Well, it took years of wondering. But with the release of Picard on CBS, we finally know that Captain Picard Day falls on January 23 of every year.
Now some of you might be ready to jump down my throat and contest this. Why? The first time we ever saw it being celebrated in the now-classic TNG show “The Pegasus“, it was stardate 47457, or June 16. Shouldn’t that be the day we celebrate Captain Picard’s Day? Indeed not. Why not?
At the beginning of the episode, Captain Picard expresses his dismay to Counselor Troi about the holiday. He states to Deanna that there had been an agreement with the teaching staff that Captain Picard’s Day would not be celebrated on the Enterprise any longer. As such, the teachers canceled the initial celebration intended for stardate 47060 (January 23, 2370). But due to demand from the kids, plus the fact that it was summer and the teachers were looking for activities to keep the children occupied, the staff planned a surprise party reviving Captain Picard’s Day nearly six months after the proper day.*
Other skeptics out there might be asking as they read this article with one eyebrow up, “How are we celebrating Captain Picard’s Day? He doesn’t even exist yet,” to which I say, “Shut it. It’s temporal mechanics that are way above your pay grade.”
Now, with that all cleanly wrapped up, let’s move on.
If you are like me, you have already prepared for the festivities. Here is a handy checklist of things you can do to have an amazing celebration year-after-year:
- Binge-watch your favorite Star Trek episodes.
On January 23, 2020 we will all be watching Picard. In future years, rewatch the
series and/or watch your favorite episodes or movies again. - Wear a Starfleet uniform, preferably TNG era.
Don’t have a uniform. Just search Amazon. They have more uniforms that the USS Cabot has Tribbles. - Open a bottle (or two) of Chateau Picard wine.
The true back story of Chateau Picard wine is that for several generations in Bordeaux France, the original Chateau Picard winery has been producing world-class highly regarded and sought after Cru Bourgeois Bordeaux. Working with Chateau Picard’s winemakers in France, Star Trek Wines crafted this limited-edition release featuring the Jean-Luc Picard family label shown in the new series Star Trek: Picard with the wine from the multi-generational vineyard in Bordeaux. Not a wine drinker? Then… - Mix up different Star Trek-themed drinks.
There are plenty of online resources for everything from Klingon Raktajino to Romulan Ale. You should be able to find something to settle the taste buds of every alien you invite to your watch party. - Have some healthy competition.
Plan for activities like a contest, judged by your baldest friend or family member, in which you and your friends created paintings and models of the captain. Winner gets a prize, like a stuffed Tribble or a bottle of the aforementioned wine.
Alright! You are all set.
- According to Reddit user u/thegoodcuggy, “There is some debate if Captain Picard Day took place on Stardate 47457.1 or before, but June 16th has been accepted as the official Captain Picard Day. In 2010, Virgin 1 followed suit with its own June 16th block of Picard-centric episodes: “The Big Goodbye”, “Captain’s Holiday”, “Family”, “Darmok”, “The Inner Light”, “Tapestry”, “Lessons”, and “The Pegasus”.” My response is, “It’s like people celebrating Christ’s birthday on Dec. 25. The Romans set that up and people just ran with it for nearly 2,000 years. It happens in real life; it can happen in Star Trek.”