December 1, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Pie Day – This may or may not be Pie day today. I have found substantial conflicting information that it is supposed to be celebrated on January 23^rd but I say why quibble. Pie is wonderful, celebrate it twice.

Advent – This is more of a season than a day and can begin anywhere between November 27^th and December 3^rd. It is celebrated by Christian Churches as a time of preparation for the birth of Jesus Christ. Many different churches have many different traditions during this time which begins on the fourth Sunday before December 25th.

Civil Air Patrol Day – The Civil Air Patrol is the civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force. It was created on this day in 1941 under Major General John F. Curry. It was created to provide air support to the war effort in WWII by patrolling American borders and coasts and assisting the military in any way necessary. It is comprised of volunteers who these days have three objectives set by Congress: perform emergency services such as search and rescue missions and assisting local law enforcement and the American Red Cross, aerospace education programs for the public and cadet programs for teens.

Day With(out) Art Day – Created on this day in 1989 as a day of mourning for those suffering because of the AIDS crisis, it is also a call to positive action that will spread awareness of the fact that AIDS can affect everyone. On the first celebration day in 1989, Museums were shut down and museum staff spent the day volunteering at AIDS services or worked on several sponsored exhibits of work about AIDS. In 1997 the day changed to a Day With Art in order to increase the programming of cultural events to increase the attention to the rapid spread of the disease all over the world. The name was kept (with parentheses added) in order to keep our attention on the horrible possibility of a future world without art or artists so we now highlight the art projects by artists living with the disease.

Eat a Red Apple Day – This is a day to eat a red apple. I generally prefer the yellow or green varieties but the occasional red apple is also very good. Since you should be eating an apple every day in order to keep the doctor away, I'm sure you won't have any trouble indulging in your favorite red variety today.

Rosa Parks Day – Who doesn't know of Rosa Parks? She was that very brave woman who on this day in 1955, refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man, something that was against the segregation laws of the time. She is known now as “the mother of the civil rights movement.” I know it sounds crazy to kids today but back then in Montgomery, Alabama, and in many other southern states, African-Americans were required to sit in the back of the bus and were obligated to give up their seats to the white riders if the front of the bus filled up. Well, the front of the bus filled up and a white man wanted Rosa Parks' seat. Ms. Parks refused and the rest is history.

World Aids Day – This is a day to get the facts about about HIV/AIDS. How you can get it, how you can avoid it, and what to do if you or a loved one have it. With proper treatment, people with HIV/AIDS can live a long time and don't have to infect other people. Spread the news around the world because there are some countries where AIDS is rampant because people just don't know anything about how to protect themselves and their families.

To celebrate today, go to Church to celebrate the first day of Advent. When you get home, make an red apple pie and decorate the top crust with artsy designs that resemble a close up of the AIDS virus. Don't worry, eating pie that looks like AIDS will not give you AIDS. Read books about Rosa Parks and the Civil Air Patrol to your kids before they go to bed.