International Left-Handers Day

A Celebration of Lefty Life

If you’ve ever bumped elbows at the dinner table, smudged through a fresh notebook page, or struggled to use a pair of right-handed scissors with your dominant hand, this one's for you. International Left-Handers Day is your annual reminder that being a lefty is both a challenge and a superpower.

Lefties make up about ten percent of the population, but we’ve always done more with less. Less representation. Less ergonomic design. Less respect in the scissor aisle. Yet somehow, the list of inventors, athletes, artists, and world leaders who are left-handed is as long as your arm.

This day is about acknowledging that. Not in a cheesy, "you’re so unique" kind of way, but in a clear-eyed, “we’ve been adapting forever and still get things done” kind of way. So, grab a cup of coffee in your left-handed mug (it goes great with a slice a celebration cake), settle in, and raise a toast to the smudged and misunderstood.

When Is Left-Handers Day

Mark your calendars: International Left-Handers Day is celebrated every year on August 13.

Dean Campbell, a proud lefty from Topeka (Kansas, USA), founded Lefthanders International to bring southpaws together and share tools, tips, and solidarity. The group had members, a magazine, and a mission. They helped establish both International Left-Handers Day and the original Bill of Lefts, a cheeky but pointed declaration of left-handed rights. Campbell passed away in 2017, but his legacy lives on in the continued fight for left-handers’ rights.

Celebrated since 1976, this global event shines a spotlight on the everyday challenges, quiet victories, and brilliant weirdness of being left-handed. August 13 wasn’t chosen by accident. Just like lefties, the number 13 has been unfairly stigmatized. Whether you call it International Left-Handers Day, Left Hand Day, or just “the one day anyone notices we exist,” it’s an unofficial holiday with some real-world punch.

Why Left-Handers Day Matters

Some people ask why this day exists. Here’s the answer: because right-handedness is baked into almost every tool, interface, and social norm we deal with. From guitar fretboards to spiral notebooks to measuring cups, the world assumes you write, cook, and create with your right hand. If you don’t, you either adapt or get left behind.

International Left-Handers Day is a moment to talk about that. To advocate for better design, fair representation, and fewer forced conversions in classrooms (yes, that still happens). It’s also a great excuse to flood your group chats with fun facts about famous lefties and complain about your can opener. Win-win.

How to Celebrate International Left-Handers Day

No official parades, sorry. But there are plenty of ways to mark the occasion:

Use only your left hand for a day (even if you’re a righty — just to feel our pain)
Gift a left-handed item to your favorite southpaw
Educate a friend about the real challenges of left-handed living
Rewatch your favorite left-handed athletes or musicians do what they do best
Loudly refuse to sit at the far left side of the dinner table
Spread some left-handed awareness on social media (bonus points if it includes a rant about scissors)

And, of course, take a moment to read up on some iconic lefties who’ve changed the world just by being themselves.

Lefties Deserve the Spotlight

It’s easy to feel like the world isn’t built for you. But Left-Handers Day flips the script, even if just for a bit. It’s a small celebration with big meaning. A reminder that left-handed doesn’t mean less-than. It means different, adaptable, creative, and just a little bit defiant.

So this August 13, be loud about your left-handedness. Or at least be smug about it for 24 hours.