National Selfie Day: Everything You Need To Know

June 21 is National Selfie Day! Learn about the origins of this fun holiday, its evolution and how to celebrate it. Take a selfie, upgrade it with Facetune, add the hashtag #NationalSelfieDay, plan a photoshoot with friends.

Facetune team
1
min read
Group of smiling friends taking a selfie on National Selfie Day

Have you marked your calendar for June 21 yet? If not, pull out your Calendar app right now, because June 21 is National Selfie Day!

Yes, this is a real holiday. While you won’t see National Selfie Day on your “official” calendar, it’s a fun national holiday that celebrates the glitz of selfie culture.

National Selfie Day is all about self-expression and sharing positive vibes with others. And hey, selfies are a great confidence booster: there’s no better feeling than strutting your stuff in a new outfit and watching the likes roll in.

Whatever your reason for selfieing, 82% of people under age 34 have shared a selfie online. It’s estimated that the average person will post 25,000 selfies in their lifetime—that’s a lot of posing!

Curious how to celebrate National Selfie Day? Learn more about the origins of this fun holiday and try these 5 ways to celebrate.

What is National Selfie Day?

The first selfie that we know of actually happened in 1839. But it took more than 160 years for cell phone cameras to make selfies so commonplace.

An Australian Flickr user was the first person to gift the world with the word “selfie” and in 2004, we finally had a name for this cultural phenomenon. It’s a little surprising, but the Oxford dictionary didn’t add “selfie” to the dictionary until 2013.

From MySpace to Facebook to Instagram, selfies have evolved a lot over the past few decades. At any rate, the selfie is here to stay.

And on June 21, 2014, a DJ named Rick McNeely declared selfie day to be a national holiday. Every year on June 21, selfie lovers across the country pick up their smartphones to celebrate the best way possible: by snapping a selfie.

How to celebrate National Selfie Day

We love National Selfie Day because it’s another chance to strut your stuff! Selfies are a way to help you feel beautiful and confident. Whether you snap a pic of your graduation gown and cap or you want to snap a Vogue-worthy selfie before a night out, selfies are an empowering form of artistic expression.

Join the thousands of people across the world who celebrate their freedom to look and feel amazing. Here are 5 fun ways to celebrate National Selfie Day.

1 - Take a great selfie

Well, it’s practically sacrilege to celebrate National Selfie Day without taking a selfie, right?

A lot of factors play into taking a great selfie, but here are a few quick tips to help you celebrate the day in style:

  • Look at the camera: It feels weird looking at the camera instead of your screen, but this gives the illusion of eye contact in your selfie. Always look at the black lens of your camera just before snapping your selfie.
  • Try different angles: Everybody has their “best” side, but play around with a few angles to find yours. Remember to lean back slightly when you take your selfie; this will elongate your neck and smooth out your skin for a more flattering look.
  • Upgrade your selfie: An easy-to-use selfie editor app like Facetune will make your life, well, easier. Instead of spending hours (ok - minutes, but your time is precious) trying to capture the ultimate selfie, try a bit of retouching afterwards. You can smooth your skin or define your features, or get creative with different backgrounds, paint brushes for makeup, or neon lighting.

2 - Oh, and don’t forget the hashtag

Make your National Selfie Day celebration findable! Always include #NationalSelfieDay in your caption so other selfie-lovers can see your content.

3 - Plan a photoshoot with your squad

“Selfie” implies that you’re flying solo, but who says you can’t celebrate National Selfie Day as a group?

Hit up a few of your friends for a DIY photoshoot at your apartment. Set up a DIY photo booth with props in front of a blank wall. Heck, maybe you can grab a bottle of bubbly or make some mocktails for the occasion.

Turn on some music and start posing with your friends! Get a mix of group shots as well as selfies.

P.S. If you ask your friends to snap a pic of you rocking it out, it can still count as a “selfie.” We aren’t here to judge.

4 - Selfie somewhere new

If you aren’t up for hosting friends at your apartment (and cleaning up the mess they leave), that’s cool. You can still celebrate National Selfie Day by exploring a new location and—you guessed it—taking selfies there.

Visit the beach, river, your local museum, the arboretum, or any other cool local spot. Whether you’re alone or with a group, take the time to snap a quick selfie to celebrate the occasion.

5 - Update that profile pic

By now, you’ve probably got an impressive collection of selfies on your camera roll. Don’t let those bad boys go to waste!

Update your profile pics with your new photos. If you’re feeling spicy, upload different pics for Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and your other social accounts.

If you spot a pimple or don’t like the lighting in your pic, don’t sweat it. Selfies are your chance to shine, and you can use a selfie editor like Facetune to tweak your pic until it’s red carpet-ready.

National Selfie Day Final Thoughts:

Happy National Selfie Day! Feel free to whip out that selfie stick; we won’t judge. Whether you snap a casual pic at the park or go all-out with a photoshoot, there’s no wrong way to selfie. Celebrate this wild holiday with a pic that makes you feel happy and confident.

Need a little help tweaking your selfie until it’s just right? Facetune's selfie apps have you got you covered. Download Facetune to change your makeup, add a new background, or perfect the lighting in your National Selfie Day selfie.

Facetune team
Experts in elevating your selfies and offering the latest beauty, lifestyle, and photo editing tips. Your go-to source for all things Facetune.

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