Monday, January 21, 2008

Weird and wacky celebrations for January 21

Martin Luther King Day honors the equality efforts made by and the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Many special events and activites are planned around the country. Since it's a government holiday, government employees get the day off, but people are encouraged to make it a day on by volunteering or working on service projects. Get the scoop at MLKDay.gov.

Need a hug? You're in luck then because today is National Hugging Day. This holiday's roots date to 1986, and the primary purpose is to promote hugging on a year-round basis. Of course, you should always ask before you just give someone a bear hug. There are people who don't like others invading their personal space. In the field of proxemics, a hug is within a person's intimate zone and we allow only those we trust to enter that area. You can submit hugging pictures to the holiday's official website.

My favorite celebration for today is Squirrel Appreciation Day. Yes, those furry little creatures that sit in the middle of the road, thus causing cars to swerve to avoid confrontation and ultimate squirrel roadkill in the Geico commercials. Now, I honestly don't mind watching squirrels chasing each other while they are acting squirrelly. Plus, if you listen closely to their chatter, they talk up a storm! Some interesting hints about the squirrel population can be found here. A humorous view of the holiday is available here.

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