Hetalia Day
Hetalia Day is an event recognized by Hetalia fans as a worldwide fan gathering, with multiple gatherings held in whichever town or city a group of fans agree to meet. Hetalia Day is held on the weekend of, or nearest to, the 24th of October. The date was set because of, and coincides with, United Nations Day. The first Hetalia Day was held on the 24th of October, 2009.
Each year there is a vote for which day the event will be held on. Some groups may not be able to meet up on the chosen day, so there may be variations on the date depending on the group. All of the gatherings are run by fans. Each year, the website Hetalia Day creates a directory to which fans can submit their gathering locations. From there, other fans can look up which gatherings are closest to them, or they can decide to set up their own meeting if there is not one listed for their area.
A tradition of Hetalia Day is for each gathering to submit a group photo from their meeting to the Hetalia Day website. The website organizers then normally make a slideshow of the photos to show that Hetalia fans are friends all around the world, no matter in which country they live, or how old they are.
Many fans see the Hetalia Day as a symbol for world peace too, and it is encouraged for fans to share that as a mission statement to any passerbys who question what the gathering is about.
Many fans cosplay at these events, but whether or not it is required depends on the wants of the group you are meeting with.
List of Hetalia Day Directories by Year
- Hetalia Day: 24th October, 2009
- Hetalia Day: 24th October, 2010
- Hetalia Day: 22nd October, 2011
- Hetalia Day: 20th October, 2012
- Hetalia Day: 26th October, 2013
- Hetalia Day: 25th October, 2014
