Doing it for the kids is a bit different, but even then I tend to make it less about a day, and move the days around a bit but use it to mark the occasion. Like celebrating a birthday a week before or after. We mark the day of course, but I would like to have her a little less "time sensitive" to the world. "Noon" used to be when the sun was highest in the sky kind of thing.
Glad you got to surprise small steps too!
She was pretty happy with it. But, she was really happy at being able to plan the surprise :)