Anti-Bullying Day - Originated in Canada and declared to be celebrated today by the United Nations this is a day to draw attention to the problem of bullying and to work toward preventing it. To support this ideal, wear a pink, blue or purple shirt to symbolize taking a stand against bullying.
National Kids Fitness Day - I’m not sure who created this day, but I have found many references to it so I’m including it here. It seems to be a day for focusing on the physical activity of our children. Many, many kids today are couch potatoes that barely go outside, let alone go out to run and play. Sometimes the only physical activity they get is gym class in school. This needs to change if we want our kids to grow up happy and healthy. So get your kids outside and get them moving, start with a family walk if you don’t know what else to do, or go to a playground with them. Find a fitness class to sign them up for, or a sport they can join. It will make a world of difference.
Renewal Day - This is a day to renew anything and everything that needs to be refreshed. Renew your marriage vows, relationships, library books and hairstyles. Renew your driver’s license, New Year’s resolutions, exercise plan and faded clothes. If you can come up with something else that needs a new lease on life, renew that too.
National Weather Observers Day - So you don’t make a living reporting, recording, or predicting the weather, but you are still obsessed with knowing what the weather is doing at all times. You check the temperature every time you go by the thermometer. You look at the clouds and can tell if it’s going to rain soon. You check the weather channel or an online weather station every hour or so. I think you can be called a weather observer. Congratulations! Here is your day.
Bird Day - Created by Charles Almanzo Babcock way back in 1894, this was the first holiday in this country that was dedicated to birds. Mr. Babcock, a school superintendent in Oil City, Pennsylvania, wanted to teach the world about birds and how important their conservation was, and still is, to the world.
Bike to School Day - The last one of these that we had was in the winter, I think the weather should be much nicer for this one, as long as it doesn’t rain. This is a great day to teach the children to be aware of the environment and methods that reduce greenhouse gases that are warming our planet.
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.
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 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.
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. Chickens don’t have a great life, let’s face it. They live on a farm with a limited life expectancy and may even be kept in a cage its’ entire life. This is a day for befriending a fowl and encouraging others to treat all chickens with respect and compassion.
No Pants Day – Celebrated on the first Friday in May, this is a fun day that involves not wearing any pants. The really fun part is that you have to pretend that there is nothing unusual about what you are doing, then sitting back and watching other people’s reactions. This is probably not a good day to wear a thong, but that’s just my opinion, you do what you want. This is about not taking yourself seriously and reveling in the absurdity of the situation. Some of us more hardy folk celebrated this day back in January 10th, which is the original anniversary of the first guy who, back in 1986, left home without any pants, discovered the oversight on the subway, and bluffed his way through the day because going back home wasn’t an option.
International Space Day – Also celebrated on the first Friday in May, this is a day that is all about space and anything that you can learn about or from space. Museums that have Air and Space exhibits may have special events going on this weekend. This celebration was created by the Lockheed Martin Corp in 1997 in order to get young people all over the world excited about science and math.
International Tuba Day – And another first Friday in May day, this one is about recognizing the challenges that tubists endure in order to play their instrument. These are big and bulky instruments and are frequently disrespected among fellow band players. The day was created by Joel Day (this may or may not be his real name) in 1979 when he was one of two tuba players in his high school band. I’d be happy if my children’s high school band had even one tuba player. Mr. Day continued celebrating this day into college where he was known for popular Tuba Day activities and the celebrations have spread from there.
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