National Be Late for Something Day2026 · Date · History · Messages
National Day Calendar identifies the Procrastinators’ Club of America, founded by Les Waas in 1956, as the body whose committee designated September 5 as Be Late for Something Day; Timeanddate and contemporary reporting independently recognize the date and club lineage.
About National Be Late for Something Day
National Be Late for Something Day is an informal September 5 observance associated with the Procrastinators’ Club of America.
It is best understood as a humorous prompt to slow down in harmless, low-stakes situations—not permission to miss important or safety-critical commitments.
Why National Be Late for Something Day matters
The observance plays with the pressure of rigid schedules by suggesting that not every casual moment has to be rushed.
That playful idea has limits: emergencies, medical appointments, transportation, legal deadlines, school or work requirements and commitments that affect other people should still be treated responsibly.
History of National Be Late for Something Day
National Day Calendar says Les Waas founded the Procrastinators’ Club of America in 1956 and that the club’s committee designated September 5 as Be Late for Something Day shortly after the club began.
Later biographical reporting on Waas and independent calendar references continue to associate the observance with the Procrastinators’ Club of America.
The reviewed sources do not establish an exact first public observance year or a documented reason that September 5 specifically was chosen.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
Procrastinators’ Club of America (founded by Les Waas)
Reviewed observance history identifies the club created by Les Waas as the originator of the day.
Procrastinators’ Club of America committee
National Day Calendar says the club’s committee designated September 5 as Be Late for Something Day.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
7 fields not established in reviewed sources
How to Observe National Be Late for Something Day
Give yourself a few extra minutes for a casual walk, coffee break or other flexible personal activity.
If another person is expecting you, communicate clearly rather than making them wait without notice.
Do not use the observance as a reason to miss emergencies, medical care, transportation, legal deadlines, school or work requirements, or any safety-critical commitment.
Use the day as a humorous reminder to distinguish genuinely urgent tasks from low-stakes moments that can be less rushed.
National Be Late for Something Day Facts
The observance is held on September 5.
National Day Calendar links it to the Procrastinators’ Club of America, which Les Waas founded in 1956.
The reviewed sources describe the club’s committee as the body that designated the date.
The exact first-observance year is not established in the reviewed evidence.
The precise reason September 5 was selected is not established in the reviewed evidence.
National Be Late for Something Day Messages
Happy Be Late for Something Day—save the joke for something low-stakes and keep important commitments on track.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
National Day Calendar — National Be Late for Something Day (opens in a new tab)
Observance History And Date
The Washington Post — Les Waas obituary (opens in a new tab)
Contemporaneous Biographical Corroboration
Timeanddate — Be Late for Something Day (opens in a new tab)
Independent Date And Origin Corroboration
National Day Calendar — club/date history
The Washington Post — Les Waas and Procrastinators’ Club biographical corroboration
Timeanddate — independent date/origin corroboration
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is National Be Late for Something Day?
5 September The documented recurrence rule is: 5 September each year..
Does National Be Late for Something Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is National Be Late for Something Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: United States / informal lifestyle observance created by the Procrastinators’ Club of America; participation guidance limited to low-stakes situations. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes National Be Late for Something Day?
The reviewed sources identify Procrastinators’ Club of America committee as the proclaiming or establishing body. The proposer or originator is recorded separately as Procrastinators’ Club of America (founded by Les Waas).
Is National Be Late for Something Day international or country-specific?
This observance is specific to United States. Its fuller verified scope is: United States / informal lifestyle observance created by the Procrastinators’ Club of America; participation guidance limited to low-stakes situations.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-10-06.
When is National Be Late for Something Day?
It is observed on September 5 each year.
Who created it?
The reviewed evidence attributes the observance to the Procrastinators’ Club of America, founded by Les Waas, with the club’s committee described as designating September 5.
Why September 5?
The reviewed sources consistently use the date but do not establish a reliable exact-date rationale.
Should I actually be late to important commitments?
No. Keep any playful participation to low-stakes situations; important, legal, medical, transportation, school, work and safety-critical commitments should be handled responsibly.
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