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TODAY IS MAGNET MONDAY
What is Magnet Monday?
What is Magnet Monday?
Magnet Monday is one of the earliest and most widely recognized observances associated with the International Holiday Group. Its origins are traditionally traced to James Cartwright, whose personal journals and correspondence are often cited as the earliest sources for the custom.
Within the Group’s early records, Magnet Monday is frequently referenced as one of the first examples of a “lived observance,” meaning a holiday that emerged from repeated personal action rather than formal declaration. Cartwright’s notes do not present the tradition as something invented all at once, but as something that developed gradually over time through habit, reflection, and return.
"Mr. Cartwright Greets the Indians" by Thomas R. Jermite, 1903
Origins
Origins
References to the tradition appear in a series of notebook entries attributed to Cartwright between 1897 and 1903. In one entry, dated April 1898, he writes:
“I have yielded up one part of the magnet, keeping still its fellow; and it is my persuasion that, in due time, the twain may be brought together again, and thereby declare a continuance of good will, albeit some distance remain betwixt them” (Field Notes, Volume I).
Later correspondence, circulated among early members of the Group, describes repeated visits to the same community in the Great Lakes region. While details are limited and occasionally inconsistent, several letters confirm that Cartwright returned annually, carrying the matching half of the magnet.
A letter to the press from the Group found in 2024 includes the following account:
“Mr. Cartwright, having at one time sundered a magnet betwixt himself and those that received him, did thereafter make it his custom, year by year, to return and for a brief moment join the parts again; which act, though plain in form, he held as a sign that friendship once made need not decay by reason of absence” (Cartwright Papers, 1903, Vol. IV).
Additional notes suggest that the meeting was brief and deliberate. The magnet halves were placed together, allowed to join, and then separated again before departure. No formal ceremony is described, though some records mention shared meals and quiet conversation surrounding the act.
By the early 1910s, members of the International Holiday Group began referencing this practice as a model for a recurring observance. A 1912 pamphlet proposes “a weekly moment of reconnection, preferably at the week’s beginning,” which is widely understood to be the first formal suggestion of Magnet Monday.
While historians within the Group acknowledge that certain details remain uncertain, the consistency of these early references has given the tradition a firm place in IHG history.
Modern Commemorations
Modern Commemorations
Today, Magnet Monday is observed on the last Monday in March, marking a symbolic transition from separation to renewed connection as the year moves further into spring.
The holiday is centered on the idea of reconnection, both simple and intentional. While some participants still follow the original custom of joining two halves of a magnet, many have adapted the observance in creative and personal ways.
Common activities include:
Splitting a small magnet with a friend or family member and keeping the pieces until the following year
Reuniting magnets that have been kept apart as a symbolic act of renewal
Sending letters or messages to someone with whom contact has been lost
Creating “magnet boards” where people place notes, photos, or reminders of important relationships
Organizing small gatherings where participants exchange tokens or share stories of reconnection
More lighthearted traditions have also developed. Some celebrate by rearranging refrigerator magnets into new patterns, creating messages, or designing themed magnet collections. In certain communities, informal contests are held for the most creative or unusual use of magnets during the day.
Despite these variations, the central idea remains unchanged. Magnet Monday is a time to recognize the quiet forces that draw people back together and to act on them, even in small ways.
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