National Dance Like a Chicken Day (May 14)
May 14th is the one day a year where doing the Chicken Dance in public is not only acceptable but actively encouraged.
It’s silly, it’s loud, and it has absolutely no pretensions about what it is. If you’ve ever needed an excuse to get kids moving, break the ice at a party, or just do something absurd on a Tuesday, this is the holiday for you.
When is the Holiday?
Every year on May 14th.
Who Invented It?
Nobody knows for certain. It didn’t come from a brand campaign or an official proclamation. Like a lot of the best food and fun holidays, it picked up steam through parties, local radio, and eventually the internet. Someone decided May 14th should have the Chicken Dance, and enough people agreed that it stuck.
The History of the Holiday
The dance itself started in Switzerland in the 1950s. An accordionist named Werner Thomas wrote a tune called “Der Ententanz” which translates to The Duck Dance, after watching birds waddle around near his restaurant. It spread through Europe first, became a fixture at German weddings, and landed in North America in the late 1970s.
When it crossed over to the US it got renamed the Chicken Dance. The flapping arms and waddling just suited chicken better than duck, and the name took hold.
Four moves, a catchy beat, and zero coordination required. It became a wedding staple, a school event go-to, and one of those songs that gets an entire room moving whether people want to or not.
Top 5 Facts About the Holiday
1. The record for the largest Chicken Dance ever held was set in Cincinnati. Over 43,000 people participated at once. That’s a lot of flapping.
2. It started as a duck, not a chicken. The original Swiss composition was called The Duck Dance. The chicken rebranding happened when it crossed the Atlantic and the name just fit better with the moves.
3. It’s been recorded in over 140 versions worldwide. The rhythm and lyrics shift depending on the country, but the core moves stay the same everywhere. Same goofy energy, different accents.
4. It’s one of the most played party songs in America. Particularly at weddings and Oktoberfest events. Most DJs have played it more times than they’d care to admit.
5. It’s used in classrooms to teach rhythm and coordination. The four-part structure makes it genuinely useful for early physical education. Fun and functional, which is a rare combination.
Coloring Page
Print this off before the day kicks off and give kids something to do while you get the music ready. It’s a good conversation starter too since most kids are curious about where the dance actually came from once you tell them it started with a Swiss accordionist watching ducks.
Activities to Celebrate
The most straightforward option is just putting the song on and dancing. That’s genuinely enough. If you’re doing this with kids, play it a couple of times and walk through the four moves first. Beak, wings, tail, clap. They’ll have it in under a minute and they’ll want to do it again immediately.
If you want to make more of it, have kids make a chicken mask beforehand using paper plates, feathers, and googly eyes. It takes about fifteen minutes and means everyone is already in costume by the time the music starts. Works well for classrooms, birthday parties, or a rainy afternoon at home.
For something a bit bigger, a dance marathon works surprisingly well as a low-effort fundraiser. Get sponsors to pledge based on how long participants keep going, start the song on a loop, and see who lasts. It’s chaotic in the best way.
And if you want to put it online, film it. A group Chicken Dance video with even basic costumes tends to do well and the challenge format travels fast if you tag it right.
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Links to Resources
Chicken activities for preschoolers – crafts, games and worksheets that tie into the theme well. Good for circle time or keeping things going after the dancing stops.
Chicken Costume for Kids – if you want the full experience for a school event or party, a proper fluffy costume makes it.
Chicken Dance Step-by-Step – useful if you’re teaching a group and want something to follow along with rather than trying to explain it verbally.
Printable Chicken Mask Template – print, cut, color. Ready in minutes and works for all ages.
Chicken Dance Music – save or stream it so you always have it on hand. You will need it more than once.
Related Holidays
If you love the joyful chaos of this weird holiday, you might also enjoy these lighthearted celebrations that bring people together with laughter, music, or food:
National Pizza Party Day (Third Friday in May) – the broader feathered friend holiday. A good warm-up if you want to build toward May 14th.
National Poultry Day (March 19) – falls just after this one and keeps the party energy going with a lot less physical effort required.
National Beach Party Day (August 7) – same chaotic fun, different setting. The Chicken Dance on a beach is something everyone should experience at least once.
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