June 21, 2015

Today we celebrate:

Father's Day – Celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of June, this is a day to celebrate the fathers in your life. There is speculation that this day began after a mining accident in Monongah, West Virginia in 1907 when a large group of men, many of whom were fathers, were killed. Much like Mother's Day, this is a day to spend time with your father if you can, give cards or gifts or do something with your father that he enjoys.

Family Awareness Day – Celebrated on the third Sunday in June, this is a day that goes well with Father's Day as you are to reflect on the important role fathers play in our American families.

Husband Caregiver Day – Also going well with Father's Day, this is a day to honor husbands who become caregivers for their wives or children for a wide variety of reasons. This brings the meaning of love to a whole new level.

Cuckoo Warning Day - This is an old wives tale kind of day today, I think.  Apparently if you hear a cuckoo on this day,  your summer will be a wet one.  I can just hear the total silence coming over  California as everyone strains their ears in hope that they will hear one.  Does anyone have a cuckoo clock?

National Peaches & Cream Day – Fresh, ripe, juicy peaches, covered with thick, rich cream. Dessert doesn't get any better than that. I've probably said that before, but I really mean it this time.

Atheists Solidarity Day – This is a day for Atheists to wear a red and black ribbon to show their support to other non-religious people in their community. Some atheists do not feel they can be open about their beliefs because they fear persecution. While I am not an atheist, we do live in a country where we have the freedom to believe or not believe in whatever we want, and I support the right of every adult to decide for themselves what they chose to believe. Not all countries have that freedom and some people are right to be afraid of persecution or even death if it were to become known that they disagree with the beliefs of those around them.

National Daylight Appreciation Day – This is a day to celebrate the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Today will be great for your energy bills (as long as it's not too hot and you're running the air conditioning all day) and for your energy levels as it has been proven that lots of sunlight can increase your mental and physical health and your energy levels.  Try to get out and enjoy the daylight today.

World Handshake Day – Created by Ivan Zupa, this is a day to unite the world. He says to “place your hand in the sea and shake hands with the whole world.” It began as a vision for Mr. Zupa after the tsunami disaster (I'm not sure which tsunami disaster he is referring to since there have been a couple in my recent memory) and he hopes to make this idea spread to the rest of the world.

Go Skateboarding Day – Created by the International Association of Skateboarding Companies, the purpose of today is to dust off the old skateboard, put aside normal responsibilities and just skateboard all day. Many major cities are holding skateboarding events today, see if you can find one that you can join.

World Humanist Day – This is a day for Humanist people to share their values with the world. It is a “freethought” holiday that is supported by the International Humanist and Ethical Union, which is a global federation for atheist, rationalist, ethical culture and secularist groups. There will be conferences and proclamations and other activities going on today to spread awareness of their free thoughts.

Anne & Samantha Day – This day is celebrated on the solstice each June and December. You are meant to reflect on Anne Frank's and Samantha Smith's contributions to our world before their premature demise. The creators of this day are campaigning to have postage stamps in their honor before the first half of our century is over on Dec. 31st, 2050.

Baby Boomer's Recognition Day – This is a day to celebrate the baby boomers and their contributions to society. Many of them became very successful in a wide variety of fields, and our medicines and technology wouldn't be where they are today without this talented group of people.

World Music Day or Fete de la Musique - This day began with an American musician, Joel Cohen, in France working for the French National Radio.  It was turned into an official national celebration which spread around the world.  It is now celebrated in about 120 countries.  The idea for the day is to encourage all musicians, amateur and professional, to take to the streets to perform their music for all to hear.  Alternatively, many cities organize free concerts so that all types of music are available to everyone.  The concerts must be free to the public and the performers must donate their time for free as well.

To celebrate today, get outside every chance you get today to enjoy the sun for as long as possible and listen for cuckoo birds while you eat peaches and cream and skateboard with your neighborhood atheists.  Shake hands with all the Humanists you meet and discuss Anne & Samantha’s legacy’s with the baby boomer fathers in your family, as well as the ones you know who are caregivers, during the free concert you are attending.

No comments:

Post a Comment