National Mac Day for the year 2024 is celebrated/observed on Wednesday, April 12th. There are until the next observance.

Every year on April 12, National Mac Day is observed. “Mac” is a frequent name in Scotland, Ireland, and other nations having a sizable Irish and Scottish population. Most Mac names are Christian or anglicized forms, such as MacDicken, MacRitchie, and MacGuinness. The extinction of Gaelic, a Celtic language, in eighteenth-century Ireland pushed this name into obscurity, although it lives on in Scotland and, to a lesser extent, Wales. Mac and Mc are frequently used interchangeably; the latter is a shortened variant of the former.

📆 When is National Mac Day?

This year, National Mac Day is on April 12th. It is the 2nd Wednesday in April; in 2024, it is on Friday.

Countdown to National Mac Day

Did you know: Apple’s Macintosh computer was originally called the McIntosh, after Apple Computers’ Jef Raskin’s favorite kind of apple; but, due to legal concerns, the name was changed.

You can also discover all fascinating things you didn’t know about and facts about April 12, 2023.

📜 History of National Mac Day

Some of the most well-known Mac surnames have Norse roots. Some instances are the Irish MacManus and MacLoughlin and the Scottish MacLachlan. The Normans, who settled in the northern half of the Frankish realm (modern-day France), also added the prefix Mac to several of their names.

By the 1800s, the usage of this prefix had declined in Ireland, although it was retained by Scottish settlers in the province of Ulster. During the Plantation of Ulster in the seventeenth century, individuals from Southern Scotland and Northern England immigrated to occupy Irish territory. The immigrants came from a distinct culture, with the Scots colonists having far deeper links to their Gaelic heritage than the Irish. Names like MacGregor, MacLeod, and MacAllan are still used in regions of Scotland and Ireland today, with many active in national societies, liquor manufacture, and even legislative processes.

☑️ National Mac Day facts

The McDonald’s fast-food franchise
Maurice and Richard McDonald, sons of Irish immigrants, created this fast-food company.

The premium whisky clan
Clan MacGregor is a high-quality blended scotch whisky that honors the MacGregor clan’s history, which goes back to the 1400s.

The name appears in movies
In the film “Charlie’s Angels 2,” American actor and stand-up comedian Bernie “Mac” McCullough played an Irish character named Paddy O’Malley.

Things to do on National Mac Day

Enjoy some whisky
The finest way to celebrate a Gaelic birthday is with a drink of whiskey. Invite your friends around, tell them about the history of your surname, and raise a glass to your ancestors.

Trace your family history
Every individual with this surname is descended from a Gaelic clan. Have fun tracing your ancestors; you might learn something intriguing along the way.

Wear a tartan
Tartans, along with bagpipes and Scotch whiskey, are one of the most visible symbols of Scottish history. They are also linked with the Irish. Wear it with pride.

📅 National Mac Day Observances

YEAR DATE DAY
2023 April 12 Wednesday
2024 April 12 Friday
2025 April 12 Saturday
2026 April 12 Sunday
2027 April 12 Monday

View all April holidays, including Fun and other Appreciation holidays.

We will continue to update this page with new information and fun facts about National Mac Day. So be sure to check back soon.