Every September 13, readers around the world mark Roald Dahl Day, held on the birthday of the author who gave us Matilda Wormwood, the giant peach, the Big Friendly Giant, and a chocolate factory guarded by Oompa-Loompas. It is a day for people who grew up with these books and for the kids discovering them now. You do not need a party or a costume to take part. You just need a book and an hour.
Why his stories still land
Dahl trusted children to handle mischief, unfairness, and the occasional gruesome comeuppance. His heroes are often small and overlooked, and his villains are gloriously awful: the Trunchbull, the Twits, the child-hating witches. That mix of warmth and wickedness is why the books hold up. He also wrote with a musical, read-aloud rhythm, packed with invented words he called Gobblefunk. Reading a page out loud is the fastest way to feel why generations have loved them.
Simple ways to spend the day
Start by rereading one book. Most of his novels are short, so you can finish The BFG or Fantastic Mr Fox in an afternoon. If you have children in your life, read a chapter aloud at bedtime and hand them the voices. Beyond reading, the day invites making things: bake a chocolate treat in a nod to Charlie Bucket, invent your own nonsense words, or draw a scene in the loose, scribbly spirit of Quentin Blake, whose illustrations are inseparable from the stories for many readers.
“Somewhere inside all of us is the power to change the world.”
Do it with a group
Roald Dahl Day works beautifully as a classroom or library event, and many schools use it that way. If you are organizing something, keep it low effort and high imagination. Set up a “golden ticket” hunt by hiding paper tickets in wrapped chocolate. Run a Gobblefunk contest where everyone invents a word and defines it. Host a short read-aloud where volunteers each take a favorite passage. None of this requires a budget, and the making-your-own-words part tends to get even shy kids talking.
A note on reading honestly
Dahl’s life and some of his views have been the subject of real criticism, and in recent years his publisher edited some of his texts, which sparked wide debate about how to handle older books. You can love the stories and still talk about these things openly, especially with older kids. Marking September 13 does not mean pretending an author was perfect. It means noticing what a book did for you and passing that spark along.
However you observe it, the heart of Roald Dahl Day is simple. Pick up one of his books, read a few pages the way he meant them to be read, and let the strange, funny, slightly dangerous world pull you in. Then hand the book to someone younger and let them find it too.
How to celebrate
- 1Reread a Dahl classic
Pick one novel and read it in a sitting or two. Matilda, The BFG, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Fantastic Mr Fox are all short enough for an afternoon. If you have kids, read a chapter aloud each night and let them do the villain voices. Dahl wrote to be spoken, so the rhythm lands better out loud.
- 2Coin your own Dahl words
Dahl invented hundreds of nonsense words he called Gobblefunk, like 'whoopsy-splunkers' and 'scrumdiddlyumptious.' Try making a few of your own by smashing together sounds that feel right for what you mean. Kids especially love this. Write your favorites on a card and stick them to the fridge for the week.
- 3Bake something scrumdiddlyumptious
Dahl loved chocolate and even wrote about its history. Make a batch of brownies, chocolate fudge, or a simple mug cake to mark the day. For a nod to Charlie, melt chocolate and pour it into ice-cube molds for homemade 'bars.' Wrap one in gold foil and hide a paper ticket inside for a lucky finder.
- 4Watch an adaptation, then compare
Screen the 1971 Willy Wonka, the 1996 Matilda, or Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr Fox, then talk about what changed from the book. Ask which version you liked better and why. Noticing the differences is a low-key way to think about how stories get retold, and it makes the reread feel fresh.