I just learned that holidays have gotten out of hand. Every day of the year has been set aside to celebrate some strange observance in either the United States or the world.
For example, did you know that June 4 every year is National Hug Your Cat Day? My brother and sister will be pleased to know this. I’m serious! There is also a National Hugging Day when we are encouraged to grab another human being and hang on. This was celebrated for the first time in 1986, and the place of inauguration was Clio, MI. There are 5 towns that have been named for the Greek Muse of history and poetry. National Hugging Day was officially moved to January 21st for reasons I do not know. It’s actually not such a bad idea to hug except during a pandemic when we are not even supposed to touch each other or get within six feet of another human. National Puppy Day, a holiday idea with genuine substance, is March 23rd. This has been true since 2006 when Colleen Paige, an animal behaviorist, came up with the idea. Colleen suggests that you either get a puppy on March 23rd or protest puppy farms and puppy mills. At the very least every American should celebrate the deep bond that exists between dogs and humans on this day.
I like the idea for a National Zipper Day. This was celebrated for the first time on April 29, 1913, to honor a Swedish/American engineer named Gideon Sundback, who patented his invention of the zipper on that day. I also like the idea of celebrating Word Nerd Day. That would be on January 9 each year. On that day we should all play Scrabble, do a crossword puzzle, or look up one of the words that the American Heritage Dictionary says every high school graduate in the United States should know. I wrote about this list of 100 words on July 12, 2021, with the title “Words to Ponder”. If you do not know what it means to abrogate, start here. To abrogate is to repeal or get rid of a law, right, or formal agreement or evade a duty. I also like the idea of a National Nothing Day. On this holiday we should honor one of the philosophers who celebrated nothingness. This day was started by Harold Pullman Coffin, who had the right surname, in 1973. On January 16 every year we should learn about nothing. We should also learn about Nihilism by studying one of the philosophers who espoused the belief that life is meaningless.
My birthday, June 18, is also National Picnic Day. I like this. On this day we should either enjoy the outdoors or celebrate nature by planning a picnic with friends and family. Or both. Ruth’s birthday is also National Card Playing Day. To honor her, we should either learn a new card game or host a card game night. Ruth loves to play cards and is good at it. Me not so much. My family was poker players and her’s specialized in bridge. That we got together still amazes both families.
Yesterday was National Peach Ice Cream Day. Did you celebrate by having a bowl of this delicious treat? It was also National Tattoo Day or, oddly, National Yellow Pig Day. Today is National Caviar Day.
Christmas, December 25, is also National Pumpkin Pie Day, so to celebrate Christmas you can also make a Pilgrim’s Pumpkin Pie or invent your own variation while getting plenty of Vitamins A, C, potassium, and iron.
Hank
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