September 3, 2016

Today we celebrate:

Skyscraper Day – This is a day to admire the world's tallest skyscrapers such as Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan which is 1,671 feet tall. It is celebrated today because this is Louis H. Sullivan’s birthday. If you are like me and have never heard of Mr. Sullivan, allow me to tell you that he was born in 1856 and is the architect given credit for designing the first skyscrapers. He is sometimes known as the “father” of the American skyscraper. The truth of the matter is that lots of architects had built skyscrapers before or at the same time as Mr. Sullivan so I’m not sure why he is so special but I don’t make the special days, I just tell you about them.

National Welsh Rarebit Day – Welsh Rarebit (also known as Welsh Rabbit) is toast with hot cheese poured over it. It is very popular in Europe. It doesn't have rabbit as an ingredient so it may be that it was invented after an unsuccessful rabbit hunt.

US Bowling League Day - How many bowlers do we have out there? I like to bowl now and then although I don’t claim to be very good at it, it is still a fun activity to do with the kids or a group of friends. If you are part of a bowling league, do some practicing for your next game today. If you are not, see if you can get a group together to bowl a couple of games with you or even start your own league today.

World Beard Day – Always on the first Saturday in September, this is a day to celebrate facial hair. Do you have a beard? If you don't have one, and you are male, don't shave today. Maybe by the end of the day you'll have the start of one.

Franchise Appreciation Day – Celebrated on the Saturday before Labor Day, this is a day to support local franchises. Franchises make up quite a number of small businesses in your area and some of them might have some celebratory activities today.

International Bacon Day - Celebrated on the Saturday before Labor Day in the USA, this is a day to eat bacon all day long. You can include bacon in all kinds of recipes from bacon pancakes for breakfast (or bacon and eggs for the traditionalists among us), to bacon on your salad for lunch, to bacon wrapped scallops for dinner. There are innumerable recipes that you can find to incorporate this delicious but oh, so bad for you deliciousness.

National Hummingbird Day - Celebrated on the first Saturday in September, this is a day to celebrate those amazing little birds who are so tiny, fast and agile. Put out a hummingbird feeder, learn how to feed them, and sit back and enjoy the view.

International Vulture Awareness Day - Vultures are not one of our favorite birds. Just being frank here. No one particularly likes vultures. They are ugly and they eat dead things. But they are still vital to the circle of life and like so many other species, their numbers are dwindling. Today is a day to learn more about vultures and why we need to work to preserve the species.