Get Ready for National Sneak Zucchini onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day

From National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day to What If Cats and Dogs Had Opposable Thumbs? Day (January 30 and March 3, respectively), the U.S. observes some oddly specific holidays throughout the year. While many are more nonsensical than practical, there are a few that are worth marking on your calendars—and we're here to argue that National Sneak Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day is one of them. Held on August 8 every year, this lighthearted observance is an opportunity to spread some summer squash love when you inevitably grow too much.

Anyone who has grown zucchini knows you'll likely end up with way too much produce by the end of the season, and sometimes all of the zucchini recipes in the world aren't enough to use it up while fresh (this squash lasts up to four days in the fridge). Sure, you can freeze some for later, but your plants may still produce fresh zucchini faster than you can store it. To combat the overflow, gardeners have been celebrating National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day for about a decade now.

The quirky holiday was created by Thomas Roy, who has established more than 90 national days in the last 30 years, as reported by CNN. Along with giving you the perfect excuse to pawn your extra produce off onto unsuspecting neighbors, it also allows you to have a little fun with your harvest. Sharing is caring, as they say.

When picking your zucchini, wait until the produce reaches your preferred size—just don't let them get too big, as they can become fibrous, with too-tough skin. Because the plants produce so much, you can harvest often (but be careful not to disturb the vines).

To celebrate this holiday to the fullest, you can't just text your friends to let them know you're making a delivery or knock on your neighbor's door. According to Almanac, the proper way to partake is to wait "until the dead of night" to sneak over and leave your zucchini on their porch (as the name of the holiday implies). The goal here is to complete your zucchini-sharing mission without getting caught, so your neighbors can't give it back to you.

If creeping around after dark isn't how you'd prefer to pass on your extra zucchini, there are other creative ways to participate in the holiday: Consider baking zucchini bread to give to your neighbors, canning or pickling it, or donating your fresh zucchini to a local food pantry. Any extra zucchini, whether it comes from your own garden or not, gives you the perfect reason to break out your spiralizer and make some zoodles or slip some into a decadent chocolate cake. As long as you don't let your (or your neighbors') hard work go to waste, you can consider the holiday—and season—a success. And now if you wake up to a few summer squashes on your doorstep the morning of August 9, you'll know how they got there.