10 fake holidays that were actually invented by brands

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The U.S. celebrates a National Coffee Day on September 29.

• Many of our favorite holidays were invented by brands to pad sales.
• There is no official body that approves holidays in the United States (Congress can only set federal holidays), which is why there are so many of them.
• "Fake" holidays succeed when they offer either fun or strengthen an emotional connection to food or a cause.

It seems like every day is a holiday now, an ode to some food, cause, or even a facetious accent. Thanks to social media, brands and consumers alike can think up new holidays wholesale and promote them to a wide audience.

For example, while Halloween wasn't created by a company, the candy industry at the start of the 20th century tried to turn the second Saturday in October into Candy Day, The Atlantic reported. That is until Halloween proved a more suitable candy-centered holiday. Call it a half-win.

In that spirit, let's take a look at some other popular holidays invented by brands.