For Pete’s Sake Day 2023: Date, History, Facts, Activities

Pete’s Sake Day is annually observed on February 26. It honours “minced oaths,” in which an offensive word or phrase is replaced with a polite one. Additional examples are “For crying out loud!” and “Sugar!” These euphemisms have been used for centuries whenever someone has made a mistake or simply needs to vent. But why has “For Pete’s Sake” been given special consideration? Because Pete here most likely refers to Saint Peter. Nonetheless, it is a substitute for God.

The background of For Pete’s Sake Day

Since its establishment, For Pete’s Sake Day has gained considerable popularity. Thomas and Ruth Roy of Wellcat Holidays, the creators of For Pete’s Sake Day, only described it as follows: “A world wonders —after all these years, who is Pete, and why do we do or not do things for his sake?” It makes sense when you consider the phrase’s frequency and prevalence in our everyday language.

Although we do not know everything about the phrase, we can learn a bit about it. “For Pete’s sake” is a minced oath, a euphemistic expression in which words that are more socially acceptable replace those that are considered rude. For centuries, fabricated oaths have been in use. The phrase celebrated today may have originated in the 1920s. In 1918, the phrase “for the love of Pete” appeared in print for the first time. It was likely derived from the 1880s expression “for the love of Mike.” This phrase was a euphemism for “for the love of God,” an early 18th-century expression. All of these expressions convey frustration, irritation, and annoyance, and occasionally amazement or wonder. Another similar phrase is “For pity’s sake,” which may help explain why the word “Pete” was selected, given that both phrases begin with the letter ‘P’. The most prevalent theory is that the Pete referred to in the phrase is none other than Saint Peter. Regardless of the reason for the day, it is a fun way to investigate the etymological origins of common phrases.

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FOR PETE’S SAKE DAY ACTIVITIES

Use the term

Celebrate the day by expressing annoyance, irritation, or anger with the expression “for Pete’s sake.” Or you can use the expression simply because!

Discover additional minced oaths

On For Pete’s Sake Day, learn about other minced oaths and incorporate them into your vocabulary.

Do something thoughtful for Pete

Do you know someone named Pete? On For Pete’s Sake Day, offer them a cup of coffee or do something nice for them.

5 English language facts that will blow your mind

The shortest, complete sentence is “I am.”

Each year, approximately 1,000 new words are added to the dictionary.

Month, orange, silver, and purple have no rhyming partners.

The official language of 67 countries is English.

There are 24 distinct English dialects in the United States.

FOR PETE’S SAKE DAY DATES

Year	Date	Day
2023	February 26	Sunday
2024	February 26	Monday
2025	February 26	Wednesday
2026	February 26	Thursday
2027	February 26	Friday