National Dance Like a Chicken Day is on Friday, May 14, 2027, and it falls on May 14 every year. It’s a day to flap, wiggle and clap along to the Chicken Dance, a fixture of weddings, Oktoberfests and school parties. Nobody looks cool doing it, and that’s the point.
When Is National Dance Like a Chicken Day?
It’s always May 14. It’s an unofficial, just-for-fun day.
Who Started National Dance Like a Chicken Day?
No founder or start year has been documented.
Background: from a Swiss duck to an Oklahoma chicken
The tune was written by Swiss accordionist Werner Thomas, who played at Swiss holiday resorts. He came up with it around 1955, Mental Floss reports. He called the dance “Der Ententanz,” German for “The Duck Dance.”
A 1973 synthesizer version called “Tchip, Tchip” sold over a million copies in Europe within a year. U.S. producer Stanley Mills bought the American rights and released it as “Dance Little Bird,” but it didn’t catch on at first.
The new name came from a 1981 Oktoberfest in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Organizers couldn’t find a duck costume, so a local TV station lent them a chicken suit. “It got that name all by itself,” Mills later said.
According to Werner Thomas’s son, about 140 versions have been recorded, on roughly 40 million records, the Society of Folk Dance Historians notes.
Why Dance Like a Chicken?
Because it’s silly, easy and gets everyone on their feet, from toddlers to grandparents. The steps are simple enough to learn in seconds.
It’s a regional favorite, too. In St. Louis, it’s sometimes called the Ducky Dance. At the Wurstfest in New Braunfels, Texas, bands reportedly follow one rule: don’t play it more than once an hour.
How to Celebrate National Dance Like a Chicken Day
- Learn the moves: open and close your hands like a beak four times. Flap your elbows like wings four times, wiggle down four times, then clap four times.
- Do the swing part: when the chorus comes, link arms with a partner and spin, or circle as a group.
- Speed it up: the song gets faster each round, so try to keep up.
- Dance at work or school: start a short dance break to wake everyone up.
- Film a family video: get every generation flapping together.
- Find a polka band: many play it at festivals and fairs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote the Chicken Dance?
Swiss accordionist Werner Thomas wrote it in the 1950s as “Der Ententanz,” or “The Duck Dance.”
Why is it called the Chicken Dance in America?
At a 1981 Tulsa Oktoberfest, organizers couldn’t find a duck costume and used a chicken suit instead. The new name stuck.
Is the Chicken Dance good exercise?
It’s light movement, and a few rounds will get your heart rate up. It’s a fun warm-up for kids and adults.