Every day is a special day for sophomore Eesha Iyer because every day is an opportunity to celebrate a national day. Through her Instagram page @e2d2natdaycal, Iyer makes sure every national day gets the recognition it deserves.
Managed and tracked by the National Day Calendar, national days celebrate a theme, activity or cause. For example, Feb. 7 is National Send a Card to a Friend Day while the day after is National Kite Flying Day. Though they aren’t officially recognized by the government, they have gained popularity through media promotion and cultural adoption.
At first, Iyer did not expect to be involved with celebrating national days. She was first exposed to them when she discovered the National Day Calendar app and downloaded it out of curiosity. She and her sister were visiting their cousin on National Mac and Cheese Day.
“Sometimes, I would say random facts just to annoy my sister and cousin,” Iyer said. “I started to tell them what the national day for each day was. One day, I started to keep track of all of them, which evolved into an Instagram page.”
Now, on her Instagram account, Iyer posts short videos of where she celebrates each national day by completing the activity involved. The name E2D2 came from her love for “Star Wars,” and particularly, the character R2D2. Because she has two E’s in her name, people would often call her E2D2. The process is simple: Iyer checks the National Day Calendar app for the day’s celebrations, picks one and films a short activity based on it. Then, she posts it on Instagram. For instance, on National Chopsticks Day, Iyer posted a chopsticks competition with her friends.
“For a lot of the activities, I’m able to do them with my friends,” Iyer said. “For example, on National Weatherperson Day, I was drenched from the rain, and I would have someone ask me, ‘What’s the weather?’ and I’d answer, ‘I think it’s raining.’”
Iyer’s most memorable moment while working on E2D2 was when she dedicated an honorary national day for her friend on her birthday. Coinciding with National Pecan Pie Day, she surprised her friend with huge pecan pie balloons.
“Since it’s a public account, a bunch of people saw the post, and they went up to her and asked to take pictures with her,” Iyer said.
Though lighthearted, E2D2 still comes with challenges. It requires dedication, and sometimes Iyer forgets to celebrate or has to prioritize other commitments.
“Sometime after Christmas, I had a lot of school work, so I didn’t celebrate until mid-January,” Iyer said. “But what really pushes me is the fact that my friends enjoy the content I produce. They would comment on my videos, ‘When is the hiatus over?’ and I’d feel motivated to do it because I know that they like watching me celebrate.”
After transferring from Mitty High School in 2024, Iyer adjusted to Lynbrook quickly, thanks to E2D2. When her peers found the account, they started talking to her about it, helping her make new friends.
Whether it’s National Baking Cookies Day or National Compliment Day, Iyer puts care and fun into the national days while encouraging others to celebrate with her.
“In the future, it would be really fun if others wanted to join me more consistently, especially because sometimes it gets hard to do every single day,” Iyer said. “At the end of the day, I love doing this because it’s fun and lighthearted.”
