13 Ways to Celebrate National Cozy Mystery Day
September 15th is National Cozy Mystery Day and it is a time to enjoy all things cozy and mysterious!
Here are our top 13 picks on how to celebrate the day:
13. Go to the Movies
Check your local movie theater to see if they have a mystery playing. There might be a new movie on the big screen or a classic mystery to see. Enjoy some popcorn or a sweet treat to make for a cozy viewing experience.
12. Visit an Escape Room
Why not celebrate by solving some puzzles and complex riddles? Check out escape rooms in your area and see if you and your friends can put the clues together and find a way to escape the room within the designated time. There are many different themes for escape rooms so you can find one with a cozy vibe or mysterious concept. These interactive games are a great way to feel like a sleuth with a ticking clock for drama.
11. Listen to a Mystery Podcast
There are plenty of podcasts, ranging from true crime speculation to radio drama mysteries to interviews with cozy mystery authors. You can sit back and let the words wash over you or play a podcast as you go about your routine, listening at the gym or while completing a jigsaw puzzle. Add this auditory treat to your day!
10. Bake a Dish from a Recipe in a Cozy Mystery
With a plethora of culinary cozy mysteries that include recipes in their pages to choose from, select a dish that sounds delectable and that could be executed in your kitchen. Follow along the steps that the character in the book has outlined and see if you can whip up the same treats. You should wind up with something delicious and can feel more connected to one of your favorite cozy mystery series on this special day.
9. See a Mystery Play at the Theater
You might not be near the record breaking longest running production of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, but there might be a mystery playing at a local theater. Live theater always feels like a celebration and some murder mystery dinner theater shows are interactive, which can make you feel even more a part of the action. Many theaters like to add a mystery or thriller to their season, so see if any are playing near you.
8. Write a Scene from a Cozy Mystery
If National Cozy Mystery Day has you inspired, why not try writing your own mystery? You don’t have to write an entire book or screenplay on this day, but you could start a story that you’ve been thinking about writing. You also could just try your hand at writing a scene. You could write the scene where your plucky main character with the entertaining quirks you decide on stumbles across the crime scene or you could write an interrogation scene where the investigator is questioning a suspect or witness for information. Create some fan fiction or invent your own world. Let your creative juices flow and enjoy writing!
7. Seek Agatha Christie Inspiration
It’s no coincidence that National Cozy Mystery Day lands on Agatha Christie’s birthday. You could celebrate the day by learning more about the Queen of Crime and her extensive literary works and interesting life. There are movies, podcasts, books and websites dedicated to her books, career, mysterious disappearance, and knowledge of poisons.
6. Play a Mystery Game with Friends
If you want to gather with friends who also want to celebrate the day, but don’t want to host a big party, why not have a low-key game night? There are plenty of mystery themed games that you and your friends or family can play. You could play a simple classic board game. (Check out our suggestions for Best Board Games for Those Who Love Clue.) You also could select a game with more complex game play like Detective, a Modern Crime Board Game or Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective. You could also choose an interactive boxed game such as from Hunt-A-Killer or Finders Seekers where you are given a pile of evidence to sort through to solve a crime to feel like a realistic investigation. There are also mystery-themed card games or video games. There are countless possibilities!
5. Binge a Cozy TV Series
Sometimes the coziest celebration is chilling in your own home! Get into your comfiest clothes, gather some yummy snacks, and start binging a mystery series. (Check out our Cozy Views page for suggestions of shows.) Choose a new series and see if you can solve the crime along with the on-screen investigators or revisit a favorite show that you already love (such as our fav Murder, She Wrote). This could be an Agatha Christie classic or a modern mystery. It’s your remote so you choose!
4. Host a Cozy Book Exchange
A great way to celebrate National Cozy Mystery Day is by inviting your friends or neighbors to come together for a book exchange. Invite everyone to bring one of their favorite cozy mystery books and then swap with one another. (These are some of our favorite Cozy Reads.) It’s a great way to gather recommendations of beloved books and discuss what makes the genre so enjoyable.
3. At Home Movie Night
You could have a cozy celebration in the comfort of your own home by having a movie night with a mystery. You could select a comedy mystery (check out our list of the Best Comedy Mystery Movies) if you want to laugh as you detect, a classic noir mystery for intrigue, a recent murder mystery hit that might surprise you, or even a Hallmark mystery movie for extra coziness (check out our Hallmark Mysteries page for recommendations.) Try theming your snacks to the movie if it fits. (We’re looking at you Hannah Swensen Mysteries and the A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery.)
2. Host a Murder Mystery Party
If you’re feeling very festive and want to party, why not invite some friends over for a Murder Mystery Party? You could order a boxed set, hire a professional to lead your game, or challenge yourself to create and write your own mystery. Your guests take on the role of suspects and after a “crime” occurs everyone responds in character according to the info they are given. You all play along decoding the clues and see if you can guess who is guilty. It’s a fun interactive way to feel like a sleuth and to interact with your mystery loving friends.
Curl with with a Cozy Book
The best way to celebrate might be by reading an excellent cozy mystery book! It could be one of your tried and true favorite series or a new read with an unknown sleuth. (Here are some of our favorite Cozy Reads.) Get into your comfiest clothes, perhaps grab a blanket and a warm drink, and relax in your preferred reading spot.
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Combine these ideas!
If more than one idea tickles your fancy, you can combine them for an even cozier night. Listen to a podcast while baking a recipe or invite your friends over for a game and movie night.
