Randsday: A New Holiday

2026 Conference
Celebrating Randsday
Naples, FL

By Harry Binswanger

February 2nd is the birthday of Ayn Rand, the author of Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. Ayn Rand developed and defended Objectivism, a philosophy that advocates rational selfishness.

To celebrate Randsday, you do something not done on any other holiday: you give yourself a present. Randsday is for getting that longed-for luxury you ordinarily would not buy for yourself. Or for doing that long-postponed, self-pampering activity you cannot seem to fit into your chore-packed schedule.

Randsday is for reminding ourselves that pleasure is an actual need, a psychological requirement for a human consciousness.

Motivation, energy, enthusiasm — these are not givens. Crippling depression is all too common in our duty-preaching, self-denigrating culture.

Randsday is for recognizing a deep spiritual truth: Your personal, se