On October 3, Taylor Swift posed a question to me that had me momentarily stumbling over words – what day indeed was it? Could it be Mean Girls Day? Or perhaps the long-awaited album release day? For nearly two decades, October 3 has been unofficially christened as Mean Girls Day, a nod to the legendary 2004 film starring Lindsay Lohan. Yet, Swift decided to shake things up this year.
The pop megastar revealed on Wednesday that her highly anticipated 12th album, titled The Life of a Showgirl, would also be making its debut on October 3 – essentially claiming the day as her own in this memorable year. But her reasoning was as enchanting as it was logical.
During a recent episode of the New Heights podcast, hosted by her sweetheart Travis Kelce and his brother Jason Kelce, the Grammy Award winner shared that the album’s release date, 10/3, totals 13, a number intricately tied to her destiny as she was born on December 13, 1989. With a playful chuckle, the singer of “Cruel Summer” joked, “It’s never not annoying, always trying to squeeze a 13 into every situation. And this one was just too perfect to pass up.”
October’s first week holds a special place in the heart of the Kelce family, who have forged a close bond with the Swifts. The month marks the birthdays of several family members, including Travis, Jason, their mother Donna, and Jason’s daughter Wyatt.
While Swift has declared October 3 as her day in the spotlight this year, Mean Girls fans continue to keep the film’s timeless legacy alive through countless references to its unforgettable scenes, especially the iconic October 3 moment. Early in the film, Lohan’s character, Cady Heron, attempts to strike up a conversation with her high school crush, Aaron Samuels (played by Jonathan Bennett). In a voiceover, Cady reminisces, “On Oct. 3, he asked me what day it was.” Her subsequent reply in the scene, “It’s Oct. 3,” has become a cherished catchphrase among fans.
Recently, Lohan revealed an unexpected Mean Girls nod in her new movie, Freakier Friday, which reunites her with her onscreen mother from Freaky Friday, Jamie Lee Curtis. In the sequel, Lohan’s character Anna and Manny Jacinto’s character Eric schedule their wedding for October 3. However, as Lohan shared with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff, “I genuinely don’t think anyone realized” they had included the Mean Girls Easter Egg until she pointed it out on the first day of filming while examining the wedding invitations. “I exclaimed, ‘Does anyone realize this is Oct. 3? That’s Mean Girls Day!’ I suggested, ‘Let’s keep it, it’s an Easter egg.’ And the director, Nisha Ganatra, responded, ‘We’re not doing Easter eggs.’ I replied, ‘Well, you did!’”
Regardless, there is ample room for Swifties and Mean Girls fans worldwide to come together and celebrate this iconic day with equal enthusiasm and joy.
