Happy Extraterrestrial Abduction Day
/Celebrating the Only Holiday Where Getting Kidnapped Is the Goal
Every year on this day, March 20, a small but enthusiastic group of Earthlings celebrates Extraterrestrial Abduction Day—a holiday dedicated to the possibility that somewhere out there, intelligent beings occasionally swing by our planet, snatch up a human or two, and take them for a brief interstellar field trip.
It’s a charming holiday, really. Most holidays involve cake, decorations, fireworks, or gifts. Instead, this is the one day of the year set aside to recognize those citizens who claim they were scooped up in the middle of the night by beings from another star system, whisked into a hovering saucer, and returned to Earth with a vague memory of bright lights, odd humming noises, and inexplicable rectal soreness. Admittedly, participation rates remain low.
Since our part of the world, particularly the area in and around Lincoln County, Nevada - home to Area 51, experience the highest per-capita sightings of UFOs in the country, I thought I'd talk a little more about the day.
The History of Extraterrestrial Abduction Day
The origins of Extraterrestrial Abduction Day are somewhat mysterious, which is appropriate for a holiday about mysterious midnight kidnappings by highly advanced space travelers.
The day is believed to have started sometime in the late 20th century when UFO enthusiasts decided that if Earth already had holidays celebrating presidents, groundhogs, and egg-hiding rabbits, it probably deserved one honoring people who claimed to have been taken aboard alien spacecraft.
March 20 was chosen for reasons that remain scientifically unclear, though several theories exist:
It’s close to the spring equinox, when the universe feels slightly more cosmic.
Someone picked it randomly while watching a UFO documentary.
We don't know - ask the aliens.
Regardless of the reason, the holiday stuck—at least among people who believe aluminum foil has important defensive properties.
Hollywood’s Contribution to Alien Anxiety
Of course, much of humanity’s understanding of extraterrestrial abduction comes not from science, but from movies. The film industry has done tremendous work preparing us for alien encounters.
For example, in Close Encounters of the Third Kind a regular guy sees a UFO, becomes completely obsessed with an oddly shaped mountain, then abandons normal life to sculpt it out of household objects. When aliens actually do arrive, he is rewarded for his dedication by being invited on a cosmic roadtrip.
Then there’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which introduced the comforting possibility that aliens are friendly, emotional creatures who just want to go home and maybe ride a bicycle across the moon.
Hollywood later balanced that optimism with Independence Day, where aliens arrive not to study humanity but to remodel the planet using laser beams the size of Chicago. Fortunately, with humanity’s greatest strategic weapons - a cocky fighter pilot and a computer virus uploaded using a laptop from 1996, the evil aliens are vanquished.
Finally, there's one of my all time favorite Twilight Zone episodes, the “To Serve Man” episode. In this story, mysterious aliens called the Kanamits arrive on Earth, offering technological advancements and seemingly benevolent guidance to humanity. Their intentions appear altruistic, and they even provide a book in the Kanamit language that is titled “To Serve Man”. It is initially believed to be a guide for helping humanity thrive. As trust grows, humans begin to travel willingly to the Kanamits’ home planet. The twist, revealed too late, is that the book “To Serve Man” is actually a cookbook.
Between those films alone, the public has learned an important lesson:
If aliens show up, they will either hug us, study us, eat us or vaporize the White House. Possibly all four.
Famous Alien Abduction Stories
Long before Hollywood got involved, people were already reporting encounters with extraterrestrial visitors.
Among the most famous is the account of Betty and Barney Hill, whose 1961 experience in rural New Hampshire became one of the earliest widely publicized claims of extraterrestrial encounter. According to their story, the couple was driving home from a trip when they noticed a strange light in the sky that appeared to follow them. What began as curiosity quickly turned into fear, as the object seemed to descend and hover nearby. The Hills later reported missing time—an unsettling gap in their memory that would become a hallmark of many alleged abduction cases.
Under hypnosis, both Betty and Barney described being taken aboard a spacecraft and examined by non-human entities. Betty recalled detailed star maps shown to her by the beings, while Barney described the figures as gray-skinned with large, slanted eyes. Their accounts, though given separately, shared striking similarities. Skeptics have pointed to the role of suggestion and cultural influences, but supporters argue that the consistency and emotional intensity of their recollections lend credibility to their claims.
Another widely discussed case occurred in Arizona in 1975, involving a group of forestry workers and a man named Travis Walton. While working in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, Walton reportedly approached a glowing object hovering among the trees. His co-workers claimed that a beam of light suddenly struck him, knocking him unconscious. Terrified, the crew fled the scene, only to return later and find him gone. Walton’s disappearance sparked a massive search effort and widespread media attention, with many suspecting foul play.
Five days later, Walton reappeared, disoriented and claiming he had been aboard an alien craft. He described waking up in a room surrounded by strange beings and later encountering more human-like figures who guided him through the ship. Like the Hill case, Walton’s account gained both believers and skeptics. Polygraph tests administered to the witnesses reportedly supported their story, though critics questioned the reliability of such measures. Regardless of where one stands, the incident remains one of the most debated and detailed abduction claims in American history, contributing to the enduring mystery surrounding extraterrestrial encounters.
Celebrating Extraterrestrial Abduction Day
Despite all the mystery, Extraterrestrial Abduction Day remains a fun reminder that the universe is vast, strange, and full of possibilities. Personally, we plan to celebrate Extraterrestrial Abduction Day the traditional way: by stepping outside after dark, gazing up at the stars, and waiting to see if anything unusual appears in the sky.
If a glowing saucer does happen to hover over the house, I intend to grab Marcie's hand, so that the two of us can share the experience. Then I'll try to remain calm and dignified as we're gently lifted by the tractor beam. I’ll represent Earth proudly. I’ll answer their questions thoughtfully. I’ll explain our customs and our culture. Maybe, if asked, I'll try to explain the rules of football. And if, after a few minutes of conversation, the aliens suddenly look at one another and say, “You know what… let’s just put them back,” I promise not to take it personally.
After all, if extraterrestrials have been observing Earth lately, they’ve probably concluded what most of us already suspect: The universe may contain countless intelligent civilizations… but they’re still trying to figure out what happened here.
See you next time… If they don't keep us, that is.