I made it through the entire first month of 2026 without mentioning any gimmicky “National Days Of…” but that streak ends today. I wanted to mention a couple different “special designations” of February 3 I have brought up before and then elaborate on an additional one.

Last year on this date I wrote about a significance of February 3 that is very much NOT a gimmick—about as far away from one as you can get. Today is Four Chaplains Day and it commemorates four men who paid the ultimate sacrifice serving our country and serving God. If you need a shot of inspiration, please read my blog post from last year.

Today is also National Carrot Cake Day. Although I have not written a post commemorating this super important observance (😉), I did write at length about carrot cake a few years back on International Carrot Day. You see, my mother-in-law makes the best carrot cake and part of the reason for her mastery of the dessert is the secret ingredient she uses: baby food. Intrigued? You can read my blog post here.

But what I am focusing on today is National Wedding Ring Day. I have written about wedding rings in the past—mostly after the times I lost mine (here and here)—so it is a topic I am somewhat versed in. A wedding ring is very much a tangible (and for many an expensive) object but it is also a symbol. For a married couple, the rings truly are a bond, a piece of jewelry that conveys love and loyalty. To the outsider, it is an indicator that the person wearing it is “taken” and is off-limits to any pursuing.

Sorry, my hand is not “model worthy.” However, I wanted to show off my wedding ring.

I take the wedding rings of both Sid and me very seriously. They were sprinkled with holy water and then slipped on our fingers with care when we entered into the sacrament of holy matrimony. From that moment, they became part of us. Although I do slip my ring off to exercise and shower, it stays on my finger pretty much 23.5/7. If the ring isn’t on my finger for any other reason, I become anxious and almost feel naked. 

Fr. James LeBlanc, pastor of St. Andrew Parish in Myrtle Beach, looks on as we sign our marriage certificate. I had worn my ring for about 30 minutes up until this point. (photo courtesy of Nicholas Gore Weddings Photography).

My wife places similar devotion on her wedding ring. She wears it all the time and has done a better job keeping track of hers. Whereas I have two documented times of when I “lost” my ring, I can only remember one instance when Sid misplaced hers and that was very early in our marriage. Speaking of early in our marriage, my wife added another ring to her finger that carries great significance.

Sidney wears a ring with “Don’t Blink” engraved in my handwriting. 

If you have one, wear it proudly. As someone who had never worn any type of jewelry prior to tying the knot, I wasn’t sure if I would like wearing a wedding ring. I sure was wrong. Don’t Blink.