National Sticker Day recognizes all the ways stickers brighten up somewhat dull pages.

Stickers make everything look fun. This holiday was created in 2015, according to www.NationalDayCalendar.com, and while you are probably familiar with stickers, you might not be familiar with their history.

The first adhesive sticker was created in 1935 by R. Stanton Avery, “Stan, the Sticker Man.” He was an American inventor. National Sticker Day actually lands on his birthday, January 13, 1907. According to www.wikipedia.com, using a $100 loan from his fiancé and combining used machine parts with a saber saw patented the world’s first self-adhesive die-cut labeling machine, Avery created the first stickers.

If you want to see how stickers are made and used, check out https://youtu.be/tFkH8iB8mac.

You can learn how they are made in the video, but have you ever considered why they are called “stickers”? According to www.highlightskids.com, stickers use a substance called an adhesive, a kind of glue or paste that makes them stick to a surface.

We often imagine cute decals or cheerful smiley faces when we think of stickers, but they include things like bumper stickers, which are used by 63% of women and 50% of men in the U.S., according to www.chicagotribune.com.

In elementary school, and sometimes beyond, students enjoy getting that “good job” sticker at the top right corner of a test or class assignment, especially if the sticker is sparkly.

You can make your own stickers by following the directions posted here: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Stickers. Why not give yourself something fun to do in 2021?