Mad Hatter Day (2024)

Mad Hatter Day timeline

​1923

Alice's film debut

​Walt Disney animated "Alice in Wonderland" as part of a series of short features entitled "Alice in Slumberland."

​1941

​Mercury banned from the U.S. felt industry

​The U.S. Public Health Service prohibited the felt industry from continuing to use mercury, deeming it a public health hazard.

​1960s

​Men's hats went out of style

​Until the beginning of the 1960's, American men were rarely if ever seen in public without their hats — but hats with brims began to disappear as a fashion staple by the middle of the decade.

​1986

​Mad Hatter Day was born in Boulder, Colorado

​When a group of computer programmers saw Sir John Tenniel's original illustrations of the Mad Hatter in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," they petitioned as a group for a national day of recognition.

​2016

​Johnny Depp played the Hatter in two films

​Lewis Carroll would be surprised to know that his Hatter endures after over 150 years with the latest depictions featuring Johnny Depp in the 2016 film "Alice Through the Looking Glass," and the 2010 version "Alice in Wonderland."

Mad Hatter Day Activities

  1. Re-enact or re-read passages from the book

    Approach your local library and see if any activities are planned for National Mad Hatter Day. If not, offer to put together a re-enactment of the Mad Hatter's tea party with a group of children. If you don't want to act out the tea party, why not read sections out loud and let children discover something wonderful in literature? Or, simply sit down with a cup of tea and rediscover the adventure of following the White Rabbit down that hole to Wonderland.

  2. Watch a marathon of silly movies

    National Mad Hatter Day is a perfect time to watch silly movies with your friends. W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, the Three Stooges and Laurel and Hardy all have at least one member who wears a top hat in the middle of insane antics. Make a night of it and you'll be surprised at how these early films stand the test of the time.

  3. Wear a silly hat

    Get ditzy and wear a funny hat. It can be a Cat in the Hat type hat, an over-sized wood cap like Rerun's, or fall back to the classic top hat. When people raise eyebrows wondering what you're doing, invite them to your tea party and share the story of the Mad Hatter. We all need some silly right now.

5 Reasons The Mad Hatter Rules

  1. ​He was based on a real person

    ​Lewis Carroll may have modeled his Mad Hatter after Theophilus Carter, a man who invented the Alarm Clock Bed — which awakened sleepers by casting them into a tub of cold water.

  2. ​He has a shop at Disneyland

    ​The Mad Hatter's Shop at Disneyland features a wall mirror where that creepy smiling Cheshire Cat slowly appears after you stare into it long enough.

  3. ​He was Batman's nemesis

    ​In the DC comic "Batman Number 49," the Mad Hatter stars as a supervillain/mad scientist who controls the minds of his victims by using various devices stored in his hat.

  4. ​The book bombed when it was published

    ​In 1865, Lewis Carroll's book received negative reviews when it came out — described by one critic as "too extravagantly absurd to produce more diversion than disappointment and irritation."

  5. ​Lewis Carroll grew up in a hat-making town

    ​Lewis Carroll understood hatters, mad and otherwise, due to his upbringing in Manchester, England where hat-making was the primary occupation.

Why We Love Mad Hatter Day

  1. It's based on a book

    "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll is the 19th-century version of "Bizarro World." Carroll's 1865 book follows a precocious seven-year-old girl down a rabbit hole and into a world of disappearing Cheshire cats, babies transformed into piglets and a head-chopping queen. The Mad Hatter's absurd tea party is simultaneously enticing and frightful, like an early version of Groundhog Day, never- ending and complete with a dormouse stuffed daily into a teacup.

  2. It never uses the phrase "mad as a hatter."

    In Carroll's book, the eccentric tea party thrower is simply referred to as "Hatter." However, the phrase "mad as a hatter" was a staple of British jargon for almost 30 years. It referred to a time in the 18th and 19th centuries when hat makers used mercury nitrate as part of the process for curing felt. As we know now, mercury poisoning can manifest in supposed eccentric behavior like slurred speech, drooling, and diarrhea. The behavior resulted in someone being referred to as "mad as a hatter."

  3. It's a day to act silly

    National Mad Hatter Day brings out the silliness in all of us. The Mad Hatter sees the world as one continuous tea party — full of tempting biscuits and eccentric guests where everyone makes up their own rules. In a time of increasing partisanship and rigidity, the Mad Hatter invites all of us to wear what we like, do what we like, and share some tea and scones with anyone we like.

Mad Hatter Day dates

YearDateDay
2024October 6Sunday
2025October 6Monday
2026October 6Tuesday
2027October 6Wednesday
2028October 6Friday
Mad Hatter Day (2024)

FAQs

Mad Hatter Day? ›

October 6th is a day set aside each year to bring out your silly side while celebrating National Mad Hatter

Mad Hatter
Tarrant Hightopp, also known as The Mad Hatter, is a fictional character in the 2010 film Alice in Wonderland and its 2016 sequel Alice Through the Looking Glass, based upon the original character from Lewis Carroll's Alice novels. He is portrayed by actor Johnny Depp.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Tarrant_Hightopp
Day.

Why is Mad Hatter day celebrated? ›

The unofficial holiday was created in 1986 in Boulder Colorado by a group of computer technicians who were inspired by the Hatter and his antics in the epic fantasy novel. In the book, the Hatter is an eccentric milliner for whom time is forever stuck at a tea party with his friend the March Hare.

Why is October 6th a mad hatter day? ›

This day celebrates the fictional character, The Mad Hatter, from Lewis Carroll's “Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,” which was first published in 1865. This day matches the label on the Mad Hatter's hat band that reads “In this style 10/6,” which meant the top hat cost ten shillings and sixpence in England.

What does the 10/6 mean on the Mad Hatter's hat? ›

The Mad Hatter in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland wears, as we all know, a top hat. On that top hat is a price ticket that bears the words "in this style 10/6", meaning that the hat, if ordered, would cost 10 shillings and sixpence.

What is the significance of the Mad Hatter? ›

While this might be explained away by his supposed 'madness', some critics and readers believe Carroll made the Hatter this way in order to highlight some of the most irritating and unpleasant traits in our human nature, which, although not life-threatening, can still make life quite unbearable.

What does mad as a hatter mean literally? ›

Crazy, demented, as in She is throwing out all his clothes; she's mad as a hatter . This expression, dating from the early 1800s, alludes to exposure to the chemicals formerly used in making felt hats, which caused tremors and other nervous symptoms.

What do you do on Mad Hatter day? ›

How to Celebrate Mad Hatter Day
  1. Be silly.
  2. Wear fun hats.
  3. Make your own hat.
  4. Look for a local theater performing the play.
  5. Listen to the audiobook.
  6. Consider playing a few pranks.
  7. Draw your own illustration of the Mad Hatter Tea Party.
  8. Throw a tea party.
Oct 6, 2023

What mental illness does the Mad Hatter have in Alice in Wonderland? ›

The diagnosis the Mad Hatter seems to fit best is Borderline Personality Disorder (301.83). He displays this among Mally and the Hare. He is constantly changing his mood and one minute is harsh to them, and the next minute he thinks they have the greatest idea ever.

Why is Mad Hatter obsessed with Alice? ›

Instead, he's embraced his persona as the Mad Hatter and may see Alice as both a source of affection and the chance to escape his reality by creating a Wonderland of his own. With Alice at his side, it would confirm the life he made was nothing like the reality he nurtured.

Why is Mad Hatter a villain? ›

A scientist who invents and uses technological mind control devices to influence and manipulate the minds of his victims, the Mad Hatter is one of Batman's most enduring enemies and belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up Batman's rogues gallery.

What does the Cheshire Cat represent? ›

One of the most prominent symbols is that of the Cheshire Cat, which serves as a representation of wisdom and guidance. It is through conversations with this enigmatic creature that Alice begins to make sense of her situation and gains insight into who she really is.

Why is it always 6 o'clock at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party? ›

Later the Hatter's remark is clarified. He and his friend Time have quarreled since the great concert held by the Queen of Hearts, and Time won't move and so it is always six o'clock. His watch stays the same time, which means it is of no use to tell what o'clock it is.

What is the tag on the Mad Hatter's hat? ›

Here it is stated that the character is wearing a hat on his head with a price tag containing the numbers 10 and 6, giving the price in pre-decimal British money as ten shillings and six pence (or half a guinea).

What is the Mad Hatter famous for saying? ›

It's very easy to take more than nothing. This is one of the famous Mad Hatter quotes about tea. He answers this after Alice is asked to have some tea by March, yet she has taken nothing. Mad Hatter interrupted and told her that having more of something would be easier than nothing.

Why did hatters go mad? ›

Hatters or hat-makers commonly exhibited slurred speech, tremors, irritability, shyness, depression, and other neurological symptoms; hence the expression “mad as a hatter.” The symptoms were associated with chronic occupational exposure to mercury.

What does the white rabbit symbolize in Alice in Wonderland? ›

Symbolism of Time: The White Rabbit's obsession with time is a prominent symbol in the story. As he constantly checks his pocket watch and exclaims, "I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date!", he embodies the concept of time slipping away and the pressure of keeping up with societal expectations.

What disorder does the Mad Hatter represent? ›

The diagnosis the Mad Hatter seems to fit best is Borderline Personality Disorder (301.83). He displays this among Mally and the Hare. He is constantly changing his mood and one minute is harsh to them, and the next minute he thinks they have the greatest idea ever.

What is the history of Mad as a Hatter? ›

The phrase “mad as a hatter” actually comes from Mad Hatter disease, better known as mercury poisoning. In the 19th century, fur treated with mercury was used to make felt hats. Hatters were confined in small spaces and breathed toxic mercury fumes, resulting in “mad” or irrational behavior.

What's the story about the Mad Hatter? ›

The Hatter explains to Alice that he and the March Hare are trapped in a never-ending tea party because, when he tried to sing for the Queen of Hearts at a celebration, she sentenced him to death for "murdering the time." He escaped this fate, but Time, out of anger at his attempted to "murder", has halted himself for ...

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