National Alfred Hitchcock Day (March 12)
National Alfred Hitchcock Day is on March 12, and it’s basically permission to rewatch something that makes you slightly uncomfortable.
Not jump-scare uncomfortable. Slow-burn uncomfortable.
Hitchcock wasn’t about monsters. He was about ordinary people in situations that slowly went wrong. A motel. A window. A staircase. A flock of birds that absolutely did not need to behave like that.
It’s one of those March holidays that film people genuinely enjoy, and everyone else rediscovers every few years.
When is the Holiday?
It’s observed every year on March 12. The date isn’t tied to his birth or death, which feels strangely appropriate. A little mysterious. Slightly unexplained. Very on brand.
Who Invented the Holiday?
No official founder.
It seems to have grown out of film fans and classic movie communities who didn’t want Hitchcock to become “that director you vaguely remember from school.”
Eventually the date stuck. Now it shows up every year, like a well-timed cameo.
A Bit of History
Hitchcock was born in London in 1899 and started in silent film.
By the time he moved into talkies, he already understood something a lot of directors didn’t: what you don’t show can be more powerful than what you do.
Over a career that lasted more than five decades, he reshaped suspense. He made audiences complicit. He made them nervous about showers.
Films like Psycho, Rear Window, and Rebecca didn’t just succeed, they rewired how thrillers were made.
And yes, they’re still studied.
A Few Things About Hitchcock That Are Actually Interesting
He made a cameo in nearly every one of his films. Sometimes it was obvious. Sometimes you had to look for him. It became a game.
He was genuinely afraid of the police. As a child, his father once sent him to a station with a note asking officers to lock him up briefly as punishment. The fear stuck.
The famous shower scene in Psycho never shows the knife entering the body. Your brain fills in the violence. That was intentional.
He preferred “pure cinema,” meaning visual storytelling over heavy dialogue. Which explains why some scenes feel almost silent, even when they’re not.
Despite all the acclaim, he never won a competitive Oscar for Best Director. Which still surprises people.
Coloring Page
If you’re including younger kids in the day (or just want something low-key), a simple Alfred Hitchcock coloring sheet keeps it accessible without leaning into the horror side.
Activities to Celebrate the Day
This one doesn’t require a marathon.
Pick one film. Just one. Watching Rear Window feels different now than it did twenty years ago.
If you’re with other people, pause occasionally and talk about how the tension builds. Hitchcock was meticulous. Every shot mattered.
You could also play “spot the cameo,” which works surprisingly well with older kids.
Or skip the screen entirely and read about how he constructed scenes. The planning alone is impressive.
Dim the lights. Keep the snacks simple. Let the atmosphere do the work.
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Links to Resources
- Hitchcock: The Ultimate Collection. A must-have for any Hitchcock fan, this collection features some of his greatest films, including Psycho, The Birds, Rear Window, and more, along with bonus features that provide behind-the-scenes insights.
- Who Was Alfred Hitchcock?. This engaging biography from the popular Who Was? book series offers a kid-friendly introduction to Hitchcock’s life, career, and the impact he had on the world of cinema.
- Alfred Hitchcock’s Ghostly Gallery Book. A collection of eerie and suspenseful short stories selected by Hitchcock himself, perfect for fans who enjoy a touch of the macabre with their reading.
Related Holidays
- Tolkien Reading Day (March 25) – celebrates storytelling and imagination
- National Drive-In Movie Day (June 6) – honors classic movie-watching culture
- National Pets in Film Day (June 19) – highlights animals in movies
- Frankenstein Day (August 30) – marks another icon of suspense and horror
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