Weird holidays

Ever wondered how many strange holidays are out there? I found a website a few years back that lists holidays for each month and includes a list of special, bizarre, crazy, strange holidays for each day, too. You would be amazed at how many strange celebrations there really are. You can check it out at http://www.brownielocks.com.

Take this week, for instance. I had several ideas planned, but I had to substitute three days, and then with fam responsibilities, I didn't make the time.

So today, I was looking at the calendar I printed from the above-mentioned website. On Sunday (or Monday if you are a government employee), veterans were honored in ceremonies across the U.S. But Sunday was also Death/Duty Day. Huh? I googled it to see what the significance is and found a good explanation at classbrain.com. According to the site, the day is to honor soldiers from both sides who died on November 11, 1918, the armistice or Waffenstillstand day that ended the fighting in WWI. Interesting explanation! I'm glad I looked it up.

Monday was I Need A Patch for That Day. Can I get a patch to cure my insomnia? Google sites show that this holiday is confused. Some sites report it is celebrated in May; others say November.

Tuesday honored young readers, thanks to Pizza Hut and the Library of Congress. National Young Reader's Day reminds Americans of the importance of reading. Heck, reading is one of my favorite pastimes. And I'm positive my children would say I'm not young. :) But seriously, children need to read. Often.

Wednesday had two interesting days. First, the teddy bear was honored with it's own celebration. That's right, National American Teddy Bear Day. My mom has, oh, about a million teddy bears, so she celebrates it every day. How did Teddy get his name? It's a fun story!

Another group honored on Wednesday were people I work with and appreciate. National Educational Support Professionals Day. I'm sure that's why the secretary at school had a dozen roses on her desk this week. Secretaries, bus drivers, paraprofessionals, cooks, and custodians deserve to be honored. They also are an integral part of the school system. Kudos to you for your work with America's youth.

Thursday was definitely a day for me to celebrate: I Love to Write Day. Yup, I love to write. OK, actually I like to write. I can't say I love it because it drives me crazy when people say that "love" it. That word is used too freely. I love nachos, too. Does that mean I have a relationship with corn chips and nacho cheese? Don't think so. Seriously, I do enjoy writing. It's exhilarating and a great stress relief. And not a bad way to earn a living!

Thursday also honored the bundt pan. Yup, it was National Bundt (pan) Day. I remember when my mom bought a bundt pan. I was young. Very young. And she'd make great cakes with it. And then I think it sat in the cupboard for about 20 years. Unused. Unwanted. Feeling lonely. Maybe not that far, but it seems like we just stopped using it. I bought one at a dollar story for $5 (don't get me started on dollar stores and why stuff is more than a dollar). I use it at least once a month. Scott likes banana cake and last week, I made a triple chocolate cake.

International Day for Tolerance is today. I admit I don't always have patience, but I try to be tolerant. Sometimes I'm too tolerant. And if we're talking tolerance as in acceptance of someone - whether it be race, religion, political views - I always practice that.

Tomorrow is another yummy holiday. Homemade Bread Day! I made homemade bread (no, not the frozen variety that thaws) the other day. Okay, I did make two of those loaves of wheat bread last week, But this week I made lime-macadamia nut bread with a powdered sugar glaze. Definitely better than I imagined.

Tomorrow's also my sister's birthday, although it is not a national holiday. Maybe it should be!

For a list of next weeks' weird, bizarre, crazy, goofy holidays, check back on Sunday. I've decided I'll list several for the upcoming week, along with my comments.

But for now, go ahead and celebrate!