National Days
United Nations World Wildlife Day
The world is full of amazing creatures from every possible medium. From the birds in the air to the majestic whales of the sea, wildlife abounds in the most unusual and unexpected places. Wildlife benefits us in many ways. World Wildlife Day is a day to remind us of our responsibilities to our world and the lifeforms we share it with. Even though we might like to think so, sometimes, humans aren’t the only living things on Earth. In fact, we’re far outnumbered by other living things, from animals and plants to fungi and bacteria. Wildlife isn’t just something that we passively observe. It’s part of our world and something we need to care for. World Wildlife Day is your chance to celebrate all wildlife, from the smallest insect to blue whales. No matter what you love about wildlife, you can spend the day taking action to help protect it.
On March 3rd, 1973, the United Nations General Assembly took a stand to protect Endangered Species throughout the world. Whether plant or animal, the importance of these species in every area of human life […] could not be understated. At the time, hundreds of endangered species were being threatened every year and extinction was at a staggeringly high rate. CITES was put into place (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) to ensure that the world would not continue to hemorrhage [any] species.
Celebrated annually on March 3rd, World Wildlife Day is a holiday that not only celebrates the diversity of the world’s wild flora and fauna but, also raises awareness about the dangers they face due to human activities. Wildlife today faces many different challenges, which include but, are not limited to, loss of habitat, industrialized farming, commercial development, and overgrazing. Poaching and the trafficking of animal hides, tusks or fur, also pose significant risks to several species, including tigers, rhinos and elephants.
While extinction is a natural phenomenon, many scientists estimate that we are losing species at a rate approximately 10,000 times higher than the natural rate of extinction. Animals that had already gone extinct by 2016 include the heath hen, the Caribbean monk seal, the baiji dolphin, the golden toad, the Caspian tiger and the Tasmanian tiger. The most endangered species, as of 2017, are the ivory-billed woodpecker, Javan rhinoceros, western lowland gorilla, the tiger, the Amur leopard, the Chinese giant salamander and the red wolf.
Initially proposed by Thailand at a United Nations General Assembly, World Wildlife Day was established as an international holiday on December 20th, 2013. It was decided that it would be celebrated on March 3rd because that is the day on which the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was adopted.
What do the orangutans of Borneo, the elephants of Sumatra and the Black Rhino all have in common? Aside from all being totally cool animals that we watch on YouTube, the more sobering truth about these creatures is that they’re all critically endangered species. [On] World Wildlife Day, the UN and its partners are planning to raise awareness of the gravity of this dire situation. An animal is only placed on the critically endangered species list if the International Union for Conservation of Nature believes the animal faces a very high risk for extinction. Russia’s Amur Leopard, found in the far eastern recesses of the country, is on the verge of extinction, with only about 40 left in the world. Unfortunately, this list goes on and on.
Hell Is Freezing Over Day
This isn’t a National Day but, it is a recognized day…of some such celebration. I had to laugh when I saw this one. I like the weird and funky day observations. ~Vic
While we don’t know who created this cold holiday, it must have been someone who finally saw the unthinkable happen. All of us have used it multiple times in our lives. Hell freezing over has also been referenced in popular culture and is the name of the Eagles album that was released in 1994. In an interview, when one of the band members [Don Henley…1980] was asked when they will reunite again, after they announced their break, he said, “When hell freezes over…” implying that a reunion was highly unlikely. They did, however, get back together after a 14-year break and, thus, their second live album was named “Hell Freezes Over.” It was also used in a speech at the United Nations in 1962 by the late Adlai Stevenson ’22.
National Today
Every January 31st, hell freezes over. At least, that’s what Hell Is Freezing Over Day suggests. This holiday must have been created by someone who witnessed something they believed would never happen. After all, the phrase “when hell freezes over” is used to describe the improbability of an event occurring. It’s an idiom that originated in the 19th century and has remained popular well into the 21st century. [It] was first coined in Middle American English to describe an unlikely event. During this time, hell was depicted as one of the hottest places in the universe and a plane of reality that would remain hot for eternity. Thus, it would be seen as highly unlikely that it would ever freeze over. Now that we’ve explained the origins of this idiom, we decided to investigate and see if we could uncover the origins of this holiday. Unfortunately, that is just something we couldn’t accomplish.All that we know about this holiday is that it was created sometime after 2001. We still don’t know who invented it or why they did so. I guess we’ll uncover the entire history behind this holiday when hell freezes over.
Holidays Calendar
In honor of what are some of the coldest feeling days of the year for many people who live in northern places, Hell is Freezing Over Day is here so that everyone can share in the misery together. It’s true that it doesn’t always help to complain, because it certainly isn’t going to change anything but, sometimes it makes a difference to remember that no one is alone and everyone feels like hell is actually freezing over. So, get ready to enjoy the day as much as possible and celebrate the fact that winter won’t actually last forever!
Days Of The Year
Wear Something Gaudy Day
I have not done a National or Celebration Day since July 2020. I routinely do well-known Holidays but, I am putting these back in rotation. Enjoy! ~Vic
Today, October 17, is Wear Something Gaudy Day.
Ever wish there was more than one day a year where you could take all the conventions of proper dress and throw them out the window? Wish no more! Wear Something Gaudy allows you to let all your best examples of excruciatingly bad taste hang out for the world to see. Obviously, the best way is to choose something that is utterly without taste or fashion to wear but, that isn’t the only way. You can find your way to thrift stores to locate out of date fashions that are rarely seen out and about today and, put together an ensemble designed to shock and appall. Even throwing on a eye-searing boa can be a simple way to celebrate or you can just wear colors that clash. Everyone has pieces in their wardrobe that just don’t go, so, get in there and make peoples eyes waggle!
Wear Something Gaudy Day first came into existence through the 1970s sitcom Three’s Company, which was based on a British TV show called Man About the House. In the show, Larry Dallas, played by Richard Kline, is a used car salesman and flashy womanizer who frequently lies about his identity. True to his character, he proposed Wear Something Gaudy Day as a way to celebrate outlandish fashion. The holiday didn’t catch on immediately but, over time, California natives began celebrating it in their tackiest outfits.
[Contrary] to popular belief, the term gaudy does not come from the Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi. Etymologists have traced the usage of the word to the 16th century, well before Gaudi’s time. At that time, the word was used to refer trickery.
Have you ever wondered why dress shirts or jackets have sleeves on their cuffs? It’s actually because of Napoleon. He got tired of watching his soldiers wipe their noses on their sleeves, so he had their jackets equipped with buttons.
Independence Day 2023
As I sit here and watch the Twilight Zone 4th of July marathon and listen to the fireworks going off in the neighborhood, I was thinking about July 4 posts I had made, previously. There is one…my hissing rant from 2020. I was some kind of pissed off. It’s three years later, now and the world is still insane but, the reckoning has started. ~Vic
Veterans Day 2020
I did a post on the 100 year anniversary of the ending of WW I back in 2018. I did a post on my Vietnam Veteran in 2019. This year, I’m staying simple. ~Vic
National Tequila Day
Well (scratching head), Flick Friday is a complete bust. There are no movie releases for today from 1950. Instead, I will highlight National Tequila Day. No, I’m not kidding. As a side note to the below, the listed Mamasita or Mamacita appears to be a Rum drink, not Tequila. But, who am I to argue. Drink up! ~Vic
One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor!
On July 24th, commemorate National Tequila Day with a little lime and salt. Mix up a Margarita, Paloma or a Mamasita to celebrate the day! People have been making Tequila for centuries and it was once known as mezcal wine. In fact, Tequila is mezcal but, mezcal isn’t Tequila. That’s because Tequila is distilled from a specific type of agave plant. Also, the law protects its production. Take a sip and we’ll travel into Tequila’s history.
History
It all started around the 16th century. Cortez [sic] arrived on the North American continent with his Spanish conquistadors. They didn’t care much for the fermented mezcal wine served to them. However, the Spanish introduced copper stills to the population. Enter the distilling process.
Now, our story takes us to Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico. Located in a valley west of Guadalajara in Jalisco, Mexico, the town made a name for themselves by distilling Blue Agave. Even though a variety of succulents in Mexico produce mezcal, only one delivers the nectar to distill Tequila. Blue Agave grows in the highland region. Indeed, the unique growing conditions contribute to a larger size and sweeter tasting agave. In contrast, agave grown in the lowland regions taste and smell more herbal. In Mexico, the law protects the production of Tequila. The rule states Tequila is only Tequila if it is made within Jalisco. Additionally, the law limits production to regions in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacan, Nayarit and Tamaulipas. However, the same ingredients distilled anywhere else cannot be labeled Tequila.
Interestingly, many names in the Tequila business, today, were the very first commercial producers of Tequila. For example, José Antonio Cuervo held the first license for making the favored beverage. He kept a well-known company, too. Two other names include Don Cenobio Sauza and Félix López, whose businesses continue in some form today. Equally enjoyed in cocktails such as the margarita or Tequila Sunrise, connoisseurs savor a good Tequila like a good whiskey. As a result, savvy drinkers experience the smooth renaissance of Tequila. Surprisingly, it’s not the firewater they remember from their youth.
National Day Calendar is researching the origins of this beverage holiday.
Late Add. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this, earlier.
National Jukebox Day
Hey, hey, hey…PAR-TAY! I love a jukebox and I had no idea there was a national celebration day. ~Vic
From National Day Calendar:
On the day before gathering around the turkey, gather around the nearest jukebox to celebrate National Jukebox Day! As Americans flock to their hometowns for Thanksgiving, many will head out to neighborhood bars and restaurants. They’ll catch up with friends and family and, celebrate by playing great songs on their local jukebox.
The name jukebox is thought to originate from places called juke houses or jook joints. In the early 1900s, people congregated in these establishments to drink and listen to music. Throughout history, the jukebox continued to evolve with the times. While the Blue Grass Boys played to sold-out audiences in the Grand Ole Opry, guys and gals danced the night away by playing their song over and over, again, on the jukebox at a local pub. With the advancement of technology, today’s jukebox is more versatile than ever before. Throughout each era, from big band, jazz, country and blues, to rock & roll, acoustic, and electric, and everything in between, the jukebox has played it all.
History…
In 1889, Louis Glass and his partner William S. Arnold invented the first coin-operated player in San Francisco. They were both managers of the Pacific Phonograph Co. Formally known as the nickel-in-the-slot machine, the player included a coin operation feature on an Edison phonograph. However, it played a limited selection of songs without any amplification.
When recording artists first crooned into microphones and cut records into vinyl, an aspiring inventor in a Chicago music store worked nights to build a box that would play both sides of the record. The Automatic Entertainer was introduced by John Gabel and included 24 song selections.
The 1930s were considered the start of “The Golden Era” for jukeboxes as manufacturers including Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., The J. P. Seeburg Corp., The Rock-Ola Manufacturing Corp. and Automatic Musical Instrument Co., competed to produce them for diners, saloons and other entertainment locations.
1946 ushered in “The Silver Age” for jukeboxes as market demand for the newest and greatest technology soared. Fashionable and sleek, jukeboxes weren’t just music players, they were centerpieces often flamboyant with color and chrome. Neon and sci-fi became a tremendous influence on style as well.
Modern Era…
The 1960s was the start of a new modern age for jukeboxes. Designs of coin-operated models went through radical changes, not only because of the availability of new materials, such as plastic but also because of the need to accommodate customer demand for more song selection.
In 1989, compact-disc mechanisms replaced the older record style players as newer technology became affordable and rapidly implemented among the general population. Jukeboxes started to become more of a novelty than a necessity.
TouchTunes founded National Jukebox Day to celebrate the iconic jukebox and the powerful memories it evokes in people.
Elvis
Terry Stafford (Elvis sound-alike)
Foreigner
Alan Jackson
Summer Solstice 2019
I did a post last year, celebrating the Summer Solstice of 2018. I got some really cool pictures that day. I got a few this year with some visitations from nature.
If anyone can identify my caterpillar, let me know. ~Vic
The Summer Solstice for our area of the planet was at 11:45am EDT.
The word “solstice” comes from Latin solstitium — from sol (Sun) and stitium (still or stopped), reflecting the fact that on the solstice, the Sun appears to stop “moving” in the sky as it reaches its northern or, southernmost point (declination) for the year, as seen from Earth. After the solstice, the Sun appears to reverse course and head back in the opposite direction. The motion referred to here is the apparent path of the Sun when one views its position in the sky at the same time each day, for example at local noon. Over the year, its path forms a sort of flattened figure eight, called an analemma. Of course, the Sun, itself, is not moving (unless you consider its own orbit around the Milky Way Galaxy). Tnstead, this change in position in the sky that we on Earth notice is caused by the tilt of Earth’s axis as it orbits the Sun, as well as Earth’s elliptical, rather than circular, orbit. The timing of the June solstice is not based on a specific calendar date or time. It all depends on when the Sun reaches its northernmost point from the equator.
Did you know that the Sun actually sets more slowly around the time of a solstice, in that it takes longer to set below the horizon? This is related to the angle of the setting Sun. The farther the Sun sets from due west along the horizon, the shallower the angle of the setting Sun. (Conversely, it’s faster at or near the equinoxes.) Bottom-line, enjoy those long romantic summertime sunsets at or near the solstice!
Many cultures, both ancient and modern, celebrate the sunlight with rituals and holidays. Every year on the summer solstice, thousands of people travel to Wiltshire, England, to Stonehenge […]. There are many Midsummer celebrations all over the planet.
[Source]
National Lineman Appreciation Day
April 18 has three fixed celebrations, two ‘Third Thursday’ celebrations and one floating celebration. Today is National Lineman Appreciation Day.
From National Day Calendar:
If the power is on where you are reading this article, you likely have a lineman to thank. From the power plant, the grid crisscrossing the country, both above and underground, and right up to the meters on our homes, these men, and women, build and maintain the system that keeps our nation running. Regardless of the source, the electricity has to be transported by employing transformers and other equipment. Due to the dangerous conditions power poses, safety is of utmost importance for both the lineman and the consumer.
When mother nature destroys what our linemen have built up, they are on call to build it back up again as quickly as possible. These men and women work tirelessly to get emergency systems back in working order and, urgently, return service to remaining areas. Even when there is no crisis, they work under dangerous conditions on a daily basis. Whether they are working in trenches, near water or on high towers, the risks are extreme.
This day was first recognized on April 10, 2013, by the U.S. Senate [via] Resolution S Res 95.
Northwest Lineman College Appreciation Day Tribute Gallery
[I think some Glen Campbell would be appropriate…or, REM, if you prefer. ~Vic]
National Vietnam War Veterans Day
I’ve posted for Veterans Day on November 11 and POW/MIA Recognition Day, the third Friday in September. Today is the national acknowledgement of the final pull-out of US troops in South Vietnam, ending our direct involvement.
From National Day Calendar:
[…] Veterans of this time period are gaining the respect that was not so freely given upon their return. Involving five U.S. presidents, crossing nearly two decades and 500,000 U.S.military personnel, it left an indelible mark on the American psyche. Returning Veterans did not always receive respectful welcomes upon their arrive on American soil. There were 58,000 killed, never to return. National Vietnam War Veterans Day recognizes the military service of these men and women who answered the call to service their country when she needed them. They didn’t make the decisions to go to war.
U.S. Sens. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., introduced legislation in 2017 to honor Vietnam Veterans with a day on the anniversary of the withdrawal of military units from South Vietnam. President Donald Trump signed the Vietnam War Veterans Day Act on March 28, 2017, calling for U.S. flags to be flown on March 29 for those who served.
From The History Channel:
[…] in January 1973, representatives of the United States, North and South Vietnam and, the Vietcong signed a peace agreement in Paris, ending the direct U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War. Its key provisions included a cease-fire throughout Vietnam, the withdrawal of U.S. forces, the release of prisoners of war and, the reunification of North and South Vietnam through peaceful means. The South Vietnamese government was to remain in place until new elections were held and North Vietnamese forces in the South were not to advance further nor be reinforced.
Two months after the signing of the Vietnam peace agreement, the last U.S. combat troops [left] South Vietnam as Hanoi [freed] the remaining American prisoners of war held in North Vietnam. In Saigon, some 7,000 U.S. Department of Defense civilian employees remained behind to aid South Vietnam in conducting what looked to be a fierce and ongoing war with communist North Vietnam. […] before the last American troops departed on March 29, the communists violated the cease-fire and, by early 1974, full-scale war had resumed. At the end of 1974, South Vietnamese authorities reported that 80,000 of their soldiers and civilians had been killed in fighting during the year […].
On April 30, 1975, the last few Americans still in South Vietnam were airlifted out of the country as Saigon fell to communist forces.
Addendum
I live with a Vietnam Seabee Veteran. He was in-country at Camp Haskins, Red Beach, Da Nang harbor during Khe Sanh, Tet and the Battle of Hue. Thankfully, he was not directly affected but, he was nearly blown out of a guard tower when the USMC Da Nang Air Base was attacked in January 1968. He keeps a wad of shrapnel and an empty grenade in the office as a reminder of what nearly got him. He’s told me stories of returning home and being flipped off by civilians. He was never spit on, like some stories I’ve heard but, he certainly wasn’t welcomed back. ~Vic
National Love Your Pet Day
February 20 has two celebrations. National Love Your Pet Day is, clearly, a national day to love your pet(s)…as if we need a reason or an excuse to shower our fur-babies with adoration or smother them with kisses and hugs. Still, it’s a sweet sentiment to proclaim a national day of rejoicing for our companions or, best friends or, children or, partners. They fulfill so many needs on so many levels that volumes of literature exist that could occupy a very large library.
The statistics on pets in the U.S. is interesting and on the rise. As of March 2017, 68% of all households have a pet(s), up from 56% in 1988. Topping the list, believe it or not, is freshwater fish. All of a sudden, I am seeing Nemo in the aquarium of the dentist’s office. Yeah. I know. Nemo was a saltwater fish but, that is the first thing that popped into my head.
The National Day Calendar folks couldn’t find the creator of this day but, thank you, whomever you are. So, give your pet(s) an extra hug or, a scratch or, a new toy or, treats (they really, really like treats) in celebration. They won’t mind.
The photos, below, are my personal collection. © ~Vic
Also celebrated today:
National Cherry Pie Day
Cheers and enjoy!
National Hangover Day
January 1 has three celebrations with New Year’s Day being the most obvious. It is also National Hangover Day, a time of global suffering after the New Year’s Eve parties all over the planet. Loud snoring, moans, groans, staggering and heaving noises can be heard in nearly every neighborhood. Lost cars, car keys, phones, glasses, shoes and, quite possibly, underwear befuddle the squinty-eyed masses. Trashcans overflowing with bottles, cans and party favors litter cities worldwide and returning garbage workers will, collectively, curse tomorrow, many still suffering from their own hangovers. It’s a great time to be alive. The folks at National Day Calendar have graciously provided everyone with a list of symptoms, preventive measures and cures.
At a get together at the Oven and Tap, a restaurant in Bentonville, Arkansas, in October of 2015, people were talking about National Days. The conversation then turned to what day on the calendar had little or no National Days attached to it. When it was announced that January 1 was only known as New Year’s Day, Keegan Calligar and Marlo Anderson both stated, simultaneously, that it should be National Hangover Day.
National Hangover Day was submitted by Keegan Calligar and Marlo Anderson in October 2015. The day was approved by the registrar of National Day Calendar in November of 2015.
Also celebrated:
National Bloody Mary Day (How àpropos…)
Cheers and enjoy!
National Buy Nothing Day
November 23 is a busy, busy day of 10 celebrations. I will highlight Buy Nothing Day as our consumerism is out of control.
This observance always falls on the day after Thanksgiving, coinciding with Black Friday. Some of the ways to observe are pretty funny:
♦ Cut up your credit cards.
♦ Do the whirl-mart…the act of pushing your empty cart around, disrupting other shoppers and buying absolutely nothing.
♦ Do a Christmas Zombie Walk…become the expression of obsessed Black Friday shoppers.
It appears the Canadians have the distinction of starting the movement as a protest in 1992. Vancouver artist Ted Dave founded and organized it in September. It was moved to the Friday after Thanksgiving in 1997.
Just stay home. Do you really need to spend that money and deal with all the frenzy? Just so you know, this Black Friday is on a full moon. Watch out.
Also celebrated:
National Cashew Day (Yum!)
National Eat A Cranberry Day (More yum!)
National Espresso Day
National Day of Listening (Day after Thanksgiving)
National Native American Heritage Day (Day after Thanksgiving/Yeah!)
Black Friday (Boo!)
National Flossing Day (Day after Thanksgiving)
Maize Day (Day after Thanksgiving)
Your Welcomegiving Day (Day after Thanksgiving)
Story Sunday: War & Remembrance 1918
“On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the guns fell silent.”
[Note: This is not a post to re-visit the actual war or discuss the minute details of every event. I will leave that to the historical scholars.]
One hundred years ago, today, the “war to end all wars” came to an end with the signing of the final Armistice in a railroad car in Compiègne, France. The Austro-Hungarian Empire, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire had signed the previous three. This was not the actual surrender as the Treaty of Versailles formally ended the entire war. Signed on June 28, 1919, the treaty was on the exact day, five years later, of the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria.
The last shot fired, closing WWI, was by the American soldiers of Battery E, 11th Field Artillery and a Schneider Howitzer named Calamity Jane.
“The first minute of silence was to indicate gratitude for those who had returned alive…the second to remember the fallen.”
Edward George Honey, an Australian journalist, was the gentleman whom first proposed a moment of silence. The two-minute silence, practiced today, originated in Cape Town, South Africa, via that town’s then Mayor, Sir Harry Hands.
Remembrance Day or, Poppy Day, is the memorial day observed in the Commonwealth of Nations and many non-Commonwealth countries and, evolved from the Armistice Day. Remembrance Sunday is observed by the UK and Commonwealth nations on the Sunday closest to November 11. Armistice Day is the primary holiday in France, Belgium and Serbia. Serbian people wear Natalie’s Ramonda instead of the poppy. The French wear the Bleuet de France, a Cornflower.
♢ Poland celebrates their National Independence Day on November 11.
♢ Italy celebrates their Armistice of Villa Giusti on November 4.
♢ The Republic of Ireland recognizes Armistice & Remembrance Day but, their National Day of Commemoration on the Sunday nearest July 11 is a reflection of their Irish War of Independence that started two months after the Armistice was signed.
♢ Denmark, The Netherlands, Norway and Spain were neutral and, have no specific WWI observances.
♢ Germany has a Peoples Day of Mourning covering all armed conflicts, observed on the Sunday closest to November 16.
We, here in the U.S., at the behest of several veterans organizations, changed Armistice Day to Veterans Day in 1954 to honor all veterans, regardless of a specific war. It is a national holiday and different from Memorial Day (last Monday in May), which honors those whom died while serving and, Armed Forces Day (also in May but, the third Saturday), honoring those currently serving.
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.~Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae
Canadian Expeditionary Force
We Shall Keep The Faith
Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields,
Sleep sweet – to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw
And holding high, we keep the Faith
With All who died.We cherish, too, the poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.And now the Torch and Poppy Red
We wear in honor of our dead.
Fear not that ye have died for naught;
We’ll teach the lesson that ye wrought
In Flanders Fields.~Moina Michael, the “Poppy Lady”
American Professor, University of Georgia