When is National Crossword Puzzle Day?
December 21st is National Crossword Puzzle Day.
What is National Crossword Puzzle Day?
Rainy days call for crosswords. But then again, so do sunny days, quiet nights in, and cross country flights. For crossword fans and beginners alike, National Crossword Puzzle Day is a chance to celebrate the puzzling and solving of crosswords.
Crosswords are fun, yes, but they are also helpful. Studies suggest they delay memory loss among dementia patients. To complete one of these puzzles requires either rummaging through the memory or learning new facts, both of which are forms of mental exercise. We’ll take long-lasting cognitive benefits any day.
So grab a fresh ink pen and get cozy on the couch. Relax into a crossword on National Crossword Puzzle Day.
Fun facts about National Crossword Puzzle Day!
- National Crossword Puzzle Day celebrates the anniversary of the first crossword, printed in the New York World Sunday paper on December 21, 1913.
- A “cruciverbalist” is someone who creates or deciphers crossword puzzles.
- The New York Times, which publishes the most popular crossword puzzle series, actually criticized early crosswords as a “sinful waste” of time in 1924.
- In Japanese crosswords, it’s one syllable to a square, not one letter.
- The game Scrabble grew out of one man’s interest in crossword puzzles.
How to celebrate National Crossword Puzzle Day:
- Complete a couple crosswords. Find them online or in print. Have a friend help out if you’re struggling or if you just want some company.
- Test your expertise with a field-specific crossword puzzle. For you doctors, find a crossword on infectious diseases. Pilots might enjoy aviation crosswords. Or just track down an American football crossword to test your gridiron trivia.
What’s the hashtag for National Crossword Puzzle Day?
Share your puzzling pastime on social media with #CrosswordPuzzleDay.