Alien Abduction Day

Alien Abduction Day is for those who believe they've been abducted by aliens in the past and for those who want or expect to be abducted by aliens today or in the future. It is also for all who are interested in stories about alien abductions. On March 20, 2008, Happy Worker, a custom toy manufacturer in Toronto, Canada, held the Alien Abduction Festival to celebrate "all things extraterrestrial & sci-fi, for alien fanatics and creative types alike." It is unclear when Alien Abduction Day started. It may have started with this event, but Happy Worker said it existed before it. They gave a playful response about the creation of the holiday, saying, "Despite our extensive research, we don't know who created the day or for what specific purpose. But we assume it's the special day chosen by our alien overlords themselves. Every year on March 20 they swoop down and select lucky humans from around the globe for a personal tour of their spaceships, along with the unique opportunity to take part in various exciting testing procedures." Regardless of who created the day and when, it seems to have at least been popularized following the Alien Abduction Festival.

Those who believe they have been abducted by aliens believe they have true memories where they were taken against their will by nonhuman creatures. Many who claim to have been abducted give accounts of undergoing forced physical, medical, or psychological procedures. Stories of alien abductions are largely dismissed because accounts are subjective and lack objective physical evidence. Accounts are often attributed to coming about because of deception, suggestibility, sleep paralysis, or psychological issues. Still, most people who claim to have been abducted by aliens have not been found to be different than the normal population when it comes to mental stability—some experts have argued that the mental health of those claiming abduction is no different than an average person.

Reports of alien abductions take place around the world, but are more prevalent in English-speaking countries, especially in the United States. Stories of alien encounters date to the end of the nineteenth century, but it wasn't until the 1950s when more stories began coming out. The account of Antonio Vilas Boas is one example from that time. The first major alien abduction account, and still one of the most famous, is that of Betty and Barney Hill. They claimed that they were abducted in September 1961 in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, while driving back from Montreal. They claimed to have first seen a flash of light in the sky, and then a large spacecraft with two "bipedal humanoid creatures" inside of it. They said they tried to continue driving, but were suddenly taken back to the spot where they had first seen the aliens, but with two hours having passed and without having any recollection of what had happened.

The Hills had hypnotherapy so they could remember what had occurred. In 1965, their account was published in the Boston Traveller, which helped bring them to national attention. A book about their account, The Interrupted Journey, was published the following year. In 1975, a TV movie starring James Earl Jones and Estelle Parsons, The UFO Incident, was released. Barney died in 1969, but Betty went on to become a UFO researcher and lived until 2004.

Many other alien abduction accounts followed that of the Hills. One popular example from the 1970s was that of Travis Walton. His story was later made into the film Fire in the Sky. Not only do stories abound about human abductions, but there are many stories about animal abductions as well. These stories have been propelled by the finding of mutilated animals, such as cattle and sheep, where their blood is drained or their organs are missing. There have been a number of scientists and writers of note who have investigated alien abductions in the decades following the Hill incident, such as John E. Mack and David M. Jacobs. Their work has brought some credibility to a topic that is often brushed aside.

Some believe that alien abductions are real, while many think they are complete bunk. But on Alien Abduction Day, we all celebrate the mysteries of them. We explore stories that others have told and share any experiences we may have had. Beyond everything, we look to the sky, knowing today is the perfect day to get abducted.

How to Observe Alien Abduction Day

Here are some ideas on how to celebrate:

• Read about UFO sightings at the National UFO Reporting Center website. You can even use the website to report any UFOs you have seen.
• Explore alien abduction stories at the Alien Abduction Experience and Research website.
• There are many books about aliens and alien abductions that you could read, such as Missing Time by Budd Hopkins; The Walton Experience, an account by Travis Walton of his abduction; Abducted: How People Came to Believe They Were Kidnapped by Aliens by Susan Clancy; the novels of Whitley Strieber; the books of John E. Mack or David M Jacobs; or The Interrupted Journey by John G. Fuller, which is about the Hill's encounter.
• Watch an alien abduction movie, such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Fire in the Sky, or The UFO Incident, which is about the Hills.
• Visit the location where Betty and Barney Hill believed they were abducted by aliens in 1961.
• View the papers of Betty and Barney Hill at the University of New Hampshire.
• Visit the International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell, New Mexico.
• Listen to "Aliens Exist," a song by blink-182, and read about its backstory.

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