Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Holidays and other Observances

This website is great! If you’ve ever wondered about little known holiday/observance dates, this is the place to look! Or maybe you’re just in the mood to celebrate something and need a “cause”... this is a good place to look!

History for the main observances we all enjoy I have researched and put the “history of” on my website. I try to remember to post the link before the holiday arrives, but, I get busy with stuff and have a very short attention span, so sometimes I forget. The information below is all from the holiday insights website and is their research notes. (My remarks are in parens with my initials).

It lists the normal Federal holidays (all of which get moved to a Mon or Fri, except the last 3), namely:
1/1 New Years Day;
1/17 MLK day;
2/21 President’s Day;
5/30 Memorial Day;
7/4 Independence Day;
9/5 Labor Day;
10/10 Columbus Day;
11/11 Veteran’s Day;
11/24 Thanksgiving Day;
and 12/25 Christmas Day.

Other special days include:
2/2 Ground Hog Day
2/6 Super Bowl Sunday
2/14 Valentines Day

3/8 Mardi Gras Day (Fat Tuesday)
3/17 St Patrick’s Day
3/20 Spring Equinox

4/1 April Fools Day
4/15 Taxes Due
4/17 Palm Sunday

5/1 May Day

6/21 Summer Solstice

10/31 Halloween

12/22 Winter Solstice

Some of the little known to most of us special days are:

1/3 Festival of Sleep Day!
The origin of this celebration is not known

1/5 National Bird Day!
There was no documentation found that this is really a National Day, which requires an act of Congress. It was established by bird activists to recognize the plight of captive birds.

1/16 National Nothing Day!
Quite simply put... a day for nothing! There was no documentation found that this is really a National Day, which requires an act of Congress. It was created by newspaperman Harold Pullman Coffin in 1973. (Perhaps it was a slow news day? dsb)

1/21 Squirrel Appreciation Day!Christy Hargrove from Asheville, North Carolina started Squirrel Appreciation Day on January 21, 2001.

2/16 Do a grouch a favor day
Look around for someone who is in a grouchy mood today. Then, do him or her a favor that will cheer up their day. The origin of this celebration is not known

2/17 Random Acts of Kindness Day
The origin of this celebration is not known. It’s a fun and good thing to do.

3/14 National Potato Chip Day
Potato Chips are America's #1 snack food. Potato chips were first made by Chef George Crum in Saratoga Springs, NY on August 24, 1853. The origin of this celebration is not known. There was no documentation found that this is really a National Day, which requires an act of Congress.

3/22 National Goof Off Day
Sort of self-explanatory don’t ya think? LOL The origin of this celebration is not known. There is no information found to suggest this is truly a national day, but there were references to this day as International Goof Off Day.

4/3 Don’t Go to Work Unless it’s Fun Day
The origin of this celebration is not known. Probably someone who hated going to work created it!

4/17 Blah, Blah, Blah Day
The intent of this day is to do all of the projects and things that you have been avoiding, like the “honey do” list. It is a copyrighted holiday created by the folks at Wellcat.com

4/30 National Honesty Day
Created by M Hirsh Goldberg, former press secretary to a governor of Maryland in the early 1990's. He felt that the month of April, which begins with a big day of lying (April Fools Day), should end on a higher moral standard. There was no documentation found that this is really a National Day, which requires an act of Congress.

6/4 Hug your Cat Day
If you don’t have your own cat to hug, be advised that June is also Adopt a Cat Month... so go adopt a cat and hug it! The origin of this celebration is not known.

6/25 National Catfish Day
No, you don’t have to hug one, but it is a day to enjoy eating one in your favorite recipe. This is truly a National day as of Proclamation 5672 in 1987, President Ronald Reagan.

7/14 National Nude Day
(Oh my gosh, if you’re going to celebrate this one... please do so in the privacy of your own home! dsb) This holiday appears to have originated in New Zealand. There was no documentation found that this is really a National Day, which requires an act of Congress.

7/23 National Hot Dog Day
Eat a Hot Dog! The origin of this celebration is not known. There was no documentation found that this is really a National Day, which requires an act of Congress.

7/31 Mutt’s Day
Spend the day relaxing and doing all the things you and your non-purebred dog like to do. The origin of this celebration is not known.

8/27 Just Because Day
Today is the day to go out and do something “just because”. Finally, you have a chance to do something without a rhyme or reason. The origin of this celebration is not known.

9/16 POW/MIA recognition Day
Day of remembrance and hope for the speedy and safe return of American Prisoners of War and those still Missing in Action. It also seeks the return of the remains of fallen soldiers. It is the 3rd Friday of September. The first official commemoration of POW/MIAs was July 18, 1979. It was the result of resolutions passed in Congress. In 1986, it was decided that the date would be the 3rd Friday in Sept because that date was not associated with any wars. Each year, the president of the United States issues a proclamation on this day.

9/28 Ask a Stupid Question Day
(It’s self explanatory I think. dsb) The roots of this special day goes back to the 1980's, there was a movement by teachers to try to get kids to ask more questions in the classroom without fear of ridicule.

10/7 or 10/14 Bald and Free Day
Honors those with a shiny top! Zero tolerance for bald jokes this day. The origin of this celebration is not known.

10/17 Wear Something Gaudy Day
(I think many in my area practice this EVERY day! dsb) Look for something to wear that's really wild and wacky, and will stick out like a sore thumb wherever you go. The roots of this day go back to the hit 1970's television comedy show "Three's Company". Larry Dallas (played by Richard Kline), one of the characters on the show, declared a Wear Something Gaudy Day.

11/8 Dunce Day
It’s all about learning. Duns Scotus of Duns, Scotland was a medieval scholar. He believed knowledge would flow from the point of the cap, down and into the head of the wearer, making that person smarter. (Alrighty then! dsb)

12/16 National Chocolate Covered Anything Day
(Does this really need explanation? dsb) Pour, spread, or drizzle chocolate over cakes, cupcakes, pies, pancakes or waffles, nuts, raisins, even ants. The origin of this celebration is not known.


These are just a few of the multitudes of special days that are in that website. It was quite amusing and turned my normal morning coffee at the computer time to a relaxing and amusing 3 hours! It also has holidays around the world, birthdays, anniversaries, “this day in history”, and recipes. It was pretty interesting and you should take a look at it! Maybe you'll find that special day made just for you! LOL

Incidentally, today, January 4, is Trivia Day. It is an opportunity for us to share those many little trinkets of knowledge that somehow managed to stay lodged in our brains for later use.

Happy whatever!

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