World Give Day - This is a day to give back to the world, your community, your family, your friends, or even total strangers. It doesn’t matter if you give something big or something small, your time or your money or whatever comes to mind. All that matters is that whatever you give will make the world a better place in some small way.
Petite and Proud Day - This is a day that is made for people who are under 5’4” tall. Stop listening to anyone who tries to tell you that your height is a bad thing. There are some pretty good things about being on the shorter side, such as being closer to the ground so that falling is less damaging; or the fact that you will never hit your head on a door jam or ceiling; and you never have to feel like you can’t wear heels on a date.
Melanoma Monday – Celebrated on the first Monday in May, this day highlights the deadliest form of skin cancer there is. One American dies from melanoma every hour. However, if it is detected before it spreads, the five year survival rate is 98%. So we need to wear orange today to help spread awareness and work to teach people how to detect this devastating cancer as early as possible.
National Orange Juice Day - This is apparently America’s most popular breakfast beverage. And, as such, deserves it’s own day. It’s a good source of Vitamin C, although it has a little more sugar than I like to have so I generally stick to an orange or grapefruit.
Greenery Day – This is a national holiday in Japan. It originally celebrated Emperor Showa's (who ruled for an incredible 88 years) birthday during the Showa era. In 1989 with a new Emperor, the name was changed from “Birthday of the Emperor” to “Greenery Day”. Now it's a day to commune with nature and be grateful for nature's blessings.
National Candied Orange Peel Day – Honestly, I don't really consider orange peels to be food. I know that technically you can eat them, and I've used the zest from oranges in recipes, but to candy an orange peel and just eat it? I don't know. I guess I'll have to try it before I'm convinced.
Intergalactic Star Wars Day – This is a day dedicated to honoring Star Wars films and the Star Wars culture. It is celebrated today because of a pun that was first told in 1979 when Margaret Thatcher was elected Prime Minister of Britain. Her party placed an ad in the newspaper that said, “May the Fourth be with you, Maggie. Congratulations.” Celebrations should include dressing as your favorite Star Wars character, hosting Star Wars movie marathons or playing Star Wars games.
International Respect For Chickens Day – Begun in 2005, this is a day that celebrates chickens and protests their sad lives on chicken farms. The creators ask that you perform an action (list of possible ideas on their website) today in order to spread awareness of the problems chickens face.
International Firefighters Day – When a wildfire in Australia killed 5 firefighters in 1998, JJ Edmondson was inspired to send a proposal around the world to create this day. It is dedicated to firefighters all over the world who risk their lives every day to save ours, and to honor the heroic firefighters who have lost their lives. It is celebrated today because it is St. Florian’s Day.
St. Florian Day - This is a feast day honoring St. Florian, the patron saint of Linz, Austria; firefighters; soapmakers, and chimney sweeps. According to legend, Florian once saved an entire village from being destroyed by fire by using a single bucket of water. I’m not sure if that actually happened, but I do know that Florian was a commander in the Roman army and organized the first group of firefighters, a group of army soldiers whose only responsibility was to fight fires. This would be why St. Florian is the patron saint of firefighters.
To celebrate today, have some orange juice before you measure yourself to see if you qualify to be petite and proud. Then, dress as a character from Star Wars and head to the nearest fire house to give of your time by volunteering as a firefighter. When they send you away, console yourself with some candied orange peels and go to a farm to check on the lifestyles of the chickens. Head home to explore nature in your backyard, first making sure you protect your skin from melanoma.
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