How November 6 Became ‘Stranger Things Day’

Stranger Things Day is almost here! For those unfamiliar, Stranger Things has its own day—November 6. But why was November 6 chosen when the show premiered on Netflix on July 15, 2016? What is the significance of November 6?

November 6 is Stranger Things Day because the show begins on the night of Sunday, November 6, 1983. That is the day that Will Byers went missing and when Eleven opened the portal to the Upside-Down, unleashing the Demogorgon on Hawkins, Indiana.

It’s hard to tell whether the fandom was the first to celebrate Stranger Things Day or if Netflix started it. While there were a few scattered posts on social media in 2016 and 2017, it seems that the day really took hold when Netflix announced turning it into an official merch release day in 2018. Since then, November 6 has been the yearly anniversary of the fandom and when Netflix advertises upcoming media and merchandise. It’s also when in-person stores and events, like the Stranger Things Experience, have opened.

Stranger Things Day 2023

This year’s Stranger Things Day appears to be mostly focused on merchandise and the upcoming prequel novel about Eddie Munson due to Netflix and other AMPTP companies refusing to negotiate with SAG-AFTRA. Sean Astin, who played Bob Newby in season 2 of the show, has been spotted on the picket line with his fellow actors, calling out the studios on their refusal to give actors 2% of the profits.

As such, Netflix has no projected release date for season 5 and simply states on the Stranger Things Day page that “Season 5 was announced as the final season of Stranger Things with additional projects in the universe in the works, including: Stranger Things: The First Shadow live on stage in London’s West End along with an untitled animated spinoff series.”

Netflix will be doing a live-stream, starting at 6 a.m. PT, that will go through the timeline of the Stranger Things world, starting from “Hawkins, 1959, before the world turned Upside-Down,” and will possibly carry info about the Stranger Things stage show. From there, it will break down season 1 at 7 a.m. PT, season 2 at 9 a.m. PT, season 3 at 11 a.m. PT, and season 4 at 1 p.m. PT.

On the poster, the season 3 “tape” is Upside-Down, indicating something special about that presentation, but there’s no hint as to what exactly. There are rumors and leaks that indicate Netflix will be doing collaborations with Fortnite and Dead by Daylight, so if these are happening, they will probably be announced during the stream.

(featured image: Netflix)