Bizarre and Unique June Holidays

June brings the official start of summer with the arrival of the Summer Solstice, the day that provides us with the most daylight hours of any day during the year. June brings us some big nationally recognized holidays, too, such as Father's Day, Flag Day, and the new federal holiday of Juneteenth. Like other months, June National holidays and world holidays are plentiful.

There are several month long designations in June:  Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, Aquarium Month, Candy Month, Dairy Month, Effective Communications Month, Fight the Filthy Fly Month, Gay and Lesbian Pride Month, Great Outdoors Month, National Accordion Awareness Month, National Adopt a Cat Month, National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month, National Iced Tea Month, Rose Month, and Turkey Lovers Month.

June also has week long celebrations: week one is Fishing Week and also National Gardening Week, week two is Email Week and also Flag Week, and the last full week of the month is Lightning Safety Week.

June 1             Dare Day

                        Flip A Coin Day

June 2             National Bubba Day

                        National Doughnut Day is always the first Friday in June

                        Flip Flop Day is the Friday after Memorial Day

                        National Rocky Road Day

June 3             National Trails Day is the first Saturday in June

                        Repeat Day (I said "Repeat Day"—reminds me of the cartoon character Foghorn Leghorn from the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoons)

                        World Bicycle Day

June 4            Applesauce Cake Day—It seems a little odd to celebrate this day in June since the apple harvest is in the Fall. It doesn’t take much to enjoy Applesauce Cake Day. Just eat a piece of applesauce cake. The only problem is finding it. If you’re lucky, a bakery or a restaurant will offer it as a special today. Otherwise, you may have to make an applesauce cake from scratch.

                        Hug Your Cat Day

                        National Cheese Day

                        National Frozen Yogurt Day—first Sunday in June

                        Old Maid's Day

June 5             Hot Air Balloon Day—Hot air balloons were invented in France in the 1700s. Albuquerque, N.M. hosts the world’s largest hot air balloon festival each year. Over 750 balloons are at the annual festival. However, it happens in October.

                        World Environment Day

June 6             National Gardening Exercise Day—Get out and exercise with your plants.

                        National Yo-Yo Day

June 7             National Chocolate Ice Cream Day

June 8             Best Friends Day

                        Name Your Poison Day

                        World Ocean Day

June 9             Donald Duck Day—Donald first appeared in “The Wise Hen” on June 9, 1934.  While Donald is 89 years old today, he doesn’t act a day over 20. Donald is one of Disney’s most famous and popular characters.

                        National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day

June 10           Ball Point Pen Day

                        Herb and Spices Day

                        Iced Tea Day

June 11           National Children's Day

                        National Corn On The Cob Day

 June 12          National Jerky Day

                        National Peanut Butter Cookie Day

                        Red Rose Day

June 13           National Weed Your Garden Day

                        Sewing Machine Day

June 14           Monkey Around Day

                        Nursing Assistants Day—date varies

June 15           National Nature Photography Day

                        National Prune Day

                        Smile Power Day—Give everyone you see a big, friendly, “I like you” smile. They make you happy. You never know, you’re warm smile just might turn someone’s day right around…for the good!

                        Global Wind Day

June 16           Fresh Veggies Day

                        International Waterfall Day—From water falling a few inches to a foot or more over rocks in a babbling brook, to the thundering cascade of Niagara Falls, people all over the world are absolutely enthralled by waterfalls. The power and sound of the crashing water thrill and amaze onlookers. Each waterfall is unique and beautiful in its own way. Each waterfall has its own character, and no two are quite alike.

                        Take A Road Trip Day—third Friday in June

June 17           Eat Your Vegetables Day

                        National Hollerin' Contest Day—third Saturday in June

                        World Juggler's Day—Saturday closest to June 17th

June 18           Go Fishing Day

                        International Panic Day

                        International Picnic Day

                        Sushi Day

                        National Splurge Day—Oh Yeah!!

                        National Turkey Lovers Day—third Sunday in June

June 19           National Kissing Day—Kissing is so special that we get two holidays to enjoy it. You can choose to participate in International Kissing Day on July 6 or National Kissing Day on June 19.

                        World Sauntering Day

June 20           Ice Cream Soda Day

                        National Bald Eagle Day

June 21           Go Skateboarding Day

                        International Yoga Day

                        National Sea Shell Day

                        National Selfie Day

June22            Chinese Dragon Boat Festival—date varies

                        National Chocolate Éclair Day

                        National Onion Ring Day

                        World Rainforest Day

June 23           Let It Go Day

                        National Food Truck Day—fourth Friday in June

                        National Pink Day

                        Take Your Dog To Work Day—Today is Take Your Dog to Work Day. There is a risk in doing this. We know he won’t complain, as he always wants to spend more time with you. But, what if he does a better job than you!? This holiday is the Friday after Father’s Day.

June 24           International Fairy (or Faery) Day

                        Swim A Lap Day

June 25           Log Cabin Day

                        National Catfish Day

June 26           Beautician's Day

                        Forgiveness Day

                        National Canoe Day

June 27           National Columnists Day—fourth Tuesday in June

                        National Onion Day

                        Sun Glasses Day

June 28           Insurance Awareness Day—Hmmm, I wonder who could have invented that?

                        International Body Piercing Day

                        Paul Bunyan Day

June 29           Camera Day

                        Hug Holiday

                        International Mud Day

                        National Handshake Day—the Thursday in June

                        Waffle Iron Day

June 30           Meteor Day

Amazingly, there are many days devoted to food and eating. So…enjoy your favorite bizarre, weird, and unique celebration/holiday. 

5 Clues No One Is Home

It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that burglars prefer to break into homes and steal things when the occupants of that house are not home—and preferably when they're out of town rather than merely out to dinner.

And that leads us to the question of how burglars know when you're out of town.

According to companies that deal in home security, there are five primary clues that tell potential burglars that you're out of town even if it's only for a long weekend. And there's nothing hidden or tricky about those clues. They're just plain common sense.

1)  The house is always dark:

When you're home rather than out of town, you turn various lights on and off as you go through your normal routine—kitchen, living room, bedrooms, etc.  To simply leave a light on when you're out of town does not handle the situation. Lights go one and off in different rooms. The best way to handle this is to have lights that you can control remotely when you're out of town. Next best would be to have lights on timers that come on and go off at different times.

2)  No cars in the driveway or a car has been there too long without moving:

'Professional' burglars will often case a potential location to determine the routines of the people who live there. I, personally, never park in my driveway. My car is always in the garage unless I'm physically in my car. But people without garages, or those who have detached garages without direct access to their house, usually park in their driveway or at the curb in front of their house. If the car that belongs to that house is gone for days or is there for days without being moved, it's a sign that the owner of the car is most likely out of town. To avoid this, have a neighbor occasionally park their car in your driveway or have a friend or family member move your car from time to time.

3)  Newspapers, mail, and packages pile up:

If your mailbox is overflowing, newspapers are on the driveway or in the yard, or there's several Amazon deliveries on your porch, it's a sure sign that the occupants are out of town. Simple solution is to put a vacation hold on your mail at the post office, have the newspaper delivery stopped, and don't place any Amazon orders right before you leave town.

4)  Your lawn needs mowing:

If someone is watching your house, a normally well-manicured yard that is suddenly unkempt is a big clue that the occupants are out of town. Of course, if you have a lawn service that mows regularly, it solves that problem.

5)  Snow hasn't been shoveled from driveway and sidewalk:

Just like lawn care in spring and summer, winter presents yard situation indicating the occupants are out of town. If the snow hasn't been shoveled off the driveway and sidewalk, or there aren't any tire tracks in the snow on the driveway, it's a good sign that the occupants are out of town. If there's the possibility of snow accumulation while you're gone, perhaps your neighbor can be in charge of snow removal for you.

And these are the five biggest clues that you're out of town and a prime target for burglars. As I said, these are common sense measures and precautions to take before you leave on vacation. 

HISTORY OF THE MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY

The last Monday in May, this year falling on May 29, 2023, is Memorial Day in the United States—a holiday honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War but didn't become an official federal holiday until 1971.

The Civil War claimed more lives than any conflict in U.S. history. This required the establishment of the country's first national cemeteries. In the late 1860s, Americans in various small towns and large cities held springtime tributes to fallen soldiers by decorating their graves with flowers. On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan proclaimed May 30 as Decoration Day, the date chosen because it was not the anniversary of any particular battle.

On the first Decoration Day, General Logan made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery (Washington, D.C.) where 5,000 participants decorated the graves of 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.

Decoration Day originally honored only those lost while fighting in the Civil War. But by the time the U.S. became involved in World War I, the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars.

The name Decoration Day gradually changed over to Memorial Day during the ensuing years, but continued to be observed on May 30. In 1968, one hundred years after General Logan made his Decoration Day proclamation, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees. This law also declared Memorial Day to be a federal holiday. The change went into effect in 1971.

In addition to nationwide parades and the decorating of graves and monuments, Memorial Day has come to hold a second designation. It is also a time of many family gatherings which include backyard BBQs and picnics. With an official date of the last Monday in May, the holiday is considered the unofficial start of summer and the beginning of the vacation travel season in the U.S. with the Labor Day holiday on the first Monday of September signaling the unofficial end of the summer season.

Many recreational boaters launch their boats on lakes and rivers over the Memorial Day weekend for the first outing of the summer. Tourist attractions gear up for the summer vacationers. And a sure sign of the start of the summer season, all across the country gasoline prices usually go up in preparation of increased need!

For the last three years, the coronavirus and COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on most Memorial Day activities and events. Now that so many people have been vaccinated and restrictions greatly reduced, summer of 2023 has several travel and entertainment venues being opened with activities being cautiously resumed. For those with family gatherings or travel plans for the Memorial Day holiday weekend and for this summer—stay safe and healthy.

Mother's Day—A Brief History

 

Mother's Day is a holiday honoring motherhood. It's observed in different forms in many countries, the date traditionally falling on the second Sunday in May in the United States (for 2023 that's Sunday, May 14).

The celebration of mothers and motherhood goes back to the ancient Greeks and Romans who held festivals honoring the mother goddesses. The clearest precedent for Mother's Day is the early Christian festival known as Mothering Sunday. This was once a major tradition in the UK and parts of Europe, falling on the fourth Sunday in Lent. It was a time when the faithful would return to their mother church (the main church in the vicinity of their home) for a special service. Over time the tradition shifted into a secular holiday with children bringing flowers to their mothers as tokens of appreciation.

Although the roots of the modern American Mother's Day go back to the years prior to our Civil War (1861-1865), the official Mother's Day holiday in the U.S. arose in the 1900s as a result of the efforts of Anna Jarvis. Following her mother's death in 1905, Anna Jarvis conceived of Mother's Day as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children. After gaining financial backing from a Philadelphia department store owner, in May 1908 she organized the first official Mother's Day celebration at a Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia. That same day also saw thousands of people attend a Mother's Day event at a retail store in Philadelphia.

Following the success of her first Mother's Day, Jarvis—who remained unmarried and childless her whole life—resolved to see her holiday added to the national calendar. Arguing that American holidays were biased toward male achievements, she started a massive letter writing campaign to newspapers and prominent politicians urging the adoption of a special day honoring motherhood. By 1912, many states, towns and churches had adopted Mother's Day as an annual holiday, and Jarvis had established the Mother's Day International Association to help promote her cause. Her persistence paid off in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure officially establishing the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

Anna Jarvis had originally conceived of Mother's Day as a day of personal celebration between mothers and families. Her version of the day involved wearing a white carnation and visiting one's mother or attending church services. But once Mother's Day became a national holiday, it wasn't long before florists, card companies and other merchants capitalized on its popularity.

While Jarvis had initially worked with the floral industry to help raise the Mother's Day profile, by 1920 she had become disgusted with how the holiday had been commercialized. She outwardly denounced what she believed it had become and urged people to stop buying Mother's Day flowers, cards and candies. Jarvis eventually resorted to an open campaign against Mother's Day profiteers and even charities. She also launched countless lawsuits against groups that had used the name "Mother's Day," eventually spending most of her personal wealth in legal fees. By the time of her death in 1948 Jarvis had disowned the holiday altogether, and even actively lobbied the government to see it removed from the American calendar.

Even though versions of Mother's Day are celebrated throughout the world, traditions vary from country to country. For example—in Thailand, Mother's Day is always celebrated in August on the birthday of the current queen. And in Ethiopia, families gather each fall to sing songs and eat a large feast as part of a multi-day celebration honoring motherhood.

In the U.S., Mother's Day has become one of the biggest holidays for consumer spending.