- 10 February
- Day four of Valentine week
- Teddy bears date from 1902
Where it began
The teddy bear is named after Theodore Roosevelt, a President of the United States, who was known as Teddy. In 1902 a story spread that he refused to shoot a tied bear on a hunting trip.
A cartoon of the story became famous. A shop owner in New York, Morris Michtom, made a toy bear and named it Teddy's bear. At about the same time the Steiff company in Germany also made soft toy bears.
It is part of Valentine week, the seven days from 7 February to 14 February that young people in India and nearby lands keep, one theme a day.
How it grew over time
1902
The story of Roosevelt and the bear inspires the first teddy bears.
1903
Toy bears are sold in the United States and Germany.
20th century
Teddy bears become a loved toy and a gift of comfort around the world.
Recent decades
Teddy Day joins Valentine week among young people in South Asia.
How it is celebrated in different places
India
Gift shops fill with teddies of every size, many holding red hearts.
United States
Teddy bears are a classic Valentine's gift beside cards and flowers.
Germany
Old teddy bears are kept as treasures and shown in toy museums.
Teddy Day moments
Teddy Day today
Today a teddy says I am with you, even when I am away. Many people keep the teddy they got for years.
