Days & Ways to Celebrate – April 1-8, 2020

For the foreseeable future, as long as it takes to get us all back in the groove again, I’ll post a myriad of days and ways to celebrate… one week at a time. There are SOOOOO many ways that you can cheer folks up and cheer yourself up in the process and maybe laugh a little when there’s not much else to laugh about. So, without further ado, here’s Week 1 of April’s Days & Ways to celebrate which will take you from today, April Fool’s Day to April 8th.

April 1st

April Fool’s Day – The reference to this day dates back to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales in the 14th century. It's celebrated in many countries by sticking a paper fish to someone's back without them knowing it, a tradition known in France as poisson d'avril, literally April fish. Really? You probably don’t need any prankster pointers, but remember... be nice!

National Walking Day is also celebrated today… Go out and take a stroll. The American Heart Association states that walking is the most popular form of exercise. Give it a try. If you already walk, walk a little further. Just remember the social distancing…

Interesting to note… Oliver Pollack invented the dollar sign $ on this day in 1778. How about donating one or more of those dollars to a good cause today?

Thank you, Geoffrey Pocket

A little known, but noteworthy holiday is Honor Your Pocket Day. Yup, on this day in 1590, pockets were invented. People were tired of losing their small change and keys and had no place to put their hands, so Geoffrey Pocket came along and solved the problem. To celebrate, walk around with your hands in your pockets and give thanks for the little things in life. BTW, nowadays, it’s really wise to keep your hands in your pockets when you greet someone… no handshaking, it’s the Covid-19 elbow bump. And, oh yeah, April Fool’s!

April 2nd

Peanut Butter & Jelly Day – The great American sandwich combo...PB & J. Do you prefer smooth or chunky? What kind of jelly? Toasted or not? Chunky, blueberry jam, toasted

Children’s Book Day - While munching on your PB&J sandwich, you can also celebrate Danish children’s author, Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday (1805) and read or perhaps watch one of his nine tales including The Tinderbox, The Princess and the Pea, Thumbelina, The Little Mermaid and The Emperor's New Clothes. Did you know the popular Disney animated film, Frozen, is loosely based on Andersen’s story entitled The Snow Queen?

April 3rd

Pony Express Day - The Pony Express first began delivering the mail on this day in 1860. Delve into history a little bit today and learn more about the short-lived days of these courageous, iconic horseback riders of the Old West. Did you know, for instance, that the Pony Express was only in operation for 18 months? Read more here.

April 4th

National Rat Day - “To the world, you are one person. To a rat, you are the world.” Wow … that's deep, huh? Go ahead … get RAT-ical. Celebrate fancy rats today at the National Fancy Rats Society's website. You might also considering reading or watching The Pied Piper of Hamelin or maybe Stuart Little, Ratatouille or Ben. So little time - so many rats.

It’s also International Pillow Fight Day. The largest pillow fight flash mob was the International Pillow Fight Day, aka Worldwide Pillow Fight Day, that took place on March 22, 2008. Over 25 cities around the globe participated in the first "international flash mob", which was the world's largest flash mob to date. Always observed the first Saturday in April, you can pillow fight with your ‘sheltered in place’ family or have a virtual pillow fight on FaceTime with friends all over the world.

April 5th

International Pooper Scooper Week - This day falls within International Pooper Scooper Week (I kid you not!) which runs April 1-7th each year. It is a reminder to all pet owners to pick up after your animals. Read all about it. I guess you celebrate by picking up dog doo.

Read a Road Map Day – This is the perfect time to pull out one of those old, hard-to-fold, paper road maps and start planning a trip… even if it’s only a virtual one. Though your GPS might be convenient and efficient for navigation, it’s more about getting you to your destination via the quickest most direct route instead of actually planning a journey. No paper maps handy? How about using an online map like MapQuest? It might also be fun to show the kids how we planned trips ‘in the old days’… like in the 1990s.

Today is also Palm Sunday, the Sunday one week prior to Easter which signals the beginning of Holy Week for Christians.

April 6th

It’s Italian painter and architect Raphael’s birthday today. Born on this day in 1483 and coincidentally also died on this day in 1520, this would be a great opportunity to get a little ‘cultcha’. Raphael’s contributions to art’s High Renaissance period is significant. Along with Michelangelo and daVinci, he’s considered one of the great masters. Learn more here.

And while you’re getting your daily dose of art education, on this day in 1930, Twinkies hit the market for the first time. The first Twinkies had a banana-flavor filling. There are probably still some of the originals left on a shelf somewhere. Otherwise, look in the non-nutritional, chemically-enhanced, high sugar snack aisle of your local supermarket. Hopefully, they haven’t been hoarded.

April 7th

National Beer Day – Now we’re talking a real celebratory occasion. The Cullen-Harrison Act repealed the prohibition of beer and became effective April 7, 1933. People could once more legally buy, sell and consume beer. When we were in Australia, David made his own beer, a challenge on a rocking boat. Read about it here while you’re sipping a cold one. You might also enjoy some beer trivia, just in case you need a little additional reading material for the second one.

Beer bottling day on Nine of Cups

April 8th

Passover (Pesach) is an 8-day celebration beginning at sundown today and ending on April 16. It celebrates the deliverance of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. Want to learn more? This Passover megasite has tools, guides, insights, stories, inspiration—and just about everything you need to celebrate Passover (but bring your own wine).

Zoo Lover’s Day -The first zoo was in Egypt in ~3500BC. Celebrate by finding out what's new at your local zoo. Going to the zoo may not be an option these days, but how about checking out some of the world's most popular zoos?

Howl at the Moon Night - There’s not only a full moon tonight, it’s a supermoon! The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated, so it may look larger and brighter than usual. This moon phase occurs at 02:35 UTC. Native Americans had many names for moons based on natural happenings occurring at the same. This full moon was known by some tribes as the Full Pink Moon because it marked the appearance of wild pink ground phlox, one of the first spring flowers. It’s a good night to head out into your back yard and howl a little. Don’t wake the neighbors although they may be howling, too.

Look for Week 2 of April’s Days and Ways to Celebrate in next Wednesday’s blog on April 8th.