Take a Monkey to Lunch Day

Take a Monkey to Lunch Day, observed on July 21, is a playful occasion that celebrates our fascination with monkeys and their remarkable intelligence, curiosity, and entertaining personalities. The day invites people to learn more about these fascinating animals while appreciating the important roles they play in ecosystems and the need to protect their natural habitats.

Despite its humorous name, the observance is not a suggestion to bring a monkey into a restaurant or share a meal with a wild animal. Instead, people can mark July 21 by visiting an accredited zoo or sanctuary, watching an educational program, reading about primates, or supporting conservation efforts. It’s a fun way to combine lighthearted enjoyment with greater awareness of animal welfare and wildlife protection.

Take a Monkey to Lunch Day is an informal observance held annually on **July 21**. Unlike established religious, civic, or international commemorations, it does not have a well-documented founding organization, legislative proclamation, or clearly identified originator. Available holiday references, including National Today’s entry, present it as a lighthearted modern observance centered on the playful idea of sharing a meal—or spending time—with a monkey.

The wording reflects a broader tradition of novelty “days” that became increasingly common through greeting-card culture, community calendars, lifestyle websites, and social media. Such observances are often designed less as formal historical anniversaries than as prompts for amusement, conversation, and themed activities. Over time, Take a Monkey to Lunch Day has been circulated in online holiday listings as a recurring July 21 observance, even though there is no substantial evidence of an older custom involving people routinely taking monkeys to restaurants or public lunches.

Its cultural significance comes largely from the special place monkeys occupy in popular culture. They are frequently portrayed as intelligent, expressive, mischievous, and capable of humanlike behavior in literature, film, advertising, and children’s entertainment. The observance plays on those familiar images, inviting people to imagine an unusual social outing and, more broadly, to express affection for primates. It can also serve as an opportunity to learn about monkey behavior, biodiversity, and the conservation challenges facing wild primate populations.

In practice, the day is best treated symbolically rather than literally. Monkeys are wild or exotic animals with complex dietary, social, and environmental needs, and taking one to a public restaurant—or keeping one as a pet—can endanger the animal and the public and may violate local regulations. Appropriate ways to mark **July 21** include visiting an accredited zoo or sanctuary, supporting a primate-conservation organization, reading about primates, or enjoying monkey-themed educational and creative activities.