National Inane Answering Message Day: A Celebration of Silly Voicemails
An “inane” message is any senseless, meaningless, or ridiculous communication – from spam calls to prank messages. This quirky holiday encourages people to evaluate and update their voicemail greetings.
Quick Facts
- When is it?: January 30th annually
- Tagged as: Fun Holiday, Communication Day
- What’s the hashtag?: #NationalInaneAnsweringMessageDay #InaneAnsweringMessageDay
- When was it founded?: 2001
- Who founded it?: Thomas and Ruth Roy of Wellcat.com
History
The holiday originated in 2001 when landline answering machines were common. Thomas and Ruth Roy created it as part of their “Funky Holidays” series to encourage people to replace ridiculous and time-wasting answering machine messages with clear, concise ones.
Timeline
- 1980s: First modern voicemail systems introduced by IBM
- 2001: Creation of National Inane Answering Message Day
- Present: Evolution to addressing spam calls and robocalls in the digital age
Dates for Next Years
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Jan 30 | Thursday |
| 2026 | Jan 30 | Friday |
| 2027 | Jan 30 | Saturday |
Observed
The day is celebrated by reviewing and updating voicemail greetings, spreading awareness about communication etiquette, and taking action against spam calls.
Fun Facts About
- The word “inane” comes from the Latin word “inanis” meaning empty or void
- Over 80% of business calls go to voicemail
- The average person spends 3.2 minutes listening to each voicemail
Quiz
- When was the holiday created?
- Who created this holiday?
- What does “inane” mean?
(Answers: 2001, Thomas & Ruth Roy, silly or meaningless)
FAQs
- Should I change my voicemail message on this day?
Yes, it’s encouraged to review and update your greeting. - Is this a federal holiday?
No, it’s an unofficial fun observance.
Importance of the Day
The day serves as a reminder to maintain professional communication standards and fight against the proliferation of spam calls and meaningless messages in our digital age.
Related
- National Phone Call Day
- World Telecommunication Day
- National Clean Out Your Contact List Day
- Digital Cleanup Day