At around 10 a.m. EST each morning, thousands of people open TikTok to check the forecast for the day. However, it’s no ordinary forecast. They want to know if it’s going to be a Bones Day.

Jonathan Graziano is the owner of Noodle, a 13-year-old rescue pug. Each morning, he props Noodle up in his bed to see if he will remain sitting up, a Bones day, or immediately lay back down, a No Bones day. The idea is that through this routine we find out if Noodle has the bones (or rather, the energy) to get through the day productively. 

Graziano’s trending videos have reached over 300 million people on TikTok, and the iconic duo has been featured on the Today Show. 

“It’s my favorite thing. I always update my mom about it. I think the pug has the power [to influence how the day will go],” Lily Miles, sophomore, said.

Although there is no shame in praising this lighthearted trend, many wonder if there is any truth to the pug’s forecast.

“I believe in Bones Day. I don’t have any logical reasoning, but I believe in fate, I believe in the stars aligning, and I believe in Noodle,” Mia Risolia, junior, said. 

Although students like Risolia believe that Noodle can predict how the day will go, others such as Ryan Preisendorf, senior, have a lack of faith.

“I think it has the same power as crystals and astrological signs, which is zero,” Preisendorf said.

Noodle’s extent of reliability varies among different people. For some, it means that a rough start to the day can change.

“I think it could be accurate sometimes. It can make you want to turn your day around,” Cooper Betz, freshman, said.

For others such as Paige Groesbeck, sophomore, Bones Day is a guide to be taken lightly.

“I think regardless [of if it’s a Bones day or not] you should still put effort into your day and try your best, but if you’re really not feeling it then take a little break,” Groesbeck said.

To see just how far Noodle’s influence reached the students of Jupiter High, I created an Instagram poll and found out that 77% of people surveyed believed in Noodle. Ten people had a lack of faith in the pug.

Despite how adorable this trend is, there isn’t enough that adds up. We’re left to wonder if Noodle had an influence on our lives prior to going viral on TikTok. Why did this particular pug gain the power over his siblings, or do the other pugs in his litter also possess psychic powers?

“I think it’s another trend. It’s already starting to die out, but for now, it’s fun. It gives people a little thing to look forward to throughout the day,”  Preisendorf said.

We’re left with many unanswered questions. Does the pug know the future? Does the pug influence the future? Why do people place their faith in this trend? If it’s not real, why do so many people vouch for it? While I’m not knowledgeable on the science behind human thoughts, Doug Uccellini, psychology teacher at Jupiter High, is.

“I think people like to hold onto traditions [such as Groundhog Day]. They feel it’s safe. And I think maybe in the back of their minds, they know it’s not really true,”  Uccellini said. 

There are similarities between Groundhog Day and Bones Day such as a person lifting up an animal to see if it will react in one of two ways. 

“You’re waiting on an animal who has no idea what the situation is to decide the outcome of the future,” Preisendorf said. 

But do either of these events have real meaning? Does a groundhog have the ability to predict how long winter will last? Does a pug know how the day will go? 

“I think all of our choices can change our day in a moment’s notice,” Uccellini said. “How many times have you been in a terrible mood and it’s gone away because your mind took off into something else? You’re in a much better position to have a great day [if you believe Noodle is influencing it].” 

I don’t think Noodle is anything more than a trending pug on the internet. I don’t think he has the ability to control or even predict how each day will go for the million-plus people that check TikTok every day. I think that power comes from us. 

Throughout the pandemic, we’ve gone through stages of mass internet bonding, with huge inside jokes on TikTok, trends we follow and everything in between. I think Noodle has been one of the better trends, and has lifted our spirits in an ongoing time of need.