May 20, 2018

Today we celebrate:


Pentecost – This is Greek for Feast of Weeks.  For Christians, this is a feast celebrating the time that the Holy Spirit descended upon the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. This day is sometimes known as Whitsunday because of the white clothing that was worn on this day by those who were baptized during the period of time between Easter and Pentecost.

Everybody Draw Mohammed Day - This is a protest against censorship day, and truthfully I’m not sure it is still going on. I’m certainly not finding the thousands of people who supported it when it was created by Molly Norris in 2010. The idea was that if thousands or maybe millions of people drew depictions of Mohammed, then the ones who threatened cartoonists with death, would not be able to find and kill everyone. They were trying to get across the idea that these extremists didn’t have the right to censor what the world wants to say, do, or draw.

World Autoimmune Arthritis Day – Three years ago, this became the first global online awareness celebration. It is hosted by many groups and organizations in the Autoimmune Arthritis community. It is going to be online again this year. It is an interactive, live, virtual convention that lasts for 47 hours and is free. This day was chosen for celebrations because in 2012, the first solar eclipse of the century occurred which the organizers used to symbolize the misunderstandings surrounding Autoimmune Arthritis Diseases.

Be A Millionaire Day – I could not determine the origins of this day but it seems to be about most everyone's desire to be a millionaire. I could not find any good advice on how to make it happen so maybe you should play the lottery today. That seems to be the quickest way.

Pick Strawberries Day – This is the season for picking strawberries. They are best when you pick them yourself and eat them while they are still warm from the sunshine. Call the place you usually go to pick them first, however. The weird weather we have all experienced has delayed a lot of their growth this year.

National Quiche Lorraine Day – This dish was apparently named after the Lorraine region of France and dates back to the 6th century. It is the original quiche recipe, all others are mere adaptations.

Eliza Doolittle Day – Eliza Doolittle is a fictional character from the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw in 1912. You may know it better by the musical version called My Fair Lady. I was not able to figure out why she rates her own day or why it needed to be this day.

Weights & Measures Day – On this day in 1875, an international treaty was signed establishing an International Bureau of Weights and Measures. Clearly an important organization, but I can't help but think that if it were not created, would we all be as concerned about measuring how much we weigh?

Stepmother’s Day - Celebrated on the Sunday after Mother’s Day, this is a day to appreciate your stepmother. It is not easy to blend families, sometimes tensions run high and children may resent it when a new woman comes in to take the mother roll, even if it’s only part time because the children divide their time between their divorced parents. It isn’t easy for the stepmother either, and today we acknowledge that reality and appreciate the efforts that she makes to be the best mother she can be.

Neighbor Day – There are a number of these days sprinkled around the year. September 28, May 30, and March 29 all come to mind. But this particular day was begun in 1993 in Rhode Island because of a tragedy which ended in the loss of one life and the incarceration of another. The hope of this day is to get to know your neighbors, be concerned for them and be willing to help them when they need it and, hopefully, they will do the same for you. We celebrate this day on the Sunday before Memorial Day Weekend.

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