August 9, 2014

Today we celebrate:

National Rice Pudding Day – In the old days, rice pudding was bland and tasteless and something you only ate if you had too. Now, there are different flavors and it is really, very delicious. Try some today.

International Day of The World's Indigenous People – This is a United Nations sponsored day for the purpose of promoting and protecting the rights of the world's indigenous population. The indigenous people of the world work hard to improve the world, particularly through environmental conservation and protection. Participate today by helping to spread the message about their contributions throughout the world.

Book Lovers Day – Today is a day for bibliophiles to enjoy diving into a great book. If you don't have a book handy, visit your local library. I can pretty much guarantee that they will have a good one for you.

Veep Day – I couldn't find out much about this day but it seems to be about celebrating President Richard Nixon's resignation and Gerald Ford's subsequent ascension to the Presidency.

National Garage Sale Day – On the second Saturday of August every year, we celebrate this great way of cleaning out things you don't use anymore from your house. One person’s trash is another person's treasure, after all. And instead of filling our landfills, why not let someone else get some use out of the stuff you no longer need.

National Polka Day - This is a day to dance, but not just any dance.  People have been polkaing for a couple of hundred years now.  Some sources believe that it began in 1834 with a girl named Anna Slezakova.  I don’t know if that is true but I do know that if you can tolerate the music that goes with it, polka is an excellent form of exercise and a whole lot of fun once you learn how to do it.  The Polish claim it began in Poland, and that could also be true.  I wasn’t there so I don’t know for sure.  I do know that Wisconsin has claimed it as the official state dance of Wisconsin.  There are some basic directions here.

National Women's Day – Celebrated as a public holiday in South Africa, this is a day to celebrate the women who worked so hard and risked so much to fight against Apartheid. It specifically commemorates the protest, on this day in 1956, against legislation that required black South Africans to carry a pass anytime they wanted to walk on the streets of their own country. This protest was led by Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Albertina Sisulu and Sophia Williams-De Bruyn.

To celebrate everything in one day, write a letter to the Vice President to let him know how you feel he is doing in his job.  Then hit all the local garage sales and look for books on apartheid and indigenous people which you can read while you eat some delicious rice pudding.  Finally, enlist your family to move the couch and make room for an evening of polka dancing.