October 2, 2014

Today we celebrate:

World Farm Animals Day or World Day for Farmed Animals – This day is dedicated to saving farm animals from being raised in deplorable conditions and then being slaughtered for food.  It takes place on or near this day because this is the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, a man who stood for non-violence toward animals and people.  

International Day of Non-violence – Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007, this is a day to spread the message of non-violence all around the world through educational programs and public awareness.  Again, this day was chosen to honor Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday.

Guardian Angels Day – This day has been celebrated for a very long time. In the 16th century, Pope Clement X chose this day for the Feast of the Guardian Angels. On this day we should thank God for the guardian angel that He has given to each of us to inspire us to do good deeds and to protect us from evil and to guide us to God at the moment of our deaths.

National Custodial Workers Day – This is a day to recognize the dedicated, hard working people who keep our schools and businesses clean. It is often a thankless and unnoticed job, but we sure notice if it's not done because then we are surrounded by a mess. Make sure you talk to the custodians in your life today and thank them for their hard work.

Phileas Fogg's Wager Day – On this day in 1872, Phileas Fogg made his famous wager that the book “Around the World in Eighty Days” was based upon. He wagered 20,000 pounds that he could navigate around the world in eighty days. You'll have to check back with me on December 21st to see if he won the wager. Or, I suppose you could just look it up.

Name Your Car Day – This is a day to get closer to your car. We depend on our vehicles to reliably get us to wherever we need to go. So we need to treat our cars right and that begins with giving it a really good name. We tend to care for things we name more than we do things we do not name. This is why if you have a farm, you have to be careful to avoid naming the animals you intend to eat.

National Fried Scallops Day – I love scallops any way I can get them, but fried scallops are particularly delicious, in my opinion.  You can have the small bay scallops or the larger sea scallops.  It’s easier to fry the sea scallops because they are bigger.  Whichever you choose, make sure you don’t overcook them.  They cook up very quickly and if you over do it, they will be tough and not very good.

To celebrate today, name your car Phileas Fogg and take your guardian angel for a ride to nearby farms to talk to the farmers about improving their living conditions in a non violent manner.  Then find a custodian in an office building or school and give them some fried scallops to thank them for their hard work.