Archery Day (May 13th, 2023)

Archery is a sport that offers an opportunity for those with a steady hand and a keen eye to show off their skills and concentration!

Though it has been around for a very long time, a renewed interest in archery has popped up in pop culture over the past decade, which may have to do with some particularly beloved fictional characters, including Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games and Merida from Pixar’s Brave.

And now, Archery Day is here to bring some attention to and show appreciation for this unique and clever sport.

History of Archery Day

Dating back at least 12,000 years, archery is one of the oldest arts that is still practiced today. Historians can trace the earliest evidence of archery back to the late Paleolithic period, around 10,000 BC, when Egyptians would use bows and arrows to hunt for food as well as in battles and warfare.

The practice of archery has also been a sport for thousands of years, used as an opportunity for comPetition as well as Entertainment. In sixth century Japan, archery was introduced by the Chinese and began to develop with Japan’s martial arts, eventually becoming kyudo, which means the “way of the bow”.

By the year 1900, the sport of archery was introduced into the modern Olympic Games but was only included for four early comPetitions. Then, in 1972, archery was reintroduced as an Olympic sport and has been part of the summer Games since that time.

The inaugural celebration of Archery Day took place in 2015 when it was founded by The National Archery in the Schools Program. The day was set for the second Saturday of May, coinciding with the annual school tournament that traditionally took place on this day.

How to Celebrate Archery Day

Find tons of way to celebrate Archery Day, getting started with some of these fun ideas:

Try Out Archery

Those who have never picked up a bow and arrow might want to sign up for a beginner class or tutoring session so they can learn the basics of the sport. Others who may have done archery in the past but not recently might want to use Archery Day as a motivation to pick it up again!