November's Bizarre and Unique Holidays

November is a month with a couple of federal legal holidays in the U.S., specifically Veteran's Day on November 11 which is Remembrance Day in Canada, and Thanksgiving on the 4^th Thursday of November. For this year, that's November 25, 2021. There are other recognized days such as All Saint's Day (November 1) and All Soul's Day (November 2).  And with a tip of the hat to our British cousins, Guy Fawkes Day on November 5^th.

The entire month of November is:  Aviation History month, Child Safety Protection month, International Drum month, National Adoption Awareness month, National Epilepsy month, National Model Railroad month, National Novel Writing month, Native American Heritage month, Peanut Butter Lovers month, Real Jewelry month, and National Sleep Comfort month. There's also Chemistry Week (first week of the month) and Game & Puzzle week (third week of the month).

But that's only the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. November, just like all the other months, is filled with bizarre and unique holidays. I hope you enjoy these November offerings.

November 1:

All Saint's Day

November 2:

All Soul's Day

Deviled Egg Day

Look For Circles Day

November 3:

Housewife's Day

Sandwich Day

November 4:

King Tut Day—this celebrates the date of the discovery of King Tutankhamen's Tomb on November 4, 1922, in Egypt's Valley of Kings. King Tut became King of Egypt in 1333 B.C. at the age of 9 and ruled until 1324 B.C. when he died at age 19. The cause of his death is uncertain with murder and innocent accident being the two main theories.

November 5:

Gunpowder Day

Guy Fawkes Day (goes hand-in-hand with Gunpowder Day)

November 6:

Marooned Without A Compass Day—do you often find yourself going around in circles? Do you feel hopelessly lost? Which direction will your life take? Being marooned without a compass for a day could be a good thing. Our busy lifestyles seldom leave us time to relax. We can enjoy being marooned…until tomorrow.

Saxophone Day

Book Lovers Day—this is celebrated either August 9^th or the first Saturday in November (for 2021, that's November 6^th). Book Lovers Day, as the name implies, encourages us to find a place to relax with a good book. Not only is reading a great hobby, it's an important one. Reading is educational, informative, and relaxing.

November 7:

Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day

November 8:

Cook Something Bold Day

Dunce Day

November 9:

Chaos Never Dies Day—this day recognizes the turmoil in everyday life. Just when your hectic surroundings seem to calm down at work and home, along comes something to disrupt your life. Disorder is everywhere. This holiday is designed for you. Pick one thing that is really disrupting your life and change it for the good.

November 10:

Forget-Me-Not Day

USMC Day

November 11:

Veteran's Day

November 12:

Chicken Soup For The Soul Day

Young Readers Day

November 13:

National Indian Pudding Day

Sadie Hawkins Day—originated from a 1930s comic strip, Al Capp's Lil Abner. In the strip, the mayor of Dogpatch desperately wants to marry off his ugly daughter, so he creates the Sadie Hawkins Day race where all the single men are given a short head start then all the single women chase them. If a girl catches a man, then he has to marry her. The Sadie Hawkins Day celebration basically ended 40 years later when Al Capp died and the comic strip was discontinued, however it can occasionally still be seen celebrated on some college campuses.

World Kindness Day—the day encourages us to be kind to others, helping to create a nicer, better world. The holiday is intended to build a kinder and more compassionate world. Kindness rubs off on others and generates even more kindness.

November 14:

Operating Room Nurse Day

November 15:

Clean Your Refrigerator Day

America Recycles Day

National Philanthropy Day

November 16:

Button Day

Have A Party With Your Bear Day—is your teddy bear a real party animal? Hopefully so because today is the day you get to party. Invite all your teddy bears and your friends and have them invite their teddy bears for a fun day. Or, if you're looking for something a little more adventurous, you might consider a real bear.

November 17:

Electronic Greeting Card Day

Homemade Bread Day

Take A Hike Day

World Peace Day—encourages us to be kind to others and teach others to be peaceful. The creator of this holiday believes world peace starts with individuals and if we all do our part to promote peace we can make war and strife obsolete.

November 18:

Occult Day—this is a mysterious day, something outside the realm of the normal and natural world. Lots of words can be used to describe the occult…concealed, secret, hidden, mysterious, unnatural. Astrology and alchemy also could belong. Many secret groups are occult. Celebrate this day by not sitting back and waiting for something to happen. Have fun with it.

November 19:

Have A Bad Day Day

November 20:

Absurdity Day—is…well…absurd! Some days are illogical and senseless which is exactly the definition of Absurdity Day. Celebrate this day in an absurd manner, have fun with it.

Beautiful Day

Universal Children's Day

November 21:

False Confession Day

Great American Smokeout

World Hello Day

November 22:

Go For A Ride Day

November 23:

Eat A Cranberry Day

National Cashew Day

National Adoption Day

November 24:

Evolution Day—Today is the anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin's book, On the Origin of Species, in 1859. His controversial theory turned the world upside down in its thinking of how we came to be.

November 25:

Thanksgiving Day—the 4^th Thursday of the month

National Parfait Day

November 26:

Shopping Reminder Day

November 27:

Pins And Needles Day

November 28:

Make Your Own Head Day

Red Planet Day—honors the fourth planet from the sun…Mars. On this day, take a few minutes to look up into the sky and gaze at our celestial neighbor. This day commemorates the launch of the Spacecraft Mariner 4 on November 28, 1964.

November 29:

Buy Nothing Day

Square Dance Day

You're Welcome Day

November 30:

Stay At Home Because You Are Well Day—this is the day to stay home from work because you feel well, taking an unofficial day off to enjoy yourself. Warning…proceed with caution. Doing this might get you in trouble, possibly even costing you your job.

So…there you have it. The bizarre and unique holidays of November. Pick the ones you like, or celebrate all of them!

Bizarre and Unique February Holidays

February may be a short month, but it certainly is not short on the bizarre, unique, and weird when it comes to holidays—celebrations above and beyond the legal holidays where government offices, banks, and schools are closed for the day.

There are several month long designations in February:  American Heart Month, An Affair To Remember Month, Black History Month, Canned Food Month, Creative Romance Month, Great American Pie Month, National Cherry Month, National Children's Dental Health Month, National Grapefruit Month, and National Wedding Month.

February also has a week long celebration: the third week is International Flirting Week.

Hmmm…American Heart Month, An Affair To Remember Month, Creative Romance Month, National Wedding Month, and International Flirting Week.  How appropriate that they should all be in the month that gives us Valentine's Day.  :)

 Feb. 1              National Freedom Day

Feb. 2              Ground Hog Day

Always celebrated on February 2.  On this day, the groundhog awakens from a long winter's nap and goes outside of his den.  If he sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter.  If he does not see his shadow, Spring is rapidly approaching.  The tradition comes from the German roots of Candlemas which is the mid point between Winter and Spring.

Feb. 2              Candlemas

Feb. 3              The Day The Music Died

Always celebrated on February 3. On this date in 1959 singers Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper died in a plane crash.  The event was immortalized in the popular song, Apple Pie, written and recorded by Don McLean.

Feb. 4              Create A Vacuum Day

Feb. 4              Thank A Mailman Day

Feb. 5              National Weatherman's Day

Always celebrated on February 5.  According to the Air Force News, this holiday "commemorates the birth of John Jeffries, one of America's first weathermen."  He was born on February 5, 1744, and kept weather records from 1774 to 1816.  This holiday honors the men and women who work hard to accurately predict the often fickle weather.  Even with the major technological advances including super computers and satellites, forecasting weather is still a tricky, ever changing, and always challenging task.

Feb. 6              Lame Duck Day

Feb. 7              Wave All Your Fingers At Your Neighbor Day

Feb. 7              Send A Card To A Friend Day (a holiday created by Hallmark?)

Feb. 8              Boy Scout Day

Feb. 8              Kite Flying Day

Always celebrated on February 8 (but why in the middle of winter?).  People have enjoyed flying kites for thousands of years, both children and adults.  The most well known kite flyer is undoubtedly Benjamin Franklin with his key and lightning experiment.  Kites were first used by the military in ancient China over 3,000 years ago.

Feb. 8              Clean Out Your Computer Day (the 2nd Monday of the month)

Feb. 9              Toothache Day

Feb. 10            Umbrella Day

Feb. 11            Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day

Feb. 11            Make A Friend Day

Feb. 11            White T-Shirt Day

Feb. 12            Plum Pudding Day

Feb. 12            Abraham Lincoln's Birthday (combined with George Washington's birthday, it's legally celebrated as President's Day the third Monday of February, on the 15th this year)

Feb. 13            Get A Different Name Day

Always celebrated on February 13.  This day is for those who are not fond of their given name.  It's the day to take steps to change your name (and don't forget to notify those who need to know about your new name).

Feb. 14            Ferris Wheel Day

Feb. 14            National Organ Donor Day

Feb. 14            Valentine's Day

Feb. 15            Candlemas (on the old Julian Calendar)

Feb. 15            National Gum Drop Day

Feb. 15            Singles Awareness Day

Feb. 15            President's Day

A combination of Lincoln's birthday and Washington's birthday always celebrated on the third Monday of the month.

 Feb. 16            Do A Grouch A Favor Day

Feb. 17            Random Acts of Kindness Day

Always celebrated on February 17.  You know what to do…perform a few random acts of kindness.  Almost any kind deed will do.  And remember—Random Acts of Kindness is highly contagious.

Feb. 18            National Battery Day

Feb. 19            National Chocolate Mint Day

Feb. 20            Cherry Pie Day

Feb. 20            Hoodie Hoo Day

Always celebrated on February 20.  On this winter day, people go out at noon, wave their hands over their heads and chant "Hoodie-Hoo."  This is the day to chase away the winter blahs (in the Northern Hemisphere).

Feb. 20            Love Your Pet Day

Feb. 21            Card Reader Day (another Hallmark creation or a computer port for SD cards?)

Feb. 22            George Washington's Birthday (combined with Abraham Lincoln's Birthday, it's celebrated as the legal holiday of President's Day on the third Monday of February, on the 15th this year).

Feb. 22            Be Humble Day

Feb. 22            Walking The Dog Day

Feb. 22            International World Thinking Day

Feb. 23            International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day

Feb. 23            Tennis Day

Feb. 24            National Tortilla Chip Day

Always celebrated on February 24.  The corn chip recipe was brought to the U.S. from Mexico by a Texas businessman.  Just a few decades ago, Americans seldom ate corn chips and salsa.  Today it's wildly popular.

Feb. 25            Pistol Patent Day

Feb. 26            National Pistachio Day

Feb. 26            Tell A Fairy Tale Day

Feb. 27            Polar Bear Day

Feb. 27            No Brainer Day

Always celebrated on February 27th.  By definition, a no brainer is doing something simple, easy, obvious, and/or totally logical.  If a project requires thinking, study, or analysis of any kind, then this is not the day for it.

Feb. 28            Floral Design Day

Feb. 28            Public Sleeping Day

Feb. 28            National Tooth Fairy Day (sometimes celebrated on August 22)

So…enjoy your favorite bizarre, weird, and unique celebration/holiday.

Weird August Holidays

Every month has its collection of strange, weird, and obscure holidays, sometimes more than one per day, many of which are unknown to the general public. And, needless to say, holidays that are not government recognized—days where the schools, banks, government offices, and post office are not closed. But still holidays to be celebrated and enjoyed in their own quirky fashion.

Let's start with month long celebrations.  For August you have:  Admit You're Happy Month, Family Fun Month, National Catfish Month, National Eye Exam Month, National Golf Month [I'd better make sure my brother knows about this one], Peach Month, Romance Awareness Month, Water Quality Month, and National Picnic Month.

And then there are the week long celebrations. The first week of August is National Simplify Your Life Week. The second week of the month is National Smile Week. The third week is Friendship Week. And the fourth week is Be Kind To Humankind Week.

And the daily celebrations:  I found it interesting that 10 of the 31 days in August had holidays connected to food [are we seeing an ongoing theme here?]. Some of the dates had more than one holiday attached to them.

August 1)  National Mustard Day (the first Saturday in August)

August 1)  National Raspberry Cream Pie Day

August 2)  Friendship Day (the first Sunday in August)

August 2)  International Forgiveness Day (first Sunday in August)

August 2)  Sisters Day (first Sunday in August)

August 2)  National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

August 3)  National Watermelon Day

August 4)  U.S. Coast Guard Day

August 5)  Work Like A Dog Day

August 6)  Wiggle Your Toes Day

August 7)  National Lighthouse Day

August 8)  Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day

            Apparently zucchini is one of the most prolific plants with a single plant producing what seems to be an endless supply of zucchini. By the time August arrives, home gardeners have far more zucchini than they can possibly use. After giving away as much as they can to family and friends, desperate growers seek desperate measures to rid themselves of the overflow. And that gives us the name of the holiday…sneak some zucchini onto your neighbor's porch day.

August 9)  Book Lover's Day

            Book Lover's Day encourages you to find a comfortable place, relax, and enjoy a good book. If you happen to fall asleep in that gently swaying hammock while reading, that's perfectly okay. There is some disagreement about when this holiday is celebrated. August 9^th is the most widely accepted date. Some celebrate it on the first Saturday in November. My suggestion? Celebrate both days.

August 10)  Lazy Day

August 10)  National S'mores Day

August 11)  Presidential Joke Day

August 12)  Middle Child's Day

August 13)  Left Hander's Day

August 14)  National Creamsicle Day

August 14/15)  V-J Day (end of World War II)

August 15)  Relaxation Day

            For people with a hectic lifestyle, this is the day to kick back and do nothing…just relax. Take a break from your busy work and personal schedule. If something stresses you out, this is the day to ignore it.

August 16)  National Tell A Joke Day

August 17)  National Thrift Shop Day

August 18)  Bad Poetry Day

August 19)  Aviation Day

August 20)  National Radio Day

August 21)  Senior Citizen's Day

August 22)  Be An Angel Day

August 22)  National Tooth Fairy Day (and/or February 28)

August 23)  Ride The Wind Day

            This is a carefree day, a time to soar above the earth. Catch a ride on the breeze or float like a cloud. Summer will soon be over. Take advantage of this day to relax and leave your worries behind. Fly a kite. Enjoy the final days of summer.

August 24)  Vesuvius Day

August 25)  Kiss And Make Up Day

August 26)  National Dog Day

August 26)  Women's Equality Day

August 27)  Global Forgiveness Day

August 27)  Just Because Day

August 28)  Race Your Mouse Day [but in today's world are we talking rodent or computer?]

August 29)  More Herbs, Less Salt Day

August 30)  Frankenstein Day

            There are 3 versions of this day. This one is in honor of Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, who was born August 30, 1797. There is also Frankenstein Friday and National Frankenstein Day, both celebrated in October. Confused? Celebrate all 3 days.

August 30)  Toasted Marshmallow Day

August 31)  National Trail Mix Day

May's Bizarre and Unique Holidays

Every month has its share of bizarre and unique holidays, and May is no exception. In addition to the legal holidays of Mother's Day (the second Sunday in May) and Memorial Day (the fourth Monday in May), the month of May has a calendar full of bizarre and unique holidays.

And there's more than the daily holidays. May also offers both month long and week long celebrations.

Month long celebrations:

Date Your Mate Month, Foster Care Month, National Barbecue Month, National Bike Month, National Blood Pressure Month, National Hamburger Month, National Photograph Month, National Recommitment Month, National Salad Month, Older Americans Month.

Weekly Celebrations:

Nurse's Week (first week of month), Wildflower Week (week two), National Bike Week (third week), National Police Week (third week), Emergency Medical Services Week (fourth week). Now, with the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic, it's more important than ever to pay tribute to our medical workers.

1) Mother Goose Day

When: Always on May 1st

Mother Goose Day was created only recently, as a day to appreciate nursery rhymes and stories. The term "Mother Goose" dates back to the 1650's. It referred to stories like Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty. It does not appear to represent a particular person, as many of Mother Goose stories were written both before and after this term was first used. And, the stories were written by numerous authors.

1) Save the Rhino Day

1) International Tuba Day (first Friday in May)

1) Space Day (first Friday in May)

3) Lumpy Rug Day

3) World Press Freedom Day

4) National Candied Orange Peel Day

4) Star Wars Day

When: Always on May 4th

It's all because of a play on words! Star Wars Day is May the Fourth because a famous quote from the hugely popular science fiction series blockbuster is "May the Force (Fourth) be with you". Some call this Day "Luke Skywalker Day". Great ways to Celebrate Star Wars Day: Watch any of the great Star Wars movies. Better yet, have a Star Wars marathon, and watch all of them.

5) National Hoagie Day

5) Oyster Day

6) Beverage Day

6) No Diet Day

7) National Tourism Day

8) Iris Day

8) No Socks Day

9) Lost Sock Memorial Day

When : Always May 9th

Lost Sock Memorial Day recognizes your drawer full of unmatched socks. Each unmatched sock represents a missing sock. We never throw away our unmatched socks. After all, it may show up someday. On Lost Sock Memorial Day, we suggest you spend a little time (as little as possible) searching for those missing socks. After a (very) brief search, and in good memorial spirit, spend a minute reflecting upon how warm and comforting the missing socks were on your stinky toes. Then, by all means, get on with your life. Use this special day, to toss out all of your unmatched socks. Let's face it, you're never going to find the missing one.

10) Clean Up Your Room Day

10) National Train Day (date may vary)

11) Eat What You Want Day

11) Twilight Zone Day

12) Fatigue Syndrome Day

12) Limerick Day

13) Frog Jumping Day

14) Dance Like A Chicken Day

15) National Chocolate Chip Day

16) Love A Tree Day

16) National Sea Monkey Day

17) Pack Rat Day

When: Always on May 17th

Today is Pack Rat Day (or if you prefer, you can call it Hoarder's Day). If you are a Pack Rat, you're in good company. You might as well come out of hiding behind those piles of valuable stuff, and celebrate this fun day. Making the decision to discard something of even remotely questionable value, is difficult, if not impossible to do. In keeping with the intent of Pack Rat Day, here are some Do's and Don'ts: Don't clean your room, basement, garage or any other area today. Don't discard anything today—it may be valuable. Don't even empty the trash today. You might have accidentally thrown out something useful. Do keep an eye out for useful stuff being discarded by others. Do go to garage and rummage sales. They can be pack rat gold mines. Do look around your belongings and be thankful for what you have. Do spend time thinking of uses for your things.

18) International Museum Day

18) No Dirty Dishes Day

20) Be A Millionaire Day (now we all can go for that)

When: Always on May 20th

Everyone wants to enjoy today as a member of the Millionaire's Club, even though a million dollars isn't what it used to be. And after reaching the Millionaire's Club you can work on your qualifications for the Billionaire's Club. If you are a millionaire, savor and enjoy the day. Remember, many Millionaires get there by a combination hard work, sound investment, and frugal spending.

20) Pick Strawberries Day

21) National Memo Day

22) Buy A Musical Instrument Day

23) Lucky Penny Day

24) National Escargot Day

24) International Jazz Day (Saturday of Memorial Day weekend)

25) Tap Dance Day

27) Sun Screen Day

29) Learn About Composting Day

When: Always May 29th

Composting Day is a great opportunity to "Go Green" and help the environment. Composting is easy. It makes you feel good knowing you are doing your part to keep our environment a little bit cleaner. As you learn about composting, you will be surprised at all the things you can compost. It is common knowledge that you can compost garden and yard vegetation as well as kitchen (vegetable) scraps. But, you can also recycle many other things, including papers, untreated wood, and cardboard. Cardboard paper towel and toilet paper holders are great items to compost. You can use compost around your plants, to feed them, keep the weeds down, and to help retain soil moisture.

30) Water A Flower Day

31) National Macaroon Day

31) Worldwide No Tobacco Day

When: Always May 31st

Worldwide No Tobacco Day brings awareness of the health issues and dependency issues related to tobacco use. World No Tobacco Day stresses the importance of making people all over the world aware of the health dangers of using tobacco. In 1987, the World Health Organization Assembly passed Resolution WHA40.38, calling for 7 April 1988 to be "a world no-smoking day." In 1988, Resolution WHA42.19 was passed, calling for the celebration of World No Tobacco Day, every year on 31 May.

Weird August Holidays

Every month has its collection of strange, weird, and obscure holidays—at least one per day—many of which are unknown to the general public.  And, needless to say, holidays that are not recognized as a paid holiday at work. Days where the schools, banks, government offices, and post office are not closed. But still holidays to be celebrated and enjoyed in their own quirky fashion.

Let's start with month long celebrations.  For August you have:  Admit You're Happy Month, Family Fun Month, National Catfish Month, National Eye Exam Month, National Golf Month [I'd better make sure my brother knows about this one], Peach Month, Romance Awareness Month, Water Quality Month, and National Picnic Month.

And then there are the week long celebrations.  The first week of August is National Simplify Your Life Week.  The second week of the month is National Smile Week.  The third week is Friendship Week.  And the fourth week is Be Kind To Humankind Week.

And the daily celebrations:  I found it interesting that 10 of the 31 days in August have holidays connected to food [are we seeing an ongoing theme here?]. Some of the dates have more than one holiday attached to them.

August 1)  National Raspberry Cream Pie Day

August 2)  National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

August 3)  National Watermelon Day

August 3)  National Mustard Day (the first Saturday in August)

August 4)  U.S. Coast Guard Day

August 4)  Sisters Day (first Sunday in August)

August 4)  International Forgiveness Day (first Sunday in August)

August 4)  Friendship Day (the first Sunday in August)

August 5)  Work Like A Dog Day

August 6)  Wiggle Your Toes Day

August 7)  National Lighthouse Day

August 8)  Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day

            Apparently zucchini is one of the most prolific plants with a single plant producing what seems to be an endless supply of zucchini. By the time August arrives, home gardeners have far more zucchini than they can possibly use. After giving away as much as they can to family and friends, desperate growers seek desperate measures to rid themselves of the overflow. And that gives us the name of the holiday…sneak some zucchini onto your neighbor's porch day.

August 9)  Book Lover's Day

            Book Lover's Day encourages you to find a comfortable place, relax, and enjoy a good book. If you happen to fall asleep in that gently swaying hammock while reading, that's perfectly okay. There is some disagreement about when this holiday is celebrated. August 9^th is the most widely accepted date. Some celebrate it on the first Saturday in November. My suggestion? Celebrate both days.

August 10)  Lazy Day

August 10)  National S'mores Day

August 11)  Presidential Joke Day

August 12)  Middle Child's Day

August 13)  Left Hander's Day

August 14)  National Creamsicle Day

August 14/15)  V-J Day (end of World War II)

August 15)  Relaxation Day

            For people with a hectic lifestyle, this is the day to kick back and do nothing…just relax. Take a break from your busy work and personal schedule. If something stresses you out, this is the day to ignore it.

August 16)  National Tell A Joke Day

August 17)  National Thrift Shop Day

August 18)  Bad Poetry Day

August 19)  Aviation Day

August 20)  National Radio Day

August 21)  Senior Citizen's Day

August 22)  Be An Angel Day

August 22)  National Tooth Fairy Day (and/or February 28)

August 23)  Ride The Wind Day

            This is a carefree day, a time to soar above the earth. Catch a ride on the breeze or float like a cloud. Summer will soon be over. Take advantage of this day to relax and leave your worries behind. Fly a kite. Enjoy the final days of summer.

August 24)  Vesuvius Day

August 25)  Kiss And Make Up Day

August 26)  National Dog Day

August 26)  Women's Equality Day

August 27)  Global Forgiveness Day

August 27)  Just Because Day

August 28)  Race Your Mouse Day [but in today's world are we talking rodent or computer?]

August 29)  More Herbs, Less Salt Day

August 30)  Frankenstein Day

            There are 3 versions of this day. This one is in honor of Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, who was born August 30, 1797. There is also Frankenstein Friday and National Frankenstein Day, both celebrated in October. Confused? Celebrate all 3 days.

August 30)  Toasted Marshmallow Day

August 31)  National Trail Mix Day

May's Bizarre and Unique Holidays

Every month has its share of bizarre and unique holidays, and May is no exception. In addition to a holiday on a specific day, there are month long celebrations and week long celebrations.

Month long celebrations:

Date Your Mate Month, Foster Care Month, National Barbecue Month, National Bike Month, National Blood Pressure Month, National Hamburger Month, National Photograph Month, National Recommitment Month, National Salad Month, Older Americans Month.

Weekly Celebrations:

Nurse's Week (first week of month), Wildflower Week (week two), National Bike Week (third week), National Police Week (third week), Emergency Medical Services Week (fourth week).

1) Mother Goose Day

When: Always on May 1st

Mother Goose Day was created only recently, as a day to appreciate nursery rhymes and stories. The term "Mother Goose" dates back to the 1650's. It referred to stories like Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty. It does not appear to represent a particular person, as many of Mother Goose stories were written both before and after this term was first used. And, the stories were written by numerous authors.

1) Save the Rhino Day

3) International Tuba Day (first Friday in May)

3) Space Day (first Friday in May)

3) Lumpy Rug Day

3) World Press Freedom Day

4) National Candied Orange Peel Day

4) Star Wars Day

When: Always on May 4th

It's all because of a play on words! Star Wars Day is May the Fourth because a famous quote from the hugely popular science fiction series blockbuster is "May the Force (Fourth) be with you". Some call this Day "Luke Skywalker Day".Great ways to Celebrate Star Wars Day: Watch any of the great Star Wars movies. Better yet, have a Star Wars marathon, and watch all of them.

5) National Hoagie Day

5) Oyster Day

6) Beverage Day

6) No Diet Day

7) National Tourism Day

8) Iris Day

8) No Socks Day

9) Lost Sock Memorial Day

When : Always May 9th

Lost Sock Memorial Day recognizes your drawer full of unmatched socks. Each unmatched sock represents a missing sock. We never throw away our unmatched socks. After all, it may show up someday. On Lost Sock Memorial Day, we suggest you spend a little time (as little as possible) searching for those missing socks. After a (very) brief search, and in good memorial spirit, spend a minute reflecting upon how warm and comforting the missing socks were on your stinky toes. Then, by all means, get on with your life. Use this special day, to toss out all of your unmatched socks. Let's face it, you're never going to find the missing one.

10) Clean Up Your Room Day

10) National Train Day (date may vary)

11) Eat What You Want Day

11) Twilight Zone Day

12) Fatigue Syndrome Day

12) Limerick Day

13) Frog Jumping Day

14) Dance Like A Chicken Day

15) National Chocolate Chip Day

16) Love A Tree Day

16) National Sea Monkey Day

17) Pack Rat Day

When: Always on May 17th

Today is Pack Rat Day (or if you prefer, you can call it Hoarder's Day). If you are a Pack Rat, you're in good company. You might as well come out of hiding behind those piles of valuable stuff, and celebrate this fun day. Making the decision to discard something of even remotely questionable value, is difficult, if not impossible to do. In keeping with the intent of Pack Rat Day, here are some Do's and Don'ts: Don't clean your room, basement, garage or any other area today. Don't discard anything today—it may be valuable. Don't even empty the trash today. You might have accidentally thrown out something useful. Do keep an eye out for useful stuff being discarded by others. Do go to garage and rummage sales. They can be pack rat gold mines. Do look around your belongings and be thankful for what you have. Do spend time thinking of uses for your things.

18) International Museum Day

18) No Dirty Dishes Day

20) Be A Millionaire Day (now we all can go for that)

When: Always on May 20th

Everyone wants to enjoy today as a member of the Millionaire's Club, even though a million dollars isn't what it used to be. And after reaching the Millionaire's Club you can work on your qualifications for the Billionaire's Club. If you are a millionaire, savor and enjoy the day. Remember, many Millionaires get there by a combination hard work, sound investment, and frugal spending.

20) Pick Strawberries Day

21) National Memo Day

22) Buy A Musical Instrument Day

23) Lucky Penny Day

24) National Escargot Day

25) International Jazz Day (Saturday of Memorial Day weekend)

25) Tap Dance Day

27) Sun Screen Day

29) Learn About Composting Day

When: Always May 29th

Composting Day is a great opportunity to "Go Green" and help the environment. Composting is easy. It makes you feel good knowing you are doing your part to keep our environment a little bit cleaner. As you learn about composting, you will be surprised at all the things you can compost. It is common knowledge that you can compost garden and yard vegetation as well as kitchen (vegetable) scraps. But, you can also recycle many other things, including papers, untreated wood, and cardboard. Cardboard paper towel and toilet paper holders are great items to compost. You can use compost around your plants, to feed them, keep the weeds down, and to help retain soil moisture.

30) Water A Flower Day

31) National Macaroon Day

31) Worldwide No Tobacco Day

When: Always May 31st

Worldwide No Tobacco Day brings awareness of the health issues and dependency issues related to tobacco use. World No Tobacco Day stresses the importance of making people all over the world aware of the health dangers of using tobacco. In 1987, the World Health Organization Assembly passed Resolution WHA40.38, calling for 7 April 1988 to be "a world no-smoking day." In 1988, Resolution WHA42.19 was passed, calling for the celebration of World No Tobacco Day, every year on 31 May.

Bizarre and Unique February Holidays

February may be a short month, but it certainly is not short on the bizarre, unique, and weird when it comes to holidays—celebrations above and beyond the legal holidays where government offices, banks, and schools are closed for the day.

There are several month long designations in February:  American Heart Month, An Affair To Remember Month, Black History Month, Canned Food Month, Creative Romance Month, Great American Pie Month, National Cherry Month, National Children's Dental Health Month, National Grapefruit Month, and National Wedding Month.

February also has a week long celebration: the third week is International Flirting Week.

Hmmm…American Heart Month, An Affair To Remember Month, Creative Romance Month, National Wedding Month, and International Flirting Week.  How appropriate that they should all be in the month that gives us Valentine's Day.

Feb. 1         National Freedom Day

Feb. 2         Ground Hog Day

Always celebrated on February 2.  On this day, the groundhog awakens from a long winter's nap and goes outside of his den.  If he sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter.  If he does not see his shadow, Spring is rapidly approaching.  The tradition comes from the German roots of Candlemas which is the mid point between Winter and Spring.

Feb. 2         Candlemas

Feb. 3         The Day The Music Died

Always celebrated on February 3. On this date in 1959 singers Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper died in a plane crash.  The event was immortalized in the popular song, Apple Pie, written and recorded by Don McLean.

Feb. 4         Create A Vacuum Day

Feb. 4         Thank A Mailman Day

Feb. 5         National Weatherman's Day

Always celebrated on February 5.  According to the Air Force News, this holiday "commemorates the birth of John Jeffries, one of America's first weathermen."  He was born on February 5, 1744, and kept weather records from 1774 to 1816.  This holiday honors the men and women who work hard to accurately predict the often fickle weather.  Even with the major technological advances including super computers and satellites, forecasting weather is still a tricky, ever changing, and always challenging task.

Feb. 6         Lame Duck Day

Feb. 7         Wave All Your Fingers At Your Neighbor Day

Feb. 7         Send A Card To A Friend Day (a holiday created by Hallmark?)

Feb. 8         Boy Scout Day

Feb. 8         Kite Flying Day

Always celebrated on February 8 (but why in the middle of winter?).  People have enjoyed flying kites for thousands of years, both children and adults.  The most well known kite flyer is undoubtedly Benjamin Franklin with his key and lightning experiment.  Kites were first used by the military in ancient China over 3,000 years ago.

Feb. 9         Toothache Day

Feb. 10       Umbrella Day

Feb. 11       Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day

Feb. 11       Make A Friend Day

Feb. 11       White T-Shirt Day

Feb. 11       Clean Out Your Computer Day (the 2nd Monday of the month)

Feb. 12       Abraham Lincoln's Birthday (combined with George Washington's birthday, it's legally celebrated as President's Day the third Monday of February, on the 18th this year)

Feb. 12       Plum Pudding Day

Feb. 13       Get A Different Name Day

Always celebrated on February 13.  This day is for those who are not fond of their given name.  It's the day to take steps to change your name (and don't forget to notify those who need to know about your new name).

Feb. 14       Ferris Wheel Day

Feb. 14       National Organ Donor Day

Feb. 14       Valentine's Day

Feb. 15       Candlemas (on the old Julian Calendar)

Feb. 15       National Gum Drop Day

Feb. 15       Singles Awareness Day

Feb. 16       Do A Grouch A Favor Day

Feb. 17       Random Acts of Kindness Day

Always celebrated on February 17.  You know what to do…perform a few random acts of kindness.  Almost any kind deed will do.  And remember—Random Acts of Kindness is highly contagious.

Feb. 18       National Battery Day

Feb. 19       National Chocolate Mint Day

Feb. 20       Cherry Pie Day

Feb. 20       Hoodie Hoo Day

Always celebrated on February 20.  On this winter day, people go out at noon, wave their hands over their heads and chant "Hoodie-Hoo."  This is the day to chase away the winter blahs (in the Northern Hemisphere).

Feb. 20       Love Your Pet Day

Feb. 21       Card Reader Day (another Hallmark creation?)

Feb. 22       George Washington's Birthday (combined with Abraham Lincoln's Birthday, it's celebrated as the legal holiday of President's Day on the third Monday of February, on the 18th this year).

Feb. 22       Be Humble Day

Feb. 22       Walking The Dog Day

Feb. 22       International World Thinking Day

Feb. 23       International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day

Feb. 23       Tennis Day

Feb. 24       National Tortilla Chip Day

Always celebrated on February 24.  The corn chip recipe was brought to the U.S. from Mexico by a Texas businessman.  Just a few decades ago, Americans seldom ate corn chips and salsa.  Today it's wildly popular.

Feb. 25       Pistol Patent Day

Feb. 26       National Pistachio Day

Feb. 26       Tell A Fairy Tale Day

Feb. 27       Polar Bear Day

Feb. 27       No Brainer Day

Always celebrated on February 27th.  By definition, a no brainer is doing something simple, easy, obvious, and/or totally logical.  If a project requires thinking, study, or analysis of any kind, then this is not the day for it.

Feb. 28       Floral Design Day

Feb. 28       Public Sleeping Day

Feb. 28       National Tooth Fairy Day (sometimes celebrated on August 22)

So…enjoy your favorite bizarre, weird, and unique celebration/holiday.

October 2014—Bizarre and Unique Holidays

We have our legal holidays, recognized by official government proclamation. Days when all government offices, banks, and schools are closed…days when there's no mail delivery.

Then there are the bizarre, wacky and unique holidays…most of them with unknown origins. Holidays that are just for fun. There are also weeks set aside for specific observances. And entire months dedicated to specific causes. Here's a selection that occur in October.

October is Adopt a Shelter Dog month, American Pharmacist month, Apple Jack month, Breast Cancer Awareness month, Clergy Appreciation month, Computer Learning month, Cookie month, Domestic Violence Awareness month, Eat Country Ham month, International Drum month, Lupus Awareness month, National Diabetes month, National Pizza month, National Vegetarian month, National Popcorn Popping month, Sarcastic month, and Seafood month.

As to weekly celebrations, we have:

Week 1 gives us Get Organized week and Customer Service week.

Week 2 gives us Fire Prevention week and Pet Peeve week.

Week 3 gives us Pastoral Care week.

Oct 1 World Vegetarian Day

Oct 2 National Custodial Worker Day

Oct 2 Name Your Car Day—always October 2. Does your car have a name? People name their boats, and we think nothing of it. So, why not name your car or truck? After all, cars have character and personality. We spend a lot of time in our cars, so it seems fitting that each car should have its own name.

Oct 3 Techies Day

Oct 3 Virus Appreciation Day

Oct 3 World Smile Day (first Friday of the month)

Oct 4 International Frugal Fun Day (first Saturday of the month)

Oct 4 National Golf Day

Oct 4 National Frappe Day

Oct 5 Do Something Nice Day—always October 5th. Do something nice, anything nice. And, do it to, or for, another individual. It won't hurt, honest it won't. Doing something nice for someone almost always evokes a very pleasant response. And, best of all, doing something nice just might be contagious.

Oct 5 Oktoberfest in Germany ends (date varies)

Oct 5 World Teacher's Day

Oct 6 Come and Take it Day

Oct 6 Mad Hatter Day

Oct 6 Physician Assistant Day

Oct 7 Bald and Free Day

Oct 8 American Touch Tag Day

Oct 8 Emergency Nurses Day (date varies)

Oct 9 Curious Events Day—always October 9th. Curious Events Day manages to grab one's curiosity. Why does this day exist? Who created it? What curious events are held today? The questions go on, and on, and on…. If you have any questions, this is the day to ask.

Oct 9 Fire Prevention Day

Oct 9 Leif Erikson Day

Oct 9 Moldy Cheese Day

Oct 10 National Angel Food Cake Day

Oct 10 World Egg Day (second Friday of month)

Oct 11 It's My Party Day

Oct 11 Take Your Teddy Bear to Work Day

Oct 12 Cookbook Launch Day

Oct 12 Old Farmer's Day

Oct 12 Moment of Frustration Day—always on October 12th. One of the most important reasons for today is the opportunity to let out your frustrations. If you are not frustrated, count your blessings. Don't use today to add to your frustrations and whatever you do today, don't find new frustrations.

Oct 13 Columbus Day (second Monday of month)

Oct 13 International Skeptics Day—take your pick: January 13th, or October 13th or first Friday the 13th of the year. This is the perfect day for all you Doubting Thomas types. By definition, a skeptic is a person who questions or doubts facts and theories. He or she is a mis-believer. A skeptic does not accept the given. If you are inclined to doubt things that you see or hear, then International Skeptics Day is for you. This holiday was most likely created by a skeptic since there is doubt about even the date to celebrate. Perhaps you hard core skeptics should celebrate on all three days.

Oct 14 Be Bald And Free Day

Oct 14 National Dessert Day

Oct 15 White Cane Safety Day

Oct 16 Bosses Day

Oct 16 Dictionary Day

Oct 17 Wear Something Gaudy Day

Oct 18 International Newspaper Carrier Day (date varies each year)

Oct 18 No Beard Day

Oct 18 Sweetest Day (third Saturday of month)

Oct 19 Evaluate Your Life Day

Oct 20 Brandied Fruit Day

Oct 21 Babbling Day—always October 21. Blatherskites, mark this day on your calendar. The dictionary defines blatherskite as a person who babbles. This isn't a day to remain silent. Tell everyone you know about this special day. On this day, we celebrate those with a glib tongue. You know them when you hear them. They're talking gibberish. They never stop talking. They babble on and on. They can turn a simple one sentence statement into an endless dissertation.

Oct 21 Count Your Buttons Day

Oct 21 National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day

Oct 22 National Nut Day

Oct 23 National Mole Day

Oct 23 TV Talk Show Host Day

Oct 24 National Bologna Day

Oct 24 United Nations Day

Oct 25 Make A Difference Day (fourth Saturday of the month)

Oct 25 Punk-For-A-Day Day

Oct 25 World Pasta Day—always October 25. It should come as no surprise to discover that this special day promotes the consumption of pasta around the world with special events held to help spread the word about pasta's nutritional value. The National Pasta Association and pasta manufacturers sponsor these events and activities. This celebration day was established as an annual event at the first World Pasta Congress held on October 25, 1995 in Rome, Italy.

Oct 26 Mother-In-Law Day (fourth Sunday in October)

Oct 26 National Mincemeat Day

Oct 27 National Tell A Story Day (in Scotland and the U.K.)

Oct 27 Navy Day

Oct 28 Plush Animal Lover's Day

Oct 29 Hermit Day

Oct 29 National Frankenstein Day—there are three known days and as a result a little bit confusion. There's Frankenstein Friday (last Friday in October), National Frankenstein Day (August 30, the birthdate of Frankenstein author Mary Shelley), and Frankenstein Day. Frankenstein is one of the best known horror creations, dating back to the 1800's. It's difficult to imagine the Halloween season without the Frankenstein monster lurking somewhere in the darkness. To celebrate this day, read the novel or see a Frankenstein movie. And, for those who aren't sure, Frankenstein is the name of the doctor (the monster he created didn't have a name).

Oct 30 National Candy Corn Day

Oct 30 Mischief Night

Oct 31 Carve A Pumpkin Day

Oct 31 Halloween—that night of witches, ghosts, goblins, monsters and trick-or-treaters looking for candy.

Oct 31 Increase Your Psychic Powers Day—always October 31. There are a number of ways to increase your psychic powers and no shortage of psychics, groups and websites to help you. Here are a few suggestions: Get out the Ouija board and use it with some friends. Get out a deck of cards, shuffle them well, think of what the top card is then, turn it over. Flip of the coin where you guess heads or tails while the coin is in the air. As your psychic power increases, you should guess correctly more than 50% of the time. Hone your ESP skills—when the phone rings, guess who it will be. As you go through the day, guess what people are going to say, or what is going to happen next. Concentrating and clearing your mind of other thoughts is essential to successfully developing your psychic powers. This celebration day appears to have roots in England back to the nineteenth century. Some documentation and readings has it occurring on Halloween night. Other, references, has is on the 30th.

And there you have it…the weird, wacky and unique celebration days for the month of October, 2014.