National Dance Like a Chicken Day

National Dance Like a Chicken Day, observed on May 14th, is a silly, lighthearted unofficial holiday encouraging people to bust out the classic "chicken dance," a novelty dance move typically performed to an accompanying accordion-driven polka tune featuring flapping arm movements, wiggling motions, and clapping in a repeating sequence. The song itself, originally titled "Der Ententanz" or "Dance Little Bird," was composed in the 1950s or 1960s by Swiss accordionist Werner Thomas, though its exact origin story has several competing versions. The tune and accompanying dance spread across European festivals and celebrations before gaining significant popularity in the United States in the 1980s, becoming a fixture at weddings, school events, sporting events, and children's parties, prized for its simple, easily learned movements that allow people of any age or dancing ability to participate enthusiastically. The dance's enduring, campy popularity at wedding receptions in particular has made it something of a cultural touchstone, often eliciting a mix of enthusiastic participation and good-natured eye-rolling from guests. On this day, people are encouraged to embrace the silliness and perform the chicken dance, whether at an organized event, with family at home, or simply as a lighthearted, spontaneous way to inject some playful fun into an otherwise ordinary day.