World Rock Paper Scissors Day is on August 27 every year. The date does not move, so the next one after this article's publication is August 27, 2027.
I'm writing this from WRPSA, the World Rock Paper Scissors Association, and holiday calendars such as National Day Calendar credit the day to us: WRPSA, based in Ottawa, Ontario, created it in 2014. It is an informal observance, not a public holiday, so nothing closes and nobody gets the day off. It is simply an excuse to play the world's most-used decision game on purpose.
Upcoming dates
| Year | Date | Day of week |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | August 27 | Friday |
| 2028 | August 27 | Sunday |
| 2029 | August 27 | Monday |
We ran an on-site countdown for the 2026 day and have retired it until the 2027 campaign, so if you're looking for it on the World RPS Day page, that's why it isn't there right now.
Why a day for Rock Paper Scissors
The game is older than most holidays. The earliest written reference usually cited is from China: the Ming-era writer Xie Zhaozhe mentioned a hand game dating to the Han dynasty. Japan developed three-way hand games called sansukumi-ken, and the rock, paper and scissors version, jan-ken, spread from there in the late 1800s and 1900s. Our history page covers that story in detail.
It has also settled real disputes. In 2005 a Japanese collector let Christie's and Sotheby's decide by Rock Paper Scissors which house would sell his art collection; Christie's threw scissors and won. A game that ordinary deserves one day a year.
Ways to celebrate
At home or with friends
- Play a best-of-seven and keep score. Our guide to keeping score covers the formats.
- Try a variant. Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock is the famous one; our variations page has more.
- Settle one real decision the old-fashioned way: who picks the film, who does the dishes.
At work or school
- Run a lunchtime bracket. A 16-person single-elimination bracket takes about half an hour. Our step-by-step guide to hosting a tournament has rules you can print.
- Use our free event hosting tool to do the pairings and results so nobody argues about the bracket.
- Teach the maths. Rock Paper Scissors is the standard example of a game with no best single move, which makes it a good five-minute lesson in game theory.
On your own
- Play online against the computer or other people.
- Read a little of the science: researchers have studied how real people choose throws, and the patterns are not random.
A small bit of data for the day
From 3,020 throws recorded on wrpsa.com between July 29 and September 27, 2026 (943 players, mostly against the computer), rock was thrown 36.2% of the time, paper 35.6% and scissors 28.2%. On the first throw of a game, rock rose to 38.1%. That is one site's players, not the whole world, but it matches what larger studies suggest: people lean towards rock and away from scissors. If you're playing someone on August 27, paper is a reasonable opener.
FAQ
Is World Rock Paper Scissors Day an official holiday?
No. It is an informal observance listed on holiday calendars, not a government holiday.
Who started World Rock Paper Scissors Day?
Holiday calendars credit the World Rock Paper Scissors Association in Ottawa, which created it in 2014.
Does the date change each year?
No. It is always August 27.