10 fake holidays that were actually invented by brands

In some respects, we're living in the heyday of the fake holiday. Thanks to social media, any company or person with a good enough idea and a following can get a new, made-up holiday trending.

What makes a hashtag holiday work online is the same thing that makes it work offline: connection.

"Trending hashtags provide brands and consumers the opportunity to talk about something meaningful to them, even it is something as trivial as their favorite donut," Deron Dalton, executive editor at The Tylt, an online debate site that pits one hashtag against another, told Business Insider.

"Perhaps #NationalCoffeeDay was created as a brand marketing ploy, but it started trending because everyone loves a good cup of coffee," he said.