There isn’t one; that is, there isn’t a “Do Nothing Day.” But there is a “Nothing Day.” According to Wikipedia National Nothing Day is an “un-event” proposed in 1972 by columnist Harold Pullman Coffin and observed in the United States annually on January 16 since 1973.  Well, Dadgummit, I missed that day, which goes to show that I don’t always keep up with things that go on in our world. Hmm. That’s a bummer.

Seriously now, don’t you want to have a Do Nothing Day? We used to have one. Well, not really a Do Nothing Day – it is what I would call a “gift” day. It’s been around for thousands of years–not quite as far back as Noah, but almost. Even that far back, it was rather radical. It was a “…gonna lay down my burdens down by the riverside” sort of day, from the General Manager Of All Things.

Exodus 20:8-9 8 Remember the Sabbath day and treat it as holy. 9 Six days you may work and do all your tasks, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. Do not do any work on it—not you, your sons or daughters, your male or female servants, your animals, or the immigrant who is living with you.

My grandparents followed those verses from Exodus to the letter of that commandment. Granddaddy never opened his store on Sunday. Baseball was never played on their lawn. Fishing poles remained hanging in the shed. The only “work” anyone did was going to church. If a wagon wheel broke, or later, if a tire went flat, it was OK to fix that, and that only. Stores closed on Wednesday afternoon and, of course, on Sunday.

A dramatic shift began after WW II. First, it was the movie theaters opening after 12 p.m. on Sundays. One-by-one, in the larger towns and cities, stores began to open Sunday afternoons, and from there, we’ve gotten to here–where some businesses never close; think Waffle House.

Not to worry. I’m not launching a movement for a Do Nothing Day. However, I read somewhere that, Rest is essential for physical repair, mental clarity, emotional balance, and overall well-being, supporting every system in the body and mind. That sounds pretty good to me.

If you remember Beetle Bailey, the always-looking-for-a-nap soldier of “Funny-Paper fame,” he’s a good example. Take a rest. As my grandfather often said, “It will do you good, and help you too!”

©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2026