National Mario Day

National Mario Day, observed March 10th, celebrates Nintendo's iconic video game character Mario, with the date chosen for a simple visual pun: "MAR10" reads as an abbreviation of the character's name. Mario first appeared in 1981 as the player character in the arcade game "Donkey Kong," originally named "Jumpman," before being renamed Mario and going on to headline the wildly successful "Super Mario Bros." franchise beginning in 1985, which helped establish Nintendo as a dominant force in the home video game industry and helped revitalize the broader U.S. video game market following the industry downturn of the early 1980s. Mario has since become one of the most recognizable fictional characters in entertainment history, appearing in dozens of platformer, racing, sports, and party games across four decades of Nintendo consoles, and expanding into other media including animated series and the 2023 theatrical film "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," one of the highest-grossing animated films ever released. Nintendo itself has embraced National Mario Day since around 2016, promoting the observance with special in-game events, discounts, and announcements timed to the date, turning what began as an informal fan-driven pun into an officially recognized marketing occasion. On National Mario Day, fans celebrate by playing Mario games, new and old, or taking advantage of Nintendo's promotional events.