National Blow Bagpipes Day - Now, you may know that the Scottish are not the only ones who like to play the bagpipes, but whenever any of us hear or see bagpipes, we think of the Scottish first. I think it is a requirement that all Scottish people have to listen to bagpipe music at least once a year or they are no longer allowed to call themselves Scottish. It looks like a difficult instrument to learn but I enjoy them when I hear them in the local parades.
National Carbonated Beverage with Caffeine Day - There aren’t too many carbonated beverages with caffeine that I am aware of. I can really only think of soda. If there are others out there, let me know because I’m thinking that the powers that be could have saved themselves some space if they called this National Soda Day. Maybe the problem lies in the fact that different parts of the country call soda something different. Would anyone like some pop?
Play Monopoly Day - Is there anyone out there who has never played Monopoly? I don’t know if you can find a plain old Monopoly game board any more. They make them all with themes these days like Harry Potter Monopoly. Well, whatever kind of Monopoly you have, dig it out because the family is going to be playing it today.
American Made Matters Day – This is a day that is a “Call-to-Action” for American consumers. We can change our economy for the better if more of us buy American made products than imported products. The goal is to encourage everyone to buy at least one American made product today so check those tags and look for American made products when you are shopping.
Equal Opportunity Day (aka Gettysburg Address Day) – On this day in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. Now considered one of the greatest speeches of all time, at THAT time it was just another speech that was thankfully short. Unlike most politicians, President Lincoln didn’t believe in talking just to hear himself talk. This speech was only 272 words.
International Men's Day – Begun in 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago, this is a day to focus on Men's health (when I say 'men', I mean all males whatever their age), gender equality and promoting positive male role models. We need to celebrate their achievements in life and particularly their importance to their communities and families.
Rocky and Bullwinkle Day – An animated television series that began on this day in 1959 and was originally called Rocky & His Friends. For those too young to remember or have seen the reruns, this is a show that featured a flying squirrel named Rocky and a moose named Bullwinkle who was his best friend. It was big on puns and satire and was enjoyed by adults as well as children.
World Toilet Day – Designated by the United Nations General Assembly, this is a day to focus on the lack of clean toilets in the world. More than a billion people in this world do not have a toilet at all and more than 2 billion do not have a clean toilet. That's a lot of people living in unsanitary conditions that spread disease.
GIS Day (Geographic Information Systems) – Celebrated on the third Wednesday in November, this is a day to demonstrate the real and practical uses of GIS. This technology has expanded the lives of millions of direction challenged people all over the world. This day was first celebrated in 1999 and was created by Ralph Nader.
National Educational Support Professionals Day – Celebrated on the Wednesday of the week before Thanksgiving, this is a day to honor everyone who provides services to schools. There are lots of people besides teachers and principals who are involved in making sure your children have a good education. These are the secretaries, custodians, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, monitors, teacher aides and probably many others depending on the school you are part of.
