  Shop Banananagrams Game 

The Activity: The "Banned Word" Jar

Turn Sunday dinner into a challenge.

Pick One Boring Word that is banned for the day.

• Examples: "Good," "Nice," "Stuff," or "Mad."

The Rules:

If you want to describe something, you cannot use the Banned Word. You have to find a better one.

• Instead of "This dinner is good," try: "This dinner is exquisite / savory / delightful."

• Instead of "I am mad," try: "I am frustrated / livid / irked."

The Prize:

Whoever uses the fanciest (most grandiloquent) word by the end of the day gets to pick the movie for movie night.

Why It Matters

Mark Twain once said, "The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter. ’tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning."

Words shape how we see the world.

So this Sunday, don't just have a "good" day.

Have a spectacular, marvelous, extraordinary day.

Whether you're playing word games, trying the Banned Word Challenge, or reading The Word Collector, we'd love to see it! Share your photos and tag us on Instagram and TikTok @onmanyoccasions so we can celebrate with you. Don't forget to use #NationalThesaurusDay and #OnManyOccasions—we might feature you on our page! 📚✨

Happy Thesaurus Day!

Next Week's Lineup

Get your snacks ready!

Monday is National Popcorn Day and Wednesday is National Sweatpants Day.

It sounds like a very cozy week ahead.

Plan it all out with our Free 2026 Celebration Calendar.