August 1, 2016

Today we celebrate:

Woman Astronomers Day - Maria Mitchell was born on this day in 1818. At a time when women were not exactly encouraged to be professional at anything except maybe teaching, she became the first female astronomer, among other things, and was also the first woman to be elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Lammas - This day is celebrated by England and Scotland. It is the festival of the wheat harvest, which is the first harvest festival of the year. I’m sort of surprised there is more than one because I figured everyone would be too busy harvesting to have multiple festivals. In any case, for this one it was the traditional practice to bake a loaf of bread with the first harvest and bring it to church. The loaf would be blessed, broken into four pieces and a piece put in each of the four corners of the farmer’s barn in order to protect that grain and all the rest that would be harvested. There were other traditions as well that I don’t have time to describe here.

National Raspberry Cream Pie Day – Yesterday's raspberry theme continues with this cool and refreshing dessert pie.

Girlfriend's Day – Today is a day to celebrate girlfriends. It doesn't matter if you're talking about a special female love interest or a bunch of gal pals. Show them today how much you care about them.

Play Ball Day - This is a day to celebrate all the sports games that utilize a ball of some kind. There are quite a lot of them that I can name right off the top of my head like: baseball, basketball, lacrosse, soccer, football, racquetball, tennis, golf, polo, volleyball, bowling, and probably dozens of others. Celebrate today by playing a ball game of some kind.

Lughnasa - Celebrated by the Irish and Scottish, this is a day that began as a harvest festival and continues today with festivals, bonfires and dancing. It is also a popular day to begin handfastings which are trial marriages. After a year and a day the couple has the option of ending the relationship or formalizing it into a lasting marriage. I wonder how many divorces would be avoided if we did this in America. Festivities began last night and last until this evening at sunset.

National Minority Donor Awareness Day – Begun in 1996 by Clive O. Callender, MD, with the goal of raising awareness among ethnic groups on all the issues related to organ, tissue and blood donations among minorities. The hope was to promote healthy living among minorities and to ultimately increase the number of minority donors. More than half of the people on the transplantation waiting list are minorities so it is very important for minorities to be involved in donations because they have a much better chance of being a good match for another member of their minority.

Respect For Parents Day – This is a day to be aware of how respectful you are to your parents. Sometimes when we get aggravated at people we need a little reminder about how important it is to be kind, respectful and most important of all, patient with all of our elders but particularly with our parents. It is all too easy to hurt the people we love. Way easier than it is to hurt people we barely know. So we need to remember that these are the people who brought us into the world and raised us as best they could. As a parent, I know I love my children more than anyone else ever will. So knowing that my parents feel that way for me makes it a little easier to remember to be respectful and kind and loving toward them.

Rounds Resounding Day – Do you remember singing Row, Row, Row Your Boat in a round when you were younger? I think most of us did that at some point with that song or with some other one. For the non-musically inclined among us, a round is when a group of people sing a song together but each person starts the song at a different time (or if you have a large group, divide into small groups and each group would start at a different time). So the first person would sing “Row, row, row your boat” and as that person starts the next line with “gently”, the second person would start singing “Row, row, row your boat” and the rest would follow in that staggered pattern. If done well, it sounds good, so practice with your family today.

Homemade Pie Day - Homemade pies are so much better than the ones you buy in a store, unless you get one from a bakery, those are really good. But I still think that homemade is better. Especially homemade lemon meringue pie made by my mother-in-law. I can’t eat eggs or wheat, but I’ll happily suffer the consequences later if I can eat my mother-in-law’s homemade lemon meringue pie now.

Yorkshire Day – This is a day to celebrate the English county of Yorkshire. On this day in 1834, slaves in the British Empire were freed and also on this day in 1759 the Battle of Minden was fought and won by the British during the Seven Years' War.  

Spider-Man Day – Spider-Man, created by Stan Lee, first appeared in comics sometime around August 1962 and has continued with varying degrees of popularity until this year. So this would be a good day to dig out some old comics or buy some new ones and read all about his adventures.

World Wide Web Day – I'm not sure why today was chosen to celebrate the World Wide Web. As far as I can tell, it should be on August 6th since that is the day in 1991 that the WWW was open to the public. But in any case, get on the web today and look to see how far we have come in just 24 years. Interesting factoid….WWW is actually one of the very few (perhaps even the only although I can’t prove that) acronyms that uses more syllables than the words that it is trying to shorten.

World Scout Scarf Day – This is a Boy Scout celebration day. Today all scouts, whether they are active or former, are called upon to wear their scout scarves in public today. The scarf is a symbol of the scout promise and for the scout mission to leave the world a little bit better than they found it. Sounds like a great mission to me.

U.S. Air Force Day - The Air Force was established on this day in 1907, although it was called the Aeronautical Division in the Office of the Chief Signal Officer of the Army. I’m glad they shortened that.  This particular celebration day was established on this day in 1947 by President Truman “in recognition of the personnel of the victorious Army Air Forces and all those who have developed and maintained our nation’s air strength.”

Simcoe Day - This day honors John Graves Simcoe, Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada (now Ontario) in the 1790s. Mr. Simcoe is credited with superb planning and design work in setting the layout of the Ontario area that works very well for them even to this day.

July 31, 2016

Today we celebrate:

World Ranger Day - Created by the International Ranger Federation (IRF) in 2007, this is a day to honor the men and women who work to protect and conserve the world’s natural lands and all the creatures who dwell within them. Remember with gratitude the ones who were injured or killed in the line of duty.

National Raspberry Cake Day – Cake and raspberries make for a delicious combination.

Cotton Candy Day – This day is celebrated today and on December 7th. Since cotton candy is typically a summertime treat, I assume (but was not able to confirm) that the reason is that in the northern hemisphere it is summer now, but in the southern hemisphere, December 7th is summer weather.

Jump for Jelly Beans Day – This is a day to enjoy the many varieties of flavors of jelly beans. I'm not sure why jumping is included unless it is because we jump for joy when we get to eat them. Of course, in my opinion, it would work out better if this day occurred right before Easter when jelly beans of every imaginable kind, can be found in every store.

Uncommon Instruments Awareness Day – This is a day to celebrate musical instruments. But not your everyday ordinary flutes, violins, pianos and guitars. This is a day to celebrate the ones you don't see every day like the dulcimer or clackamore, handpan, clapsticks, marimba, and nose flute. Really? A nose flute? Why would you want to do that?

Mutt's Day – Not to be confused with National Mutt Day on December 2nd. This is, however, a day to celebrate a much maligned canine. Many people disparage the mutt and look for a purebred dog. However, it has been proven that mutts can be a blend of traits from different kinds of dogs that may suit your family better than a purebred. Plus, they usually have fewer health problems than purebreds do, so don't discount a mutt before you get to know him/her better.

July 30, 2016

Today we celebrate:

National Cheesecake Day – The flavor of the cheesecake is not specified so I think it would be acceptable to have whatever kind you like best. I’m not particular. I have yet to meet a cheesecake I don’t like. I even like the Jello No Bake Cheesecake. I pile on the mandarin oranges and I’m in heaven.

International Day Of Friendship – This day has been declared the official International Friendship Day by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2011, however some countries choose to celebrate this day on the first Sunday in August. It was actually begun by the greeting card industry in the 1920's in the United States, but it didn't do well because people thought it was a pretty obvious ploy to sell greeting cards. It never really gained popularity, but it never really went away either. Then, with the spread of the internet and mobile phone technology, it has spread to other countries who have adopted the sentiment behind the day wholeheartedly.  Maybe people in other countries are less cynical than Americans.

National Dance Day – Begun by Nigel Lythgoe and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton in 2010, this is a day to celebrate dancing and other forms of physical fitness in order to have a healthy lifestyle and fight obesity. We celebrate on the last Saturday in July by dancing or participating in another physical activity that you enjoy.

Paperback Book Day – On this day, in 1935, Penguin Books published its first paperback books. Ten of them, in fact. While there had been other paper covered books before, they were considered poor quality books to say the least, such as dime novels. These ten in 1935 were the first respectable books to be printed inexpensively in this manner and included authors Ernest Hemingway and Agatha Christie, as well as 8 others that you may not recognize as readily these days.

Father-In-Law Day – This is a day to honor your father-in-law. Hopefully you have a good relationship with yours so call him up today or go see him if you can and wish him a very happy day.

National Support Public Education Day – There was a petition out there on change.org that  attempted to gather support to ask the President of the United States to declare this day National Support Public Education Day. The petition was begun by the SOS Million Teacher March Organization in an effort to convince the government that public education needs the kind of support that a special day like this can give. Unfortunately, they were only able to gather 322 signatures so it wasn’t enough.

Paddle For Perthes Disease Awareness Day – Legg-Calve-Perthes disease is a disease that causes problems with the blood supply to the hips. Without enough blood, the bones break easily and do not heal well. So, to celebrate today, we don't use our legs much, hence the paddling. Paddle your canoe, or kayak or small boat or raft to show support for those who suffer from this disease. This day is always celebrated on the last Saturday of July.

July 29, 2016

Today we celebrate:

National Cheese Sacrifice Purchase Day – It looks like your goal today is to catch some mice so you need to sacrifice some cheese for bait. I don't have an mouse to catch, thank goodness. If you do, better get some good cheese so they are very tempted.

Lipstick Day - This is a day to celebrate an item that has been used to beautify women for thousands of years. Who knew that lipstick had been around that long? Of course, it hasn’t always been in those convenient little tubes. There was a time when wearing lipstick was considered scandalous and only women of ill repute would dare do so. But we live in a more enlightened society now and everyone can wear it without fear of being judged. I don’t wear it much because I like to kiss my kids every chance I get and they get mad if I leave telltale marks on their faces.

National Lasagna Day – Delicious layers of a wide and flat pasta and cheese and whatever else you like to put in your lasagna. I prefer a meat filled lasagna but vegetables are good too.

Rain Day – The history of Rain Day is too involved for me to get into here so I will post a site where you can read all about it. I will say that it began with Byron Daly in 1874 in the Daly & Spraggs Drug Store in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, and involves rain, betting, hats, lots of celebrities and a Rain Day Prophet. Fascinating!

National Chicken Wing Day – Proclaimed in 1977 by Mayor Stan Makowski of Buffalo, NY, this day has been celebrated with enthusiasm every year since. Apparently the people in Buffalo REALLY love their chicken wings and eat thousands of them every week. That is why they are sometimes called Buffalo wings. I have also seen evidence that this is also an international day so anyone who wants to can celebrate with you.

Anniversary of the Army Chaplain Corps – Celebrating its’ 241st year of supporting the faith of the armed forces with an incredibly diverse group of Chaplains. There are a little less than 3,000 Chaplains from about 130 different faith groups including a Hindu Chaplain and two Buddhist Chaplains who signed on a few years ago. I had no idea they supported that many different faiths. They also have Muslims, Orthodox and Jewish, as well as the standard Catholic and Christian denominations.

National Talk In An Elevator Day – Celebrated on the last Friday in July, this is a day to gather your courage, take a deep breath, and....talk in an elevator. Normally, people riding in an elevator with strangers will stay silent which can sometimes feel awkward. So break the silence today and talk about whatever comes to mind. Word of caution, however….it might be better to talk to your fellow elevator riders and not just to yourself. Otherwise, the awkwardness will probably skyrocket.

System Administrator Appreciation Day – System Administrators make our working lives possible these days. You would be hard pressed to find any job that does not in some way rely on a computer system in order to function, and system administrators are the ones who set up the systems, make sure they work properly, back up anything that needs to be backed up and upgrade anything that becomes out of date. Make sure you find one and thank him/her today. This day is also celebrated on the last Friday in July.

July 28, 2016

Today we celebrate:

National Chili Dog Day – Celebrated on the last Thursday in July, this is a day to celebrate chili dogs. I don’t know about this one….chili dogs do not quite qualify as food in my house, although my children disagree. If you agree with them, celebrate by eating one today. If you look around, you may find some restaurants that will give you one for free if you purchase something else.

National Hamburger Day - The quintessential summertime food. We grill these probably once a week at least during the summer months, although we use our grill year round as long as it isn’t covered in a pile of snow, but since most normal people probably don’t do that, enjoy some grilled hamburgers while you can.

World Nature Conservation Day - This is a day to focus on and hopefully spread the idea that we need to do all we can to protect our world by conserving our natural resources and learning how to manage them in such a way that we will be able to avoid running out of what we need to survive. Right now we are depleting the resources we depend upon much faster than they are able to renew themselves. We are destroying the world that we cannot live without.

National Milk Chocolate Day – People have been making and eating some form of chocolate since around 1000 B.C. So it's no wonder so many of us love it. It's a part of our history. Milk chocolate is one of the sweeter varieties since it's just chock full of sugar, milk, cocoa butter and cocoa liquor.

Buffalo Soldiers Day – Started in 1992 by the United States Congress, this is a day to commemorate the first regular Army regiment of African-American soldiers formed on this day in 1866. Now in case you are confused by this, because I'm sure you know that African-American regiments fought in the Civil War several years prior to 1866, the difference is that they were not permanent regiments. This day is typically celebrated with reenactments, and museum programs, prayer services and other assorted memorials.

World Hepatitis Day – Celebrated for the last 6 years, this is a day to understand this disease and spread awareness of it around the world as well as how to avoid becoming infected and what to do if you already have it. Hepatitis B and C are considered “silent” viruses because they do not present obvious symptoms, but if you do not get the proper treatment, they can lead to life threatening complications with your liver. Both of these viruses are spread through blood to blood contact although Hepatitis B can also be spread through other body fluids.

July 27, 2016

Today we celebrate:

Cross Atlantic Communication Day - On this day in 1866, the first sustained trans-Atlantic telegraph cable was finished. This allowed almost instantaneous communication between Newfoundland and Ireland. It had been attempted several times before, but the cables always failed in some way. Although in 1858 it lasted long enough for the first message to be sent. But it wasn’t until 8 years after that first message that a strong enough cable was invented to do the job right. Celebrate today by communicated with someone overseas by whatever method you find easiest. Phone, text, email, skype...whatever you want, because now we are fortunate enough to have many different options available to us.

Take Your Pants For A Walk Day - This is a day for exercise, which is easier to do if you wear pants, hence the name of the day. The more often you put your pants on to exercise, the better your pants will fit you, after all. Walking is the easiest exercise to do since most people have their legs with them all of the time. So put on your pants, and get those legs moving.

Bagpipe Appreciation Day - This day celebrates bags of air with pipes sticking out of them. Bagpipes are a very old instrument. They are even mentioned in the Bible, or so I am told, I haven’t finished reading it yet. They have been used in Scotland since before the 1700’s (different types of bagpipes began to appear there around this time) and are typically associated with that country although they are used in countries all over the world and have been for hundreds of years. They used to be used in weddings, wars and funerals. They are probably still used for weddings and funerals and are certainly heard from during parades as well.

Walk On Stilts Day – This is a day to practice walking on stilts. Stilt walking is an old and very entertaining method of transportation. Once you get good at it, you can cover distance faster than your regular old feet because you can take much longer strides. And, until you get good at it, it is a great source of entertainment for those who are watching you learn how to walk on them.

National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day – Declared by the President of the United States of America, this is a day to commemorate the 61st Anniversary of the Korean War Armistice. There will be a special ceremony by the Department of Defense in Washington D.C. at 8am at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C.

National Barbie-in-a-Blender Day – This is an interesting day created by freeculture.org. This is an organization that “promotes the public interest in intellectual property and information & communications technology policy.” It was created when an artist, Tom Forsythe, was sued by Mattel for taking a picture of a Barbie doll in a blender. Mattel lost that one. And today you can celebrate your right of free speech by taking your own picture of a Barbie in a blender.

National Scotch Day - Scotch is a kind of whiskey that is made in Scotland. It dates back probably 200 years or more and is typically served by itself in a glass, or over ice. I’m sure there are some recipes that make more elaborate beverages using Scotch as one of the ingredients, but I don’t know what they are. You’ll have to ask your friendly neighborhood bartender.

July 26, 2016

Today we celebrate:

National Coffee Milkshake Day - It’s hot, some days it’s really hot, being July in the Northern Hemisphere and all. But we all still love coffee. So someone got the bright idea that coffee mixed with a milkshake would be delicious and cool and I have to say that whoever decided to try that, was brilliant individual.

National Bagelfest – All bagels, all day long today. Have as many as you can stand. Mix it up a little since bagels come in all kinds of flavors. You might even want to try your hand at making your own. I've done it and they've come out pretty good. Well, good enough for my kid anyway. I can’t claim that they looked beautiful but it’s all in how they taste, right?

One Voice Day – On this day, the people of the world will unite at 6pm Universal Time (1pm EST) and recite the Universal Peace Covenant in one voice. This is a day to unite spiritually as well as vocally in order to proclaim your dedication to achieving world peace. You can find the Universal Peace Covenant here.

All Or Nothing Day – This is a day to risk it all. This could be your last day on this planet, after all. You never know what the future will bring, so live life like it's your last chance to do whatever it is you have been really wanting to do. Do not, however, be tempted to break any laws today because you could have quite a few years left in this life and you really don't want to spend them in jail.

Aunt And Uncle Day – This is a day to honor your parent's siblings. It is not an official day yet as far as I know, but there has been a movement in the works to try to make it one. What can you do today to make your aunts and uncles feel loved?

July 25, 2016

Today we celebrate:

Feast of Saint James - James was one of Jesus Christ’s apostles, and brother of John, another apostle. He is traditionally believed to be the first of the apostles to be martyred for his faith when he was killed by order of King Herod.

Health and Happiness with Hypnosis Day - I couldn’t find much information for this day but it appears to be a day to improve your health and level of happiness by using hypnosis. I have heard that sometimes hypnosis can help with issues like overeating and smoking, so I guess it stands to reason that it could help in other ways too. Maybe with blood pressure issues, for example. And if it can help with relaxation and stress reduction, that would certainly make us happier, right? It’s worth a try, but make sure you go to a reputable Hypnotist, not your cousin Vinny who read a book about it once.

International Red Shoe Day - This is a day of remembrance for people who have died because of illnesses that are considered invisible. They care called that because the outward appearance of the person doesn’t change, and the illnesses, such as Lyme Disease and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, present symptoms that can be very mysterious with no obvious cause. Indeed, some people start to believe that the patient is making up their symptoms, and they should just get up and get on with life. Which is, of course, exactly what the person would love to be able to do. This day was created in memory of Theda Myint, of Australia, who died on this day in 2013 because of Lyme Disease. Honor the day by wearing red shoes today.

National Wine And Cheese Day - Created by Jace Shoemaker-Galloway, this is a day to celebrate a popular combination of flavors. Who doesn’t like wine and cheese together? Well….me, I guess, since I can’t really eat cheese. But I used to like it and there are lots of people with very refined tastes who can tell you which cheese goes best with which wine. I have never been that good and I would eat any cheese with any wine and think it was delicious.

National Hot Fudge Sundae Day – Does anyone really need an excuse to have a hot fudge sundae? Well, if you do, I've just given it to you. You’re welcome!

Carousel Day or Merry-Go-Round Day – This is a day to celebrate Carousels. They were invented in 1871 by William Schneider and children and adults have enjoyed them ever since. Although the antique wooden carousels that were carved in the late 1800s and early 1900s are quickly becoming extinct, you can find a few around that have been restored.  Otherwise, the newer ones still go round and round so they are fun as well.

Culinarians Day – This is a day for people who love food and love to cook. This kind of person is considered to be a chef whether it's a hobby or a living. This is not a day to simply cook. It is a day to create, or if you do not have that talent, it is a day to order and enjoy food made by those who do.

Thread The Needle Day – This is a term that can either refer to sewing or to the fine line that is found between two difficult decisions. I'm unsure which we are celebrating today so feel free to use whichever suits your situation.

July 24, 2016

Today we celebrate:

Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints Pioneer Day – This is a holiday in Utah that remembers the entry of Brigham Young and his group of Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley on this day in 1847. This day is celebrated by staging reenactments, dances, potlucks and pioneer games. Celebrations do not have to take place today, each Church will schedule them as fits their calendar.

Cousins Day – This is a day to celebrate cousins. I love my cousins but see them far too infrequently because they are pretty far away and we all lead busy lives. Some of them I haven’t seen in a lot of years. If you have the same situation, find a way to spend some time with them today or at least talk to them and let them know how much you love them.

National Drive-Thru Day – This is a day to celebrate businesses that allow you to not ever get out of your car. Drive-thru restaurants, or drive-thru pharmacies, or even drive-thru stores in some areas, are some of the options you have open to you today. I hope your car is comfortable.

Amelia Earhart Day – Amelia was born on this day in 1897 in Kansas. She was only the 16th woman to be issued a pilot's license. She became famous for being the first person to fly over both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Sadly, she was attempting to fly around the earth when she disappeared and was never seen again. The assumption is that she had plane trouble and went down somewhere in the ocean but there is a lot of mystery involved since many of her personal belongings have been found on various Pacific islands.

National Tequila Day – I'm told that tequila is very good and can be mixed into some delicious drinks. But when I was young, I saw a television show where a man drank tequila out of a dirty glass and there was a disgusting worm at the bottom of it. Even today the thought of drinking tequila turns my stomach. Call me crazy if you want to, I don't mind.

Tell An Old Joke Day – Laughter is a great medicine. Today is a day to get it working for you by telling an old joke to someone. Just make sure it's a good joke, and if you need to find someone who hasn't heard it before, try neighborhood children for your audience. Well, as long is it isn't a dirty joke.

Auntie's Day – This is the seventh year celebrating this day that is just for Aunts. It is celebrated on the fourth Sunday in July and is a day to acknowledge the fact that unlike parents, aunts step in because they choose to. They can play with their nieces and nephews when parents are too busy so they can give parents a break and occupy the kids for a while. They spend money on the kids because they want to, not because they have to, and they have unlimited amounts of love and patience because they are not tested to the brink every day like parents are. I couldn't find a reliable source for the origin of this day but most of us have at least one Aunt that we love dearly, or maybe you are one yourself. If you do have one, give her a call today and tell her how much you love her.

Parents' Day – This is a day to celebrate your parents or celebrate being a parent. We wouldn't be here without our parents so show them how much you appreciate their love and support over the years. And, just to be clear, it doesn't matter if your parents are biological or if you got them in some other manner. Biology doesn't make a parent, love does. This day was created in 1994 by President Bill Clinton and the U. S. Congress and is celebrated every 4th Sunday of July. The National Parents’ Council says that this is a day for parents to honor their children and rededicate themselves to strengthen their families by demonstrating unconditional love.