According to one source, National Llama Day was first celebrated in 1932, after it was recognized how important the llama was in Canada, of all places, following a drought in the province of Manitoba, where many livestock died, especially sheep. The llama is known for its hardiness, so if there were one animal that proved its resilience during a drought while others were dying, the llama was likely it.
Llamas have been an important livestock animal since the Incan Empire. They provided meat, and wool and carried goods over thousands of miles of Incan roads. Today, they are serve all of these purposes, as well as a few others. They can serve as livestock guardians, and companion animals, and are even important for animal shows. It’s no wonder that a holiday was created in their honor. This day can be observed by former and current llama owners, people who are curious about these animals, or people who are thinking about purchasing one of these animals. (No, we don’t think you can have one at Kendal.)
These unique and interesting animals are both smart and highly sociable. Llamas are camelids (like camels, but without the hump) closely related to the domesticated alpaca (which they are a bit larger than) as well as to the undomesticated vicuña and guanaco. Together, these four animals are known as lamoids. Llamas stand between 5 and 6.5 feet in height at their heads and between 3 and 4 feet at their shoulders, and they weigh between 250 and 450 pounds. Females are usually larger than males. Their fur can be solid, spotted, or have patterns, with a color palette including black, gray, beige, brown, red, and white. They are social animals that like to live with other llamas or herd animals. They can make a high-pitched scream, and they spit to assert dominance over other members of their pack and to deter predators. They almost always give birth to only 1 baby — known as a cria — at a time, which weighs about 20 to 35 pounds. Llamas live to be 15 or 20 years old.
With their big eyes and long eyelashes, llamas are rather adorable — and also a bit feisty! Though they were likely originally dwellers of both North and South America, llamas are believed to have gone extinct in North America during the last ice age. Llamas were domesticated by humans around 4,000 or even 5,000 years ago, starting in Peru and the Andes mountains. In modern times, llamas are also often kept domestically on farms, sometimes as guard animals for other flocks such as sheep or even alpacas.
Llama fleece has been used to make textiles in Peru for thousands of years. Today, the llama's soft fur undercoat is used to make garments and handicrafts, while the more coarse outer coat is used to make rugs and ropes. The hides are used to make leather, and the tallow is used to make candles. Sometimes llamas are eaten, and their excrement can even be burned for fuel.
There are millions of llamas in their native home of South America, principally in Peru, Chile, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Over 150,000 llamas can be found in the US. Llamas are herbivores that enjoy eating hay while grazing on green pastures, and they don’t need much water—which again illustrates their hardiness.
National Llama Day is observed from sunup to sundown. It appears to be a tongue-in-cheek holiday, and not many credible descriptions can be found about it elsewhere, but we’re going to treat it in a serious manner. After all, adorable as they are, llamas are serious animals. On the day, people dress like llamas, carve butter statues into the shape of llamas, sing songs about llamas, and play “traditional llama-related games.” A family member wears a llama costume while passing out gifts to children. A piece of llama fur is hung under a doorway and lovers kiss under it. “Llamatines” are sent to loved ones, sometimes along with candy shaped as llamas. A National Llama Day feast is held, and afterward, children go door to door asking for National Llama Day treats. If someone won’t give them any, they sometimes release llamas onto their lawns. (We don’t know if you can rent-a-llama for this purpose.)
December 10: Dewey Decimal System Day
