Pinocchio Day – February 23, 2025

History of Pinocchio Day

“The Adventures of Pinocchio” was originally published in a serialized format under the name “The Story of a Puppet” in a weekly magazine, starting from July 7, 1881. The popularity of the series led to all the installments being compiled and published as a novel in 1883. Since then, the misadventures of Pinocchio have become deeply ingrained into the cultural zeitgeist. The book is now considered a canonical piece of children’s literature. Pinocchio has either featured in or been referenced in many pieces of popular fiction since.

Disney’s “Pinocchio” was the third attempt to adapt the wooden puppet’s story onto the silver screen. It was the studio’s second animated feature-length film after “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” was released in 1937. The film follows the titular character Pinocchio, who was carved out of wood and brought to life by an Italian woodcarver named Geppetto. Pinocchio, through the course of the film, attempts to become a real boy by proving himself to be brave, truthful, and unselfish. He meets many unsavory characters during this quest, guided by Jiminy Cricket. The film deals with themes of morality, social conformity, discipline, and growing up.

The film received stellar reviews after its release. It won two Academy Awards, for Best Original Song and Best Original Score. It is the first Disney film to win in either category. “Pinocchio” was released for home viewing in North America on July 16, 1985, and soon became the best-selling home video title for the year. Its VHS release in the U.K. happened in 1988.