There’s no stopping the Pokémon franchise, as its mania doesn’t seem to fade in the slightest. As new series are announced and new games are launched, the franchise’s popularity keeps increasing. And so, Pokémon fans from across the world eagerly await Pokémon Day every year as the event is much awaited, thanks to all the events and announcements that happen on that particular day. But the question is, when is Pokémon Day in 2023?
If you are new to the Pokémon fandom, you might feel left out, as you had no idea that such a yearly celebration even existed. But you don’t have to worry anymore, as I am here to help you clear all your queries.
In this article, we will look at everything you need to know about Pokémon Day, like the exact date of Pokémon Day, why it is celebrated, how it is celebrated worldwide, and more. So, buckle up as we dive into the history of the Pokémon franchise!
When is Pokémon Day in 2023?
Pokémon Day is an annual event held every year on February 27 to celebrate the anniversary of the Pokémon franchise.
So, in 2023, the celebrations will be held on the same date, i.e., February 27, 2023, which falls on a Monday!
But why that date? Why is Pokémon Day celebrated on February 27?
You might think that these annual celebrations have happened for several years in the past, but that’s not exactly the case. The first Pokémon Day was announced and celebrated on February 27, 2016, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the original Japanese release of Pokémon Red and Green, which was released on February 27, 1996.
The first Pokémon Day was held in 2016, with events organized in both real life and its games leading up to the official date, and it’s become a tradition to organize such events on the same day every year ever since!
How is National Pokémon Day Celebrated?
Since the first celebration in 2016, the tradition of celebrating Pokémon Day continues without failure and will be celebrated again this coming February 27, 2023. But you might be curious, how were the previous National Pokémon Days celebrated? And how will the upcoming Pokémon Day 2023 be celebrated? Let’s talk a little about that!
Pokémon Day 2016
In the earlier days of the first Pokémon Day celebrations, several commemorative products were released in line with the franchise. During this time, it wouldn’t be odd to find exclusive versions of the 2DS and 3DS (Nintendo’s popular handheld console of the time) being released that were all Pokémon-themed and even came with pre-installed copies of the original Red and Blue.
A movie marathon was also made available, which went through all Pokémon movies released up to that date. The celebration ended with a live stream that announced the coming of Pokémon Sun and Moon, which introduced the 7th generation of Pokémon and paid homage to many of the franchise’s history within the games.
As part of the celebration, several of the franchise’s mythical Pokémon were distributed to the Pokémon games of the time (X, Y, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire), allowing trainers from around the world the opportunity to receive Pokémon like Arceus, Meloetta, and Darkrai easily.
Pokémon Day 2017 and 2018
The following Pokémon Day celebrations for 2017 and 2018 weren’t as grand as the year before, as no major games or projects were announced. Like the first celebration in 2016, the merchandise was released that commemorated the franchise as a whole.
In a similar vein, movies and episodes from the anime were streamed and marathon for anyone to watch at their leisure, with the Pokémon’s TCG (Trading Card Game) getting more attention this time around with several events that gave its players goodies for participating in them.
Pokémon Day 2019
During the 23rd celebration of Pokémon’s anniversary at Pokémon Day, the celebration was a bit on a larger scale compared to the last two celebrations and the original one back in 2016. Pokémon fans were treated to several announcements coming from The Pokémon Company.
One of the first significant announcements and treats that were given out during Pokémon Day 2019 was the new trailer release of Detective Pikachu, the live-action Pokémon movie.
The trailer itself gave an extended look at Detective Pikachu’s world and the appearance and personality of several Pokémon that appear throughout the film. Towards the end of the celebration, Pokémon Sword and Shield were announced for the Nintendo Switch.
Pokémon Day 2020 and 2021
The succeeding Pokémon Day celebrations following the celebration in 2019, Pokémon Day celebrations for 2020 and 2021 were very similar to those back in 2017 and 2018. One of the major announcements that many fans would remember was back in 2020 when a new mythical Pokémon, Zarude, was announced.
Along with Zarude’s announcement, it was also revealed that this same Pokémon would play a major role in the series’ upcoming movie, Secrets of the Jungle. The Zarude featured in this film is called “Dada Zarude” on the account that it adopted and took care of a human Ash meets later in the film.
Pokémon Masters Ex was also given attention during this time as the game was reaching its 6 months anniversary (for the year 2020), which featured the original protagonist, Red, making an appearance with his Charizard.
A similar event occurred for the game’s 1.5 anniversary in the next Pokémon Day celebration in the year 2021, which also features an event called P25 Music, featuring songs from different artists themed around Pokémon.
Lastly, the 2021 celebration of Pokémon Day also announced the release of its new set of games focused on the 4th generation with Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl alongside Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
Pokémon Day 2022
The most recent celebration of Pokémon Day, which followed the franchise’s 26th anniversary, has become more streamlined as it follows a general formula that the past few celebrations followed.
Announcements to Pokémon’s ongoing games like Pokémon Masters, Pokémon Go, and Pokémon Unite were made. The first of the three was nearing its 2.5 anniversary, and the latter was introducing a new Pokémon into the roster, Hoopa.
During this time, a trailer for the series’ next entry and generation was made, making way for the reveal of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and the trio of starters with Quaxly, Fuecoco, and Sprigatito.
What to Expect from Pokémon Day 2023?
With the next celebration of Pokémon Day for their 27th anniversary right around the corner on February 27, 2023, it’s not uncommon to anticipate what’s to come. You can expect announcements from Pokémon’s games, especially with their recent release of Scarlet and Violet.
It won’t be wrong to think that DLCs would be announced for Scarlet and Violet games, as Sword and Shield received 2 of them during their lifespan.
Likewise, announcements for its existing games or even newer games that focus on the Unova region are likely to happen as the Black and White games of Pokémon are the next entries following the original Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, which received the remake treatment making the 5th generation of Pokémon games next on the line to get a fresh coat of paint.
Besides this, we can also expect announcements from other projects, such as new movies from the Pokémon series or even a look into the latest Pokémon anime that will be airing, which will feature a new protagonist following Ash’s position as the main character for the entirety of the anime up until this point.
Conclusion
That brings us to the end of the article. I hope we get to see a lot of announcements during the upcoming Pokémon Day 2023 because there have been a lot of developments in the Pokémon franchise, and we need something to look forward to.
